Songs & Seas | Hunger Games

III.

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THE GROUP FOLLOWED Devina as she rambled about the various architectural properties of the tribute lodging as they neared the entrance. They walked through crowds of people all of them reaching out touching their arms, and hands, someone even felt Maria's hair.

Eventually, they walked inside the building. Although it looked massive from the outside it still didn't do the interior justice to just how big it actually was. Before Maria could even get her barrings two tall women, one with orange and the other with green hair linked arms with her. They look nearly identical which threw her for a loop.

"Hello," the green one smiled and her teeth nearly blind the brunette girl. "I'm Rina."

"And I'm Mina," the orange one introduced herself with the same blinding smile. Their voices were so high-pitched it was a surprise humans could even hear them and not just dogs. "We're your styling assistants."

Maria's brows furrowed. "...Okay?"

As soon as the word left her mouth the pair whisked her away from the group and through two swinging doors that led to a long hallway that reminded her of a hospital with the curtain-enclosed beds and the sterilized scent in the air.

After being hosed down, shampooed, conditioned, waxed, and plucked. Maria lay perfectly still on the cold metal table. Mina and Rina whizzed around her speaking in what sounded like tongues to Maria.

Mina put what looked like paint color samples on the girl's face to compare. The twins made eye contact and nodded in agreement without speaking another word to one another.

"The brown, darling," Mina lifted a strand of Maria's hair with disdain. "It does nothing for your complexion."

Although she had no clue what that meant she had a feeling it wasn't a compliment. Maria's brows knitted together in offense. The twins seem to realize this and they jumped at the opportunity. Soon both their hands are fluttering with her hair racking their fingers through the brown strands.

"Blonde would suit you nicely," Rina said decidedly nodding her head. There was hesitation in the younger girl's eyes they could see it. But they had their orders. "The prettier you are the more sponsors you're likely to get."

"Pretty privilege is a real thing, my loves" her grandmother's voice rang in her head. Maria swallowed. If it would help her chances then she supposed it was a small price to pay. 

"Alright," Maria nodded and the sister's squealed so loud she was fairly positive it could make ears bleed.

After around two hours they completed the change in her hair. Mina and Rina led the girl to a room labeled D8 Female. Maria was laid out on the mental table once again her now blonde girl's hair was surrounding her head in a halo. She grew impatient waiting for whoever it was she was supposed to be waiting for. Groaning she wiped her legs around so they were hanging off the side and sat up.

Looking around the cold room she found it was severely lacking in color. She'd always liked the color, all the Coveys did. Heaving herself off the table she walked over to the long full-length mirror that was nailed to the wall.

She eyed herself carefully taking in all the things they had altered. Her eyebrows were thinner, which she didn't like. She liked her natural brows. Her nails were painted a pale pink she assumed that was to make them look both clean but also natural. But one this was apparent and she couldn't distract herself from it even if she tried. Her hair. The dark brown locks she used to have were long gone and replaced by a caramel blonde.