All the styling went by in a blur.
Our district didnt have a living vitctor, so I spared myself from an encounter with Elsie by hiding in my train compartment the whole way.
I faked a smile as I stepped out into the station and reporters swarmed us. I still didnt see the make tribute from my district, because we were separated by the crowd.
Our group entered a large building made of pure white marble. We walked through a long cold hallway and into an elevator. Someone met Elsie and our male tribute and shuffled them away down another hallway.
The elevator rose up another two floors, then stopped. The doors pinged open, and a Capitol worker with bright blue hair ushered me down a dark hallway.
She introduced herself as Bellsefaria. We stopped at a purple door and entered a bright white room, much like the outside of the building.
An extravagant man with many piercings and parts of his face dyed purple walked in, waving his arms. "Ah, so THIS must be our little tribute!" he shouted. He stepped closer and stared me up and down. "Hmm, not much to work with..." I raised my eyebrows at him. Such tact.
Two more women wearing rings on every finger walked in and started grabbing at my clothes. "What the...?!" I said as the undressed me.
Soon i was standng uncomfortably in the cold room, completely undressed. I got no answer or explanation though, just slence.
They shuffled me over to a table and things started to run together. I was waxed all over, which worried me. How much of my skin were they going to show? Next, my hair was braided so tightlyand stiffly around my head it made my eyes water, which of course upset the stylists.
"Tut, tut, young lady. You're going to make your mascara run!"
"Um, Im not wearing any makeup yet." I replied.
The stylist seemed flustered. "But- I- Well- You must practice!!" she shouted at me and walked away, fuming.
It was my turn to fume as the other ringed stylist brought out my outfit. "ARE YOU INSANE?!" I yelled as she walked out.
"Possibly," she said breezily over her shoulder.
The costume was basically a bikini and some chaps. It was all cowprint. When they shoved the costume on me, I discovered it was also very tight.
Okay, for those of you that dont know, District 10 is livstock. But we by no means are cowboys and cowgirls, and certainly we are more decent than this costume. I grimaced as they slapped a cowboy hat on my head. That was faaaaantastic.
After that they finished up by putting makeup on my face that felt suspiciously like cowprint. I looked in the mirror, and found it indeed was.
Ring stylist one turned me around and saw me scowl. "Dear me," she said. "It's like this young lady never learned to smile!"
She stretched up my cheeks and told me to hold it. I couldnt, and it was her turn to grimace. I plastered a less fake smile on my face to humor her. She smiled and we walked out to the chariot.
We chatted on the way, and I found out her name was Lily. She wasnt originally from the capitol. She was from district ten, like me. It turned out she wasnt so bad after all.
All too soon, we arrived at the chariot. I shuddered when I saw our male tribute's costume. He didnt even have a shirt, just a vest and similar pants, but he had the same makeup and hat.
He smiled at me and I waved, then I stopped myself. Getting to close to someone would throw me off in the arena. I stepped into the chariot and he did too.
I grabbed a metal bar and noticed long horns like those from a cow protruding from the chariot. I gasped as someone lit them on fire. Leave it to the Capitol.
The chariot was pulled down a long street with crowds on all sides.
I smiled and waved, because Lily told me that was a way to get sponsors.
President Snow opened the Hunger Games like he did every year. Next Our flaming cow chariot pulled into a tunnel and I was swept away in the crowd.
