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1st Day of Training Part I
I let the cool water run down my face and body and just focused on gathering myself together. Images of my sister's desperate, screaming face as she got dragged out of her and Haymitch's house persisted in clinging to me even though it had been ten minutes since I'd woken up from my nightmare. As usual in the Capital, I have to scrape off the heavy foam they call soap with a hard bristled brush that scratches against my skin uncomfortably. I had grown accustomed to the showers here until I was shipped off to 10 where I grew accustomed to their showers. Honestly, I liked 10 better; you didn't smell sickly sweet like a flower afterwards.
I stepped out of the shower and put on a robe, wrapping my hair up with a towel before moisturizing myself with the various lotions the Capital had to offer. I glanced at my bed where the outfit my prep team had picked out for me was neatly laid out. I slipped on the tight, black pants that were surprisingly comfortable. Next I put on the form fitting, long sleeve, white tunic that was also fairly comfortable as where the leather shoes that I slipped on as I unwound the towel from my hair. My hair was still a bit damp, but I managed sweep it into a ponytail regardless before heading down to breakfast.
There were plates upon plates of food all lined up in the Dining Hall, and no one except Whip was eating. I took some eggs and bacon and sat down across from him. He just glanced at me briefly before going back to quietly eating his toast and jam. I was halfway through my meal when Axel came into the room wearing a white jacket and loose black pants. He just stared at the food in delight.
"You can go get some you know." He glanced at me and then snapped his mouth shut in something close to embarrassment. "Or you could just stand there some more," I grinned at him as he piled his plate high and then sat down next to me and across from Whip.
"So," Whip finally started after a couple minutes of silence. "What are your specialties?" He asked the question to both of us, but he never took his eyes off of me. A pang went through my stomach as the message was received, Whip knew that if he would have a victor it was me. Axel had no chance.
"I'm good with knives," I broke the uncomfortable pause that had begun to stretch out into an awkward silence. "and a bow and arrow. Or an axe. Anything really."
"That's good," Whip nodded.
"What about you?" I questioned turning to Axel before Whip could continue. I ignored the sharp look Whip threw at me, choosing to keep my attention on Axel, who shrugged uncomfortably.
"I can't do much. I can use a whip. Anyone from 10 can." He mumbled quietly. "You have a choice to train separately or together. Which do you prefer?" Whip questioned, fixing me with a steady look that oozed 'don't be stupid'.
"Together," I stated firmly at the same time Axel declared "separately," I glanced at him in surprise before glaring at Whip. "Axel-" I started, but was cut off.
"I don't want to slow you down." Axel snapped at me, efficiently shutting me up. "I have no chance of winning. I already said good bye, but you… you have a chance. The Capital loves you! You have a chance to win, and I'm not going to slow you down."
"No. Whip is only one person, so if we decide to train separately it will cut both of our training time in half, which means both of us are hurt." I reasoned, glancing back and forth between the two.
"Celeste-" Whip started.
"No," I cut him off. "Either we train together or I don't train at all," I stated, standing up and walking out of the room and towards the elevator, hearing Whip swearing in the other room. I had just pressed the button when I heard Axel come up beside me and cross his arms over his chest. I could feel his gaze burning into the side of my head, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of turning my head to look at him.
"I'm not a charity case," He finally spoke as we stepped inside the elevator and he pressed the button.
"Never said you were," I responded calmly.
"Just because I have a bad leg. I mean, I don't want you to think that just because I have a bad leg…"
"Look, when we these doors open, we are going to see 22 other tributes that we don't know. All of those tributes have District partners that they are loyal to. If we aren't loyal to each other, that puts us at a disadvantage. And, trust me, when you're in the Games, any disadvantage might mean death." I glanced at him to see him looking a little ashen. "Besides, you just have such a shining personality," He glanced at me before grinning.
"Yeah, I'm sure I'll win the capital over with my charms." I grinned as the doors dinged open to reveal a huge gymnasium filled with every weapon under the sun and training obstacle courses and survival stations.
