The Overlooked

Chapter 11: Interview

"Rue!"

Aelia is right in my face smiling.

"Come on girlie out you get!"

I get out of bed and am escorted right into the tub, it has strange smelling green stuff floating in it. They rub multiple shampoo's and conditioners into my hair. I can't help but imagine the luxury's they have right at their fingertips here in the Capitol: hot water, entertainment, money, for heaven sake's food! I don't hold it against them though, they don't even understand that it's a luxury

They get me out and drain the water while Evander puts orange gritty stuff on the bottom of the tub. Then they fill it with steaming water and we repeat the process, shampoo's, conditioners, drain the tub, put new scents in, new soaps in, repeat. We do this multiple times until they agree I'm clean. . . . .even though they just did this what two...three....four days ago?

They have me step off onto a mat and turn the auto dryer on. I'm relieved, my skin is pink and raw from all the scrubbing they've done. The air is welcomed on my skin.

"Ok second part now!"

I walk over to the chair and the ritual begins Evander does my hair, Shem my nails, and Aelia does my make-up. In about an hour or two I'll be beautiful, until then I brace myself from laughing as Shem does my toes.

 

***

"Open your eyes!" Ovidious says

I stare, once again they have made me look beautiful. My dress is a gossamer gown complete with wings and is about the same blue as last time. My hair has two bows on either side of my face, my nails are uniform and painted to match my dress, and my face is glowing. I hop into Ovidious's arms and say to his ear

"Thank you."

He just smiles and asks what I think.

"I love it, if this doesn't work I don't know what will!"

Peacekeepers escort me below the stage into a hallway where all the tributes are waiting. I'm escorted to my place and told to wait until it's my turn to go onto stage. I stand next to Thresh who looks nice in a suit that is a similar blue to match my dress. I can tell he has his 'game face' on so I don't talk to him. I do talk to Fern though, I want to know why she got a four. I point to the side of the line and she nods and moves to the side.

"What happened?"

"I tried it's just they weren't watching and I was having troubles with my sic-"

I sigh "Hey I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out that way, it's fine."

"Nervous?" She says with a slight smile

I smile, she see's right through me "Yeah, just a little. . . ." I say trailing off

We move back in line and wait until a voice tells us to move on stage. We all walk up in a line and take our seats. I'm blinded at first and I can't hear over the screaming. When my eyes adjust I see thousands of people screaming and chanting names, orange people, blue people, green people, red people, lots and lots of people.

Ceasar Flickerman has his hair dyed blue for this years hunger games. The only bad thing about District 11 is that you have to listen to how funny, smart, viscous, mysterious all the other tributes are. Ceasar starts with Glimmer. I suddenly realize why I'm nervous, I didn't get to go to my private with Seeder on how to react to Ceasar's questions. Long story short Evander dyed my hair orange because Shem handed him the wrong bottle. I start to sweat.