Deadly Game (A Hunger Games fanfic)

Deadly Game - Chapter 16

When it's my turn to be with Violet I'm in a better mood.

"Since I've already went through the whole how to behave-part in the train, and you've mastered it well, we'll move on to standing, sitting and moving."

This means I don't have to suffer through the same lesson that I got on the train?

Oh yeah!

So Violet makes me wear a long dress and high heels. Then we practice walking, sitting and standing for hours. Than next up is smiling, how to look at the audience... The list is endless, but Violet seems to think I'm pretty good at it.

When she finally lets me go, I'm starving, and after a quick meal I'm ushered into the prep-team's room. Apparently my leg hair has grown back in the few days I've been here - damn stubborn hair - so I quietly suffer through the whole episode of making my body beautiful.

This time they bathe me in a smelling liquid that is to keep all hair away from my body for a few weeks. I mean, jeez, couldn't I had bathed in it on the first day? That would had saved me from a lot of pain.

My nails are fixed by Heart and I watch Sizza and Marc rush around to gather shampoos and brushes - they're preparing to attack my hair. And an attack is needed, since I haven't really worked my brush through my hair today. I've been tossing and turning from the nightmares, so I have a lot of knots in my hair.

It feels like they rip half of my hair away, but when I look in the mirror, my brownish hair is perfectly curled and falling down five centimeters past my shoulders.

My makeup is light, white and blue eyeshadow, mascara and a clear lip-gloss.

"We want you to look as natural as possible," Heart says.

Translation: Caro wants me to look as natural as possible. The prep-team members follow Caro's orders like she is a goddess.

When they've finished, Caro enters, and inspects their work. After a slight correction of the shade of my eyeshadow they tell me to close my eyes.

I once again feel a dress pulled over my head. It's heavy - heavier than the first one. When I'm allowed to open my eyes, I understand why.

Pearls and seashells.

The whole dress is covered with beautiful seashells and pearls. From what you see of the fabric it's silvery. High heels that match Caro's silver ones cover my feet, and my hair is still free around my shoulders. But not for long.

Marc's steady hands softly pull my hair up in a complicated bun. Sizza and Heart add pearl and seashell decorations to my hair, and I am once again stunned by their work.

I look amazing, breathtaking.

****************

"Come on Cass. You can do this."

Evan is trying to calm me down as we walk to the lift. It doesn't work. Not when I'm about to step up on a stage and face the whole Capitol. Did I mention I'll do it alone?

"Cassi, it's okay. I'll be sitting with the stylists, Evan with the mentors. You'll see us all the time."

"Caro's right. I'm not leaving you alone, Cass. Rino will be there, as will your allies."

"Oh, Rino hasn't mentioned our fight? Well, Rino won't be of any use for me. And, both Axara and Faith sit far away from me."

"You've fought?" Evan sounds surprised. Rino looks down guiltily.

"Yeah, Rino pushed a twelve year old girl - who happens to be my ally, Faith - out of his way. I slapped him and told him a few selected words." I shrug.