Rue POV
"Today is your first day of training," Our ridiculous escort, Liavanne, tells me and Thresh at breakfast. "Finish up, because it starts in 20 minutes and we still have to show up early!" Her shrill Capitol accent must be the most annoying thing I've ever heard, but Chaff says that Liavanne's is heavenly compared with other escorts.
Soon we're in the elevator. As it clicks open, Thresh murmurs, "Good luck," then noticeably drifts toward the other side of the Training Center. I tune in to Atala, the head trainer, saying stuff about poison in the arena. As soon as the last pair of tributes arrive (District 12) Atala says we can start training. I head over to the edible plants test, and start with easy. After all, there is more than likely going to be some plants I don't recognize in the arena, wherever that is.
And it is easy. Carrots, plums, juneberries. Stuff you should know even if you aren't from District 11. It takes 59 seconds for me to ace the test. I can't keep going over and over, though. So I get back in line. Thankfully, there is only one other girl in line. Katniss, the district 12 tribute.
I remember 12's reaping. It was a bit unusual for such an unnoticed district. First the weird Capitol lady that represents their district called a 12-year-old girl as the first tribute. That's when Katniss started screaming, "Prim! Prim!" and struggling against peacekeepers. Then Katniss called out, "I volunteer!" and some guy ushered Prim off the stage. Then Peeta was called and nothing else exciting really happened.
She steps up to the test. She selects Hard Mode and starts the timer. She finishes in 47 seconds. That's faster than me! Where did she learn to do that in 12 of all places?! I decide that starting after lunch, I'm gonna follow this strange yet brave girl around. Maybe it will help me figure it out.
Lunch comes quickly. I spent most of my morning in the climbing and obstacle course stations. I sit with Thresh at the table next to District 7. I can hear District 12's laughs all through lunch. How can they laugh when more than likely they will both be dead within a week?
Soon, we all file back into the training center. Katniss and her district partner, Peeta, take a place at the camouflage station. Katniss tries to blend into a forest and fails miserably, I mentally note that camouflage isn't her strong point. Peeta, on the other hand, excels at blending in to his surroundings. He uses some mud and dirt to transform his arm into the trunk of a tree.
"I used to decorate the cakes in the bakery," Peeta confesses to his district partner. I see recognition flash across her eyes for a split second but it's gone so fast I'm not sure it was even there in the first place. "I just wish that I could frost everyone to death," he says, shrugging. After Katniss gives him a skeptical look, he says quickly, "What? The arena could be a giant cake," The arena definitely was not going to be a giant cake. I couldn't help but silently snigger at that.
I keep following them subtly, moving to stations near the ones they're working at. I do learn a lot from the knife and slingshot stations, though.
The next day is when they discover me.
What? I couldn't help it. Katniss and Peeta are intriguing. They are smiling one minute, scowling the next. She's hard to figure out. I was deciding whether or not to approach her to ask about allies. I was hiding behind a pillar, catching my breath. I stand back up, and peek my head out from behind the pillar. Katniss and Peeta are practicing spears. They aren't half-bad, but Katniss is a little bit better than Peeta at them.
Peeta must have noticed me finally because he mentions to Katniss, "Look like you have a shadow," while motioning towards my spot. Katniss looks over and sees me. I thought she would give me what I've come to call her signature scowl. Instead she just smiles.
That's when I remember that she has a little sister at home, my age. Primrose was her name. She was the one Katniss volunteered for. I wonder what it would be like if I had an older sister-would I still be here, or back home? Most likely still here. To most people, family doesn't go as far as volunteering to save someone from promised slaughter. If I actually did have an older sister, she would just be another person crying over my obviously fast-approaching death.
I slowly move back behind my pillar. Well, now that they have discovered my little spy mission, I might as well actually train. I go to the fire-starting station. I can make a decent fire, but I need lots of matches, because I sometimes can't start a match or it fizzles out before the fire gets big. I spend at least 2 hours learning how to start fires with matches, cloth, flint, leaves, damp sticks, and pine needles.
I think I know what I'm going to do about Katniss now. I want her as an ally. After all, I am her shadow. And I want to keep it that way.