Their Mockingjay (Hunger Games FanFiction)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

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When Alder walks up to me in a masculine form of the outfit I'm wearing, I let out a sigh of relief. "How do you like your stylist?" I ask, smiling. 

He shrugs. "She's pretty cool, I guess. She just joined and she seems at least subtle enough compared to other stylists. Not Cinna, though. Then again, we look like Capital people back home compared to Cinna." We both look at my stylist after that comment and laugh silently. 

"He's actually nice. Apparently he made these outfits after my aunt and Peeta and when my aunt died, he decided to wait for the next perfect tributes."

"Yes, Tressa told me," he said, nodding once. 

"Tressa?" I frown, not recognizing the name. 

"My stylist," he explains. 

I nod. "Oh, sorry," I say. "You never told me her name. Anyways, how awesome do you think these costumes are?"

"Did Cinna show you what they do?" he questioned curiously. "Because she said she wanted what happened to be a surprise for me." 

My eyes widen. He's going to be really surprised. "Yes, he did. You're going to love it. It's literally like we are the coals. It might not sound that pleasing, but trust me when I say it is." I smile before thinking of something else to say. I open my mouth to say it but he cuts me off. 

"I think we're going now," he tells me, looking around at everyone setting up. Just as he says it, the music starts up. 

District 1 tributes start to ride out, a boy named Eero and a girl named Silver. Then district 2 tributes and so on. Eventually it's our turn, and Cinna has turned our suits on. "Make sure to smile," he tells us, grinning. "They're going to love you." 

As we're moving the music is loud and my heart is beating a mile a minute. Alder and I locked eyes for a few seconds before turning our eyes to the crowd, watching them cheer us on. I follow Cinna's advice. I start to grin as the crowd cheers for all of us. I see a picture of us on a large television screen and I almost pass out at how amazing we actually look. I can't believe Cinna has pulled this off. 

I start to think of Posy and how she had reacted while she was in this same spot. How she had cheered and blew kisses to the crowd and how adored she was. I knew that if I wanted to at least get as far as she had, I'd need to start now. So I started to follow her steps, and the cheers grew louder. I don't know what I'm doing, but I will do everything I can think of to help my survival. I won't let Kale grow without his sister. I won't let Laurel be the only girl. I won't let my parents loose a child. 

Flowers are thrown at us, at me, and that makes me grin even more. I think of my aunt, who had gone through the same thing. I remember her catching a rose, and I reach out and catch one too. I follow her steps and blow a kiss to the general direction it came from. I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe I'm doing this. 

Eventually the twelve chariots are in the loop of the city circle, filling it up, and our chariot is pulled up right up to President Snow's mansion. President Snow is a young woman, only around her thirties or fourties. She took control after her grandfather, also known as President Snow, died of old age. According to Peeta she's a better leader than the other President Snow, who he had a few conversations with before the old man had passed, but she's still from the capital and the hunger games are still happening. 

President Snow starts to give a welcome speech from her balcony, which used to belong to her grandfather. Eventually the national anthem plays and the chariot is parading around the circle one more time before going back to the Training Center. I smile at Alder as we we're surrounded by our prep teams who start telling us how well we handled it.