Garden of Eden

Chapter 8

Dawn creeps by quickly and yet I don't get up until Wendy dutifully begins knocking on our doors. Heading into the bathroom, I prepare for the day.

The usual breakfast is followed by our prep teams preparing us for the night's interviews. They start work immediately after we finish eating and continuing working until late into the afternoon.

The standard routine of hair wash and waxing takes up the majority of the morning. The main topic of discussion amid the prep team appears to be Alexis' new piercings. She now has a nose ring and four new piercings in her left ear.

"Who are you trying to impress this time?" Aminta files away at my nails, grinning knowingly at Alexis.

As she runs a comb through my hair, Alexis denies unconvincingly that she is not trying to impress anyone. That of course sets them to chattering again. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

Aiakos begins applying my make-up by giving me a layer of red lipstick. He then accentuates my eyes by adding eyeliner and mascara.

When my hair is reasonably smooth and free of knots Alexis places a simple black hair band on me. Letting it fall freely across my back, she curls my hair slightly before using hairspray on it. As Alexis does that, my nails are given a clear glossy coat by Aminta. Once they dry up she paints them red. After using tweeters getting rid of the last stray hairs, the three adults finally agree I am ready to wear my interview outfit. Aminta scampers off in search of Alex, who has been working on my dress.

Alex arrives and quickly dismisses the other three. They leave without objection as he begins unzipping the black bag he came in with. Expecting the worst I'm utterly surprised by what lies inside.

"It's very pretty." I'm not lying.

"You like it? " Alex smiles broadly. "It's black to reflect the coal of your district." Or black could suggest that I'm heading to a funeral.

"The white collar adds sophistication to it," I comment.

"Indeed," nods Alex, "Konrad was adamant your dress have a collar for that very purpose. Let's try it on." With that the dress is slipped over my head. Once adjusted, it fits snugly on me. It ends one or two inches above my knee while the sleeve ends a little pass my elbow. It's not ostentatious but there is definitely a certain appeal to it.

Dress now on, Alex produces black heels and suggests I try them out. I comply and walk around in them. The heels are roughly the same length as the ones Wendy had me practice in. They would've constantly kept slipping off had it not been for the straps around my ankle that hold them in place.

Finally Alex places on me silver-hooped earrings. Seeing as my ears aren't pierced, the earrings are clip-on.

"There," he says, adding the second earring on. "Before heading downstairs we should meet up with the others."

"Sure," I reply as he opens the door of my room and holds it for me to go through first.

At the elevator there stands only Wendy, Evelyn, and her stylist.

"The gentlemen have already gone downstairs," Wendy answers the unasked question.

We file into the elevator and head to ground floor. On the way down Evelyn cannot resist twirling around in her grey dress with a bow tied on the back.

Right in front of the Training Centre a stage has been constructed during the day from which the interviews will take place.

The doors of the elevator open to the scene of the other tributes lining up in the order their interview will occur in. Soon we find the other half of the District 12 band in the chaos.