CHAPTER SIX;
PREPARATION
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"So what's going on between you and that career?" Blank asked suddenly as we were eating dinner later that night
For whatever reason I freaked out, "Ah.... What do you mean?" I asked all too aware of the blood rushing to my cheeks.
"What do you mean Blank?" Q asked harshly
I give him my worst death glare, but he ignores me.
"The male from 1 seems to be quite head over heels for Finch, and I can't say Finch doesn't seem interested."
"Finch. You had better start explaining fast. And I mean FAST."
Oh crap.
"It's not like that!!!"
"FINCH HAVING FEELINGS FOR SOMEONE IN THE ARENA- ESPECIALLY A CAREER WILL GET YOU MURDERED!!!!" Q stood up and banged his fists on the table
"I don't have FEELINGS for him!!!" I lie "I'm suduicing him!!!"
Q calmed down with seconds and sat back down with a intrested look on his face. "It's still dangorous ground your walking on, but it might give you a advantage....."
He started mumbling inelgeabul things as he moved a lone French Fry around his plate.
Blank scowled at me.
Ok what was his problem?
"Finch dear, I need to take some measurements for the interviews later tonight." Tigress came up behind me
"Sure." I say, anxious to get away from this table.
"Darrrling, are you ok?" Tigress asked
"Of course, I'm fine." I say as we take the elevator down to the styling arena.
"Forgive me, you just seemed very troubled."
If only she knew.
We walked down the hall toward my styling area, she threw open the door.
"I can't find it!!!" someone was screaming
Pierce.
"Can't find what?" Brava was asking
"A photo....." Pierce said looking down at his feet.
"Well Pierce I suppose we could spare a few moments to search for your photo before we design Finches dress for tonight." Tigress said picking up on the conversation.
"But-" Zarnia started
A harsh glare from Tigress shut her up.
"What was the photo of, Pierce?" she asked
Pierce looked around awkwardly.
"Uhhh, me....?" he finally spoke slowly
"Ok everyone, fan out, search the room." Tigress commanded
I already knew that they would not find the photo. But I played along, offering to help.
I "searched" intently, for what seemed like forever.
"Look, Pierce I'm sorry, it's not here perhaps we can look again some other time." Tigress said finally
Pierce looked both relived and terrified at the same time, I can't say I felt bad for him though.
Tigress was kind enough to allow me to keep my clothes on while she took measurements.
They weren't as' intense' as the original time, so that was a bit of a relief for me.
Q poked his head through the door without knocking.
"Tigress, I need Finch, we need to go over some things before the training session later."
Tigress narrowed her eyes.
"No, I'm afraid that I'm not finished with Finch."
Q narrowed his eyes, I could tell at once there was some type of vendetta between these two.
"Finch needs to prepare for the session. What her score is, will affect if she gets sponcered." Q growled walking across the room and grabbing my hand.
"Believe it or not, whether she walks out into her interview (which incase you've forgotten is also later) dressed in rags, or a magnificent gown will also affect if she gets sponcers." Tigress hissed grabbing my other arm and giving it a yank.
Oh crap.
Are they going to start playing tug of war?
They better not.
"Please Tigress," Q rolled his ancient eyes "You had Finch for an hour, that should be more than enough time to take a few measurements."
"Haste makes waste, you of all people should know that." Tigress said with a small smirk
That must of hit a sensitive spot, Q looked shocked and hurt for a second then he gave Tigress the most venomous glare I've ever seen.
"I. Am. Taking. Finch. Goodby." Q said yanking me out if Tigresses grasp and dragging me out of the room
I looked back to see Tigress glaring hostilely.
"This isn't over." she mouthed
Well that was a little immature.......
I was tempted to ask what she had meant, but decided against it.
Q dragged me toward the elevator, I tried to get a good look at his face, but he kept turning away.
I wondered if he was crying.
We got to the elevator and he finally looked at me, his eyes were red, bloodshot even, the winkles in his old skin were wet from tears.
"Don't you ever speak of this again. Do you understand me?" he asked, his eyes were full of this wild intensity that sent shivers running down my spine.
"What-Why-"
"Some thing's are not ment to be known Finch. " he snapped "So do you understand me?"
"What are were talking about again?" I say, deciding that I would do a little research on Q's past, and maybe figure out what his real name was as well.
"That's my girl." Q said
"One last thing," I crack a grin as the elevator doors open and we step in. "You called me Finch." I say gloatingly
Q rolled his ancient bloodshot eyes and began drying his face.
"Don't get used to it fox-girl." he grunts
"Sure thing Q-ie." I snap
The elevator doors slide open as the elevator has reached its destination.
Our apartment......
Blank sat arms crossed on the couch as if he was angry about something, Aqua seemed like she was trying to convince him of something.
My guard was instantly raised.
Blank looked up startled as he saw us enter, a guilty look crossed his face, and he looked away.
They had been talking about me.
I almost glared at him, but decided it was probably wiser if I looked as if I hadn't caught on.
I smile at him and sit right next to him.
He looks away.
"So we are here to discus the training session in 2 hours and then your approach to your interviews that is.... In 6 hours." Q said haughtily as he say down across from all of us.
"Can we discus the interview approaches first?!!!" Aqua squealed giddily
"No." Q said
"Why not? The interview discussions are always the most i-innnn- WHAT IS THAT WORD?" Aqua screamed in frustration
"Intresting......?" I asked wondering how anyone could forget a word that simple.
"YES!!!" Aqua squealed hugging me
I hugged her back, "I forget that word, like all the time!!!" I laughed jumping at my chance to suck up.
