Eve waited nervously in her dressing room, nervous for whatever Fira had dreamed up. When she walked in with what looked like an armful of scrap metal she wanted to cry.
"I'm not wearing that." She shook her head. She refused to make a fool of herself when so much was on the line.
"Oh, shut up." Fira rolled her eyes as she draped the metal pieces over her shoulders.
It looked like fishing line was holding the Garibaldi sized pieces together and Eve covered her eyes with her palms.
"Just watched." Fora said gently as she removed her hands from her face.
Eve looked into the mirror while Fira grabbed a blow torch.
"What are you doing?" Eve backed away but the sharp look in her designers eye made her pause. She turned it on and let the hot air hit the metal.
The pieces shrunk as they molded against her body. Eve's sun tanned skin showed between the material that now looked like fish scales just enough to leave the capital's citizens wanting more.
"This is my best work yet." Fira buzzed beside her.
*** *** ***
With perfect hair and makeup she stood in line and waited.
She watched Glimmer strut on stage through the projector in front of her.
"Look at you!" Caesar praised as he walked around the girl. "That is quite an outfit."
She wore a see through dress with barely anything below it.
"Yes Caesar and it feels good too" she hummed.
"It does." He trailed off as he moved closer. "Let me see."
"Oh you mean it feels good on you!" He laughed.
"Bad!" She giggled.
"Almost got myself into trouble there." He grinned. "Bad boy! Bad boy!"
"Slap my hand." He held it out and she didn't hesitate.
"Now do it again."
"No!" She giggled.
"Kill me now." Eve groaned.
Cato heard her quiet complaint and looked over his shoulder.
His eyes took their time dragging over her. Instead of looking uncomfortable in his gaze, she did the same to him. He wore a light blue suit that was obviously tailored specifically for his broad shoulders and massive arms.
She didn't look away when his eyes met hers. With her score she figured it was about time to start playing the part.
He grinned at her small act of defiance. He decided to let her have it and looked back to the stage.
Eve didn't pay attention to the rest of Glimmer's interview, nor the boy from District One.
It wasn't until Clove was called on stage that she perked up.
She put on much less of a show when she walked on stage in her puffy pink dress.
"I have heard you are quite facile with a knife." He said once the two were situated in their white chairs.
"I'm the best." She said simply.
"Really?"
"I could kill you from clear across this stage."
Her words made even thee Caesar Flickerman shift in his seat. "Sounds to me like you're here to win."
There were goosebumps on Eve's skin. The girl on stage was cold and dangerous. And tomorrow she would be trying to kill her.
"And now let's hear it for Cato!"
He walked across the stage like he owned it. The crowd seemed to think he did as they began to worship him.
"You're here by choice." Caesar said.
"Yeah." He nodded.
"Why?"
"I mean, I think these are the greatest games I've ever been to and I just wanna be here to win it." He said.
"I think it's awesome and it's something I've always wanted to do since I was a little kid. And I think anybody who doesn't want to do it is an idiot." He laughed.
Eve would have admired his passion if only it was for something normal like sailing or playing tag. Not murdering children.
"Well I wouldn't go that far." Caesar laughed.
"I'd go farther than that!" He yelled into the audience. "It's The Hunger Games!"
The crowd cheered louder than ever.
"I heard you got into a little squirmish with one of the female tributes." Caesar steered their conversation into more interesting waters.
"You could say that." Cato laughed.
Eve's face dropped.
"Is that a little sparkle in your eye I see?" Caesar asked. "Was there some sexual tension involved in that fight? Perhaps a blooming romance?"
"No way." He laughed.
"Maybe we should look at some footage of you two from the past few days." Caesar grinned.
Cato's eyebrow rose, but he acted otherwise unbothered as they looked to the screen behind them.
Eve on the other hand felt herself start to hyperventilate as she saw herself on the screen.
She watched herself straddle his waist in the training center as the veins in his hands bulged against her hips.
The crowd gasped along with her as the camera cut to him towering over her and pressing her against the elevator wall.
She looked at the gleaming smiles on both of their faces as they laughed on the elevator floor.
When the video switched to the roof she thought she was going to throw up. His hands held her tight as he pulled her lips towards his.
The camera shut off and the crowd went wild.
"So you're telling me there's nothing going on?" Caesar smiled.
