The Hunger Games: Prim [REWRITING]

Chapter 9: Big day. Interview Day.

Coached separately? Just why? I mean I should be given a reason. Just because I'm twelve doesn't mean that I don't get to know and everybody else does. I mean, why? And why was I thrown here in the first place? Me, and all these other people?

I know that I won't be getting any answers. I do ask something that can be answered though. "So...what's our schedule?"

"You'll get four hours with me, then four with Effie. You'll be taking turns. So while Peeta's with me, talking about content, you'll be with Effie talking about performance. Then you switch," Haymitch explains.

Not a dream schedule but I guess it will do. I start with Effie, and I wonder what she's going to teach me for four long hours. I listen to her out of respect. First she puts me on high-heels, which I master in about five minutes. But then she decides to make me try on some lower shoes, and that works out just fine as well.

Soon, Effie teaches me how to walk into the room while waving to the crowd, smiling of course, sitting down in a chair (...really?), and greeting Caesar. Effie insists we practice that again, but we've been doing this same routine for the past hour that I could probably do it in my sleep. Effie let's me move on, this time teaching me about how I should act when I'm in the chair. But what I remember is just smile, smile, wave, smile, smile. There's not really much. Just be all cute to earn sponsors. The next step, I think to myself. The list. Act all cute and get sponsors. The next step is tomorrow night, bringing me closer to my impending death.

Effie is quite pleased with my performance so she dismisses me an hour early. I start walking to my room, and without realizing, I'm walking the way Effie told me to. Oh gosh, I think. Am I becoming like the Capitol people?!

Oh well, for now I should go and get ready. I should go wash up even though my prep team would be doing all sorts of things on me later on. I take a quick shower, using primrose scented water. At home we never really get warm water, let alone scent it. But here it just seems like a normal thing that people do, which annoys me.

"Why waste money on these scents when you could be helping starving people?" I wonder out loud as I rinse my hair. I'm coming up with a bunch of questions these days, that I'll never really get answers too. After washing, I dry myself and then wrap myself in a fluffy white towel. I look through the dresser and throw on a blouse, with a small beige skirt. I tuck the tail of my blouse in, thinking of Katniss. After changing, I decide to practice smiling, like Effie insists. I stand in front of the mirror and flash a huge smile. I try on different expressions and also different gestures or motions. Then I see the door open in the reflection in the mirror, and watch as Lavinia enters the room. She smiles.

"I wonder if avoxes get to watch the games," I wonder.

I let Lavinia come in, and I realize she's just here for her duties, to fetch the wet towel from the shower. I help her to pick up the old clothes too, which will be going to the hamper no doubt.

After Lavinia leaves, I decide to go outside and see if there's anything exciting. Nothing much. I mean there's Peeta, Haymitch, and Effie just talking to each other, Effie drinking coffee and Haymitch drinking. But he's still sober. I guess they are giving advice to Peeta.

I might as well get over there, I mean four hours is probably over.

"Just in time Prim," Haymitch welcomes me.

"Okay, so now Peeta get's to spend four hours with me, and Prim dear you are spending time with Haymitch," Effie says, making sure to get our schedule all sorted out.

What's Haymitch gonna teach me? I ponder over the question but I really don't know what he plans to teach me. Effie and Peeta leave the room, for their performance lesson and Haymitch starts, "Ok, so you Prim, and I are working on content now."