The Girl Who Sparked the Capitol - Book 2 - Peeta

Chapter 12

Staying quietly in bed is harder after that. Alessia wants to be doing something, finding out more about District 13 or helping in the cause to bring down the Capitol. Instead, she sits around stuffing herself with cheese buns and watching Peeta sketch. Haymitch stops by occasionally to bring her news from town, which is always bad. More people are being punished or dropped from starvation.

Winter has begun to withdraw by the time Alessia's foot is deemed usable. Mrs. Everdeen gives her exercises to do and lets her walk on her own a bit. Alessia goes to sleep one night, determined to go into town the next morning, but she wakes up to find Venia, Octavia, and Flavius grinning down at her. 

"Suprise!" they squeal. "We're here early!"

After Alessia took that lash in the face, Haymitch got their visit pushed back several months so she could heal up. She wasn't expecting them for another three weeks. But Alessia tries to act delighted that her bridal photo shoot is here at last. Mrs. Everdeen hung up all the dresses, so they're ready to go, but to be honest, Alessia hasn't even tried one on.

After the usual histrionics about the deteriorated state of Alessia's beauty, they get right down to business. Their biggest concern is her face, although she thinks Mrs. Everdeen did a pretty remarkable job of healing it. There's just a pale strip across Alessia's cheekbone. The whipping's not common knowledge, so Alessia tells them she slipped on the ice and cut it. And then she realized that's her same excuse for hurting her foot, which is going to make walking in heels a problem. But Flavius, Octavia, and Venia aren't the suspicious types, so she's safe there.

Since Alessia only has to look hairless for a few hours instead of several weeks, she gets to be shaved instead of waxed. She still has to soak in a tub of something, but it isn't vile, and they're on to Alessia's hair and makeup before she knew it. The team, as usual, is full of news, which Alessia usually does her best to tune out. But then Octavia makes a comment that catches her attention. It's a passing remark, really, about how Octavia couldn't get shrimp for a party, but it tugs at Alessia.

"Why couldn't you get shrimp? Is it out of season?" Alessia asks.

"Oh, Alessia, we haven't been able to get any seafood for weeks!" says Octavia. "You know because the weather's been so bad in District Four."

Alessia's mind starts buzzing. No seafood. For weeks. From District 4. The barely concealed rage in the crowd during the Victory Tour. And suddenly she is absolutely sure that District 4 has revolted.

She begins to question them casually about what other hardships this winter has brought them. They are not used to want, so any little disruption in supply makes an impact on them. By the time Alessia is ready to be dressed, their complaints about the difficulty of getting different products- from crabmeat to music chips to ribbons- have given Alessia a sense of which districts might actually be rebelling. Seafood from District 4. Electronic gadgets from District 3. And, of course, fabrics from District 8. The thought of such widespread rebellion has Alessia quivering with fear and excitement.

Alessia wants to ask them more, but Cinna appears to give her a hug and checks her makeup. His attention goes right to the scar on her cheek. Somehow Alessia doesn't think he believes the slipping-on-the-ice story, but he doesn't question it. He simply adjusts the powder on her face, and what little you can see of the lash mark vanishes.

Downstairs, the living room has been cleared and lit for the photo shoot. Effie's having a fine time ordering everybody around and keeping them all on schedule. It's probably a good thing because there are six gowns and each requires its own headpiece, shoes, jewelry, hair, makeup, setting, and lighting. Creamy lace and pink roses and ringlets. Ivory satin and gold tattoos and greenery. A sheath of diamonds and jeweled veil and moonlight. Heavy white silk and sleeves that fall from Alessia's wrist to the floor, and pearls. The moment one shot has been approved, they move right into preparing for the next. Alessia feels like dough, being kneaded and reshaped again and again. Mrs. Everdeen manages to feed Alessia bits of food and sips of tea while they work on her but by the time the shoot is over, Alessia is starving and exhausted. She's hoping to spend some time with Cinna now, but Effie whisks everybody out the door and Alessia has to make do with the promise of a phone call.