Training day, today. I woke up early to get a grab on the banquet to kick-off training days. I slip on some shorts and a tank top, some clothes I use when I practiced with spears. I hope there are some, down there, I think there would be. I mean, I've seen many of the careers wield spears in the arena, and I'm sure they practiced hard when they were at training.

I slink down the hallway, into the hall where I see that the careers are already lined up and rowdily talking to each other, bickering too. The districts 1, 2, 3 are collecting up a posse to be with for the rest of the games. When the district 1 and 2 girls see me, they shoot me a glance and they walk up to me.

"So, Aralia," The district 2 girl says slyly, walking around me like I'm some sort of a freak.

"I heard you're from four?" She tries to lure me into her trap, but it's not working on me.

"Would you care to join us?" She asks me deceitfully, and I know better than to accept this. This may break what careers have been doing for ages, but it would benefit my odds of living better if I turn them down. I mean, at first, they're all friends, hunting down in packs. But when it's only them, they turn on each other, and stop each other's backs. From what I've learned from my brother, I know what I'll say will be the right thing.

"No, thanks." I brush off, looking for another place to be heading off. The two girls look shocked, even blown away. They exchange looks and the district 1 girl regains her cool.

"Make sure what you say isn't something wrong," She warns me, hissing at my face. "Or else." She trots off, brandishing her golden locks at me, going over to whine to her group that I'm not joining in their pack.

I over hear some of them talking. "Don't worry, Topaz. We'll manage to get someone stronger than that wimp." I hear her district partner whisper loudly, eyeing me as if I committed a crime.

Great, enemies before the games even started. I think to myself silently, and then I notice the banquet has started.

Roast beef, wild rice, fruits in colours you wouldn't imagine, and vegetables piping hot and steaming. The other careers start rowdily fighting each other for a serving, and one tipped a glass full of cold water into an avox's face, jolting her awake. He didn't even bother to apologize.

I pick up what's left of the food into my plate, and find a seat at the table.

There's little conversation on the table, if you mute the careers. Around the table, I could see this slightly short girl, probably around the age of 13, sitting with no one beside her. Her hair is cut short, in brown waves across her head. She has hazel eyes, which are steadily fixated on her plate, hastily toying with her vegetables. When she notices I'm looking at her, she hastily looks away, throwing her cheek to my eyeshot.

She looks so afraid, but when I take a closer look, it's one of the girls in district 7, her name being Pine, I recognize her from the reaping tapes. No one volunteered for the poor girl, shaking while climbing up the steps. She looks like a good tree climber, considering that her district is gifted with trees.

I whip my head to my side, where it's occupied by a somewhat small girl, with dark skin and dark hair. She's about Pine's age, both looking like they're 13. She looks slightly taller than Pine, her hair drawn back in a messy ponytail. She looks at me with her brown eyes, and shyly looks back at her plate.

I don't spot Costello, but he's probably sitting in the back, with someone he doesn't even want to talk to.

When we all finish, the careers start bragging about their skills and how good they can throw. I roll my eyes and look into the big gymnasium we're about to enter.

The trainer opens the gate, and the careers start pigging out. Drawing weapons out, prodding the dummies, and even yelling at each other.

Brady, our trainer this year, a tall woman, physically built enough to chuck weights at you and not miss. She instructs us to just roam around, feel free to do anything we want to. Her voice however, is being muffled by the rowdiness that is my fellow careers. When she blows the whistle, everyone shoots into different directions, eyeing each weapon about to be wielded carefully.

Topaz and Lucilla, as I just heard someone say their names, the girls from district 1 and 2, are eyeing me carefully, looking at my every move.

I walk up to the spear throwing station, and I remember what Cole told me. "Make the spear training pay, okay?" I whisper to myself as I pick up a spear, and I throw it at a dummy. I missed the prime target, but the spear embedded itself into the dummy's arm, giving me a reward of a spurt of fake blood.

I continue chucking the spears at numerous dummies, and I only got 1 perfect out of the twenty dummies I tested out. My arms are now sore from the spear throwing, so I try a different station; net weaving.

Net weaving could be helpful; you could fish or make traps with it. I look at the station and notice Costello's bent over some twine, figuring out a way to get it knotted.

"Hey," I pat Costello's back, and he looks up to me.

"Hi," He says, relieved that it's only me and not some career here to drop a nasty comment about him not being gifted in this. I take a seat next to him.

"Your dad didn't teach you this yet?" I ask him, holding up the pathetic lump of grass, twine, and yarn. I look at it in disgust.

"Look," I instruct him, and I pick up my own set of grass and other things to weave together, and I weave a passable net. He looks at me wonderstruck.

"Wow." He says, looking at the net vigorously, eyeing each stitch and hole.

I continue in that station until the trainer there says this is my forte, and I should practice something else.

By the end of the day, the trainer tells us we'll be continuing practices tomorrow until 2 days later, and then we'll show the gamemakers what we do best.

We nod her off and we're sent to our quarters, and just like last night, receive our meals up in our room. Similar to what we had for brunch, and I eat it up. The avox comes and collects it as usual.

I change into my nightgown and fall into a deep sleep, trying to get enough rest to get me through tomorrow's sessions.

Well, at least the first training day is over.