Pieces in the game. (The Hunger Games)

Chapter 9: Interview prep and the interviews

Lilly's POV.
Ok, at least Haymitch left me with Effie first. We have to jam pack everything into two and a half hours that would usually take four. Straight away, she put me into a full- length gown and high-heeled shoes, not the ones I'll be wearing for the actual interview, and instructs me on walking. Back home mum had pairs of shoes with small heels on them, and I used to play with them all the time. Effie is delighted with how easily I can walk in the shoes. She got very aggravated with me the first few times when I kept hitching up my skirt to stop it from tangling around my feet. "Not above the ankle dear!" she instructed and I quickly figured out that to turn I just needed to walk in a sort of wide loop, prevents tangling. Once walking was conquered, in record time according to Effie, we start on sitting. Keeping posture perfect, apparently I'm a culprit for ducking my head. We worked on eye contact, hand gestures and smiling also. Smiling is generally about smiling more. Effie makes me say a hundred banal phrases starting with a smile, while smiling, or ending with a smile. By the time we have finished Effie has declared me to be her "perfect little prodigy" and sends me on my way to get food. I walk to the dining room in my heels and dress where the others sit having their breakfast. "What the hell?!" I hear Katniss say as I make my way over to get some fruit. "You didn't have to wait on me," I say. "Well, there's been a change of plans. About our current approach," Haymitch says. "What's that?" Katniss and Gale ask. Haymitch shrugs, as if he isn't about to drop a bomb on the other two. "Peeta and Lilly have asked to be coached separately," he says and I see the hurt on Katniss' face. "Katniss and Gale, you two will be with Effie now, I'll take you after lunch. Peeta you're with me now and Effie after lunch. Lilly, do something until lunch and I'll take you then!" Haymitch says and everyone starts filing out.

"What the hell Lilly?" Katniss says as she passes me. "Oh come on! As if I'd need to train with the magnificent girl on fire!" I spit at her and I can see her pale. I sounded genuinely angry, because she didn't even care enough to wait to celebrate until after all our scores were revealed. I stay in the dining room and have cup after cup of hot chocolate. At lunch I move into the sitting room and Haymitch directs me to the couch. He stares at me for a few minutes before taking a deep breath. "How you holding up?" he asks softly. I relax and run my hand through my hair. "I hate doing this but I need to keep her safe," I say to him. "Ok your approach, talk about your family, District 12, even Cato if you have to, just make sure you're likeable," he says to me. Haymitch takes the role of the interviewer and I answer his questions in a winning fashion. By the end Haymitch is satisfied and he tells me to go relax. I run to my room, an accomplishment in these heels and quickly get into more comfortable clothes. Running back to the dining room I fill a plate of rice and a chicken dish with a spicy sauce. I can hear Katniss and Haymitch arguing, but I ignore it! She could cause trouble in an empty room. Soon after I head to bed. I am exhausted and I need my wits about me for tomorrow. I get changed into pyjamas and crawl in between the sheets. I was barely awake when I felt Gale and Katniss get in beside me, leaving me in the middle of them both. "Love you," I said as I fell asleep.

I was woken by Katniss and my prep teams. This day belongs to Cinna. He's our last hope. I'm so nervous about tonight that I'm hoping he'll make me look so beautiful that no one will care what comes out of my mouth. Our teams work on us until late afternoon, turning my skin to glowing satin, the same with Katniss. Katniss had patterns stencilled onto her arms while I had one on one of my shoulder blades. Then we both get flame designs painted onto our twenty perfect nails. Then Amaryll goes to work on my hair. It's put up into a complicated bun with strands left down surrounding and framing my face.