The Cardinal and the Jay

I wake up and look at my clock. It's 8:00 AM. I get out of bed and head over to my mirror. My bare feet step on something on the way over. My hairbrush. I pick it up and go over to my mirror. Just what I needed. I brush my hair and pull it back into a ponytail, which I rarely do. My wavy hair still goes down to my back when it's up in a ponytail. I go over to my closet and pick out my clothes for today. A somewhat frilly green shirt and a jean skirt. I smile and twirl around once, looking in the mirror. I walk over to my make-up desk which is under the mirror. I love being one of the richer families in District 12. I open up the top drawer of the desk which has most of my eye makup and lipstick. I pull out a container. It's not real eye makeup but it's a small container with coal dust in it. My mom hates me wearing it because it's not real makeup and it gets in my eyes but I don't care. She's off working as a merchant at the moment. I take some of the coal dust on my finger and close my right eye, smoothing on the coal dust with my finger. I do the same with my left.It's like a black shadow to my eyes. I smile and grab my bronze lipstick out of my drawer, putting it on. I stand up and go downstairs.

I eat some breakfast and head outside. I can feel the cool wind on my face and the song of the Mockingjays. It's where I got my name from. Jay. Like the Mockingjays. My sister's name is Cardinal. We're both named after birds. I love my name. I smile, loving the breeze, my shirt rippling in the wind. I walk down the street towards the market area and I see coal miners walking down the street towards the mine. I snicker slightly under my breath.