"Welcome to Hunger Games 101," I threw Axel one more grin before we stepped out of the elevator and quickly two people pin the number 10 to our backs. We were ushered into the tense circle of tributes, all assessing each other with cold faces. The only people that are missing are the tributes from 12, and they are just stepping out of the elevator. They are dressed alike which sends a pang of sympathy running up my spine.
"Alright! Listen up!" A tall, athletic woman names Atala steps up on a sort of wooden platform. We all turn our attention to her. "In a moment you will be set free to go to whatever station you like. There are experts of each skill already at their station; they will not leave. Some stations specialize in weaponry, some in survival skills; in the fighting stations, you are absolutely forbidden to engage in any practice with fellow tributes." I zone her out and, instead, choose to assess my fellow tributes since I didn't get a very good opportunity to do that due to my late entrance. Most of the tributes are bigger than me and the tributes from 1,2, and 4, both male and female look lethal. The boy from 2, Cato I think, was assessing me as well and I just raised an eyebrow at him to which he responded with a smirk that caused a twinge of annoyance. I turned my attention to the boy beside him, the spear thrower from 1, I didn't know his name. "Go!" I almost jump out of my skin at the word and turn to see most of the tributes have already scattered. I jogged away from the Careers, who were all at the obvious weapon stations.
I settle at the empty snare station. After five minutes of careful instructions and failed snares I'm ready to give up, The instructor, Hera, had given up on me and moved on to help someone else. I looked around to see the two tributes from 12 in the knot station next to me. 12 was surrounded by forest. They could probably help. Plus, I wanted to have the girl as a tribute anyways. She was smallish and clearly malnourished, but something in the way she volunteered showed me that she had courage and loyalty.
"Hey," I leave my station to crouch by the two tributes, the girl jumps in surprise and turns to fix me with a hostile glare. "I saw how you volunteered for your sister; that was brave." I continued, ignoring her glares, which softened at the mention of her sister. "I'm Celeste, by the way, and I was wondering if you would teach me how to make a snare. I'd teach you how to tie a knot." I pointed to where she was struggling with the simple triple knot. Finnick had taught me almost every single knot imaginable when I'd visited 4 two years after he'd won.
"Katniss-" The boy started in a warning tone.
"No," The girl, Katniss responded.
"But Haymitch-"
"Haymitch isn't here, is he Peeta?" Peeta looked hesitant, and Katniss turned back to me. "Thanks, but we've got it," I stifled a grin.
"Oh, ok, well, you put the string through the wrong loop." I spoke quietly, undoing the last knot she'd tied and showing her where the loop was before turning around and starting to walk away. I bit my lip to hide a grin as I heard Katniss's defeated sigh.
"Wait, alright," She glared at Peeta, who grinned at me as I crouched back down beside them. An hour later, all three of us could make a simple snare that would leave an enemy tribute hanging, helpless by their leg from a tree. We had made small talk during the hour, and I learned a lot about Peeta, but Katniss was harder to converse with.
"So, what about you, any siblings?" Peeta asked as we moved on to the camouflage station. I winced and immediately he was apologizing. "I'm sorry, of course, I know." It was still well known, even among the children.
"It's alright," I told him and noticed Katniss had turned her full attention to me as well in interest. "There's not much to tell about her. She was my only sister. My mother had her young, when she was about seventeen. So I wasn't alive when she won her Games." I shrugged indifferently. I had grown indifferent over the past ten years. At least, I like to think I had. "What about your sister, Katniss?" She shrugged, but her eyes lit up and a small smile tugged at her lips.
"Prim is only twelve, and she's too young. She didn't deserve to get reaped. She didn't deserve to die." Katniss's blunt statement caused there to be a small silence.
"I know what you mean." I said with a note of seriousness to my voice. I glanced across the gym to see Axel at the spear station. "We are all too young," I hadn't realized I was going to say the words until they were already out of my mouth. Katniss gave a small noise of disdain in the back of her throat.
"How did you get reaped anyway? I thought you spent all your time in the Capital," Katniss asked and again her bluntness earned her points in my book. I frowned at my hand as I looked at the mud and clay smeared all over it in a sloppy attempt at camouflage.
