100th Hunger Games

Chapter 20

Will Baxter's POV:

I follow Max down several hallways and into a room where my prep team awaits me with several unusual tools in hand.

"We're so proud of you darling!" Padillia grins as she ushers me into a seat. "You've done excellently, and I just knew you'd be a victor!"

"Thank you." I nod simply in response and they get to work on me.

"Come now, Lia, we have much to do." Marlin says somewhat impatiently, though he sends a wink my way before they get to work.

It doesn't take long for the odd trio to finish their work on me; adding minimal amounts of powder to my face, styling my hair so that it swooshes upwards and stays there, making sure that every inch of me looks perfectly balanced out with padding before my stylist Suthia dresses me in a suit with dark brown and green tones.

"You're ready." Suthia decides as she finishes circling around me. "Let's get you to your platform."

I nod and I am rushed from the room, squished between the four as we walk briskly to the platform room under the stage that's been prepared for me. I stand on the pedestal in the middle of the dimly lit room and my stylist and prep team wave me off as they leave to prepare themselves to on the stage above minutes before me.

Rayna Lamoure's POV:

My interview costume, while still extravagant and odd, is admittedly much better than my last one. It's a dark green dress that's form fitting on the top, but then poofs out at the bottom. Small lights in the dress complete the outfit by making it look like I'm wearing a Christmas tree. I wear dark brown boots beneath it and have strands of gold braided into my hair.

"Are you ready dear?" My stylist, Christelle asks.

I nod and follow her to my platform room. Christelle hugs me and tells me to stand on the pedestal. I do so as she hurries from the room. All that's left to do now is wait.

I hear Elody begin the show on the stage above, talking about the four of us that remain after the first mini games. She then introduces the four prep teams and stylists, the two district escorts, then the mentors. I can't help but clap along when she calls out Max's name.

"And now for the moment we've all been waiting for... I give you your mini games Victors!" Elody calls out.

I feel the pedestal beneath me begin to move upwards, and I lose my balance for a moment but manage to stop myself from falling. I straighten my dress and keep my chin up and face clear of emotion as I'm lifted up to the stage.

Elody Bowden's POV:

"Come, come." I beckon to the four teenagers. "Have a seat."

"Now, Copper, why don't you tell us about what happened with your sister? I think I speak for everyone when I say we did not expect that from you." I say pleasantly, smiling encouragingly at the young girl to my left.

"I think the whole country saw what happened, what else is there to say?" Copper replies quietly. "I d-didn't mean to kill her."

"I'm sure you didn't." I say, patting her shoulder comfortingly. I don't think I'll get much more out of her so I turn to the girls sitting on my right.

"What about you two? You lost a fair amount of allies in the games, was there ever a moment when you were afraid that one of you might die and be separated from the other?" I direct my question to Rayna and Willow from Seven.