The Flames of the Mockingjay

Betting

Esmeralda quickly ran to find Cinna before he needed to meet Katniss. She finally found him about to enter an elevator to see his Katniss was ready.

"Cinna" she said catching his attention.

"There's my Flame" he said grabbing the sides of her face to calm her down.

They walked into the elevator and since they were going all the way up she knew she had time to talk to him.

"Cinna, I can't do this anymore, seeing tribute after tribute from District 12 not make it out of that arena anymore, please if there is anything you can do to help Katniss and Peeta out. Make them grab the people's attention something that can help them."

"Essie, I promise I will do something attention grabbing"

"Thank you, I just can't do this any more being on this ever moving train is something that I don't wish on anyone but being on it alone is something even worse."

"You have Haymitch, you have me, and you have Effie, not to mention the pretty boy from District 4"

"Please don't say that too loud, they are always watching, I can't loose you guys too"

"Essie please calm down I told you this about 8 years ago that I'm betting on you, that means always, in betting on you from day to day. Betting that you will open up slightly, on betting that you allow us to take care of you, on betting either you or pretty boy will confess your love for each other soon" Cinna said with a smirk on his face.

"I wanted to say thank you but after that last one I can't anymore"

"Come one Essie, he's the only one that you have ever fully opened up to and at first I thought it was because it was just because of your age but now its more than that"

"Cinna even if there was something there, which I am not saying there is, but if there was I can't loose him, I can't let Snow see a weak point, I can't show everyone that there is someone I hold that dear to my heart" she said quickly.

"Plus he has Annie" she added and right when Cinna was about to say something the doors to the elevator opened.

Changing the topic Esmeralda said "I know anything you have planned is going to be amazing but please make sure that you do everything you can"

"I couldn't bet on you then and I still can't now but you aren't the only one I'm betting on," that made her smile and the elevator door closed taking her back down.

Getting clean is a privilege that Esmeralda was able to see in a new like at the Capitol but this seemed like too much. Showering her, doing her eye brows, waxing her legs, cutting her hair, and making sure she is as clean as she can be is something that they took very seriously.

After she was too Capitol standard, they took her to a room where she had to wait for her designer to come in and talk to her. After about 5 minutes, I walks a man dressed calmer than the rest of the Capitol, causing her to sit up.

"Hello, Esmeralda. I'm Cinna. I'm here to help you in anyway I can"

"Thank you" she said light heartedly.

"I'm so sorry this has happened to you but I have heard great things about you. The way you have helped people in your district, and I want that to shine through. I always do research on my tributes and you are one of the most outstanding I've seen"

"Thank you it's the way I was raised."

"Okay we are soon going to get started, since the parade is tomorrow night. You have a lot to give, and I can tell if I could bet on someone I'd bet on you"

Esmeralda smiled and said thank you for the third time, she didn't expect someone from the Capitol to be this nice or caring about everything that was going on.

Esmeralda knows that Cinna will help Katniss and Peeta in anyway that he can, but there is always the fear of what if something goes wrong.

Cinna knows that Esmeralda has been through so much, and if he could do anything to ease her pain he'll do it.