Salvation: A Finnick Odair Story

Two

Maisie

There was a quick rasp on the front door downstairs which only made me groan. I turned over in my bed to check the time. It was only eight in the morning and the reaping didn't begin until noon. Who in the world would be here so early? I angrily threw the covers off my body, wrapped myself in my silk robe, and trudged downstairs. I was surprised to see a head of bright blue hair standing at my door.
"Hey Dixie," I greeted my stylist and her team who were standing on my porch. All of whom I considered close friends.
"Hey hon. How are you feeling?" Dixie questioned.
"I'm as good as I can be," I stated with a shrug. I invited them in and Dixie enveloped me in a tight hug.
"Thalia is at the Justice Building making sure everything is in preparation for later today. As for us, we're going to bring back the sixteen year-old who won the sixty-ninth Hunger Games." Dixie and her team ushered me upstairs into my master bathroom.

They started plucking, waxing, scrubbing, brushing, and doing millions of other things that I wasn't paying attention to. There was only one thing that I could focus on and that was my siblings. They were quietly sitting in the room, watching the prep team pamper me. I connected eyes with Katerina and started crying.
"Oh no," Tenney muttered when he noticed me.
"I'm sorry. I'm ruining the makeup you just worked on," I said, trying to pull myself together.
"No darling! I'm not upset about that; your feelings matter to me more than the makeup," he tried to reassure me. He grabbed the fancy cloth out of his suit pocket and gently began dabbing at my eyes, careful not to smear anything. Tenney began reapplying any makeup that was messed up by my tears. I reached my hand out for my sister and she was quick to grasp it tightly.
"Will you help your brothers get dressed?" I asked quietly. She nodded and I watched them walk out of the bathroom.

Charm who was working on my hair smiled in satisfaction once she was finished.
"Oh Charm that's perfect!" Tenney complimented. "Shall we call for Dixie?" Charm nodded excitedly and Tenney rushed out of the room to call for my stylist. Dixie walked in a moment later and smiled brightly upon seeing me.
"Good work you two," she complimented her team.
"Can I look now?" I questioned.
"Not quite yet. We're almost finished darling," Dixie replied. I sighed, but let them add the finishing touches before Dixie brought in my dress. I gasped when I saw it. It was the same dress I wore when I came home from my games. It was a gorgeous, navy blue, one shoulder strap dress with gold leaf embellishments on the shoulder and waist. It was fitted around the bodice, then flared out at my waist perfectly. It's been my favorite dress, but I never really found an appropriate time to wear it.

Dixie held it in front of me to step into. I turned around in order for her to zip it up. After six years, the dress still fit pretty well. Once I was zipped in, she lead me over to the full-sized mirror near the corner of the bathroom. Extensions had been added to my shoulder length hair, curled perfectly down to my hips. My ice blue eyes were accentuated with a black liner, my lips painted red. Charm placed a gold hairpiece around my head, finishing the look. I looked like my sixteen year-old self again.
"You guys have certainly outdone yourselves again," I stated with a smile. I turned towards my "glamour team" and hugged them all.
"Alright darling. Thalia should be here any minute to retrieve you for the reaping," Dixie stated and I nodded, stepping into the golden heels Tenney brought me.

My three siblings were waiting in the doorway of the bathroom. Katerina smiled at me.
"You look amazing Maisie," she complimented. They were all dressed in their best clothes, Katerina's hair braided up in a crown.
"Well look at you three. You look just as amazing." I enveloped them all in a hug, tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I kissed the top of their heads before pulling away and putting on a smile.
"Maisie!" A chipper voice called from downstairs. I walked down to see Thalia decked out all in green.
"Hi Thalia," I greeted our Capital Escort.
"Dear you look ravishing!" She gushed.
"Thank you." I turned towards Dixie and my siblings.
"Watch after then for me?" I asked my stylist. She nodded and I walked out after Thalia and into an awaiting car. I fidgeted with my fingers on the way to the Justice Building, feeling more nervous than I ever had been before.