54th Hunger Games

02

The waxing hurts. It hurts a lot. I have felt pain before when I broke my thumb, twice, but this pain was a different type. Quick and sharp, like tiny needles stabbing me all over. My prep team for the games, there to make me look pretty, introduced themselves as Peach, Aries and Adal. Simple names at capital standards when one of the stylists last year was named Starklile. But, they all look ridiculous in over the top outfits and wildly coloured hair. Peach, living up to her name, orange-pink coloured skin and curly hair.

I yelp in pain as a strip of eyebrow is ripped off of my face.

"Sorry lovely. Beauty is pain" Aries laughs, attaching on another

"I'm sure it is" I mutter, clenching my fists in anticipation

The waxing doesn't last much longer, though the cool air gives my raw skin goosebumps all along my naked body. I don't mind being naked in front of these people. They would have seen plenty of naked tributes before, and they are such idiots that I don't even think they have the capacity to judge me.

My hair has been washed, a few layers of my skin scrubbed and ripped off, had an oily bath and my nails were painted in a shiny silver colour.

"Sunny will be in shortly to dress you up for the chariot rides," Ariel says as they pack up to leave

"Just sit and relax" Peach adds and they are gone. I sit on the bed type table, naked, covering my arms to get some warmth into me. When my stylist walks in I have to try not to laugh.

Sunny looks just plain stupid she looks like a purple tiger whiskers stripes and all "Hello Elexis, I'm Sunny your stylist" she says dropping a bag onto the floor.  She smiles a little at me and grabs a tool out of the bag it looks like a shiny stick sunny follows my gay to the object and grins "it's a hair curler"
"So, it will make my hair like a pigs tail?"

"sort of, " she says and beckons for me to stand. I obey and she studies my body. She mumbles things to herself every now and then and although I try, I can't turn the sounds into words

Finally, she gives me a robe and stops "You have a really nice coloured skin, very nice legs, you're pretty average in the chest and bottom, your waist is thin but your hips are narrow and you have a pretty face. I can work with you".

I nod along not really caring about what she says and about how my legs are long. I know my body. She hands me a small device saying to order some food while she leaves me for a couple of minutes alone.

Ordering some turkey legs, I throw on the robe and wait patiently sunny arrives minutes before the food and starts to style my hair. The turkey leg, although sweeter than the ones at home, is a nice change from the food on the train.

The curling takes awhile with my thick long hair. Neither of us talks. Sunny concentrating on her job and me on my meal.

"All done" she states and moves to stand in front of me. She fiddles with my hair a bit and sprays something in it that makes it feel stiff and heavy.

"So how do you feel about tight clothes?" Sunny asks grabbing her bag from the ground.

 I shrug "No more than how I feel about the hunger games"

The smile she wears falters, but she grins again and reaches into the bag and pulls out a bundle of clothes in a shiny silver material that matches the polish on my nails.

"Well, whether you approve or not this is your costume" she holds it out and it unfolds it's not many items of clothing at all it's just one shiny body suit with high silver lace up boots. The thing that worries me is the large coil of thin silver wire that is supposed to wrap around my body over the suit. What an ugly outfit.

Though I do admit it was better than last years. Stylists usually dress the tributes in outfits that resemble the district trade in someway. Last year they were dressed to look like lightning strikes No wonder the stylists were fired. The two tributes that year died in the first hour of the games. My brother's friend died. 

"Oh god you can't be serious I will look ridiculous it is like a second skin" 

Sunny frowns "the crowd loves sexy. If you want sponsors, you need to play the sexy to the extreme, especially when you don't seem very funny or nice"

I press my lips together. I don't want to argue with her sponsors drink up the pretty. I shake my head. I need sponsors to survive. If I don't stand out chances are I won't make it.

"okay," I say standing from the bench "make me look pretty"