Hey, this is Rainbow! Glad to get past the boring getting-to-the-Capitol parts, and now the next chapters are gonna be a lot more interesting! I hope you like this and review if u have suggestions. Even if you hate it, I can take criticism. So, yeah! Next chapter, wooo!

~Rainbow

Chapter Seven

In the morning, Kade and Spero wake me early. I feel like I need at least 2 more hours of sleep, but I don't complain. I just sit quietly after my warm shower, (I love the Capitol showers), and let Spero do my hair in a French braid while Kade sorts her multi-colored combs by size.

I head to breakfast down the hall, and Cillian is already there, babbling excitedly about the day. Today, he is dressed in robes of lime green and his fingernails are painted bright yellow. I wonder to myself if he has his own stylist as I take a seat beside Nelson and an empty chair.

"Morning." Nelson mumbles into his pancakes. Lila reaches over and dribbles a trickle of blueberry syrup on his pancakes and then her waffles. He rubs his thick, meaty hand over hers, which is surprisingly gentle for a man his size.

"It's not morning yet." I grumble, staring out the window of the Training Center. This is where the tributes, their mentors, stylists, an escorts are going to be staying until all 24 tributes enter the Arena. We train underground, beneath the building, in a large penthouse. I notice with an angry pang that it is still dark out.

"Have some of this. It ought to wake you up." Edda slips me a mug of steaming liquid. I've had it before, but even my wealthy family couldn't afford it unless it was a special occasion. And also, I don't completely trust Edda, or even Reed. They seem to hate me, though they love my brother.

"I don't drink coffee." I inform her, heaping a generous helping of fried potatoes onto my plate. A server pours me a glass of orange juice instead.

"It's not like I poisoned it." Edda reclaims the glass and makes a rude face at me.

"Sure." I remark, drinking a sip of my caffeine-free, all-out safe orange juice.

"G' morning." Vander finally approaches the table, looking just as tired as me. He is in his training clothes that were laid out for him, like I am. This year, they are gray, slim-tight and fitting, with a "2" on our backs and both of our shoulders. We are matching.

"Not really." I remind him, and myself, how early it is again. I am feeling quite edgy this morning, a little mix of nervousness and anger at most of my mentors. Though I take note that Brutus is nowhere to be found.

Vander reaches over and ruffles my dark hair, and I slap his hand away for messing it up. He chuckles and starts eating his porridge. He has always been a morning person.

"About training." Reed tells us while holding a fork to his mouth with a piece of omelet dripping off of it. He shoves it in his mouth and chews, lengthening the suspense. I wonder myself how he won the Games, maybe from being so annoying.

"What about it?" Vander wipes his chin with the corner of a white napkin. Even sleepy, he looks beautiful, and I, as usual, look hit. Though I must say, Spero has done a good job at making me look presentable.

"I want you to ally. I've been surveying a few of them. District 1 is, as usual, Career material, as are you. I've got my eye on the girl and boy from 4, and the boy from 5 is a possibility." Reed nods to Edda, and then turns to Lila and Nelson. "What do you two think?"

"They're too busy making cutie eyes at each other to care about Irina or Vander." There is a rough-from-sleep voice speaks behind me. Brutus runs his fingers across the back headrest of my chair before sitting down in the empty seat beside me. "Good morning, Irina. Vander." He nods to the both of us and I stare past him dumb-struck.

"Our romance is none of your business." Lila sticks her tongue on the side of her cheek and grimaces in Brutus' direction.

"Apparently it is if the entire building heard you rocking the bed last night." Brutus casually piles a few pieces of toast on his plate and starts to butter them nonchalantly. Like nothing happened. I hide my face in my sleeve and shake with laughter. When I look up, Brutus winks at me. Nelson just looks utterly baffled.

"You people are completely disgusting." Cillian piffs, thinking he is better than all of us, probably. "Irina, Vander, if you're ready, training is starting at 7 o'clock."

"Coming." I rise from my chair, eager to get away from these people, the lovebirds and the annoying older mentors. I notice Lyme is not present. I misewell arrive at training earlier, I want people to get a good look at Vander and I while we're arriving.

"I'm finished as well." Vander rises, too. I feel a hand catch my wrist as we turn to leave, and I look down. Brutus is holding tightly to my wrist.

"Irina, be careful today." His grip tightens and I oddly don't want him to let go.

"Why wouldn't I?" I stare down into his deep eyes and I notice that they aren't black at all, up close. They are a rich, chocolate brown, like churning cocoa, and I feel like I could swim away in them.

"Just – don't do anything stupid." He releases his iron grip. I can hardly pull myself away from him, but I force my gaze to travel over to Vander. He shrugs, a shocked look on his face.

