The Capitol Games

Chapter 32- The parade

The next few days pass by fairly simply. There have been a few new additions to our table, those being Mayra, Laython, Keaton, Kylie, Calla and a friend of Laython's, Sean. It was gradual, starting with Mayra and Keaton, then Laython, Sean then Kylie and Calla. I strayed away from the archery section like I told Laython I would, but still didn't see him use it nearly as intensively as he did after training hours. The other tributes glanced at us way too often once Laython and Sean joined the table, clearly wondering why the older, fairly decent fighters were associating with the 'kids' of the party. I made it a point to sit next to Laython that day.

And it was finally time. For the parade day.

After a training session cut short, we were all shoved into the stylist's area, and attendants in black quickly lead us to the magnanimous rooms each of us were assigned. The entrance revealed a much larger prep team with an assortment of towels draped over their arms, bottles of soaps, oils and creams in their hands, who usher me in. As I'm going into my room, I catch the eye of the person who's room is next to mine. Jett.

While I might not be friendly with him, we both share a look of mild horror before being whisked away by our prep teams. This time they hand me tiny shorts and a crop top, before ordering me to lower myself into the tub. The liquid in the tub was similar in texture to the one last time, but instead was golden and pink. I soak in there for all of fifteen minutes before the women descend on me, scrubbing, exfoliating and massaging. Next, I'm wiped down and by three people all together who proceed to rub creams into my skin. A girl who is younger than all the others in the room gives me black cotton shorts and camisole from a rack and and tells me to change into them. It all happens very quickly, and before I know it, I'm sat down on a chair in from of a mirror. Someone towel dries my hair briefly before wrapping a different towel around my hair and vanishing into an adjoining room. I twist in my seat to look around the room, and notice that it's the same room where I initially had my meeting with Sienna. Except it's been transformed: Instead of the dim lighting, and spa-like furniture, the room is now lip up. There are rows and rows of dresser racks which seem random in their placement around the room. Then there are racks with things ranging from bath products, to linen, from undergarments to hair devices, to makeup, and a million other beauty things I don't recognise. It makes me wonder what could possibly be in the adjoining rooms.

Then Sienna breezes in through the main door, and huffs out a smile when she catches my eye in the mirror. "There's my girl." she says, as she drags a movable table laden with makeup over to me. "How are you feeling?" she asks.

"Um... scrubbed."

Sienna lets out a silvery laugh, and drags a small shelf with wheels over to me, before unwrapping the towel off my hair. It tumbles down in a sleek black wave. Sienna then puts her arms on the back of my chair and leans in, so that our faces are next to each other, looking into the mirror. "Ready, Lian?"

"Yes."

Then the next two hours pass by with Sienna and two other people rolling strands of my hair through straighteners, curlers, then covering piece of it in shimmery tinfoil. Why? I have no idea. Then Sienna tackles my face with brushes, powders, creams and colours and it honestly seems like an eternity before she finally helps me out of my chair.

Sienna didn't give me the chance to admire my face in the mirror, because she claims she wants me to see the 'finished product'.

Then the prep team from the adjoining room come streaming in. Each of them are carrying something, but my attention goes to two in the middle, who roll a large stand, which has a dress wrapped with white cloth hanging on it. They all have giddy smiles on their faces as they surround me.
"You're going to look absolutely stunning Miss Mellark!" One of them chirps enthusiastically as she helps me into knee high blue velvet boots.