"Really?"
"Of course, words are hard...." I giggle
"Girl, if you get through this we should totally hang out sometime." Aqua said "My friends would LOVE you!"
"Really?" I laughed, though in reality I knew their was no way that I would ever hang out with Aqua and her stereotype friends.
Well, unless someone paid me.
A LOT.
"Of c-" Aqua was harshly cut off by Q.
"Aqua, you are a distraction. Leave. Now." He growled hostilely
"No, you can't make me." Aqua said crossing her arms over her chest and sticking her tongue out.
How old was she......?
"I can call your boss and have you fired." Q growled reaching for the pink sparkly phone that Aqua had picked out for the room yesterday
Aqua's eyes flaired with rage. "Fine, be that way." she abruptly stood up, stomping her foot like a angry 4 year old and leaving the room.
"Here's how the training session is going to work," Q said answer turned back to him "you are going to go in there and Show. Them. Everything. Don't hold back. The higher the score you get, the easier it will be to get you sponcers."
"But the higher the score we get, the more we will be considered threats and sought out by the careers." I point out
Q sigh "It won't be a problem, trust me."
How could he say that? That was very arrogant on his part.
"Ok, now that we've got that cleared up, I don't want you to touch ANYTHING that you are not sure is a strong suit of yours........"
I started to zone out.
I began to think about home, my family, my mom, my dad, R-
Wait. Mom was dead.
How could I of forgotten that?
Maybe I had just way too much on my mind, trying to survive for instance.
I sigh feeling like a traitor.
"FOX!"
"Hu?"
"Foxface, please tell me you were listening to what I just said!!!!" Q growled at me
"Of course I was listening to you!!!" I say with a fake, confident smile plastered on my face.
Q wasn't buying it.
"Then what was I just telling you about?" he asked
I was going to have to guess, but it wouldn't be hard.
"You were telling us about the training session- please go on, its very intresting you know." I lie
Q didn't seem very convinced, but he nodded "And so in conclusion, if you follow the things I said you should get a good score."
"Now for the interviews!!!!" Aqua said poking her head through the door in a sing songey voice, she skipped over to us and sat down.
"I don't remember inviting you back." Q said flatly
"I invited myself back." Aqua said "Besides, I could be of real help in this area, I've done millions of interviews."
"Fine, but I have rules." Q sigh "First, you don't talk unless spoken to, second don't annoy me, third if I ask you to leave, DO NOT give me attitude."
Aqua scowled "If I can't talk to you unless I'm spoken too, how can I help Finch and Blank?"
Q grunted "Uhhhh raise your hand."
"Ok!!!" Aqua squealed and raised her hand promptly
"What?"Q growled
"We should talk about what impression your each going for- I think Finch should go for SEXY!!!" She screeched with a wild look in her eye.
"No. Foxface is not going for sexy."
"Why?!!!" Aqua whined
"Because she is the exact opposite of sexy." Q grunted
I felt a little sad- not that I wanted to go for the sexy thing- just I mean.... I could be sexy if I wanted too? Sure I wasn't as pretty as Glimmer, but I mean.... I wasn't ugly was I?
"I could go for sexy." Blank said jokingly in a incredibly fake deep voice.
I laughed.
"No Blank, no one in the capital would find you the most remotely attractive unless we dyed your hair and put you in a clown suit." Q growled
"Oooooo great idea!!!! He would be the heart throb of the capital!!!!" Aqua squealed
Q sent her a 'shut up now or I will shut you up permanently' glare
I grinned at the picture in my head, Blank in a clown suit..... Haha....
"So what should I go for then?" Blank asked seriously, though I could tell he was a little creeped out from Aquas comment.
"I'm thinking like... noble... resurved.... brave and courageous." Q said staring at Blank as if he could see into his mind.
"Dude.... You are so creeping me out." Blank said eyeing Q comically, making me grin.
Q grunted, "So show me your best impression of the characteristics I mentioned a second ago."
Blank looked around unsure of himself.
Q began to glare.
"Now?" Blank asked
"Yes now." Q hissed angrily
Blank waited a moment, looking around to see if he could get out of this, then he straitened his back and put on a solem face.
"I'm not buying it." Q said
"Ok then how do I look noble?" he asked
"Being noble is more of a- a- quite frankly I don't know how to act noble, it's more of a gift your born with supose." Q growled "So let's knock noble off of our list of possible traits for you."
"Why don't you just have us be ourselves? I mean if we pretend to be something we're not in our interview, in the games the sponcers that had originally sponcered us will notice that we aren't how we acted and like stop sponcering us." I say
Q frowned, completely ignoring my statement "Do what I say your chances of survival increase."
I frowned back.
"Fox, I want you to go for bloodthirsty, arrogant and cocky."
"No." I said, folding my arms over my chest, I wasn't going to be foolish because he told me so.
"That wasn't a question." he said flatly
"I wasn't asking a question." I say
Our eyes locked and we glared at each other, as if we were in a unspoken duel of who could glare the longest.
"Anyone want cookies? Cookies make everything better. I can make cookies?" Aqua said timidly from somewhere next to me, but I ignored her.
Another lengthy silance.
"If you want to die, than so be it Foxface." Q spat and turned his attention to Blank.
My stomach flipped, but I refused to allow any emotion on my face.
I slowly stand up, deciding to go backdown stairs, knowing Q wouldn't bother me down there, not with Tigress there.
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I'm sorry again this took so long. X( this chapter was really hard to write, still its no excuse to keep you guys waiting. I'll try to get the next chapter up in 2 weeks.