the 19th Hunger Games

Chapter 5

The day of the interview was completely different from what I’d had in mind. I’d thought I’d be dressed in pants at least, without any make-up, my hair loose and me being silent as the night. Yune though had completely different thought. When I’d voiced my idea to her the morning after the private session with the Gamemakers, she’d decided she agreed but not about my costume.

   So I ended up with Caesar Flickerman in a short, tight plaid blouse without long sleeves, torn, dark blue hotpants, my own boots and jacket. My hair was shining and drawn back in a messy ponytail, some strands hanging loose. I felt really weird in it. In combination with my dark red lips and smokey eyes I wasn’t sure to feel sexy like desirably so or sexy like a prostitute. Then again, the girls who sold their bodies in 10 weren’t so sexy. Mostly they were drug addicts. So as I walked onto the stage after Oscar wished me good luck, the crowd fell silent. They all had expected just another one in a long dress, or not so long, stunningly beautiful or unearthly cute. And now they were confronted with a girl in hotpants, which was a completely new level of sexy.

   Before me, the girls had mostly managed to make the audience go wild. When the girl from 1, whose name appeared to be Lina, who was large and strong but still very beautiful, had taken the centre of the stage, boys had shouted her name and asked her to marry them. But the career girls from 1 and 2 hadn’t been as popular as the one from 4. The girl whose hair had been a tangled mess during the reaping was now transformed into a beautiful creature of the see. Congrats to her stylist, really. She looked stunning with her slightly reddish hair, her dark make-up and blue wavy dress like the foamy waves of the sea on a bright and early summer morning. Beautiful. She’d acted all shy but underneath you could find a ravishing creature. It was an approach, which made every one lust after her. She’d have a lot of sponsors, I was sure of it. After her the twins from 5 were allowed to go out there together. They never let go of each other’s hand and with their large eyes and matching messy hair they were adored by all.

    But when I hit the stage, trying as best as I could to keep my body rigid and firm, no one roared. They all fell silent. I stared down at my black nails and didn’t dare look up. Then Caesar, who’d been adjusting himself throughout every interview to match the person he was speaking to, took my hand, raised it up above our heads and roared, “Give this amazing girl an applause!” Okay, whoa. That was too much. Way too much. Now the boys started proposing to me too. And all I could see now was the balcony on which the Gamemakers were seeded, the streets below and the elevated seatings where I can also spot Yune and Mace. But I was sure the people watching at home where dying too, dying too see me in real. How was this going to help my silent and fierce and deadly like radiation approach? Then again, maybe I should just see where this would lead me.

“So Xan, can I call you Xan?” Caesar asked after quickly shushing the audience. We only had three minutes and he wanted to make the best of it.

“Sure,” I nod.

“Great! Now Xan, let’s first take a look at the footage of the Opening Ceremonies.” The screens above our heads and above the crowd lit up and I saw our chariot, me shining like the brightest star, Oscar reducing that light with the shadows of the night. The crowds both on the screen as in front of me roared. Then I saw us ride into the City Centre, right where we were now, and the screens fade out, then just show me and Caesar as we talk. “Now, that was beautiful! Marvellous. So tell us something about that ten you managed to get. What happened?” I smile softly.

“I can’t tell, you should know that by now. But let’s just say that I might, during the Games, suddenly pop up where you’d expect me least. And when I do, fear for your lives.” While saying that, I was staring straight into the camera’s, eyes large and without emotion.