He makes an "UH!" sound as my fist collides with his cheekbone. It's probably bruised. Baily shrieks again, Blight pulls me into his strong arms at Marie's demands.
"Get her to the health suite around the corner!" She says. Amarack leaves to get ice at the same time Blight carries me to the health place.
The lady there bandages my arms in band-aids and then covers them in gauze to 'protect them.' That makes no sense to me, but I don't resist or complain.
Today's the day I'm supposed to train for these stupid interviews, so I get, like, 4 hours with Marie and 4 hours with Baily. Yippie. I can't even stand seeing Baily for an hour at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And now I have to spend 4 hours with her- alone?
It doesn't go all that bad. I learn how to walk with a full length dress and in heels. It takes me about 2 hours to do each, but I do it. Then with Marie we discuss my training strategy and how it'll effect my interview.
"So, obviously, you're going to have to act weak in the Games. Over the years, I've made cards with the questions he asks the most often," Marie says.
It makes me smile, how she cares so much that she'll do that for her tributes. She begins to ask me them in her best Caesar Flickerman, which makes me laugh.
Then I look up, give a hint of a smile, and say: "So?"
Marie is beaming. "Perfect! You could be an actress!"
I smile. "Thanks."
She continues asking me crazy weird questions that, yes, Caesar does ask very often. I answer as best as I can, with my head down, my voice wobbly and soft, but not too soft, Marie warns. I want the audience to hear me.
At the last question, Marie tosses the questions behind her.
"You're ready."
The Next Day
An hour is spent on getting me into my dress, which is actually pretty. It's dark green, like the evergreen trees back home. So soft and silky. It goes to right above my knees, and it does a good job making me look prettier than I am.
My makeup is simple. The lightest green: like a pea green, only lighter. Faded pink lipstick. Bronzer and blush. Mascara and black eyeliner. The prep team curls my hair, and they fall into beautiful spirals behind me. Then they take two stands of my hair, each on one side, and pull them back with a clip.
I've got to admit it. I look better than usual. And the tall black heels I can walk in. I spin around and strut.
Yemenda and the prep team squeals. I flash a smile and put one of my hands on my hip. Sit like a lady for them, like Baily teaches me. My whitened teeth look gorgeous when I smile.
"You look sexyyyy!" Yemenda nods, admiring her claps lightly with one of her hands clapping the others palm.
"Ahh! Johanna!" Jenny, Mellina, and Prendia shout together. My prep team is proud of me? For what?
When it's time, I walk onto the stage exactly five seconds after the last District 6 tribute, like Baily said I should. The crowd cheers and I smile weakly at them as I take my seat. The interviews fly by, and I don't listen to them much.
When it's my turn, I rise and walk over to Caesar.
"Good, evening Johanna!" He smiles as I shake his hand.
"Good evening," I say weakly, and take a seat.
When he clears his throat, he pauses a moment to think of a question. The crowd is silent, practically leaning in to hear what he'll ask, and even better, what I'll answer. The bright lights shine in my face and I turn back to Caesar, forcing myself not to squint.
"So, what is the strategy you'll be using in the arena? Do you have one? The crowd is dying to know, right?" He opens his arms and grins at the audience, who cheer in approval.
My mind goes back to yesterday, when Marie was testing me with her questions. It was the first one she asked.
"What is your strategy that you'll use in the Games?" She asks.
"Um..." I say quietly, look down and breathe in. Exhale. "I don't know. I can't do much."
My eyes find Marie in the crowd. She raises her eyebrows ever so slightly, gives a small smile, and look back to Caesar.
"I...don't know," I say, and to be honest, I haven't given it much thought, except for I'm going to pretend to be a weakling. "I can't do much." I look down and choke down the urge to smile.
"Okay," Caesar says gently. "Well, what do you like the most about the Capitol so far?"
I don't know what to say. "Uh..." I hesitate. "I like how kind the people are," I say quietly looking down at my toes. Wiggling them ever so slightly, the brown nail polish that matches my finger shimmers. Thank you, prep team. I think. For making me so beautiful people will still sponsor me.
But then it hits me. If people sponsor me when I'm in the games because I'm pretty, they'll buy me like it's rumored they do to Finnick Odair. I almost shudder. That's not what I want, and I won't have it.
"Okay. So how is your life back in District Seven?" He asks.
I take a deep breathe. My eyes flicker down to my shoes, at the crowd, and back to Caesar. "I'm from District Seven, as you know. The lumber industry. And I live at home with my mother and my father, who is a lumberjack, like the majority of those in District Seven. I go to high school." Shrugging, I smooth out my dress and put my arms over my ribs, as if I'm protecting them. Drop them back down.
The buzzer sounds, and I retreat to my seat. I wait as the rest of the Districts go, tuning out the laughter of the crowd and the questions Caesar asks.
When we get back to the training center, I sit in my room, peel off my pretty dress, and fall into the bed. It takes about five seconds before I realize I'm never going to get any sleep. So I climb out of the bed and walk into the kitchen, where an attendant gets me some hot chocolate I bring back to my room.
I fall asleep.
In the morning, my half drank hot chocolate is sitting on the side table, cold. I push it away. I stand up and dress in anything. Drink milk, no breakfast.
I'm immediatly whisked to the roof, where Yemenda is. I'm frozen on the ladder when they insert my tracker. Ouch. It hurts.
In the launch room, I shower. Lather myself in lemony soap. Thoroughly wash my hair because this may be the last time I do.
When I get out, Yemenda dries my hair and I dress in the tribute clothing- Skin tight black pants, a polyester blue T-shirt and a black jacket that reflects body heat. Black boots, too, that are kind of like the ones we wear back home. Just fancier.
Yemenda pulls my hair into a ponytail and I turn myself into kick-ass mode.
A lady voice informs us it's time for launch. I walk over to the plate bravely.
"Good luck, Johanna!" She squeals. It closes, and I'm rising into blackness.
Please, woods.
Pine trees. I smell pine trees and determination overcomes me.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the 68th Hunger Games begin!"
Chapter 7: The Time Has Come
Start from the beginning
