Chapter Seven.
The next day I spend attempting to follow Haymitch's advice. I watch, I observe, and I try to learn more about the people who would soon be hunting me. I can immediately tell the Careers from the others. They move in a pack, crowding each station and egging each other on. There's a girl who is good with a bow and arrow. Not as good as Katniss, but good enough to receive a few impressive glances from the others. Another girl can throw a knife with a terrifying accuracy. A big, blonde boy steers them all, cracks jokes about the other tributes, walks around as if he's been training for this his entire life. But, I remind myself, he has been. The Careers don't so much as glance my way.
The other tributes seem to have been told the same as us. Nobody is making enemies, and nobody is making friends. A redheaded girl sits quietly in the corner, watching. She looks my way occasionally, her eyes a piercing blue, and she cocks her head as if she's reading my mind. The two tributes from District 11 stay together, but don't speak very much. The boy, Thresh, is strong. At one point, the Career pack approaches him. I don't hear the conversation, but I imagine that they're trying to recruit him. He turns them down. He doesn't seem to be worried about making enemies. Occasionally, he looks my way, and once I caught him smiling, though whether at me or at some memory, I couldn't tell. He's tall and built, exactly the kind of person I would want to form an alliance with. No Prim, nobody will want you for an ally. Besides, Peeta will look after you. Although, Peeta has been mysteriously quiet towards me. He seems to be focused on his own safety. I try not to be too resentful. Of course, he's a strong contender. He's probably hoping to win. If anyone should win, it should be Peeta.
At lunch, I am approached by the girl from 11. She sits quietly down on the bench opposite me and says nothing. We eat in silence, and then:
"How old are you?"
I look up and realise she's been watching me all this time.
"Twelve."
She nods and returns to her food. I watch her for a while, she notices but doesn't care. Here, somehow, being watched is a given. Don't kid yourself, Prim, you've been watched your entire life.
"Who was she? The girl you volunteered for?"
"Her name was Rue."
I remember that. I remember wondering if the same fear on her face was on mine the day my name was called.
"Why did you-" I trail off. Silence. She finishes her meal and places her cutlery down on the table.
"Why did I take her place?" She finishes for me. "Twelve is too young. Twelve never wins."
I nod slowly. I ought to feel scared, disappointed, but I don't.
"Twelve may be too young," I look her in the eye, "but twelve will fight as hard and run twice as fast."
She laughs, so loudly that some of the other tributes turn to look at us. I feel embarrassed, but when she finally looks at me again, there is a smile in her eyes, a warm crinkle that reminds me of my mother.
"My name is Keena."
I don't know what I did to gain her trust, but I return her smile.
"Primrose Everdeen. Prim."
That evening, I feel my confidence returning to me. I come to dinner refreshed and in high spirits.
"What's gotten into you today?" Peeta confronts me. I feel a surge of anger. So now he'll speak to me.
I turn to the table and clear my throat. Haymitch, Effie, Cinna and Portia stop talking at once.
"I've decided I would like to make an alliance."
"That's wonderful!" Effie exclaims.
"No." Haymitch scowls at me, "You're not to make alliances. Not where the others can see. Your only partners are each other, you understand?"
"Great partner Peeta's been" I mutter. Apparantly not quietly enough.
"Peeta has being doing as he has been told. He's been training and keeping himself quiet, which is more than you can say. Watching people, making them suspicious, talking to them. You think these people aren't going to try to kill you when you go out there?"
"I-"
Haymitch fixes me with a sarcastic glare.
"You think that you'll remind you of their sisters, of their friends. You think they wouldn't dare kill a twelve year old. Well here's news for you sweetheart: every year, the youngest are the first to go. So you better get a new head on you and I suggest you start tomorrow, because this is the last chance you'll get to learn to turn your daisy chains into knives."
I turn away from him and leave, not wanting him to see the tears stinging my eyes. Behind me I hear Effie scolding Haymitch, and his bitter reply.
"You want the girl to live Effie, you will let me do this my way, and will you damn well trust me."
Peeta finds me on the roof and perches next to me.
"He only said it to toughen you up."
"What do you care? Seems you're not so keen to team up with me now that you've seen the others."
"No. I was told not to be seen too much with you. Careers pick on other alliances, take them out before they become too strong. We don't want them targeting us."
That isn't the answer I was expecting.
"Why do you want to help me? You don't owe me anything."
"I think people underestimate you. Haymitch does, Effie does, everyone does. You shouldn't be babied. You're tough, I know it."
"You're wrong."
"No, I've seen what your sister can do, I-"
"I'm not Katniss!" I shout, "I'm not Katniss! I'm not my sister, and I wish people would stop saying that because we are nothing alike! I can't do the things she can, I can't stand up for myself, I can't fight people, I can't kill. I'm not my sister! I just- I just want to go home, Peeta, I want to go home and I don't care what they do to me, or to my family, or to the entire District. I can't go through this alone, I just can't."
"You won't. Please Prim, stop saying this. Okay. Just stop. You need to train, you need to eat and get strong and not let them see you like this." I sniff. "Look at me, Prim." He cups my chin and I look at him. "I don't want to hear one more negative word. You think I'm not scared? I'm terrified. But you cannot, cannot, give up during training. Now tell me honestly, what are your strengths?"
I wipe the tears from my eyes and take a deep breath. Peeta is right, of course. I've embarrassed myself. Everdeens are fighters, and it's time I showed it.
"Well, I'm good with plants. An-and, I helped my mother with patients all the time, I can heal people. But I'd be hopeless against a knife."
"Tons of tributes die from natural causes, not weapons. Concentrate on that. As for fighting, can you run?"
"I won the sprint five years in a row at school."
He smiles and chucks me under the chin.
"That's more like it. As for tomorrow, why don't you try your hand at some archery. Not whilst the Careers are around the station, mind. Learn to make some snares and use a knife. If we have time, you and I can sit down and you can teach me more about plants and healing."
"I thought we weren't meant to be seen as an alliance."
He winks at me.
"Nothing wrong with putting Haymitch in his place every once in a while. Now let's go to bed, you look as tired as I feel."
He gives me a one-armed squeeze, and that night I dream that I run all the way from the arena to District 12, where my sister holds me tight and my mother is smiling again.
