How It All Goes Down
- Katniss is in the Remake Center getting her legs waxed (yowch!) by Venia, "a woman with aqua hair and gold tattoos about her eyebrows" (5.1). She's also been scrubbed clean and had her nails done. The only thing they've left the same is the braid her mother had arranged.
- The last remaining hairs are plucked clean by her prep team (Octavia, Flavius, and the aforementioned Venia – all decked out with crazy hair and dyed skin), and they call in her head stylist, Cinna.
- Cinna arrives and Katniss is impressed with how normal and attractive he looks. His voice lacks the affected accent most people have in the Capitol.
- Cinna compliments Katniss's braid, and she realizes that Cinna is a new stylist for the Hunger Games. He reveals that he asked specifically for District 12.
- Cinna and Katniss have lunch, an exorbitant spread that would never be seen back in District 12. Katniss wonders what it would be like to live in such a place.
- Cinna reads Katniss's thoughts and comments that they must all seem despicable to her.
- The two discuss Katniss's outfit for the opening ceremony. Usually the get-up has to do with the industry of the district. This means coal-mining. Katniss expects a coal miner outfit, but Cinna says no, this year, they're focusing instead on coal.
- He asks Katniss if she is afraid of fire.
- We jump forward a few hours and Katniss is dressed in a black unitard and a streaming orange, yellow, and red cape – that Cinna plans to set ON FIRE during her chariot ride to the stadium.
- Peeta shows up, and he is dressed identically. The two soon find themselves in the chariot, making jokes about extinguishing one another. Then the opening music begins.
- The chariot from each district starts moving along in the parade until it's time for District 12 – that's when Cinna lights both Katniss and Peeta on fire. Fortunately, the plan works and no one burns to death.
- Before they pull out, Cinna motions that Peeta and Katniss hold hands. The chariot then enters the city.
- The crowd loves the outfits – and they cheer accordingly. Katniss starts to feel a little hope. Someone throws her a rose, and she catches it. She blows kisses.
- The chariots arrive at President Snow's mansion for his speech. Katniss can see on the jumbo-tron that she and Peeta are getting lots of screen time.
- The national anthem plays, the chariots make a final circle around parade route, and then back to the Training Center.
- Katniss and Peeta are still gripping hands, and they joke about it. He tells her that she should wear flames more often (flirty flirty!) and he smiles.
- Warning bells go off in Katniss's head: do not flirt with this boy because you might start to like him and then HE IS GOING TO KILL YOU.
- Then, she realizes that two can play this game. She reaches on tiptoe and kisses his cheek.