The Price of Fame and Fortune (Hunger Games)

9

The next morning I entered the dining cart to find two tables worth of breakfast foods. The third table, that used to be the alcohol table was nothing but empty bottles. 

Trent was leaning against it, a smirk on his handsome face. I smiled and indicated to the window. "So definitely Clement's, then?".

He shrugged and removed a scrunched piece of sticky tape from his pocket before throwing it across the room. "Apparently. But I guess with no evidence we'll never know. One thing I do know is that my old mans going to wake up hang over. He'll come searching for more alcohol to settle his hangover only to find not a drop on the train. He'll just have to..". Again, he shrugged uncaring. "Vomit, sweat and go into a state of madness until we reach the Capitol".

I giggled before giving him a false smile. "Well, better late then never to sober up in my opinion".

He clicked his tongue in satisfaction. "My thoughts exactly".

While Trent's reason for being up so early came from a hidden agenda, mine came from being unable to sleep. Be it from a lifetime of waking up at five-thirty or the fact that I'm just simply too scared to. 

I bit my lip as I watched Trent eye all the food with a empty plate in hand.

 "T-Trent?".

He hummed back as a response and I closed my eyes before opening them again trying to find a confidence I didn't possess. "Do you really hate him?".

He paused mid pour of coffee. I could see his body tense a little before he sighed and turned to me with pained eyes. "Yeah, I'm in this mess to begin with because of him. I didn't ask to be born just to be reaped, you know?." He shook his head and snorted. "Plus, it's Blight. He wasn't exactly winning father of the year growing up".

He lowered his mug and gave me a small smile. "It's okay to hate Johanna. I hate her and she's not even my parent. Even Blight didn't ignore my existence, that's a level of low I can't even comprehend. They messed us up good, huh?".

I nodded with a small shrug. "Yeah, yeah they did. I know you don't want to talk about the games. But I have a feeling Blight and Johanna are probably going to insist on us having allies".

He scoffed. "Right. Allies". I could see the hesitation rolling off Trent and it's exactly what I was hoping for.

I smirked. "Well, I've been thinking an-"

He gave me a mock concerned look. "Don't you be hurting yourself now".

I sighed in annoyance before staring back at him. "As I was saying, most of the tributes are related. Over half the competition are siblings and cousins or just related in general."

Trent nodded. "So, they'd kill us before family".

I nodded. "Exactly!. And we're practically brother and sister".

He placed his hand over his heart in amusement. "Shucks".

I shook my head at him with a small smile. "Anyways. Point is we're better off alone than in any type of alliance".

Just as he was about to agree he faltered. "But Johanna wants you in an alliance?".

I rose an eyebrow at him and scoffed.  "Johanna also wants me to kill people.".

He tusked and nodded. "Fair point. They're both insane.".

Trent smirked at me and winked. "Was planning on sticking with you anyways. Just you and me then. Two sane people stuck in an arena of killers. Sounds like an adventure, Vicks".

I felt my eyes brim with tears that I refused to let fall. That's what he used to call our outings when we were kids. We'd pretend we were on some secret mission instead of stealing food from the local markets. I smirked. "Us against the world".

I haven't seen my mother all day. It's not like I did anything wrong, infact, I preferred it this way. It's simply normal Johanna behaviour. And right now, I'll take as much normal as I can get. Especially because physcos are currently torturing me in every which way under the pretence of 'beauty'. 

Scrubbing, shaving and comparing me to Johanna. I hate them. My prep team haven't shut up about me. The honour it is to be shaving the Victoria Mason's legs.  Crying while curling my hair. Poking me to quote 'checking if you're real'. Add in me being stark naked and you have one of the most awkward encounters of my entire life. People in District Seven are normally more subtle and they're my only expirience in dealing with my fame. I've never stepped foot in the Capitol before but I'm starting to think I'm more well known here then back home. A scary thought. People cried at the sight of me once I had exited the train. And my prep team? Well, they're just as bad if not worse.

Once they were finally done they lingered at the edge of the door fawning and staring at me. It was uncomfortable, nakedly uncomfortable. Thankfully, a peacekeeper escorted them out but that meant that five people instead of four saw me naked. I did my best to cover up with my hands but still...God only gave me two.

Once they were gone I had the overwelming urge to cry. It's like I'm not even a person anymore. Like I don't even have a personality apart from the daughter of a famous axe murderer. I wonder if all the other tributes were treated that way or if it's just me?...With people screaming things like they'll die if they can't shake my hand. Its so...wrong.  It's wrong because I'm nothing special. My only aspiration in life is to maybe make paper one day. And yet, people are literally falling to their feet infront of me.  

I'm supposed to wait for my stylist and I could feel nerves eating away at me. I know I'm going to be a tree of some kind. Theres never not been a year when District Seven wasn't a tree. Our District is lumber and every stylist goes for trees over wood and paper. I guess a tree is better then being wrapped in paper. Imagine tributes in paper clothes...what if they tore?. I cringed at the thought. 

That's how a Capitol man found me. Alone, stark naked and with a frown on my face. He had red skin that made my eyes widen in shock. I tried to keep my face indifferent but he saw right through it. 

Mr Red-Skin gasped. "It's consdiered beautiful, not that you'd know".

I felt my eyebrow rise in disaproval. Rude much, I'm the one exposed here.

He sighed. "I supose the daughter of Johanna Mason is on the same level as my designs. Turn".

Someones full of himself. I remembered Clement straining with the upmost importance to do what we're told. But I gotta say, I'm finding it rather difficult with this guy.

Mr Red-Skin scoffed and indicated to myself on the metal table. "Are you deaf? I'm on time limit here. Now turn".

With a glare that could rival my mother's I got off the table and turned before staring him down. 

The whole time he wrote stuff down and didn't even glace at me which only added to my frustration. He blew of a long breath before showing me a dress. A tree dress. I'm a tree...shocker.

I thought it might of been skinny to show off my figure and make me look good for sponsors. But it's a tree ball gown. The words 'precious beauty' came to mind as I stared at the sketch. A bodice made of literall tree bark and a fern hooped skirt. I cringed before looking up at Mr Red-Skin with a tight smile. "We don't have bird houses in District Seven. The birds would die as soon as we cut the trees down".

He gave me a pointed look. "No one would know or care. Besides it's too plain without them".

He'd already pulled out bits of bark and started to asemble it, all the while my only thought was ...my district would know. And right now, they seemed like the only people who mattered.