He cleared his throat before another charming smiling hid whatever he was thinking. "I just can't wait to slit her throat."
"Feisty!"
"Cato!" Caesar yelled one last time before he was sent off stage.
Eve tried to run. She couldn't go on stage. Not after that.
The peacekeepers seemed to see her escape coming and had their hands on her arms in less than three seconds.
"Don't act so shy." One of them mocked. "Just imagine it's lover boy up there."
District Three's tributes came and went all too fast, forcing Eve to the front of the line.
She wiped the frown from her face and put on a bright smile as Caesar called her on stage.
She listened to whistles and cheers as she walked up to her host.
"You look absolutely delicious in that dress!" He smiled down at her. "How does it feel?"
"Tight." Her smile didn't falter as she ran her hands down her sides. "I just can't wait to take it off."
"I'm sure you would look just as good without it!" He assured her.
She raised an eyebrow as she turned fully to the audience. "Now what did he mean by that?"
The crowd hollered as they caught up to the joke at hand.
"My apologies." He laughed. "I just couldn't help it!"
"Now it's time to get serious." He said as he led her to her seat. "That being your score."
"I mean, WOW!" He cheered along with his audience. "That was something, wasn't it folks?!"
He leaned close to the girl. "How did you do it?"
"Do you want to know the truth?" She whispered just loud enough for the audience to hear her.
"Of course!" He yelled.
Cheers and pleas from the audience followed.
"I might have a little something up my sleeve." She grinned.
"Do tell!" Caesar urged.
"That's for you all to see in the arena." She winked. "Where's the fun in telling you now?"
"You're certainly good at leaving us wanting more." He mused.
The crowd cheered louder than ever.
She pointed out at them with a smile. "I need your help if you want to see what I can do without the careers breathing down my neck"
"You're nervous about the careers?" Caesar asked.
"Of course!" She laughed. "They're crazy."
"You've all seen that Clove girl. If you ask me, she needs psychological evaluation."
"What?" Caesar laughed with the crowd.
"I could kill you from across the room." She made a mockery of the girl's overly calm voice. "Like come on!"
Eve laughed along with the audience.
"You don't think she could?" Caesar asked.
"All I'm saying is that it takes a certain kind of person to say something like that." She sat back in her seat. "Caesar, would you ever say what she did?"
"I can't say I would." He smiled. "But let's get more into you and another very special tribute."
Eve knew it was coming. "He's something alright."
The crowd erupted into another fit of laugher and Eve tried to look relaxed in her seat.
"Are you nervous about what might go down in the arena?" He asked.
"He's not as good as he seems." She shrugged. "I wouldn't bet on him to win this one."
"Do you think you have a chance to be this year's victor?" He asked.
She looked back into the crowd. "With some help, I know I can."
"I love your winning attitude." He said. "You have to get it from someone. Do you have any family routing for you back home?"
She shook her head. "My parents were killed when I was very young."
The crowd grew quiet with their host.
He placed his hand on her bare thigh. "I'm so sorry. How were they killed?"
She wasn't going to lie to make the capital sound better. "By peacekeepers."
Caesar frowned. "They must have done something very bad."
"They didn't want to have to watch their daughter die in the games." She shrugged. "But I guess in the end they got their wish."
There was a sullen weight over the crowd as they looked at the young tribute. They loved a good sob story and the emotions it brought to their overstimulated lives.
"Well we won't leave you alone in the arena, will we?" Caesar called into the audience.
"Thank you so much everyone." Eve smiled as she stood up. "Now I'm gonna go find someone to help me take this off."
"I'll be right there!" Caesar called as he began to run after her.
As the audience gave him the reaction he wanted he stopped.
"Kidding!" He laughed with them. "She is a very special girl indeed!"
A sigh of relief left her chest as she moved out of the audience's view.
"Good job!" Finnick yelled, pulling her into his arms and spinning her around.
"I think you pulled it off." He smiled down at her, holding her by the waist.
She relaxed against his hands. "That was the hardest thing I've ever done."
She felt eyes on her and turned to meet Cato's blue ones. He was watching them with crossed arms and a scowl.
He looked mad.
She could only think of one reason for his anger and it made her smile. She made a better impression with the audience than him.
Clove stood beside him, looking at her with more hatred than she had ever seen before.
Eve made a dangerous enemy. She hoped it was worth it.
The next chapter starts the shit show... so exciting