𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 ☘︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 ☘︎ 4

We get taken to what is called the 'Tribute Centre'. Basically, it's where I'll be spending my next week before I go into the games. It has training rooms, apartments and stylist quarters, which is where I am right now.

My prep team consists of Venia, Flavius and Octavia, three people with what I would describe as the worst dress sense ever, but what the Capitol would describe as fashionable outfits.

Anyway, they wash me, hose me down, style my hair and wax everywhere before I'm finally "fit to go out". Next, they lay me on a bed that I lie down on gratefully and trim my hair, do my nails and put some base make up on me. When I'm finally finished, I see Flavius talking to the other two.

"What was that?" I ask, sitting up.

"We were just saying that we might put a bit more make up on before we take you to Cinna," he answers.

They do end up doing that, and when I'm finally finished, I start thinking of what awful outfits I would be wearing. You see, each tribute had a stylist, and the two stylists for each district worked together on making the tributes look like the trade that their home did with the Capitol. Ours was coal mining, and over the years I've been forced to watch the games, our outfits have either been something to do with nakedness or something to do with frivolity.

"That was the bravest thing I'd ever seen."

I turn and see a black man with short hair walk into the room. Cinna. "With the little girl," he explains. "Now, I thought you were sisters, but-"

"No," I say. "We're just... very good friends."

"Well, anyway, I'm Cinna," he shook my hand. I took this time to take in his appearance. I had expected my stylist to be a pompous, badly dressed weirdo like most of them are, but this guy isn't. He looks normal except for gold eyeliner and one gold earring. I instantly take a liking to him.

"Willow," I respond back.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you," Cinna tells me as he gets a chair and sits on it. "But I'm here to help you in any way I can."

"Most people just congratulate me," I look down. Most people in the Capitol.

"Well, I don't see the point in that," Cinna said bluntly. "So tonight, it's the tribute parade, they're gonna take you out and show you off to the world."

I looked straight into his eyes. "You're here to make me look pretty."

"I'm here to help you make an impression," Cinna corrects me. "Now, normally you get dressed in clothes from your district."

"Yeah, mines' coal mining," I say immediately.

"Well, I don't wanna do that," he speaks bluntly again. "I want to do something they're gonna remember. Did Haymitch mention about trying to get sponsors?"

"Yes but I've never been very good at making friends," I look down.

"Well I just think someone that brave shouldn't be dressed up in some stupid costume, should they?" Cinna pulls my hair out from where I had tucked it behind my ears.

"I hope not." I answered slowly.

The dress he made me is beautiful. It's coal black, with flecks of white for ash all about the place. He braids my hair kind of like how my mother did for the reaping, then gives me some charry black high heels to go with it. I stumble around in them for a bit before I finally get the hang of them.

"Now," Cinna finally says after I've got the make up on as well. "I still haven't told you the major part of this costume."

"What?" I ask worriedly.