Hi! Thank you for continuing to read this story. Here's anther chapter.
I had such a great sleep, that I actually oversleep and am the last one to arrive at breakfast other than Haymitch of course. When I walk in, I immediately notice that Katniss and I are wearing the same outfit. Haymitch and I serve ourselves and sit down. After a while, Haymitch speaks up.
"So, let's get down to business. Training. First off, if you like, I'll coach you separately. Decide now." I'd like to be coach separately so that I could discuss my plan with Haymitch, but I would like to spend more time with her.
"Why would you coach us separately?" Katniss asks. I have a feeling that she wants us to be coached together.
"Say if you had a secret skill you might not want the other to know about," says Haymitch. Katniss looks over at me.
"I don't have any secret skills. And I already know what yours is, right? I mean, I've eaten enough of your squirrels." I tell her. She continues staring at me, but like she's thinking. She turns to Haymitch.
"You can coach us together," she tells him. I nod in agreement.
"All right, so give me some idea of what you can do." I can only bake.
"I can't do anything. Unless you count baking bread." I tell him hopeful.
"Sorry, I don't. Katniss. I already know you're handy with a knife," says Haymitch.
"Not really. But I can hunt. With a bow and arrow." she says. Haymitch studies her for a second.
"And you're good?" he asks. She looks down at the table thinking it over.
"I'm all right," she says. All right? She's better than all right. She has to be the best archer in the world, in my opinion.
"She's excellent. My father buys her squirrels. He always comments on how the arrows never pierce the body. She hits every one in the eye. It's the same with the rabbits she sells the butcher. She can even bring down deer." She first looks surprised, and then she has a suspicious look on her.
"What are you doing?" she asks.
"What are you doing? If he's going to help you, he has to know what you're capable of. Don't underrate yourself." I can tell from the look on her face that she's pissed.
"What about you? I've seen you in the market. You can lift hundred-pound bags of flour," she snaps at me. "Tell him that. That's not nothing." Actually seeing her mad at me is amusing.
"Yes, and I'm sure the arena will be full of bags of flour for me to chuck at people. It's not like being able to use a weapon. You know it isn't," I say with sarcasm. She turns to Haymitch.
"He can wrestle. He cam in second in our school competition last year, only after his brother." she says. How much has she noticed me?
"What use is that? How many times have you seen someone wrestle someone to death?" I say disgusted. I would never do that.
"There's always hand-to-hand combat. All you need is to come up with a knife, and you'll at least stand a chance. If I get jumped, I'm dead!" she says really pissed off now. I'm now getting pissed too.
"But you won't! You'll be living up in some tree eating raw squirrels and picking off people with arrows. You know what my mother said to me when she came to say good-bye, as if to cheer me up, she says maybe District Twelve will finally have a winner. Then I realized, she didn't mean me, she meant you!" I blurt out.
"Oh, she meant you." She says with a wave of dismissal.
"She said, 'She's a survivor, that one.' She is." I tell her even though it pains me to admit that my mother doesn't care about me. She looks in my eyes and I have a feeling that she knows I'm not lying to her. It looks like she's deep in thought.
"But only because someone helped me." she says. I look down to the roll in her hands. I know what she means. She's talking about that day five years ago. When she was starving to death leaning against the old apple tree in my backyard. I had to do something to help, so I tossed her two loaves of bread. I watched her walk away clinging to them like their her life. I shrug it off.
"People will help you in the arena. They'll be tripping over each other to sponsor you."
"No more than you," she says. Why does she have to be so difficult? I roll my eyes and look over at Haymitch.
"She has no idea. The effect she can have." I say. I avoid looking at Katniss and just stare at the table as I run my fingers up and down the table. Haymitch just looks just back and forth between us, before he speaks.
"Well, then. Well, well, well. Katniss, there's no guarantee they'll be bows and arrows in the arena, but during your private session with the Gamemakers, show them what you can do. Until then, stay clear of archery. Are you any good at trapping?"
"I know a few basics snares," she mutters.
"That may be significant in terms of food. And Peeta, she's right, never underestimate strength in the arena. Very often, physical power tilts the advantage to a player. In the Training Center, they will have weights, but don't reveal how much you can lift in front of the other tributes. The plan's the same for both of you. You go to group training. Spend the time trying to learn something you don't know. Throw a spear. Swing what you're best at until your private sessions. Are we clear?" he says. We both nod. "One last thing. In public, I want you by each other's side every minute," he says. We both start objecting, but he slams his hand on the table. "Every minute! It's not open for discussion! You agreed to do as I said! You will be together, you will appear amiable to each other. Now get out. Meet Effie at the elevator at ten for training."
With that, Katniss stands up and hurries to her and slams the door loudly. I stay seated. Haymitch looks over at me.
"You alright." he says. I nod my head then I shake it then I nod it again. "You sure?"
"I don't know." I admit to him.
"Why do you love her?" he asks to me. I begin to explain to him the day I first fell in love with her.
"It was the first day of school and we were in the same music class. The teacher asked us who knew the valley song and her hand shot straight up. The teacher stood her up on a stool and had her sing it for us. When she sang, every bird outside silenced. Her voice was absolutely beautiful. From that point I was desperately in love with her." I admit that last part a bit shyly.
"Ah. I see." he says. "Go to room and wait for Effie, boy." I do as he says and walk to my room and close my door behind me. I sit on my bed and look out the window waiting for Effie to call me for training.
Sorry it took longer to update today, but again I had no internet access or wi fi.
~ secretTHGluver ~
