Hello, again. Sorry this took so long and I honestly don't know why it took so long either. Anyway, here is the training chapter. Also, thanks for 100 reviews.
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Training Day 1: District 5 Knox Overstreet's POV
"So, what are you going to try?" Nan asks in a quiet voice. We are in the elevator rocketing down towards the training area. I wasn't nervous, but I already feel intimidating by all the Careers and we aren't even down there yet.
"Huh?" I ask. I turn my attention to Nan who also looks a little nervous.
"I said what are you going to try?" she asks again.
"Whatever is there," I say with a shrug. "We'll probably just end up at the survival stations anyway."
"What's wrong with that?" Nan asks.
"Nothing," I say with another shrug. Nothing if you want to be unable to fight an enemy. I don't say that of course. That will only freak her out.
"Anyway, we have a whole team to help us," Nan says with a smile.
"Great," I say flatly. I don't tell her I don't trust any of them, especially not the girl from 1. That would freak her out too.
The ding of the elevator arriving saves me from saying any more. I quickly make my way out of the elevator, Nan at my heel. Most of the other tributes have already arrived and our standing in a circle around Atala, the lady in charge of training.
"Well, let's get started," Atala says enthusiastically. She begins to go into a long speech over what station is for what. The only real thing we need to know is not to kill the other tributes. This rule is more directed at the ones from the Career districts. I wonder if anyone has really died in Training.
"So, where do you want to go," Nan asks impatiently, adding foot tapping for effect. The other tributes are already wandering over to stations, Career tributes to the weapons stations and lower Districts to survival stations.
"I don't know…" I trail off when I look over at the swordplay station. It is vacant except for one girl, the girl from 2. "Actually, I want to try swordplay."
"Really?" Nan asks skeptically. She glances over at the station and begins to look even more skeptical. "With her there?"
"I need to learn about some weapons," I say to her, ignoring the look she is giving me.
"Okay, but I am not joining you," Nan tells me. She looks around and ends up wandering aimlessly towards the edible plants section.
I wave a quick good-bye before heading over to the swordplay station. The girl from 2 is swinging around a sword, probably deciding whether she wants to fight with it or not.
"Hi," I say with a smile, approaching her. My appearance does not faze her and she continues to swing the sword like I am not here. "Nice sword."
She finally looks up, giving the look Nan had given me before when I said I wanted to go to swordplay. She already thinks I'm an idiot. "This sword sucks and you suck for thinking it's nice." She replaces the sword on the rack and takes another, more deadly looking one. "Actually no, you just suck in general."
I watch her swing the new sword with ease, ignoring me again. "Well, we don't get to train much in District 5."
"Yes, because I didn't know that," she scoffs. "Your that Knox kid right?"
"Nice to see you remembered. And your name is?" I ask, picking up my own sword. I almost drop it at the weight of the thing, but I manage to cover myself. I grasp the sword's grip and go to stand next to the girl again.
"Livia," the girl says with an eye roll. She motions for one of the instructors to fight with her and I do so as well.
"So, I'm guessing this is your weapon," I comment when Livia easily disarms her opponent when they first begin.
"And I'm guessing you never laid hands on a sword before," she comments dryly when my instructor disarms me as easily as she had disarmed hers.
"I can learn," I say with a shrug. She just shakes her head while laughing and goes back to her partner.
"You need more focus," my instructor tells me. I nod in understanding. I swing my sword again and manage to clash with his sword.
"Wow, good job, you just learned how to swing the sword," Livia says with a fake clap after she disarmed her instructor yet again.
"I'm still learning," I say with a laugh. I block off my instructors jab and go in for one of my own. "You know what I have noticed about you?"
"Oh, this should be good," Livia says with a chuckle. I hear the clang of metal behind me, followed by the sound of a sword banging to the ground.
"You're a real bitch."
"Excuse me?" Livia half screeches at me. Another loud clang can be heard from behind me. I clang my own sword against my instructor's sword before twisting, disarming him for the first time.
"Impressive for a first timer," my instructor says and goes to retrieve his sword.
"How do you expect to make friends?" I ask to Livia's face this time. She too had disarmed her opponent yet again.
"I can be very charming," she sneers. She turns her back to me, charging at the instructor.
"Yes, that was very charming," I comment before turning to face my own instructor. He comments on my form, but I am hardly listening. I am waiting for Livia's response.
"I can make friends with anybody," she snaps at me, swinging her sword wildly.
"Well, you really seemed to make friends with 1," I speculate. My sword clashes with my instructor countless times while I await Livia's answer.
"So you were eavesdropping?" Livia scoffs. The sound of violent clanging echoes around the whole training center. I make sure to note Livia has a temper.
