One Lucky Winner

Chapter 8 ~ Minho

A few hours ago, the aircraft we were put in landed in a city. Those dudes wearing the white said that the city's name is called 'The Capitol'. It's apparently the host of 'The Hunger Games', which is that fight to the death they were talking about.

I pouted at first. I really don't want to die, and I really don't like the idea of a fight to the death. But I thought about what Thomas said, and it sunk in. We really don't have anything to lose. Staying at WICKED is no better than fighting to the death. Something fishy was there, and that Janson dude freaked me out. Life sucks either way.

Now, I am currently in the 'Remake Center', as the peacekeepers called it, where they clean people up. Apparently, the people washing me are my 'prep team'. They told me they would wash me, then Thomas, then Newt. Apparently we all share a prep team.

Once my prep team told me I was 'squeaky clean', they direct me to a cold, dim room and tell me to sit there and wait for Thomas, Newt, and our 'stylist'. I'm wearing a dumb outfit. It reminds me of nurse scrubs; both the pants and the long sleeve shirt are light blue, and loose. I either look like a nurse or someone from the 80s.

I'm sitting on an uncomfortable silver chair. I think about The Hunger Games, and realize I'm kind of scared. I haven't seen any of the other tributes yet, but I'm pretty sure they're all lethal. Oh well. I can run fast and I can kind of use a spear. I'll be fine.

I hope.

45 minutes pass of me thinking and waiting. Suddenly Thomas and Newt come into the room, both wearing the same blue outfit as I am. They look stupid.

"Hey," I say.

"Hey," Thomas says. They sit in the other two metal chairs by me. Then we sit in silence, listening to the hum of some kind of light.

"Does anyone else feel like a whale in this shucking outfit?" Newt finally says, breaking the silence.

Thomas and I laugh. "I felt more like a nurse," I reply.

"What are you talking about, guys? These outfits are shucking adorable!" Thomas says sarcastically. Newt and I laugh.

"Oh, Thomas," I say playfully. "You like cute as a button in it!

He pretends to flip pretend hair. "Oh, I know." Newt and I crack up.

"Oh, Newt!" I say, leaning across Thomas and grabbing Newt's hair. "I love your hair! It's so soft and fuzzy!" I ruffle his hair, which cracks Thomas up.

Newt shoves me away. "I think you're talking about your own hair, Minho!" Before I can say anything, Thomas and Newt grab me and start messing with my hair. I laugh and shove them away.
Soon enough, we're all shoving and pushing each other, acting like idiots. This feels like the old times in the Glade, where we just messed around and acted like morons all the time. For a moment, I forget I'm here in The Capitol. I forget I'm about to play a sick death game in a couple weeks. I forget all about it.

Right in the midst of us shoving each other around, we hear the door open. We quickly stop what we're doing and get in our seats, and look at the woman in the doorway.

She's a very short, petite woman of about 5'. She's wearing 6 inch heels, which makes her look 5'6". She's wearing a extremely short purple dress that's covered in feathers, and her hair is dyed bright pink. She's wearing bright green sparkly eye shadow and bright pink lip stick. Very attractive.

Not.

"Why, hello, boys!" she pipes up. Her voice is high, and reminds me of some cartoon character. She walks over to us.

"I'm Trina, your stylist!" she squeaks.

Great.

We don't say anything. Trina sits down in a chair. "So, what are your names again? They told me, but I forgot!" She giggles. "I'm very forgetful." Wow. How more irresponsible can you get?

We all exchange looks. "I'm Thomas," says Thomas.

"Well, hello, Thomas!" They shake hands awkwardly. "Welcome to The Captiol, my dear!" He grimaces.

"What's your name?" Trina says to me.

"Minho," I say.

"Oh...that's an interesting name!" she says, looking forced to say it. I see Thomas stifle a laugh out of the corner of my eye. "Nice to meet you, Minho." We shake hands. Her hands are cold and skinny.

"And what about you, peaches?" she asks Newt.

"Newt."

She stares at him with a blank expression. "Like the lizard?"

I hold back a laugh. 'Like the lizard'? Oh my shuck. I exchange a look with Thomas. He's laughing silently to himself.

Newt looks down and then back up at Trina. He looks like he's trying not to smile. "Um, sure."

"Oh, you have an accent! You'll get lots of sponsors with that!" she squeaks.

"Well, great," Newt says sarcastically, but I don't think Trina noticed the sarcasm. I smirk.

"Okay, boys, here's what's going on." She picks at her nail polish. "Tonight is the Tribute Parade, which is where the tributes dress up, and the sponsors decide who they want to sponsor.

"Except, all the tributes that are not from Panem will not be dressed up. You will wear what you came here in. Your outfits are exotic enough!" she says. 'Exotic enough'? What?

"Wait," Newt says. "So we'll be wearing the clothes that we usually wear?"

"That's right, Pumpkin! They're so adorable!" Trina says. "And, we don't want to ruin your style. We want people to see what you usually look like!

"You guys are going to have to look very good for the Tribute Parade. You need many sponsors. It won't be hard to get you them, though, because who doesn't like cute blonde boys with accents!" She ruffles Newt's hair. Wow. Well, we know who's the favorite, then.

"When's the Tribute Parade?" Thomas asks, looking completely lost. He's deaf and mindless sometimes. She just said it would be tonight.

"In two hours, which is why you guys will need to get ready." She stands up. "Newt and Minho, follow me. Thomas, you dress in here. Your clothes are right here. We washed them." She hands Thomas a neat pile of clothes.

"C'mon now!" she squeals, trotting out of the room. Standing next to her, she's so short. Newt and I are way taller than her.

She leads us out of the room. I follow eagerly, desperate to get out of this nurse suit.