I nodded and they came over to me to give me a small group hug of some of 14 victors. "What am I going to do?" I asked them about myself. "Be strong, Ruth and remember we'll be with you till the end of the line." They replied to me smiling.
None P.O.V. Clive, Venus, Octavian, and Flanks walked through the Victor gateway and they all seemed out of place. "Stop!" Clive said dramatically and turned around. "Take it all in. This is sacred ground and history was made here." Clive said and the prep team looked at each other. "Oh you'll get used to the smell." Clive said dramatically as they carried on walking. Ruth's mother opened the door to the overly happy Clive. "Hello, hello, hello. Huh, oh there she is. My greatest triumph." Clive said and hugged Ruth. "Sweetie we've missed you." Octavian said while French kissing her. "What a lovely house. Of course, you've heard about Cinna." Flanks said to Ruth and she quickly turned to her. "What happened to Cinna?" Ruth asked and Clive smiled at her. "Oh dear he's a fashion superstar. You're his muse. Everyone's wearing him in the Capitol. Everyone." Clive said happy and her prep team nodded in agreement.
Ruth P.O.V. "Not everyone." Cinna's voice came from behind Clive who moved out the way for me to go and hug him. "Cinna." I cried happy to see him. "Ruth?" I heard Sage's sweet innocent voice, Sage stood in the doorway of the kitchen, Buttersnip in her arms, Jenny, Juniper, Emilie and our mother standing behind me. "Ruth are these your sisters?" Clive said flouncing across to Juniper, Emilie, Jenny and Sage.
While he and the prep team went over to my family, Cinna grabbed my hand. "Are you okay? Ready to get to work." Cinna asked and I nodded. "Okay." He said and softly patted the side of my head and the prep team made me a bath. "Ruth have a bath while we get everything ready." Flanks said and I slid down into the water blocking out all the surrounding noise. I let my head go under wanting to drown so everyone I loved would be safe. But I couldn't and sat up gasping for air. Even underwater I couldn't help but think about the Victory Tour. I hadn't seen Cato, I hadn't had much time to think about my feelings for him, I still didn't know if I loved him or not. And then there was Roy, if we hadn't volunteered maybe we would have gotten together if we didn't met Cato.
But now things had become too complicated. I stood up and dried myself before slipping into my robe. I walked into my bedroom where the prep team began to examine me. "Ruth your eyebrows!" Venus shrieked at me and I forced out a laugh. Venus' hair had been spiked up and she had gotten even more gold tattoos on her face as Octavian came and patted my back. Her curvy body looking plumper than was compared to Venus' thin, angular one.
"They'll take no time to fix. Ruth show me your nails." Venus said and I did as I was told. "There good, I'm impressed, but we need to clean them up a bit." She said and Flanks was next to come up to me and he shook his head disapprovingly as he lifted a few strands of my wet, knotty hair. "Has anyone touched this since the last time we saw you?" Flanks said sternly. I shook my head no to answer his question.
"We clearly said not to do anything with it." Flanks continued. "Yes!" I said happy that for once I had done as I told. "I mean no, I haven't done anything to it, I remembered not to." I said and hadn't remembered it was just I always had it in my side braid so I didn't worry about split ends. It seemed to please them as they all kissed me, I sat in a chair and as per usual they talked non-stop not checking to see if I was listening. Venus plucked my eyebrows; Octavian cleaned and painted my nails and Flanks washed and moisturised my hair.
I heard about everything that happened since the games in the Capitol. The games had been a real hit, it had been incredibly dull ever since, everyone was looking forward till Roy, Cato, and I came back and it wasn't long before everyone started to gear up for the Quarter Quell.
"Isn't it thrilling?" Octavian said exicted. "Don't you feel so lucky?" Flanks said also in happiness. "Your first quarter quell!" Venus said after them. "Oh yes." I managed to get out and in a normal year being a mentor was a nightmare. I still couldn't walk past the school without wondering who I would coach. Every 25 years there is a quarter quell and it being the 75th meant there was one coming up. But that meant it would be extra cruel and 'fun' for the Capitol.