"My chariot was right next to 4's. It is not eavesdropping if you can here every word without leaning in," I tell her. I manage to disarm my opponent again. Looks like I might be able to handle weapons after all. My instructor gives me words of praise again, but I try to block it out to hear Livia.
"Well…" Livia seems to be at a loss of words. She covers it up with a couple of lunges at her opponent. When she disarms her, she turns back to me. "At least I won't die in the bloodbath."
"With your attitude you might," I contradict.
"I can convince everyone here that I am as sweet as my stupid mentor," she snarls, glaring at me.
"And I can survive long past the bloodbath," I tell her. "And if you're going to be sweet you might want to work on your compliments and the looks you give people."
"And if you are going to survive past the bloodbath, you might want to work on everything," she sneers. We both turn back to our opponents, Livia fuming and me smirking. Two loud, metal clangs sound at the same time.
"I bet I can survive longer than you can keep up the sweet act," I tell her. My instructor comes at me hard, so hard I am thrown back slightly. I bump backs with Livia, who was, to my surprise, also blown back. Looks like her instructor might be some match to her.
"Oh, you are on," she hisses in my ear. I hear her take in along breath before lunging back at her opponent. I do the same.
I manage to disarm my opponent before Livia, who is blown back again. While she recovers, I walk up behind her. "You know, you don't have to start being sweet now. Your swordplay is really starting to suck," I whisper in her ear.
"That is it!" Livia exclaims. I barely have time to make out what she is doing, she whips around so fast. But I just barely am able to bring up my sword.
The loudest clang yet sounds as are swords touch. I swear I could see sparks flying off. However, neither of us is blown back. In fact, our faces are only inches apart.
"Hey," someone yells at us. All eyes in the Training room are on us, even the Gamemakers, who by the looks of it just showed up. We had just broken the one major rule, no tributes can engage in fights. Yet, I can't suppress my smile and even Livia seems to be having trouble.
It is only a coincidence the lunch bell rang just then. All the tributes abandoned their stations to head to lunch, but they all took a few glances back at us.
Livia throws down her sword on the ground and looks at me, not glaring just looking. "You might survive past the bloodbath," she says thoughtfully.
"And you might convince everyone into liking you," I tell her.
"I know," she says before walking towards the lunch room like everyone else. I laugh a little while replacing my sword.
Now all I have to do is survive past the bloodbath to win a pointless bet between the girl from District 2.
Training Day 2: District 3 Bella Cauthen's POV
"So," I say awkwardly, teetering on my toes. "What did you think of that thing at the swordplay station yesterday?"
That was my lame attempt to get Aaron into a conversation. We were going back down to the Training Center for day 2 of training and he hasn't said a word all morning. Or all the time we have been here for that matter. I usually don't get all awkward when I am talking to people, but I don't want to get into a touchy subject with him.
He shrugs his shoulders. "No big deal, just one hit."
"I'm surprised the boy from 5 got his sword up in time," I comment, urging him to get more into my conversation.
"He seems strong enough."
"I know, but she's just so…District 2-ish," I say when I can't come up with a word to justify the girl. Whatever, saying she is from District 2 means killer anyway.
"I guess," Aaron says with another small shrug. I sigh in frustration and turn to face the elevator doors. I keep my mouth closed in fear of saying something I will regret.
The doors finally pull apart and I power walk towards the middle of the Training Room. Atala is in the middle of the circle of tributes, hands on her hips.
"Because of yesterday's incident," Atala starts in an angry tone. Everyone cranes their heads around to get a look at the culprits. I meet Knox's eyes. I had talked to him at the little odd team's meeting the other night. He hardly seemed like one for fights. It was probably 2's fault.
"People!" Atala snaps to refocus our attention. "As I was saying, because of yesterday, I have been asked to review the rules with you." For the second time, Atala jumps into the rules speech. Only this time she takes several pauses to glare at either Knox or the girl from 2. When she is finally through, she dismisses us, but calls for the guilty parties to report to her.
I glance over at all the possibilities I have. Yesterday, I only got to two stations since the lunch bell rang earlier than anyone had expected and it is not mystery why. I am itching to try out a weapon and the knives section is vacant. I make a beeline for it and grab a couple of knives.
"Welcome," the instructor says in a pleased tone. He must be happy that he might actually get to coach this time.
I aim for the center of the target and fling my first knife. It veers far to the right, but still hits the target which I call a success.
"Is this your first time?" The person who asks this is not the instructor, but another tribute, the boy from 10. He has quite a few axes in his hand and takes the target next to me.
