Born to Die (Clato Fanfic)

Chapter 10

"Ow, ow, ow!" I whined as the brightly colored people around me worked to get every speck of dirt and strand of hair off my body. I was currently naked. Naked, on a cold metal table, as strangers worked on perfecting my body, for all of Panem. Trust me, I did not want to be doing this. When Cato and I stepped off the train we were marched right to the Remake Center, where we would be fixed up for the tribute parade. It was then that I met my horridly dressed prep team, and was asked to remove my clothing. After about an hour of protesting, and being begged to remove my dress, I finally gave in, after they promised not to talk to me.

"Oh, dear look at your eyebrows!" cried a tall, purple skinned lady, who was apparently named Pompona. She frantically ran to get something to pluck them with as two other members of her team worked on shampooing my hair. The rest of my so called "prep team" consisted of two young men, Aquilon,and Boreas, with identical purple spiky haircuts and suits made of animal furs. I would never understand Capitol fashion. All I could do was pray that at least my stylist had a sense of style so, I wouldn't end up in a ridiculous costume in front of millions of people.

"Thank god, we didn't get stuck with district 11 again!" cried Boreas, his voice filled with disgust.

"Don't even get me started on that girl's leg hair!" Pompona shouted covering her eyes.

"Miles thick, I'm sure," Aquilon muttered with a shudder. They all laughed quietly to themselves as they continued to clean me up.

"Thank you Cleo, for actually showering regularly and brushing through that hair of yours . It makes the job easier!" Pompona said happily as she rinsed out my tangles.

"It's Clove, and um thanks," I muttered. I didn't want to admit that with my training schedule, I didn't always have time for showering, but I guess compared to District 11 or 12, I was sparkling.

"Oh yes! You're all the crowd will be talking about!" They all jumped up and down excitedly, laughing with joy. "Sephone will be so proud of our work!"

"Excuse me, but who is Sephone?" I asked, as I pulled a thin robe over my body.

"Your stylist!" they all chimed, as they erupted into another fit of giggles.

"And, I suppose you're ready to meet her!" Aquilon squealed.

"Are you sure we got everything done?" Pompona asked as she stepped closer to me. "Hair is good, skin is cleansed, blemishes gone, and..." she frowned. "Boreas! You forgot to grease her!"

"Oh, poor darling!" he cried as he hurried over to the shelves, stacked full of beauty products. He rummaged through a large bin until, finally removing a bottle of what appeared to be lotion. "I'm so sorry! I always seem to forget this part!" He said as he rubbed the cream across my body. It stung at first, but then soothed my raw skin. After completely covering my body with the calming lotion they told me my stylist would be here any minute.

"You look beautiful Clove! Sephone will make you look absolutely stunning!" Pompona said excitedly. I hoped she was right.

"Thank you," I replied, trying my best to smile. I reached for my bracelet, to give it a rub, but noticed it was gone. They must have noticed my surprised expression because they told me it was just right in the robe pocket. I thanked them again and slipped the band onto my wrist, hoping to remind me of someone.

A few minutes later, they waved good bye, and darted out of the room. I wanted to hate them but they were just too idiotic, and innocent. They reminded me of children, running wildly through the village, without a care in the world. Although, I didn't particularly like children.

I ran a hand through my damp hair, and hoped this would all be over soon. I tried to picture my stylist, and the outcome was a mixture of Pompona and Aquilon. I shuddered and forced the image out of my mind. Thankfully, the women who walked through the doors didn't match my thinking.