The next few days will pass like nothing I have ever seen. The most important days of the game go way too fast. We are sent down to the training center and lined up. A woman explains that we can spend as much time as we want or as little at any station. We could intermingle but we were not supposed to fight each other. I will have to avoid Amelia as much as possible.
The first station I go to is the edible plants. I get that down in no time so I move to knot tying. I'm decent at that, of course. I have to move along to making hooks, learning to climb trees, using a bow and arrow. I can do all these things. I walk over to the spear throwing station where Greisen is standing. He grins to me and throws the spear, hitting two dummies with it, fake blood spraying everywhere.
"Your turn, pretty boy." He nudges my shoulder and hands me a spear. I listen to the instructor as he tells me how to hold it, how to aim it, how to throw it straight, and how to put all my strength in it. I aim it and take a deep breath and threw it. I saw it hit but then Greisen was wrapping his arm around my shoulders, shaking me and yelling praises. I smile and turn red again. My hair is still sticking up. So it's in his face and falling in my face.
"What? What did I do?" I ask. He shakes me again and more start to gather around us. Beth walks up and runs her fingers through her hair and winks. I can't help the smile creeping onto my face as I look at the floor.
"You hit three of them through the heart and two in the head with one spear!" Greisen yells. His district partner, I learned her name was flower, inspects the damage.
"He did a pretty good job." She smiles, impressed. I just threw it the way I was told.
"He's been pretty good at everything this morning." The girl from district nine walks over, her long hair pulled back in a ponytail on her else walks to the next station, Greisen pulling me along by the shoulders. They continue to talk about me as we walk to the knife throwing station. We laugh and joke with eachother as I hit every dummy with my knifes. This is my favorite station so far. They continue on and separate and I continue to the sword fighting station and The girl from nine follows.
"I'm Mallorin." I say as we choose our weapons.
"I'm Virginia. Everyone calls me Gina." The rest of the evening we work together, listening to the instructors' and correcting each other. The little touches and smiles, I knew we would be allies.
That night I got six formal requests for allies. I accepted most of them, but on the condition that we all work together as long as we have warning when the alliance wears off. They all accept.
"Let's review the plan." Vincent smiled and tented his hands, "Mallorin is in alliance with Greisen, Lola, Chad and his sister, Virginia, Beth and Warren. Amelia is in alliance with Greisen and Beth. For the first eight kills, you need to stay together. Watch the others. They still might try to kill you without warning. For the first few nights try to get as much sleep as you can while with the others, because your alliance might not last through more than two days. Understand, you two?" He looks at each of us in turn.
"I understand." I nod. Amelia nods also. We are in alliance for the first eight kills.
The next two days go the same. Station to station until I get to the hammer throwing station, this was the best station ever. I take to hammers like a fish to water. I smash two heads flat out then throw it into another's head. I take the next one off my best and spin and smash the next one then turn again and stop my hammer just before Amelia's face.
"Better watch yourself. It's dangerous here." I smile and raise my eyebrows.
"Agh!" She stomps her foot and continues on, unable to comprehend how popular I was becoming despite my meltdown. They all think I am going to be useful. The last day comes and I prepare to go down to the training center but Vincent stops me.
"I didn't want to alarm you, but there is something else you have to do tonight." Vincent sighs.
"What do I have to do?" I ask.
"After lunch you will be called in, one district at a time, boy first, girl second, and then you have to show the game makers your best talent. Then they will rank you from one to twelve how likely you are to win. I didn't want you to be nervous. I know you have shown off in the training but in there I need you to do ten times better. Do you understand?" He puts his hands on my shoulders and my mouth goes dry. I am not going to freak out. I am prepared for this. I can do this.
After we go down and work with the others we head into the lunchroom and I sit with my "allies" and we joke until they start to call us. The chatter starts to dim down, fear eminating from all of us. Greisen gets called and as soon as he gets up, Amelia sits down in his place.
"Mallorin, I need to talk to you." She faces me and takes one of my hands in hers. I turn to her and rest my temple on my fist, my elbow on the table, grinning.
"Mhm?" I say. I know what she wants.
"I can't do this alone. I know this now. I need you." She skoots closer to me so that she is straddling my leg, "I need you, Wolf-face." She whispers. i grin and lean forward, my lips brushing against her cheek.
"Do you now?" I ask. She turns her head so that we are faceing eachother, our noses brushing. I can feel her breath on my lips.
"Yes, I need you. I'm scared." She whispers.
"I bet you are." I laugh as the district three girl is finally called.
"Mallorin, I try so hard to get on your good side! I need to win and you are going to help me one way or another! I need you!" She hisses. They call my name and I smile. I close the distance between us and kiss her venimously and pull back, smirking.
"That's my name." I wink and stand up, trying to walk more confidently then I feel. The game makers all stand up in a small room above me. there are theatre seats for them but they are ignored as they stand around the caterer.
"You may start." On of them calls to me. I nod and grab a pack of knives and start throwing them, hitting every target I aim for. I have to fish for a living. None moving targets are easy. Next I pick up a long knife, black and curved, about as big as my arm. I run into a bunch of dummies that simulate a fray between four other competitiors. I drop under their crossing blades, spinning on my toes as I take out their knees. I stand and cut the third's throat and spin around the stab the fourth in the back. To set up my finale I grab a hammer, climb a net up into the fake tree and jump down from about fifteen feet, roll over my shoulder, stand up, and hit the dummies chin, knocking its head across the room. I stop and turn to them, breathing heavy. The hammer shakes in my hand, but I don't drop it.
"You may go, Mr. Mallorin." The same one dismisses me. I bow my head and drop the hammer right there and leave. Once Ii go up the elevator I drop onto the couch and sigh.
"So, how did you do?" Vincent asks me.
"Well, The dummy didn't kill me. That's a plus." I huff. Vincent laughs and plops down next to me, turning the television on and watching the news. It's mostly about us. I'm surprised at how much the capitol actually likes me.
"Don't count yourself out just yet. By the way, how opposed are you to your hair being dyed?" He asks.
"Not very. I don't care what they do to my hair." I shrug.
"You know you look like him." Vincent nods like he just proved a point.
"I look like who?" I turn to him.
"You'r father. you'll look more like him during the games, if Ari has her way." He smiles and continues to watch the tv.
I am really bad at ending so here it is. End of this chapter.
Any ways!
Thank you to editinggenious and Dreamer's Avenue for their reviews! keep them coming! ;)