"No, I just wanted to miss the target," I say with sarcasm. I don't have to bother being nice to him, since he is not on my team. I turn my back to him and try to listen to the instructor.
"Cute. I'm Battler Stanson," the boy tells me. The instructor has finished his comments so I am forced to turn back to my target and to Battler.
"Whatever," I grumble before picking up a new knife. With the technique the instructor taught me, I fling the weapon at the target. It still doesn't hit dead center, but it comes closer. I give a small grunt of frustration and reach for a new knife.
"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" the boy asks. I see him back up an axe and chuck it at the target. It hits dead center to my disappointment.
"Do you care?" I ask, my annoyance growing.
"I could start now if you want," he tells me. He goes for another axe, sending it flying at the target. It hits again.
I bite my lip to keep myself from letting all my rage fly out. "Not thanks," I say through gritted teeth. I throw my knife at the target with great force and this time it hits the red circle.
"Come on, would it really kill you?"
No, but I might just kill you. "I'm Bella Cauthen," I say in defeat. I turn to face him. I astounded by how tall he is, even though I am so small. He could easily tower all the people here. He also looks like he has quite a lot of muscle. The odds team may be well put together, but the evens seem to have the muscle.
"Was that so hard?" Battler asks. I narrow my eyes at him, but that only makes him laugh.
"You are so aggravating," I hiss and throw my next knife. It hits dead center, but that does not simmer down my anger.
"I wouldn't call you a ray of sunshine," he comments. He sends his own weapon at the target, hitting dead center like mine.
"Yes, but you aren't trying to be insulting," I sneer. I grip another knife, sending it at the target. It doesn't hit exactly where I aimed it, but it still hits in the center circle.
"So, you're saying you are trying to insult me?" he asks, now just looking at me not throwing weapons.
"If it makes you go away, then yes," I assure him. I continue to throw knives, trying to drown him out.
"I am still here, aren't I?"
"Why yes you are. So, what will it take to make you go away?" I ask, if not begging. I too abandon my weapons and look at Battler.
"You politely asking me to leave," he says with a grin.
My first thought is to insult this boy to tears, but he seems to be like a wall, everything just keeps bouncing back to me. I just have to swallow my pride and do it. "Will you please go away?"
"That wasn't so hard was it?" Battler pats me on the shoulder before walking towards the hand to hand combat station. I want to scream at him for everything, but that will bring him back here. I command myself to calm down and go back to the target practice.
I only got to throw a few knives before someone else is beside me. "What was going on over here?" It was the girl from 2, knives in hand.
"Nothing," I say, brushing the girl off.
"I hardly seemed like nothing," the girl says again. "I'm Livia Drusus." I see the girl extending my hand to me. Normally I would pass it off like I did to Battler, but this girl hasn't seemed to be using an insulting tone.
"Bella Cauthen," I say, shaking her hand.
"Nice to meet you," Livia says with a bright, almost fake looking smile. It probably is fake, my common sense tells me and unlike most people, I choose to believe it. I turn back to the target and begin throwing again.
"What's his name?" she asks enthusiastically. I hear her knife whistle past my ear, hitting the target dead on. Swords and knives, thought I didn't assume she could only do one thing.
"He's on your team," I tell her flatly.
"I haven't run background checks yet." Her voice is seemingly chirpy, but I hear something most people wouldn't notice. She said that through gritted teeth.
"Battler," I say, sending out another knife. This would really be an enjoyable activity if people weren't constantly breathing down my neck for information.
"I think he likes you," Livia gushes. I take a quick look at her face and see the bright fakeness is still there.
"So, he is on the other team," I comment dryly.
"And the problem is?" Livia asks, through her same gritted teeth.
"The problem is, I will be killing him and you for that matter in the long run," I tell her with my own fake smile. I watch as her fake smile fades and I can see through the cracks in her mask. Her eyes begin to narrow and she turns back to her target.
I hear her mumble something under her breath. "Excuse me?" I ask, turning away from my target.
Livia turns around again to meet my eyes. "I said a guy like that would never be into a girl like you anyway."
All the anger I had bottled up from talking to Aaron, Battler, and Livia resurfaces. But instead of using hateful words, I do something that surprises Livia and myself. I throw a punch at Livia's face and hit her square in the jaw. Livia flies back in shock.
"HEY!" The tributes are again staring just like they had at yesterday's happenings. Looks like this year's training has a violent streak.
Training Day 3: District 7 Ever Lancast's POV
"That was quite a show yesterday, wasn't it?" Zane asks with a grin.
I roll my eyes and don't look in his direction. How could he have noticed, he was too busy flirting with the girl from 1. Again.
