Coached separately? Just why? I mean I should be given a reason. Just because I'm twelve doesn't mean that I don't get to know and everybody else does. I mean, why? And why was I thrown here in the first place? Me, and all these other people?
I know that I won't be getting any answers. I do ask something that can be answered though. "So...what's our schedule?"
"You'll get four hours with me, then four with Effie. You'll be taking turns. So while Peeta's with me, talking about content, you'll be with Effie talking about performance. Then you switch," Haymitch explains.
Not a dream schedule but I guess it will do. I start with Effie, and I wonder what she's going to teach me for four long hours. I listen to her out of respect. First she puts me on high-heels, which I master in about five minutes. But then she decides to make me try on some lower shoes, and that works out just fine as well.
Soon, Effie teaches me how to walk into the room while waving to the crowd, smiling of course, sitting down in a chair (...really?), and greeting Caesar. Effie insists we practice that again, but we've been doing this same routine for the past hour that I could probably do it in my sleep. Effie let's me move on, this time teaching me about how I should act when I'm in the chair. But what I remember is just smile, smile, wave, smile, smile. There's not really much. Just be all cute to earn sponsors. The next step, I think to myself. The list. Act all cute and get sponsors. The next step is tomorrow night, bringing me closer to my impending death.
Effie is quite pleased with my performance so she dismisses me an hour early. I start walking to my room, and without realizing, I'm walking the way Effie told me to. Oh gosh, I think. Am I becoming like the Capitol people?!
Oh well, for now I should go and get ready. I should go wash up even though my prep team would be doing all sorts of things on me later on. I take a quick shower, using primrose scented water. At home we never really get warm water, let alone scent it. But here it just seems like a normal thing that people do, which annoys me.
"Why waste money on these scents when you could be helping starving people?" I wonder out loud as I rinse my hair. I'm coming up with a bunch of questions these days, that I'll never really get answers too. After washing, I dry myself and then wrap myself in a fluffy white towel. I look through the dresser and throw on a blouse, with a small beige skirt. I tuck the tail of my blouse in, thinking of Katniss. After changing, I decide to practice smiling, like Effie insists. I stand in front of the mirror and flash a huge smile. I try on different expressions and also different gestures or motions. Then I see the door open in the reflection in the mirror, and watch as Lavinia enters the room. She smiles.
"I wonder if avoxes get to watch the games," I wonder.
I let Lavinia come in, and I realize she's just here for her duties, to fetch the wet towel from the shower. I help her to pick up the old clothes too, which will be going to the hamper no doubt.
After Lavinia leaves, I decide to go outside and see if there's anything exciting. Nothing much. I mean there's Peeta, Haymitch, and Effie just talking to each other, Effie drinking coffee and Haymitch drinking. But he's still sober. I guess they are giving advice to Peeta.
I might as well get over there, I mean four hours is probably over.
"Just in time Prim," Haymitch welcomes me.
"Okay, so now Peeta get's to spend four hours with me, and Prim dear you are spending time with Haymitch," Effie says, making sure to get our schedule all sorted out.
What's Haymitch gonna teach me? I ponder over the question but I really don't know what he plans to teach me. Effie and Peeta leave the room, for their performance lesson and Haymitch starts, "Ok, so you Prim, and I are working on content now."
I nod and he continues. "So we've got to get you an angle."
"Let's go simple," I tell him.
"Well what seems obvious is a cute, innocent, and bright little girl," Haymitch says.
"I like it," I say.
"Ok then, we'll go with that," Haymitch says.
Our four hours are divided into three parts. Acting cute, acting innocent, and being a bright little girl. Just like Haymitch had explained.
"You are very...likeable, so I bet you can get lot's of sponsors," Haymitch says when we've got pretty much everything covered. We have about 10 minutes left, but Haymitch dismisses me.
"Adorable!" Effie exclaims as she listens to what I've prepared for content. I talk with a bright voice, being cute. Acting innocent. Just like Haymitch wanted. A cute, innocent, and bright little girl. A girl that people would pity, for being thrown into the brutal games.
