Under the Moon

Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

I was glad to have Copper switch rooms with Guerrick. I never really liked Guerrick, so I wouldn't miss him. Copper was my only real friend here and I was happy to have someone to talk to. Guerrick actually seemed pretty glad to switch. "Wait, is the girl from District One the skinny one with the pretty dark hair?" he asked.

"Yeah," I told him.

"Then I don't mind," he said. I laughed a little. Sapphire of all people? Sure she was skinny, but she was also extremely short. I didn't mind though. If that was what it took for Copper to have to switch with him, I didn't care at all. Phyllis was indifferent about the matter, though she did think it was convenient that my ally and I would be together. Brinkley couldn't leave poor Copper's curls alone. The second she met him, she started ruffling his copper colored hair. An irritated Copper said, "Hey! She's the baby here!" and pointed at me. That hurt me a little. I didn't know if he meant it or not but I said, "Well I'm not the one who acts like it!"

"Oh yeah?!" shouted Copper as he threw a pillow at me, "Well, I guess you're right!"

"Hey!" I protested, laughing as I tossed it back at him. The Peacekeepers glared at us, a sign that now was not the right time for a pillow fight. The only person unhappy about this arrangement was Chloro. He kept on insisting that he couldn't train Guerrick if they were separated. We finally decided that two of the five District One mentors would switch places with Chloro, who would go to the District One floor. Chloro mumbled his agreement and followed Guerrick and the Peacekeepers downstairs. "All our problems are solved!" chirped Brinkley as she patted Copper's head, "Copernicus can escape that murderous girl, that ruffian Guerrick and all his Peacekeeper guards are gone, and finally, that horrendous man Chloro left us as well! This is the first games in a long time that he isn't bugging me with his presence!" I was surprised. I knew that Brinkley adored Copper and despised Guerrick, but I had no idea that she disliked Chloro. I realized that Brinkley and Chloro never said anything to each other. I wondered what had caused this tension. "Why look outside!" Brinkley lifted her hand to point to the window, allowing Copper to escape from her side and stand next to me, where no one would touch his hair. "It's already day!" Brinkley gasped, "Well that certainly was an eventful night. Soon we will meet up with Chloro and Guerrick and Copernicus will join his group. But for now, let's enjoy breakfast!" She waddled out the room on her high heels and looked at our empty table. "Where is the breakfast?" she demanded.

"Oh! The Avoxes are still locked up!" I said, "Someone has to let them go!"

"No," Brinkley shook her head, "there is a special mechanism in their room that frees them at exactly six A.M."

"It's past six!" I said, "Wait I know why. The Peacekeepers manually locked the door on them at six. It probably threw the mechanism off."

"Well somebody has to go let them out!" Brinkley squealed, "It's not going to be me!"

"I'll go!" Copper and I said at the exact same time.

"Both of you can go!" Brinkley said as she handed me the key and we left to go to the room at end of the hall. I slid in the key and opened the door. The chains had already opened and the Avoxes were impatiently waiting to be released. When the door opened, they filed outside and immediately went to the kitchen. I noticed that after I shut the door, it disappeared. I was right! The door did turn invisible during the day. Copper noticed it as well. "Wow! I wonder if any of the other tributes ever figured it out!" he said as we walked back.

After breakfast, Copper and his mentors left to train him for his interview, while I received training from Phyllis and Brinkley. Brinkley instructed me how to walk in high heels and a long dress, though she did tell me that since I was only twelve, my dress would probably short. I thought I had already mastered the skill, since I had attended multiple parties back home and had received infinite training from Belle, who didn't want me to embarrass her in front of her older siblings and their friends. But though Brinkley said I was doing a great job, I was apparently walking too fast and too stiffly. After two tedious hours, Brinkley decided that my walking was perfected. Why did it matter anyways? I would only be walking to the stage and back, which would take less than a minute. And after that I would go in the games and die. I didn't see the point of perfecting my walk on high heels. After that, Phyllis told me that though I should act cute, young, and innocent during my interview, I must also answer truthfully, confidently, and intelligently. This would make the naïve Capitol people sponsor me, but it would show the other tributes that I was a threat who should be considered seriously. After a quick lunch and shower, I was herded downstairs, into a room where Fauna was waiting for me. "Hi sweetheart!" she crooned, "I'm going to make you look just darling tonight! Let's clean you up and then I'll show you your dress." She made me sit down on a comfortable chair and began to work on my nails. After she had made them round and smooth enough, she pulled out a drawer from under the chair, put in a jar of shimmering blue nail polish, and pressed a button. Almost immediately, a brush extended from the chair and began brushing sparkling polish on my nails. While this was taking place, another machine had taken two thick strands if my hair, one from either side, and was brushing out my curls. Once my nails had dried and those two strands of my hair were perfectly straight, Fauna pulled out some silver and blue thread from her bag and began braiding them into my strands if straightened hair. She then pulled the braids under the rest of my curly hair, and twisted them around my head a few times so my curls were pouring out from a crown of blue, silver, and brown braids. Then, she pinned a large, fake blue flower behind my left ear. She brushed pale blue eyeshadow on my eyelids and applied a tiny bit of coral lipstick on my lips. "And what you have been waiting for!" she remarked, "Your dress!" Without looking up at the dress, I quickly slipped off my clothes and allowed her to pull the dress over my head. Then, I slid my feet in the shoes in front of my. They were blue translucent, high heeled sandals that laced up halfway to my knees. I looked in the mirror that Fauna had placed in front of me and gasped. I looked beautiful! I looked magical! I was sparkling; glitter trailed behind me as I walked. My dress had a sparkling, tight dark blue bodice, which contrasted with its gauzy, pale blue, wide straps and puffy, knee length skirt. My hair matched with this dress made me feel like a fairy. The shoes were light, with gel heels, and surprisingly easy to walk on. I couldn't help notice that Shayne's earrings looked perfectly matched with this outfit, reflecting off the sparkles from my outfit. I had never felt so beautiful in my life before! Fauna had done a great job and I couldn't stop looking at the girl in the mirror who was me. "You do look amazing, if I do say so myself!" Fauna remarked.