Hunger Games: Welcome to the 75th Hunger Games!

Chapter Three

I meet Jared in the dining room. As expected from the Capitol, the table is filled with all kinds of foods. I only take one roll with rich butter smeared on it since I'm not really that hungry. I eat it in five seconds flat.

"You need to keep your strength up," Jared says, studying me

I blush and sit down in a wood-carved fancy chair. I pile up my food and eat all of it. Jared laughs and gets his own plate. Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch come in. Surprisingly, Haymitch doesn't look as drunk as he did last time.

"Any more tips?" I ask hopefully.

"Don't die," Katniss states with meaning in her tone. Peeta grabs Katniss's hand and they look at each other. I feel like I'm intruding, so I look down at my empty plate.

"It's time to get ready for your interviews!" Effie comes bouncing in with her ridiculously high heels. Effie grabs me and Jared and almost drags us to two separate rooms. I meet my prep team and Cinna in the room that I am taken in.

"Hi again, dear!" Sanya smiles warmly.

"Ready to be prepped again?" Glim claps his hands together. I groan. All that plucking and waxing again?

A few minutes later I'm standing in front of a mirror naked with my body gorgeous again. I really want my old life back. A life where I don't have the time to look beautiful and where I get to where my black hunting clothes. I sigh.

Cinna comes in holding another dress. It's ankle-low with no straps and a beautiful neckline. "The neck-line is a style called Sweetheart," Cinna smiles, seeing me looking at it.

"It's beautiful," I gasp. Cinna helps me put it on. I look at the dress in awe. The material literally looks like it's fire. The patterns and colors are all so accurately designed. It seems that the dress is fire itself. I beam at my reflection.

Cinna puts on a ruby-embedded necklace around my neck and puts a clip in my hair that matches the necklace. He grabs a bowl filled with red dye and paints swirling patterns that matches the paint on my chest and arms.

"Last thing," Cinna says as he grabs another bowl filled with the same color of red.

"What is that?" I ask. It looks really suspicious. I'm scared it might turn my skin red, like what happened to District 12's girl tribute thirty years ago.

"Relax, it's just wash-off highlights," Cinna laughs.

"I'm going to put it in your hair, but tonight, when you take a shower, it'll come off easily so don't worry," He continues. I sigh in relief. Somehow, I feel I can be less stronger around Cinna. I never even knew I was this scared and vulnerable.

Cinna puts the highlights in my hair and I gape at the results. I literally look like fire is engulfing me right now. I turn to Cinna.

"Thank you so much," I look at him gratefully. Cinna wraps his arms around me.

"Don't worry about it. Now remember, try to be that charming and gorgeous girl I see in there," Cinna guides me to a room where he leaves me. All of the tributes are lined up. The boy from District 1 goes first while I go last. I take a deep breath.

Charming. Beautiful. I think I can be those things. I refrain myself from getting nervous by looking at the other districts costumes. I don't have a clue about any of their names. The District 1 boy and girl are dressed in a costume covered in all types of jewels ranging from amethyst to diamond.

The tributes for District 2 are wearing concrete-colored suits with a flowing silver cape and gold dust sprinkled on their bodies. The boy and girl from District 3 are wearing a black and gray suit with a gray swirly headress.