Heart of Gold • Finnick Odair

-9-

On the way to the Capitol, Chaff had given advice to the twelve and thirteen year olds before going to his compartment to pass out from the excessive amount of alcohol in his bloodstream.

Upon looking out the window, the two District 11 Tributes gawk at the blur of towering, pristine white buildings as the train rushes past. The utopian city seems to visibly shine under the bright sun and clear blue skies.

Upon arriving to the Capitol, the pair of Tributes were told to smile to the crowd and seem charming.

So that's what they did. Through the window, the crowd of colourful hair, dramatic makeup, extravagant outfits and surgically modified faces watched as District 11's train rode through the station. Below the window, Rosalie and Ralph gripped each other's hand for reassurance. The cheering crowd made them sick to their stomachs, how could a group of people be so ecstatic to see a bunch of children being prepared to fight to the death?

As soon as they are out of sight from the public, the pair let their smiles drop and released the breaths they were holding, they don't let go of each other's hands, however, to stop their knees from giving in.

Ralph turned to his friend, "can I tell you something?"

"Anything," Rosalie answers, turning to face him.

"I'm scared," he whispers so no one else would hear.

She squeezed his hand, "me too."

She wanted to offer him some sort of comfort or reassurance, to say 'we'll be okay' or 'everything will work out', but she couldn't because she didn't know that. So instead, she just held his hand as they prepared themselves for the next few weeks of their lives.

They stayed standing next to each other until the train stopped and they were taken away to be prepped to look 'Capitol ready'.

ROSALIE POV

I shut my eyes as another layer of wax is layered onto my hairy legs. I grit my teeth as another strip of wax was ripped from my legs. Every part of me that had even a single hair that my prep team thought shouldn't be there had been plucked, stripped and shaved after being scrubbed with a gritty foam removing all and any dirt from my skin. A special Capitol cream had been used on my face to remove all teenage acne. From my arms being shaved to my eyebrows being shaped, I felt like a newborn baby. My sore skin tingles and I feel uncomfortably vulnerable as the three pairs of eyes surround me.

My team use tweezers to remove any hair that had been missed before they rub me down with a lotion that effectively soothes my red raw skin, they then hand me my thin robe back after examining my naked body.

My team consists of three people, all clearly dressed how they imagine my District to be like. They dressed in colourful outfits, resembling flowers and happiness, unlike District 11.

There's Lily, a tall, slim woman with pale blue skin and darker blue, curly hair that fell just past her shoulders. She wore a white dress and heels. Lily is in charge of doing my hair.

Then there's Posie whose in charge of makeup. She has flower tattoos running down her brown arms and wears a red dress that looks like a rose.

Lastly, there's Selene whose in charge of my nails, which were currently filed and shaped. She was a short, plump lady with a short, flowing yellow dress with matching heels and a yellow bow holding her hair in a bun.

They were all experts but were obviously new at working with Tributes because they were all enthusiastically dressed in outfits related to my District.

"Oh, wow, aren't you a pretty thing!" Selene exclaims.

"You actually look human now," Posie smiles.

"Look how skinny, I can see the poor things ribs!" Lily examines. "Well, we will just have to fix that for you," she tucks the stray strands of hair behind my ear.

"Of course, don't you worry darling, the Capitol will take care of you now."

"We'll see you later sweetie, Mikel will be here soon."

So I sit and I wait.

I assume Mikel is my stylist. Just another Capitol citizen just waiting to make me one of them. I think about how ironic Selene's words are 'the Capitol will take care of you now,' like they aren't about to send me into a death arena with my friend.

Not too long later, a tall man with white hair and even whiter skin walks into the room, his surgically enhanced, almost glowing, blue eyes piercing into my soul. "Hello, I'm Mikel. I'll be dressing you from now until the day you leave."

"Hi, I'm Rosalie," I greeted the man shyly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, you're already rather popular here in the Capitol."

"I am?" I question.

"Oh, yes. 'Two friends, only one destined to survive.' The Capitol eats this sorta stuff up. Plus, you're the youngest tribute. And with a young and innocent face like yours, a sweet name and a small frame, you easily catch peoples attention." He takes a seat next to me as he speaks. "Who did you hair for the reaping? The plait into a ponytail. Your mother?"

"She taught me but I did it myself," I answer.

"You'll have to show Lily, your hair stylist, it's beautiful. It shapes your face well, you have a nice jawline." I give a weak smile in return. "Now for the uncomfortable part, I apologise, I need to get a quick look at you then we can go to lunch, does that sound okay?"

"Sure," I reply numbly, I should feel self conscious but considering the circumstances, I couldn't care less. I slip off the robe and Mikel circles me with calculating eyes as outfit designs that'll suit my figure run through his head. He made sure not to touch me, wanting me to feel as comfortable as possible. "Alright honey, you can put the robe back on now, there's some undergarments in the drawer to your left, I'll wait outside for you."

"Thank you," I don't quite know how to feel about the man. He was more respectful compared to her team who hadn't hesitated on putting their hands on me and stripping me down. However, he was still a spoilt Capitol citizen who lived for the Hunger Games, wasn't he?

Once I'm dressed in the undergarments and have put the robe back on, I exit the room to find Mikel patiently waiting, "this way."

He leads me into a room with two burgundy couches facing each other and a table in between. He took a seat on one as I sit on the opposite couch. After he pressed a button, the table split in half and lunch rose up from the middle. There was a plate of chicken on a bed of white rice in a creamy white sauce along with peas and carrots, and for desert a plate of delicately shaped golden cupcakes.

I wonder what it would be like to grow up in a world were you could have any food imaginable by the press of a button, would I have become a spoilt, Hunger Games loving capitol citizen with coloured hair, excessive makeup, bright clothes and surgically altered features. Would it have changed the person I am, would I be as shallow as the citizens of the Capitol?

I looked up to find Mikel's eyes trained on me, "you must find us repulsive." Whether he read it on my face or just assumed, I don't know. "No matter. My partner, Celia, is your friends stylist. As I'm sure you know, it's customary to reflect the flavour of the district but, being my first year, I'd like to make an impression. You're the perfect candidate for it, I want to make it more personal to you as a person. Ralph will have sun themed outfits for your district and you will have flower themed outfits. They still relate but, hopefully, will make an impression."

I just nod, "it's your first year?"

"Yes, and I'm glad for you to be my first tribute, Miss May," his smile is so genuine I have to remind myself that he is actually from the Capitol.