[THGRP 7] Briar’s Parade

Instructions

Briar took a deep breath, “How do I look?” she asked her stylists. Honestly, she didn't have to ask. They got her fur-trimmed, sharpening her features. She never looked more beautiful, with her fur groomed neatly. She mouthed the word thank you and walked confidently out the door. Once she was out and alone, she sighed, waiting for the sun to go down. This was her only moment to gain sponsors, and she couldn't let herself down. Then the parade began. She watched the sun going down, waiting for her turn. It was such a beautiful sight- and she knew that she had to outshine the sun. Every tribute stepped into the boat when the sun began to set and began sailing. She was the last, and she had some time to regain some confidence - exactly what she needed. When her time came, she put on her best-winning smile. She held up a flag for everyone to see. She then tied the wire to the flag part to shape it like a basket. Perfect. Then she tied the long string at the top of the flag pole. The crowd was probably wondering what she was doing but she didn't mind. Showtime! She put her pom-poms inside and flung them high as she could into the air. She whipped her string using the pole and it wrapped itself into one of the sails. She pulled herself up and did a backflip and landed lightly on the top of the boat. She smiled at the crowd, smirking slightly, then caught the pom-poms in her paws. The roar of the crowd was deafening, and she knew she had succeeded. She juggled the pom-poms for good measure and enjoyed the admiration from the crowd. She jumped from the top of the boat, flipping expertly, and landed back in the boat. As she landed, the remaining pom-poms on the bottom of the boat cushioned her fall, and the confetti flew around - she had filled those pom-poms with confetti earlier. She stood up straight now, waving to the crowd, with the confetti surrounding her. Just before the boat turned the corner, she looked back to the crowd and shouted, “Thank you for watching! Go district twelve!!” She kept waving and smiling until she was sure that she was out of sight. Then she slumped - the performance drained all the energy. She was glad it was over, she couldn't wait until she was back in her room, where she can rest without everyone watching every move she made.