"I was sent to 10 two months before the reaping by His Majesty Snow," I let a note of bitter anger seep into my voice when I said Snow's title sarcastically. I noticed both Peeta and Katniss tense at my mocking tone. "Don't bother. What are they going to do to you? Kill you?" Katniss grinned widely at that and, reluctantly, so did Peeta. "Anyway, my name was on every one of those slips of paper. I was getting reaped no matter what. How did you do that?" I suddenly exclaimed softly as I caught sight of Peeta's camouflaged arm. "That's brilliant," The trainer came over and looked at his arm and began praising him excessively.
"How did you do that?" Katniss added with a reluctantly impressed look. My gaze temporarily slid past her to watch 2 send a spear through the dummy's heart from a full fifteen yards away. Jesus.
"I do the cakes," Peeta told us softly, embarrassedly, and snapping back my attention.
"The cakes?" Katniss questioned, for she had also been watching 2. "What cakes?"
"At home. The iced ones, for the bakery." I nodded as Katniss seemed to have a deeper understanding of what he meant. I couldn't help glancing back to 2, who had now taken two steps back and sent the spear through the dummy's throat. I suppressed a shudder as I imagined a spear at that speed go through my throat. "It's lovely." Katniss was saying in an annoyed manner. "If only you could frost someone to death," I opened my mouth to come to Peeta's defense, but he beat me to it.
"Don't be so superior. You can never tell what you'll find in the arena. Say it's actually a gigantic cake-" I bit my lip to hold in a laugh, but it came out as a small snicker.
"Say we move on," Katniss interrupted shortly, standing up and giving me a glare that was all to well understood. "You should go,"
"Katniss…" Peeta glanced from me to her, hesitating, but looking like he wanted to come to my aid.
"It's fine," I stood up as well, "Good luck," I threw a wave over my shoulder as I walked away. I give a brief glance up at the panel of Gamemakers, who sit up there, jotting down notes or eating, and see at least two of them looking directly back at me. I turn away and move to the spear throwing station. I was never much good with spears, but it won't hurt to try.
Just as I pick up the spear I hear a deep laugh coming from just to my left, and, instinctually, I lift my head to track the noise with my eyes. 2 is standing there with his arms folded over his ridiculously muscular chest; he is standing with the other Careers from what I can tell. He has that arrogant smirk on his face as does most of the others with him. He is standing next to the girl from 1 and next to her stands her district partner. On his other side is the smaller, black haired, younger looking girl from his district. Somehow, I can't seem to tear my eyes from his blue ones long enough to study the other tributes.
"Hey!" My attention was snapped back to the trainer who had apparently been trying to get my attention. I heard more laughter from the Career pack; this time, a highly flirtatious giggle made my blood boil. "You want to put your weight into it. And you may want to get a little closer." I ignored him as I backed up two steps and hefted the spear above my shoulder. I took one step towards the dummy then a half skip and threw with all my might, like my father taught me. The spear embedded itself on the outer ring of the target, meaning it would've hit the lower stomach. I heard more laughter from the Career pack and turned a glare on them, which just made them smirk at me. Once again I met the eyes of 2. I turned away in annoyance. Damn it, why did he have to be so ridiculously good looking? I did not just think that. I frowned and picked up another spear. My anger turning into determination as I balanced the spear, calculating it's weight before throwing it again. I hit the bullseye on the target that was eight yards away. I glowered at the target before picking up another spear without glancing back at the Careers.
"You should try twisting your hips," I nearly jumped at the voice. I glanced to the side in surprise to find no other than 2 standing there smirking; I glared.
"You try twisting your hips," I snapped, turning back to the dummy.
"I do. That's why I can hit the bullseye." He retorted with that same lazy smirk.
"Hey, this is my training station. Go find your own." I knew that was childish but at the moment I didn't care.
"Well, if you're going to be joining the Careers, you should at least know how to throw a spear," I glanced at him sharply.
"Who says I'm joining the Careers?" I questioned, raising my eyebrow.
