So...I disappeared for over a year...but hopefully this chapter makes up for it!

Dahlia tried hard not to fidget as one of the stylists who had been assigned to her attempted to make last minute adjustments to her costume moments before the tribute parade began. She took a deep breath as she waited, the reality of being reaped for the Hunger Games still not fully sunken in.

As soon as the stylist was satisfied that Dahlia was fit to be seen in public and had stepped away, she squirmed slightly as she tried to get comfortable in the outfit that she was wearing. She couldn't help feeling like an apple as she glanced down at her scarlet red dress, rounded with the amount of red tulle making up the skirt, along with her dark red flats and brown lace headband with the green leaf shaped bow in her long blond hair.

It wasn't the absolute worst outfit to be wearing, she realized, as she looked around at the other tributes who were standing around their chariots being fussed over just as much as she had been. The two from the Capitol, Paige and Jameson, probably had some of the worst out of all of them, though knowing the Capitol it probably could've been much worse. Paige was dressed in a bright purple dress styled in perfect Capitol fashion so that the heavily jeweled dress clung tightly to her upper body before falling in loose uneven layers once it reached her waist. She looked around with a slight expression of both impatience and embarrassment on her makeup covered face that obviously showed how much she didn't want to be there as one of her stylists finished making sure that her long caramel colored hair stayed piled high atop her head.

Paige's brother Jameson stood close to her side in a suit of the same color as Paige's dress with almost as many accessories covering his outfit as his sister had on hers. Dahlia could tell from the way he glanced around with a nervous frown that he didn't want to be there even more than his sister.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of loud music beginning to play, followed by the loud roar of applause that signified the beginning of the tribute parade. She glanced nervously at Hayden as the other tributes began to step into their chariots. Hayden smiled reassuringly at her as he fixed his farmer's hat firmly onto his head.

"Come on, Candle Flower," he said holding out his hand to her as he stepped into their chariot. Dahlia tried to hold back a smile as she grabbed his hand and stepped up next to him, the smile winning as he squeezed her hand.

She gripped the side of the chariot tightly as the two chestnut colored horses began to pull them into the back of the line as the chariots carrying the Capitol and District One tributes rolled outside on their way to the City Circle to the cheering of the crowd that had somehow grown louder, even though Dahlia hadn't thought that was possible.

What was probably only a few minutes felt like forever to Dahlia as she waited impatiently for the eleven chariots ahead of them to enter the arena. She just wanted to finish this as fast as possible. Finally, their chariot lurched forward. Dahlia squinted slightly at the lights that were now shining brightly in her eyes. The roar of the crowd was now just plain deafening as they became surrounded by Capital residents on both sides. Hayden tightened his grip on her hand as they came into the full view of the crowds.

"Don't forget to try and smile," Hayden whispered to her as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Only then did she realize that she was biting her lip nervously, which she immediately stopped doing before swallowing and trying for the best smile she could muster.

However, it suddenly became very hard for Dahlia to keep the smile on her face as their chariot reached the others in the City Circle and stopped beneath Jeanine Matthews and Marcus Eaton, the two leaders of Panem, who stood looking down at all of the tributes. The way that Jeanine's face was completely emotionless except for her eyes which looked as if she was watching everyone at once scared her a lot, and Marcus' expression wasn't much better to look at as his expression seemed to hold no emotion at all. Staring up at them made her very thankful that she had Hayden to take care of her.

Dahlia was so nervous and so focused on the crowd gathered around her that she didn't hear a word that either Jeanine or Marcus said. She hadn't realized she'd even been holding her breath until she let out a relieved breath when the horses finally pulled the chariot back around and carried them back out of the City Circle. She glanced up at Hayden as they were finally able to step down from the chariot and relax. She raised her eyebrows as Hayden grinned at her, taking his hat off and putting it on her head.

"Well, that wasn't too hard was it?" He grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they waited for someone to lead them to their rooms. She sighed again as she leaned against him, wishing they could be home with their parents in District Eleven instead of here. Anywhere but here.