Deadly Game - Chapter 6

Hello, everyone! Here I am again! Took a little longer than last time, sorry... Kind of messy in my life right now :)

Here we go, Chapter 6... And, yeah, that's my imagination of Caro in the pic.

Vote, comment, fan!

<3 Anna

Chapter 6

I'm woken by a knock on the door. Violet peeps in, and tells me that it's time for breakfast. Soon we'll arrive to the Capitol.

I dress in a blue shirt and black trousers that I find in the closet and complete the outfit with the boots from yesterday. I brush my hair and make sure I look clean.

Not that I really care how I look. I might die anyway. But getting sponsors gives me more chances, and first impressions are important. I know the second I step out of the train, I'll be attacked by cameras.

Rino seems to have learned that he should eat slowly, 'cause he's not eating like a pig today. I join the others by the breakfast table, and try not to look at Rino. I kind of feel guilty, knowing Evan will focus on me, and let Rino die.

I mentally slap myself.

In this stupid game, you need to be selfish. Care for yourself. Focus on yourself only. Don't feel anything for the others. I certainly won't die just because I feel sorry for Rino. I have more to fight for than just my life.

I have Riccy's, also.

And that's what helps me through the breakfast. I stop talking to Rino, since he ignores my first try to be friendly, and chat with Violet. She gives me a few tips on how to charm the audience, what the Capitol citizens love, and how I should behave, move, and talk.

It's boring, but necessary.

"Oh, and whatever you do, don't - " Violet is interrupted by Evan.

"Could I have a quick word with you, Cassidy? Outside?" He nods his head towards the door.

I follow, silently wondering what he wants.

"Cass, I'm gonna pay attention to Rino, so that it'll look like I'm betting on him more than you. That's what normal people would do. But I'm on your side, remember that, okay?"

"Yep. You promised, and you can probably guess what I do to you if you break that promise."

He watches my face for a few seconds. "You know, for a girl, you're pretty good at making threats."

"Oh, is big, bad, Evan Storm afraid of a small girl?" I mock.

He laughs, and the sound fills the air, making butterflies fly in my stomach. It is a beautiful laugh, actual happiness, and it's been a long while since I've felt it myself.

"Well, this girl is pretty scary."

"You're right, I am scary. And, that was only the beginning. It'll get much worse." I try to keep my spirits up, and banter like this is just what I need.

"Okay, okay, I promise that I won't break my promise!" I laugh, too, as he lifts his hands up, surrendering.

"If you do, you better watch your back." It feels good to laugh with Evan, good to forget the nightmare in front of me for a few moments. We almost behave like friends. And, why not? He's only a year older than I, after all. A thought pops up, and my mouth has already formed the words when I realize I shouldn't say it. But it's too late.

"Do you want to be my friend?" he looks surprised for a moment, then nods.

Friends with Evan Storm... not exactly what I expected of today.

I shouldn't be his friend. If I don't win, it'll be harder for him. Harder for him to watch his friend die, than for a mentor to watch his trainee die. But, like I said, it's too late now.

**************************

I take a deep breath, and step outside. The flashes of a million cameras blind me for a moment, but Evan's hand on my shoulder urges me forward, down the steps from the train. I ignore the flashing lights, and look at the crowd, a calm expression on my face.

 I'm dressed in the same black boots from earlier, but now I'm wearing a silvery tunic with white leggings. Violet made me change. 

I'm an ice princess. I wave, and the crowd goes wild.

I'm scared out of my mind, but I can't show my fear. I'm being watched every second.

Evan's hand on my shoulder urges me forward again, and I press through the crowd towards the door. Peacekeepers show people out of my way, and Evan's presence keeps me calm and focused. He has some kind of relaxing spell on me. Even the hand on my shoulder is enough to make me pull myself together and smile a little at the crowd, remembering Violet's advice.

When I'm ushered into the building, it's even more filled of people, Evan's arms wrap around me, protectively, as we push through the crowd, Rino and Violet a little ahead of us.

He handles the situation perfectly, his body shielding me from all the hands that reach towards me, and I feel safe. He knows how to do this, and he helps me. He won't let me down.

If there's one person I need to trust, it's Evan. There is no other way out of this than with his help.

When we step into an lift, and he presses number four, I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I held.

