Peeta: in the arena with Prim

Chapter 6

As I step out of the train, I immediately feel a pair of hands grasping my shoulders. I look and see the faces of my prep team. I laugh to myself, knowing I could easy break out of their grip, and they gawk at me. I instantly look down as I hear a loud gasp.

"Oh my!!! Look at his hair!" A small woman with puffy eyelids and hair the color of teal gasps. "Do you even know how to bathe?" She asks me.

"Um..yes," I respond, suddenly embarrassed. Before I can even take another step, a man with fire-orange hair that clearly has too much gel in it steps in my path. I abruptly come to a stop and almost fall in him.

"And his eyebrows! My, he's going to be a lot of work!"

They drag me into a room that has no furniture except a counter. There is a cart filled with "beauty supplies," like gel and tweezers. Another woman, the third of my prep team, approaches me. She is by far the most strange. As I see her, I can feel my jaw drop. She has black hair with pink and silver streaks. Her face is covered in golden swirls, which I'm guessing aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Her heels are at least 10 inches high, and her dress is short. It's a hot pink with golden swirls and silver pearls and feathers all over it. But the most strange of her apperance is her skin. She has had her skin died a very light blue. She comes closer to me, but my instinct is to move away. I can feel my body tense as she places her blue hand on my shoulder.

"Hello, Peeta," she sqeauls in a very high voice. "I am Rovinia, and I am part of your prep team. That's Areelo," she points to the man with the fire hair. "And that's Danoime." The woman with puffy eyelids flashes me a smile, and I realize her teeth have been altered with colorful jewels.

"Hi, I-" I start, but Rovinia cuts me off.

"Peeta, we have no time to waste before we take you to Portia, your stylist. It would be great if you just cooperated with us, okay hun?" I have never been called "hun" before, and I wish it was still like that. Before I can respond, Areelo is already talking.

"I'm going to need you to undress." Areelo tells me, holding out his hands. I suddenly realize he's holding out his hand for my clothes. Are they crazy? I am not getting naked in front of strangers! I just stare blankly at him.

"Okay, if that how you're going to be," he huffs. He and Danoime approach me lift my arms and rip off my shirt, while Rovinia works on getting my pants and boxers off. I shoot my hands over my privates and I can feel my cheeks getting hot as I blush. When they are done, they step back and inspect me. They murmur and I pick up on things like "he needs waxed," or "this may be a difficult task." Then they start to lay me down.

"Umm..." I start, already uncomfortable. "Do you have a robe or something?" Rovinia starts to laugh and I don't see what's funny. Is it something I said?

"Of course we do, Peeta," she assures me, handing me a thin blue robe. It's not much, but it's better than standing here naked. I snatch the robe from her and throw it over my body.

Once they lay me down, my prep team gets right to work. I wince as Danoime takes the tweezers and plucks hair from my eyebrows. Rovinia is back to work with washing out my hair, even though I showered so recently. They don't talk as they work over me. I suddenly see Areelo with a strip of paper in his hands. He places it on my bottom of my  right leg, then rips it off in a smooth motion. A sharp surge of pain shoots through me, and it's unbearable.

"Ow!" I scream. I rub my leg where the paper was as Areelo smacks my hand.

"Stop it, you might mess it up!" He snaps at me as I pull my hand away. I feel this pain about 5 more time until Areelo finally sighs.