House of gold

Meeting Odair

      My prep team wailed and wailed that 'it's so unfair' and 'you're to young to go back'. When in reality I was to young to go into my first arena only being 14 but know I'm 22 and not all that young. Peeta and Katniss are years younger than me.
      My prep team removes any hair seen on my body, besides my hair on my head and my eyebrows. But, even those got a good trimming. My body is soaked in vanilla body wash that made my skin smooth.
      My stylist Vera comes into my room thankfully, not crying. "Ah, Miss Lux, I feel you'll like this outfit." Vera dresses like she's in one of the districts. Her brown hair is put up into a bun with what looks like two chopsticks stuck into it. She just wears blue jeans and a t-shirt. It's almost like she dose the live in the Capitol except when the games one around
     Vera curls my hair and puts a headband that looks like lightning around my forehead. My dress was long sleeved and straight black. "Am I supposed to be a blackout?" Being from five we don't get many blackouts, but other districts do.
     "Of course not silly." She presses a button on the inside of my sleeves. What happens next is amazing. My dress lights up, not like Peeta and Katniss's last year. It looks like an electrical storm. Lightning strikes every few seconds. It's like a movie is playing on my dress. My makeup is dark. My eyes are dark. So are my lips. It's different from my last tribute parade costume. It's better. They dresses me and Langston as solar panels. We hardly even use solar in 5.
         We walk out of Vera's stylist room. Gavin is basically they same thing but he is a bodysuit not in a dress. He isn't wearing a crown.

*****

     I'm standing at 5's chariot when Mr.Odair approaches me.  He walks like he owns the world. He smirks at some of the stylist and their knee's practically give out.
     "Hello, Lux,"he says, as if he weren't practically naked. He stands closer to me than wanted, I can feel his breathing on my neck.
      "Hello, Finnick," I say in the same tone , slightly uncomfortable by the closeness of him, with as much skin he is showing.
      "Want a sugar cube?" He says, showing me his hand, full of sugar cubes. "They're supposed to be for the horses, but who cares? They've  got years to eat sugar, whereas you and I ...well, if we see something sweet, we better grab it quick."
      "No thanks, but I'd love to borrow the outfit sometimes." I say gesturing the the golden net knotted right at the groin, so he wouldn't be considered naked. The more skin Finnick shows the more sponsors he'll receive.
      "You're absolutely terrifying me in that getup. What happened to all the pretty little girl dresses?"he asks. He wets his lips ever so slightly.
      "I outgrew them." I say.
       Finnick takes the collar of my dress and runs it between his fingers. "It's too bad about this quell thing. You could have made out like a bandit in the Capitol. Jewels, money, and anything you wanted."
       "I don't like jewels, and I have more than enough money. What do you spend yours on, Finnick?" I ask
     "Oh, I haven't dealt in anything as common as money for years." Says Finnick.
    "Then how do they pay for the pleasure of your company?" I as
    "With secrets," he says softly. He tilts his head so his lips are almost in contact with mine. "What about you, golden girl? Do you have any secrets?"
     For some stupid reason, I blush, but I force myself to push back the blush. "None worth your time." With that he kisses the side of my mouth and walks away to Katniss.
     I walk over to 12's chariot looking for Haymitch. Finnick catches my eye and winks while talking to Katniss. Haymitch is talking to Peeta, with his back to me. I walk up to him and put my hands around his eyes.
"Guess who, mitchy?" I ask my hands still covering his eyes.
"Well guessing that you called me 'mitchy'...... Luxy." I smile at the use of the nickname he gave me after I started calling him Mitchy. It's then I realize that Peeta is awkwardly standing there not sure if he should leave or stay.
"Hello Peeta, I'm Lux," I say as I stick my hand out to shake his.
"Hello Lux," he smiles. Than the bell rings signifying that we have to get to our chariots.
"Bye boys," I say as I start to walk to walk away. I meet Gavin at our chariot, our stylist are already there. "No smiling you two, or waving nothing we want stone hard glares."
"Finally something I'm good at." I say letting Vera turn on my dress. District one goes out than 2,3,4 and then us. I hear every one chanting my name. Only some people like Gavin, Gavin is an iffy victor. He didn't get a label, which is how I got remembered. My label the 'golden girl' was given to me by Caesar.
I don't smile just like I'm told. I don't wave just like I'm told. I just glare.
Gavin and I are seen as heartless. But are we really?
We come to a stop and President Snow is waiting. The smirk he wears is worse than amount of blood I wear on my hands like gloves, combined with all the other victors, and that's a lot of blood.
     We just sit there and listen to Snow drag on how there will never be another uprising because of this. With Katniss around there probably will be one.
"Hello beautiful," Finnick whispered in my ear, the sound of his voice sends shivers down my spine. Finnick and I rode in a elevator alone. Finnick stares at my eyes for a bit, the his eyes begin to  flicker between my math and my eyes. After a while he started to lean in but stops like he remembers something and stops.1-3 are on floor 2. 4-6 are on 3. 7-9 are on 4. Finally, 10-12 are on 5. The training center and stylist stations on are on 1. So Finnick Odair and I. Are stuck on an elevator, with tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
     Finnick and I don't talk a lot on the way up after our in counter. The silence causes my mind to wander. The games threw everyone into silence. Like Snow was holding a knife to everyone of our necks, just pushing hard enough to make us struggle for breath.
     Finnick and I exit the elevator mumbling goodbyes to each other, than heading to our districts sector.
      I don't know why but I have this sick sense that if one tribute stands out of line, that the knife will cut off our breathing. Snow would press the knife hard enough to kill without any remorse. He'd do it with that sick smile adorning his face.
*****
Sorry this chapter is slightly shorter but I hope you enjoyed.  In honor of our new cover I posted this chapter. I'd like to dedicate this to @peakybooo, who made the amazing cover. She  is amazing so go check out some of the outstanding covers she's made.~ Secretly_A_Tree