"Are you okay? That was kind of crazy."

Evan's voice is worried, and I see that Violet looks at me too.

"Yeah." My voice is shaky.

"Oh my God, you got so much attention!" Violet squeals and claps her hands. I glance at Rino who stands in the corner of the lift, looking bored.

"Why didn't they attack Rino like that?"

"Oh, darling, you're a girl, and still so brave and strong! Careers like Rino can be found every year, and most probably are betting on him, but you're still an interesting tribute!"

Oh, thanks, Violet. Way to make me feel special.

The lift's doors open, and we step out. Immediately about half a dozen people hurry our way, all Capitol citizens. Three of them surround me, two women, and a man.

"Hello, Cassidy! We're your prep-team! I'm Heart, and this is Marc and Sizza," one of the women explains, as she and the others practically drag me into a room in the corridor. Heart's eyes are a warm chocolate color, and her dark, red, wavy hair is put into a complicated bun. The black tattoos on her arms are clearly visible through the thin shirt she wears.

I'm told to get undressed, and they start fixing my body. The man, Marc, is quite quiet, and both Sizza and Heart talk a lot.

When every single hair has been removed from my body, and I've been washed like a thousand times, I'm told to sit in a chair and be still as they fix my nails into perfect ovals. Right now I'm wearing a thin almost transparent plastic gown, that is most definitely not meant to keep anyone warm, but thankfully it's warm in the room, so I'm not freezing.

I don't have that much problems of them seeing me naked. Not even Marc. I just couldn't care less. What is this compared to death?

I suffer through the whole thing, and learn even more about how to behave. It seems like Violet's tips help me a lot, because they seem to think my comments are absolutely appropriate, and keep saying that I'm so polite and sophisticated. Apparently earlier tributes haven't had much experience about etiquette.

Sizza is washing my hands with some kind of herb-water, and I take a closer look at her. The shiny black hair in a short bob and the thick lines of eyeliner and mascara around her green-yellow eyes almost makes her look like a cat. A panther. The tight black and red clothes strengthen the impression. She's beautiful, though, under that cover of make-up.

After a few hours of cleaning me up, Marc says,

"I think she's ready now, right ladies? Should we bring Caro in?" They nod. I guess this Caro is my stylist.

They leave the room, and a moment after that, someone else enters. I turn around, and my eyes meet the prettiest face I've ever seen.

It's a girl. I can't call her woman: she's probably only nineteen. Her long dark brown, almost black hair flows down her back and her skin is white as snow. Her eyes are a clear greyish blue, and her perfect full lips are light pink. She's wearing a light blue dress and sliver heels, the silver-blue jewelry around her arms sparkle in the light of the room.

"Hello, Cassidy. I'm Caro, your stylist. Could you please rise and take off that gown?" 

I obey, quietly. Caro inspects my body for a few minutes, then handles me a more solid gown, one that isn't made out of transparent material.

"Put that on please." I obey once again.

"You have a really nice body, Cassidy. Pretty tall, slender, curvy and strong. You'll be really easy to work with. You're a bit undernourished, but that can be fixed."

"Thank you."

Caro leads the way out of the room into another, and we sit down by a table. She presses some buttons, and soon we're enjoying a lunch together.

"Well, Cassidy, let me hear something about you. What's your personality like?" Caro asks, and stabs some lettuce with her fork.

"I'm strong. I'm a fighter." That's all I can say. I don't know this girl yet, don't know whether to like her or not.

She raises an eye-brown. "That's obvious, Cassidy. That's who you are in public. What about when your with your family? Your brothers, sisters and parents?"

"I don't have any parents. And only one sister and brother."

"So you're adopted?"

"Yeah, kind of."

She smiles, and she's breathtakingly beautiful. "Do you have strong bonds to your siblings?"

"Well, Will and I used to have... I was quite destroyed when my parents died. Will and I never really clicked into place again. We're not as tight as Riccy and I am. But with Adina, I have a strong relationship."

"And Riccy is...?"

"My adopted brother."

"Oh, the one who was standing alone at the reaping?"

"Yeah. People fear us two a little. We're really close, always guarding each others backs."

"Good. See, it wasn't so hard to open up, right?" She smiles again, and I let out a breath. Then I smile, too.

"No."

I decide I like Caro.