"I did," The threat in his offer was almost tangible. "And if you know what's good for you, so are you." I really didn't do well with threats.
"Well, I guess I don't know what's good for me, then, because I'm not joining the Careers." I met his glare with my own, refusing to back down regardless of the five inch height difference. "You're blocking my way," I told him, glowering and shoving the spear into his hand as I passed him. Well, that didn't go well. I efficiently pissed off the deadliest killer in the entire gym and his pack of bloodthirsty animals. I could feel his eyes burning holes in my back as I walked over to the edible berries station. I had barely started when they called lunch break.
We were all ushered into a giant Mess Hall and given a plate that we could fill with any of the foods displayed. I chose a salad and some other vegetables, choosing to eat light for the second part of the day, which would probably be more weaponry. I sat down next to Axel, who jumps a bit and glances at the loud table that's filled with Careers.
"Don't let them bother you; they're just a bunch of snobbish, arrogant kids." I spoke quietly to him, grinning as I took a bite of the salad and focused on not spitting it back out. God that was awful.
"Yeah, I guess." He glanced at me cautiously.
"So, I was thinking maybe we should walk around together for the second part of the day," He shrugged at my suggestion.
"The trainer said we are doing the ropes after lunch," My heart jumped, and I spared a quick glance back at the Career table. I was good at the ropes. Axel has a bad foot.
"Can you-"
"Climb with my foot?" Axel interrupted me in annoyance. "I can sure as Hell try." A feeling of pride bloomed in my chest as he said that with cold determination.
"Good. Make any friends?" He gave me an incredulous look.
"I don't need friends," I cuffed him over the head, and he looked at me in surprise. "What was that for?"
"Of course you need friends; you can't just have me in the arena," He looked at me in a happy surprise then, as if I'd told him his mother was going to live.
"Rue," I was confused for a moment as he said that word. "Rue, the girl from 11. She's only twelve, but you should see her climb. And she knows all the berries." I nodded in a sort of sad acknowledgment. She's too young. Katniss's words floated back to me. "Scarlet, she's the district 7 tribute. She's fourteen too, but she's really good at making a fire and other survival stuff like that." I nodded, digesting this.
"Katniss and Peeta from 12. He's gentle. Too gentle, but Haymitch told them to hide their abilities until the Gamemaker's individual assessments, so I don't know much, but Katniss is much more guarded." The rest of lunch passed with the occasional small talk. It was difficult to find things to discuss because family was too painful and the reality was unbearable. My anger was making me numb to the reality and all my family was here with me, so it was much easier for me to cope.
When we reentered the gymnasium there was a rope obstacle course in the middle of the room, and we were ushered to it and told to stand in a line by district. 1s went first, both getting okay times. The female 2 did better than the male, but that could be attributed to her size. More and more went until it was my turn. I stood in front of the rope net and breathed in and out calmly, waiting for Atala to give the mark.
"Go," I leapt onto the ropes and cleared the first part easily, faster than the others, I think. Next was the top part and then down on the other side. I carefully balanced my weight in between my left foot and hand and my right foot and hand while I crossed the top, all to knowing that the ground was fifteen feet below me, and even with the padded mattress, falling would hurt. Then I was down on the other side and done. There was silence. I looked at the trainer at the end. He cleared his throat and gave my time. I was first so far. All those climbing trees in 12 while I visited with Haymitch and Melody helped.
I glanced back just in time to see 2 glaring at the boy from 1 who was giving an impressed shrug and saying something that I was too far away to hear. I sighed, swallowing nervously as the reality finally set in. I was going to have to kill these people. I was going to have to kill these kids. I glanced back at Cato, and for the first time actually took him in. He was tallish around six foot and very good looking. His blonde hair was tousled as if he hadn't brushed it this morning, and his baby blue eyes were…staring right at me. I looked away quickly, ignoring the small fluttering feeling I got in the pit of my stomach. I didn't have to look at him to know he was smirking. I could not do this. Not now of all times. I could not afford to do this. I could not afford to fall for him.