"Even in the arena, you have to keep this up," Haymitch goes on. "Smile at the cameras, being happy. You got that, right?"
I nod. I totally get it. But it won't be as easy as it sounds once I'm in the arena.
I get to my room and get in bed, and think about how close I am to the games. What is Katniss thinking? Are Mother and Katniss going to watch me die? Or maybe they would watch me win and bring home glory. Maybe for once, District 12 will have a victor. But what if not? If this is all in my head?
"Katniss, I miss you so much," I say to myself. I wish that she would be here, right now, beside me as I sleep. Telling me that all will be ok, but it isn't going to be. It's not. I try to hold back the tears but they pour out. Probably from missing her, all the pressure, being nervous and all. I cry.
"Katniss," I sob. I lift up my head when I see the door creak open. And there stands Lavinia. She walks in and sits down beside me, just like Katniss would have done. She caresses me and calms me down. She tucks me into the bed and stays by me until I fall asleep.
When I wake up, Lavinia is gone. Instead, my prep team is around me. Oh right. Interview day. Yesterday was for Effie and Haymitch to get me ready, and now it's the actual day for the interview. That means my prep teams will get their hands all over me, fixing me from head to toe to make me look Capitol-beautiful. I sit patiently as they fix my hair, hands, nails, and even making my body all shimmery. I let out a sigh of relief when they leave but they aren't done. They come back with a whole new set of materials and start working on my face. Eye lashes, eye brows, cheeks, lips. And then they are really done, and I get to see Cinna. I wanted to give him a big smile and say hi but when he comes in, he tells me to close my eyes.
"Ok," I say without hesitating. I close my eyes and wait for something to happen. Then I feel Cinna put something on me, which is probably my clothes. At first I'm just glad to be wearing anything at all then realize how heavy the dress is.
"Whoah," I say to myself. Then one of the people take my hand and help me into the shoes that I will be wearing. They aren't too high, but they are high heels. I can still walk just fine.
"Um...is this when I open my eyes?" I ask.
"Yes, you can open your eyes," Cinna replies. And when they open, I see my reflection in the mirror. The girl staring back at me is so much more beautiful than me.
"Cinna...I don't know how to thank you," I cry out.
"Just be strong for me, can you do that Prim?" Cinna says. I nod. I hear the door open and turn my head. There stands Effie and Haymitch.
"Prim, darling! You look beautiful!" Effie gushes.
"Not exactly cute and adorable, but a very pretty dress," Haymitch compliments.
Soon we are all in the city circle. I feel scared and nervous for my interview. Katniss and Mother will be watching me tonight, and I am worried that they will worry about me. I look around the city circle. The camera crews, gamemakers, Capitol citizens, stylists. I sit down in the waiting area, where most of the tributes are currently at. I watch a screen that shows me what is happening on the screen.
Caesar Flickerman, the host of the show is bouncing onto the stage. With his artificial hair, which is blue and his eyebrows which are also blue, he can look a bit weird and scary. But I remember the year where he was all red and it looked a bit like blood. That was scary.
Caesar starts with a few puns, making everyone relaxed. Well I sure am calm. Not. I'm nervous and sweaty. But I have to look bright and cheery so I try to make myself happy and see the positive side of things. I look around the room and spot Noah. He's wearing a yellow suit that makes him look more formal. He seems to be impressed by my fire dress and gives me a thumbs up. But I do notice that he also looks nervous.
"You'll do fine," I mouth. I hope he understands what I said. I guess he did. Because he nods then mouths back, "You too."
Soon, the interviews start. They're three minutes each, timed and ending with a buzzer. First up is Glimmer, the District 1 girl. She is really pretty, with blonde hair and emerald green eyes. Her dress is gold and partially see-through, which she seems totally okay with. Talk, talk, talk, buzzer. Soon all the career tributes are done, as well as the District 3 girl.
I give Noah a thumbs up as he walks up to the stage.
"You are Noah, correct?" Caesar asks, although I highly doubt that he didn't go over the names already.
"Yes, my name is Noah," he answers.
"So, tell me about yourself," Caesar asks.
"Well...since I'm from District 3, I am good with mechanics, and working with technology."