I think of Brutus as Cillian takes us down in the glass elevator to the underground training penthouse. Vander and I are both quiet, though Cill babbles on and on about pointless things. He drops us off as soon as he sees we are in the circle of people slowly gathering around a woman in the center of the training center. He leaves to go up to the viewing room with our mentors, stylists and prep teams.

It seems we are one of the first people here, besides Mouse and Edwin, who are talking circuitously, the farthest away from anyone they can get. They eye us as soon as we enter, and Mouse turns her nose up, especially at me, like I am an ugly warthog. Well, honey, you aren't much of a prize either.

The other tributes here are, if I'm correct, from 3 and 9, the rest haven't arrived yet.

Vander and I stand awkwardly by ourselves, watching the newest tributes arrive. Some of them are small, especially the curly-haired girl from 6 and the small boy who is under 4 feet from 7. Others are quite large, though they look deprived of food. Most of the districts are poor, District 2 is one of the very lucky ones.

As soon as everyone has arrived, the head trainer explains to us how we are to rotate stations and spend as much time there as we would like. She also explains that this is a time for allying, which Vander and I will find most important. Though I know I need to spend a good amount of time at the survival and camouflage station. My survival skills are based mostly on strategy, not on instinct.

"Where would you like to start?" Vander asks me. "I assume you'd like to stay together."

"Yes." I nod. "Misewell start at knife throwing." I know Vander isn't the best as aiming, but he will get his chance at the sword and ax station.

Both of us make our way to the knife throwing station, and I handle the knives with ease. None of them are as special as the knife Brutus gave me, which is safely tucked away in my sock drawer where no one will find it, but I can work with almost anything.

"I assume you're good with knives then, 2." The instructor, broad-shouldered, giant of a man, sneers at me as soon as I pick up my first weapon. I contemplate the temptation of chucking it at him, right at his throat, but instead decide to prove him wrong with my skills. Vander sits back and smirks with amusement.

I pick up five knives, two in one hand, three in the other, and watch as the light up human targets come to life. The idea of this exercise is to throw the knife at the target as soon as it lights up, and I brace myself as the area comes to life.

As soon as the first target lights up, I chuck the first knife at it with as much edge and speed I can put into it. It hits it, dead center, and almost immediately the next target comes to life with a bright red light. I throw my second knife by the blade, and it goes spiraling through the air. Two more targets light up, and I chuck two more cruel-tipped knives, which both hit dead center.

The last target is moving side to side, and I send my last knife hurling right for its moving heart. It hits it, right in the center of the circular heart.

I turn to the instructor, meeting his awed eyes that are wide with shock. Vander is laughing to himself and I grin.

"So, is there anything I can improve on?" I give him my most innocent face and just stands there. I feel eyes on me, and I turn to see Mouse and Edwin gaping at me from the sword fighting station. I wave at them, as if I am beckoning for them to come give it a try.

"We're done here." I smile to my brother. "We can go to the sword fighting station there."

Vander laughs, putting his arm around me, and the both of us travel to the sword combat station. There, the instructor puts a sword in each of our hands, a real one, and two trainers step in to help us.

It isn't long that I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around to face Mouse. She is glaring at me, but I can tell she is trying to look friendly. I want to tell her that she is never going to look sweet, all she will ever look like is a mouse, but I keep my mouth shut. I just smile as gently as I can manage at her and wipe the sweat from my red face.

"You're Irina, right?" she plays dumb, I can tell.

"Yes. District 2." I state, loud and clear.

She tells me her name, which really doesn't matter. To me, she is always just Mouse, I don't even bother to memorize her name.

"I saw you with the knives." She laughs in through her nose, which is much like a snort. I imagine her as a cow, and then get this strange, half-cow, half-mouse image in my mind of her. "You were good."

"Thank you." I do a dramatic curtsy and imagine Reed shaking his head at me and Edda waggling her finger in my face.

"Me and Edwin…" she trails off, and I notice she scrunches her nose when she talks quickly. I cringe inwardly and focus on her lips talking anyway. "We were thinking about joining up with you… if you'd want. We would get all the advantages, lead the others, recruit whoever wanted to join. You could be head, with Edwin."

Head? I didn't know there was a specific leader with the Careers. I consider.

"I'll agree. My brother will too."

"Do you speak for your brother, Devil Girl?"

Oh great, I have a nickname now. I groan to myself.

"It's none of your business, Mouse."

She scowls at the nickname I call her by to her face, but she seems to push it aside. They must really want Vander and I.

"Are we allies or what?" she holds out her hand, and I notice she has a few warts on her calloused hands. "Is there a problem?"

"No." I smile deviously. I spit into my hand and shake it with hers. She pulls back almost immediately, as if I am the one who is completely disgusting. "Allies."