Hazel's POV-
Last night had been one of the hardest nights of my life. All I could think about was my poor mother and sister, Arabelle, who know I can't survive. They know I will die. I try to shake those thoughts out of my head and focus on the woman informing us on the rules of training. Her name is Candy, aka the most annoying airhead on the face of the earth. She has a stupid capitol accent that practically busts my ear drums and bright red hair that looks like blood rushing from her scalp. "Okay Tributes, let's get started!" she says clapping. "There are a few things you must know before we begin. First, do not attempt to injure, kill, or harm any tribute in any way. If you do, well, you will be removed from training and have no pre-game practice. Second, every station has an instructor that will teach you how to use that weapon or skill. Third you may also use this time to form allies. Ok, so that covers about everything. So, on the count of three, go pick a station. 1…2… 3!!!!!"
I run straight to the knife throwing station. 15 knifes are spread out on a piece of cloth. I choose one with a pale blue handle, a curved blade, and point so sharp you can feel it cut you without even touching it. I pick it up, clench it in my hand, aim it at the target, and throw it with extreme power. The knife hurtles through the air and into the middle of the target. The instructor claps her hands and smiles at me. "Is that your first time throwing knives?" She asks.
"Yeah, I guess I'm a natural." I shrug my shoulders.
"Well good for you!"
I smile and walk away before I draw any attention. I look around the room and someone catches my eye. It is the boy from district 10, Julian. I recognize him from reapings. He is huge and great with a spear. I stare as he hits the dummy's heart every time. I have to have him as an ally. I fix my hair and walk over to the archery station which is right next to where he is standing. I pick a bow and load it with an arrow. Back home in District 9, we are all hunters. I spent most of my childhood in the woods hunting with my bow and arrows. This will impress him for sure. I pull the string back aiming the arrow carefully before sending the arrow into the dummy's throat. I glance over at Julian and go back to archery. I aim the arrow at the dummy's heart and hit it perfectly. Julian is still ignoring me so I put the bow on the floor and walk over to him. "Hi, I'm Hazel." I say.
"I'm Julian."
"I couldn't help but notice how good you are with that spear."
"I'm no better with this than you are at archery." I say with a slight smile.
"We should be allies. Do you think? With my archery, your spear throwing, and teamwork we could be unstoppable."
"I like how you think."
I smile. "So can you show me how to throw that?"
He nods and motions for me to come closer. He puts the spear in my hand and lifts my arm up to eye level, wrapping his arms around my body. "Ok so now you just aim it," he says guiding my arm, "and release." I let go and it flies through the air into the dummy's stomach.
"Not bad," he says. "Now try it on your own." I repeat the steps and it lands in dummy's eye socket. I laugh. "That simple huh?"
He nods and answers, "Yeah, now you have to teach me how to shoot."
We walk over the archery station and we both grab a bow. I show him the proper way to hold the bow and how to load it. I walk behind him and raise the bow to eye level, mimicking him. He draws the string back and releases it. The arrow lands in the dummy's eye. He tries it again without my help and hits the dummy's heart. We smile at each other and a voice from an intercom says, "Attention Tributes: Please report to the cafeteria for lunch. Thank You!"
"So," Julian begins, "would you like to join me for lunch?"
"Are you asking me on a date?" I ask smiling.
"However you want to say it." He says, grinning.
"Well, I would be delighted." I answer laughing.
We walk side by side down the hallway into a large room filling with people. Tables sit along the walls with the district number that the food comes from above. Smaller circular tables are in the middle for seating arrangements. I walk over to the District 9 table and examine the food. I fill my plate with fresh deer meat, berries found in our forest, turkey, and rabbit stew. Then I walk to the District 1 table and add more delicacies such as rice crispy treats, cherry cheesecake, and hot chocolate. I look around for Julian and find him eating at a table in the corner. I walk over and sit in the chair across from him. He smiles and says, "You should try some of this." He hands me a strange fruit I have never seen before and smiles. I take a bite and I experience one of the most sensational tastes I have ever had. It is perfectly sour and just as sweet. The juice tastes like heaven. I suck on the fruit and smile at Julian. "So, I take it you have never had pineapple before?"
"Is that what it's called?"
He nods and flashes me a cheesy grin. I give him some fresh deer meat and he tastes it. He smiles as if it is the most wonderful thing in the world. I giggle and he laughs. We talk about our lives for an hour or so before returning to training. He explained to me that he has 3 younger brothers and a younger sister. One of his brothers died in the games last year at age 12. I comfort him the best I can by telling him about Arabelle. He smiles and says, "I like you, Hazel. You're one of the first people who I can relate to."
"Thanks. You're one of the only people I can relate to, too."
I smile and look around the room. There are only three people left: Julian, an avox, and myself. As I turn my head back around, he leans toward me and kisses me on the cheek. I kiss him back and we walk back to training, hand in hand. The next few days pass quickly. Julian and I train with every weapon available in addition to survival skills. Then it is finally here; the last day to train before the private sessions. Julian takes me to train with an ax. I throw it wickedly and it chops the head of the dummy clean off. I give Julian a turn and he splits the dummy in two. We laugh and high five. The next station we try is camouflage. I cover myself in mud and lie on the ground silently. I scare a few tributes as they walk by unsuspectingly. After I finish Julian and I take the escalator up to a floors and take a warm shower to get rid of the mud. I use lavender-scented shampoo to make my hair smell fresh and orange-scented body wash. I step out of the shower and slip on my training jumpsuit. I step outside into the hallway with my hair still wet. Julian is standing in the hallway holding flowers. "Where did you get those?" I ask.
"I stole them from the girl from my district's room. I thought you would like them."
"Are you kidding? I don't like them… I love them." I hug him and he kisses me. He walks me down to training. By the time, we return it is time for the private sessions. All the tributes sit in seats in front of a doorway which is the way to the training area. Julian and I sit on the back roll and talk as tributes are sent in. "What are you going to do?" I ask.
"Throw some spears, knives, and shoot an arrow like you taught me. What about you?"
"Same."
"Maybe we should act weak."
"I can't. Everyone knows people from nine have high training scores."
"Good point so let's stick with our original plan."
We hug and a voice from the doorway announces, "Hazel Lyons, District 9." I wave bye to Julian and walk into private training.
The training center is the same except for the game-makers in the corner behind a force shield. I nod my head in their direction and pick up a bow from the archery station. I load the arrow into it and shoot it into target's center on the first shot. "This is just too boring," I think. I look around the room and think. A small metal sign circulates an idea in my mind. I raise my bow and aim it to the sign. I release and it hurtles through the air onto the sign before bouncing off at full speed into a second sign followed by a mannequin's heart. I smile and peek over at my "judges" who are grinning and clapping. I put the bow down and trade it for a knife. I run across the room and throw knife. It must have travelled 150 feet across the room but it still landed in the target's center. I divide out the rest of my session time between spear throwing and running. After it ends I am sent out of the room and up to my room. I curl up in my bed, exhausted, and fall asleep.
"Hazel…Hazel," Tiger, the boy from my district, says shaking me awake.
"What?!" I yell.
"The scores are coming on in two minutes!" I jump out of my bed and run to our lobby. The television is already on and Ceasar is finishing up his introduction. I sit down on the floor and the scores appear on the black screen.