"Oh is that so!" Nod. "So, what are your strategies in the games going to be, any special skills?"
"I'm not sure, I doubt they will have electricity in that arena for us to work with, but I could electrocute someone if that was the case."
"Spectacular, just like your Mentor, Beetee!" Caesar says.
Noah gives a weak smile. There are a few more questions then the time is up.
I watch as the tributes all leave. 4.5.6. I look around the room and I lock eyes with Rue for a second. She's in a cute blue dress with white wings. Making her look like...an innocent little girl. The angle that Haymitch wanted me to show. But I don't think I would give up the fire dress for a cute angle. I can still show a cute angle with this mature dress. 7.8.9.
Time is ticking. I turn to see Peeta, who is practicing what he'll say under his breath. I can't hear his words but he seems nervous. We all do.
10. 11.
I watch as Rue makes it to the stage, and smile to the crowd.
"Oh it's Rue! The girl who got a 7 at such a young age!" Caesar compliments.
"Thank you," Rue replies.
"Well, what is going to be your greatest strength in the arena?" Caesar asks.
["I'm very hard to catch," she says in a tremulous voice. "And if they can't catch me, they can't kill me. So don't count me out."
"I wouldn't in a million years," says Caesar encouragingly.] (page 12 lines 10 through 14)
Soon Rue's done, and Thresh as well. It's my turn. I put on a big smile and bounce up to the stage. Like Effie would tell me to do. I smile and wave to the crowd. Ok, I'm not sure how the angle matches with the dress but I guess I can make it work. I shake Caesars hand, which is extended towards me then I take a seat.
"So Primrose! A seven! What an impressing score for someone so small and frail like you," Caesar compliments. Is it a compliment?
"Oh, thank you," I giggle.
"Now that you've left your home at such a young age, what do you miss most about District 12?"
"Well I miss my family, my mother and sister Katniss. She was the best sister ever. And also my goat, Lady, and cat, Buttercup,"
"Ah, so you're good with animals?" Caesar asks. I nod.
"Yes, I am good with animals."
"Well then we should hope that they will have some animals in the arena!" Some of the audience laugh.
"And now, let's talk about that wonderful dress of yours. Do you like it?"
"Oh yes!" I gush. "I love it, it is the most beautiful dress that I've ever seen,"
"Why yes it is. Would you like to show us your dress, give us a little twirl," Caesar says. I smile and stand up, and walk a bit forwards. I look for Cinna in the crowd, and there he is. Motioning for me to twirl.
But as soon as I turn I notice that this is no regular dress. The tips ignite, catching fire. They seem similar with those flames from the parade so I keep spinning until I get dizzy. Caesar catches me, and if he didn't I might have tripped.
"Be careful there," He says. I smile. We exchange a few more questions, and the buzzer sounds. Even as I leave the stage I smile at the crowd and wave. I hope Effie's proud of me. I sit down again, and wait for the last interview, Peeta's.
"And our last tribute, Peeta Mellark!" Caesar exclaims as Peeta walks up to the stage and seats himself. Caesar and Peeta both can talk really well, and they understand each other's jokes. They seem to be having a good time. I know that Peeta's been getting ready for something, since he has been training separately. I wonder what he will tell them, and when.
"Is there anything else you would like to tell us?" Caesar asks. I know that this is Peeta's chance to say whatever he was going to say.
"Well, I have been thinking a lot about how I would word this," Peeta says.
"Oh go on, you are great with words," Caesar encourages.
"There is this one girl, back in my district that I love so dearly. And..and," Peeta stammers.
"Well, I guess if you win then you can get back to her and she will love you!"
"No...no. That's not the case. You see, because...because...her sister was reaped. She's here, with me."
End of Part 1, <The Tributes>
~A/N~ Enjoying so far? This is the end of part 1. We will go into part 2 next week, which is "the games". Well I hope you are enjoying this. I will be posting next week so plz be patient with me. Vote, and comment on what you think :) Want some more Katniss POV? Then plz comment and ask and I will make sure to add some in my next chapters. I am really having fun writing this and I hope that you have fun reading.
-Monica