A Sky Without Stars

~ Ten ~

Tomorrow was both the interviews and my birthday, so today was spent with less training for the games, and more training for the interviews. For one thing, Vey had to decide on our outfits, and I had to learn how to walk in heels, and how to 'Talk nicely' as Aofie had put it.

"Angora!" Aofie yelled after I had tripped over yet again. I wasn't used to walking in heels, nor was I used to wearing such a long dress. "Angora, please try to be more...upright" Aofie said, as a small team of capitol workers ran over to help me up.

"Aofie, can I please just have a break? I've been working for 7 hours now!" I whined. Aofie took a deep breath, before helping me out of the practise dress and heels, and letting me have 10 minutes downstairs.

I sat at the table we had lunch at yesterday with district 11. We still hadn't had word back from them as to whether or not they wanted to be our allies.

"You needed a break too huh?" Lex asked, walking down the staircase, and sitting across from me on the table.

"yeah. Walking in heels is hard" I replied.

"Listen, I thought I should give you some advice" She started, "Tomorrow, no mater how much they make you sick, or how repelled they make you feel, you gotta act like you're in love with every single one of them" She told me. "Understand?" I nodded. "Good luck" She said, before walking back up to her floor.

I stood up from the table and checked the huge clock hanging on the wall. I still had 5 minutes until I had to return to Aofie. I walked up the stairs towards where Sash was practising with Yarnn. I knocked on the door. When it opened, I was greeted by a pale, white, porcelain face, decorated with leopard print everywhere.

"Yes?" She said with a thick Capitol accent.

"Yarnn" Was all I managed to say. She turned around, and was replaced by our mentor.

"What do you want, You should be training with Aofie?!" She exclaimed.

"Lex. Electra. From 4" I said. Yarnn closed her eyes as she tried to remember who I was talking about.

"Electra Fluctus? Yes, what about her?" Yarnn was clearly becoming impatient with me now.

"I need her... as an ally" I was still out of breath from running up eight flights of stairs.

"I'll see what I can do, but you need serious help with walking in heels, so go now" Yarnn said, ushering me back to my room, and closing her door behind her. I took a deep breath, and walked back into my room. Aofie and Vey were talking, whilst looking at different scraps of fabric. I cleared my throat to let them know I was here now.

"Ah, Angora, you've finally returned to us" Aofie said,rising elegantly from her chair, and walking towards me with a pair of heels. "Lets try again!"

---

After a few more hours of practising, the torture was over. I wasn't allowed to see the dress until tomorrow night. I collapsed on my bed, and thought of Bo, how she might be holding up. It was my birthday tomorrow, and I knew that Bo would make sure the town still had a party for me. My eyes slowly fluttered shut, as I nodded off into the land of sleep, dreaming only of Bo...