The Ultimate Sacrifice (The 107th Hunger Games) [Fan Fiction]

5. Dress Up

5. Dress Up

I had always thought I had taken good care of myself in terms of grooming and hygiene.

Apparently, I wasn't Miss Perfect like I convinced myself I was. At least, that's what my prep team told me when they got a hold of me.

After I had gotten bathed and shaved, I was whisked off to a small room with three tables, each with items to help each of my prep team make me look my best. I never let anyone touch me when it came to making me look good, except for my mother and myself. But I had to trust these people. After all, they made past tributes from District 1 look really stunning. Yet, I got the feeling the prep team and stylist changed every once and a while, so, for all I knew, I could have the worst prep team and stylist in the Games. Don't think that, I scolded myself. So far they haven't done anything bad to you. You've got to give them a little trust. They'll make you over again for the interviews next week.

When the prep team first met me, they took me as a challenge and went to work. Apparently, while bathing, Remi—the only guy on the prep team and the one who was in charge of my hair—discovered I had lice living on my head. Well, lice did like clean hair. I had panicked, but Remi calmed me down, assuring me that he had just the right shampoo to rid of them in one scrub. Having lice was news to me. I had to have just gotten it, because Mom and Dad never mentioned seeing lice on my head.

I sat on a cold, metal table in a fluffy, soft, white robe while Remi combed through my thin, red hair carefully, picking out little lice with tweezers. Please be all gone before the opening ceremonies. Remi was the most normal-looking out of my prep team, with shaggy, brown hair down to his shoulders, with dark brown eyes. His sister, Maggie, was in charge of doing my nails. I couldn't see the resemblance because Maggie looked more feline, and Remi looked...plain. Maggie's eyes were neon green, so green that I was convinced that if we turned off the lights, her eyes would glow in the dark. Her dirty blonde hair was in ringlets down to her elbows. I envied women who had curly hair. I tried to get that same look, but if it wasn't natural, it never looked as good.

"You're the first redhead we've ever done," Maggie said. "Did you dye it?"

"No. It's natural," I said haughtily.

"Well, I'll tell you what isn't natural for you," said Jackie, the woman who was in charge of my face, "smooth skin. Do you ever put lotion on?"

"There's never been a need to." I shrugged. "Why? Is my face that dry?"

"Yes." Jackie made a face.

Jackie was one of the darkest people I ever met, the way she looked, anyway. She had red contacts, so I had no idea what her real color was. Her bright orange hair was in a tight bun, and once when I saw her smile, I saw fangs, two of them golden. Her outfit was dark too, so I assumed either this was Jackie being who she really was, or she was being a vampire impersonator. I was afraid to ask, because if she was a vampire impersonator or a real vampire—but I doubted she was a real one—she'd probably get mad at me and bite me. I drove that startling image out of my mind quickly.

"I think all the lice is gone for good," Remi said. Good. "Good thing too, because I doubt they'd like glitter invading their home."

"You're putting glitter in my hair?" I asked.

"Of course. Your stylist requested it." I heard Remi stroll to his table to fetch the glitter.

Great. I was going to be made up probably to look like a stripper or something. I would not feel comfortable with that. I wanted to look fierce, like a Career should look, but not in a skin-exposing outfit that would make me squirm and feel embarrassed the entire chariot ride out to the City Circle. I wanted something that would show the audience that I, Crystal Springs, was a lethal weapon and the girl to place their bets on in the Games.