"Not talking, are we?" Zane asks dryly. I ignore him again and wait for the elevator doors to save me from this. I still love Zane and staying angry at him is hard.
The elevator doors do open and I file out with the rest of the tributes. We are asked to join together at the center of the room again and it is no mystery over why.
"Due to yesterday and the day before, I have been asked to recite the rules again," Atala says in an even more angry tone of voice. Like yesterday, everyone looks around to find the person who was guilty. Bella seems embarrassed, but the girl from 2 just rubs her sore jaw. It must be fun playing up the victim this time around. I'm sure she had it coming though.
Atala finishes the speech for the third time and sends us off for the third time. I walk towards the survival stations with the lower Districts while Zane heads over to knives.
I stop at the knot tying station. This may or may not come in handy, but no one else is here and I enjoy the quiet. I quickly begin to tie a beginners knot under the watchful eyes of my instructor.
"Nice knot," a girl from behind me says. She takes a seat next to me and begins working on a knot of her own.
"Thanks," I say quietly and continue to tie more knots. I can't recall what District the girl is from, but I am pretty sure she is on my team.
"Oh, I'm Addy Reese, District 9," the girl tells me, confirming that she is on my team. I shake her outreached hand with a smile.
"I'm Ever Lancast, District 7." The girl's face automatically drops the smile and she looks down.
"Um, I should be practicing…bye," Addy says before walking at a quick pace away from the knot tying station. I am too bewildered to call her back and ask why she left.
"That was so weird," I finally mutter, turning back to my knot tying. I get a few more minutes of piece before someone is next to me again.
"Um, hi." The greeting comes from Leif, who has a guilty look on his face. I give him a cold look in response.
"Don't you have some weapons to throw?" I ask flatly, turning back to my knot tying.
"I wanted to apologize for yesterday," he tells me. "I shouldn't have walked off like that."
I turn to face him. "Tell me why you walked off and I will consider forgiving you." He begins to start his explanation, but I cut him off. "And please don't tell me it is because I am the girl from District 7, because I am pretty sure that is why everyone else is walking away from me."
"Am I allowed to lie then?" he asks. It seems to be a joke, but neither of us is smiling. He lets out a sigh and continues. "It is not because you are the girl from 7. It is because you are from District 7."
"Continue," I say, motioning for him to elaborate.
"Elena is, in my opinion, partially why Mimi died last year, so I came here to avenge her death…"
"And killing District 7 was part of this plan," I finish for him.
"Sorry," Leif mutters, the guilty look back in his eyes. He has the decency to look down at his rope and begins making far more complicated knots than my own.
"It's okay. I think it is kind of sweet. Just don't try to kill me please," I tell him with an attempted small smile.
"I don't think I will," he says, returning my smile. I begin feeling that giddy feeling a girl gets when a boy looks at her that way. Zane sure hasn't looked at me like that in awhile. Zane, I almost forgot about him and here I am flirting with another boy.
It's only fair, he is flirting with other girls, a voice tells me. For some reason, it seems to be my common sense. Or the voice of everyone back in District 7.
"I should try another station," I tell Leif quickly. This time I am the one to walk hurriedly away.
District 9: Connor Lizben's POV
The screening room's lights dim as the main event comes on, training scores. The stylists, mentors, escort, and of course, we tributes are here to watch. The first picture of the boy from 1 flashes on the screen as the show begins.
District 1:
Leif Erik: 9
Emmegarde Stewart: 9
District 2:
Regulus St. James: 10
Livia Drusus: 9
District 3:
Aaron Ashling: 6
Belladonna Cauthen: 7
District 4:
Jaysee Summers: 5
Cetacea Splash: 6
District 5:
Knox Overstreet: 7
Nan Weatherall: 5
District 6:
Alex Reathers: 6
Evangeline Carner: 4
District 7:
Zane Jennet: 9
Everleigh Lancast: 7
District 8:
Finch Jenings: 6
Asla Pearl: 6
District 9:
Connor Lizben: 10
Adeline Reese: 7
District 10:
Battler Stanson: 10
Melanie Strykes: 8
District 11:
Kyrix Fin: 4
Aria Carter: 9
District 12:
Carsyn Bennett: 8
Kitiana Raychelle Le'Roy: 8
I smile at my score and Addy seems quite please with her own. We bid everyone good-night and head off to our own rooms. Now all I have to do is take every other tribute down.
….
So, I decide on whose POVs I will use in the interviews. The interview chapter should be out on Tuesday at the earliest. Sorry, but it does take awhile. Then it's the last chapter before the arena!
Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. Peace, love, and Carpe Diem.
-Emma
