PLATINUM • THE HUNGER GAMES ²

| 16. THE TAIL END OF HIS JOKES

BOOK TWO
CHAPTER SIXTEEN

( THE TAIL END OF HIS JOKES )

     BRADLEY HAD BEEN ACTING UNUSUAL ALL DAY. Not only had he been completely ignoring me for the first half, but every time I spoke to him he had dismissed me like I was some lost dog following him home. By the time I was called into costume and make up with Saffra, he had only spoken two exact words to me the entirety of our waking hours.

     Those were, in fact, "Good" and "Morning".

     (In that consecutive order too).

     His strange behaviour wasn't the only thing special about that day, but, also, it was the day of our interviews and specifically the last day of life before we were all to be sent to the arena for the second time.

     My time wasn't exactly wasted though. I had visited Johanna, Finnick and Mags for the first time since the beginning of our Capitol trip, but their mannerisms all appeared to be a little on edge. Johanna seemed to be a tad odd too — even though she is normally a tad odd — and a bit out of place. Actually, I had somewhat decided that there was yet another thing I didn't not know about, or, in this case, couldn't remember for the life of me. Without coming across as suspicious, I used my day wisely to do as good amount of detective work as I physically (and mentally) could. Still, if I was honest, the brain training had me dazed at best.

     As the light of day was drawing to a close, and after my sneaking skills had worn off, I journeyed into the room where my dress was to be fitted and my smile was to be practiced. Opening the door of said room, I was delightfully invited in by a beaming Saffra, who's grin was tight on her face, no doubt, plastered with an array of cosmetics.

     "That's an intriguing arrangement of feathers you have here, Saffra," I acknowledged, pacing my steps across the length of the room. "Did you pluck them yourself?"

     Her eyes flickered up to me in surprise, with her red — redder than usual — hair swinging alongside them. She laughed pityingly, a stinging hint following the tone.

     "Those poor souls back in your District probably did."

     I sat down with a thump by the dressing table, eager to move the conversation swiftly on. I didn't want to talk about home. I didn't want to be reminded of my people any longer. They were to be left a mere memories now, seeing as I was never going to gaze at any of those kindhearted spirits ever again. Not in this world, anyhow.

     Minutes passed, and the familiar time warnings signal in the background one by one as Saffra works her way around my interview outfit. The conversation the two of us have is short, silenced even, to a point that we barely discussed with one another except for minor details. Perhaps my eyes were closed when I wasn't supposed to have them — she'd mention it. Or maybe my posture wasn't correct — she'd mention it. There had been something hostile growing in her voice that I couldn't quite pick out, and maybe it had linked to how everyone else had been treating me that day.