DO I HAVE ANY CHANCE OF WINNING the Games?

This the one main question that has been bugging me ever since I left home. Am I really capable of what Annabeth and Percy can do?

With their strategic actions and skilled movements with their weapons. With their fast reflexes that make them easily dodge a blow from their opponent. With their sharp senses that make them extremely alert of their surroundings.

I wish I could be like that, with the ability to be prepared with anything somebody might throw at you. I'm almost never ready for anything. I walk out into the open and just hope that I don't get hurt very badly. Like with the volunteering of the Games, what did I do then? I stood up in replacement for that little boy and started praying that I wouldn't die, that I would be able to come back home. Not ever thinking about what might happen and not really caring, just as long as I put others in front of myself.

And sometimes I hate myself for being so selfless.

I watch as Chiron shows us some First Aid techniques with the district 8 girl. She sits very still as he wraps a strip of material on her wrist as a substitute of a bandaid. He ties it together and shows us the end result. "Fabric is a very handy tool when it comes to wounds and cuts," he explains. "There will usually be some fabric in the pack that you will be given in the arena. It's a very handy thing to have, like when you have a very deep wound it helps to stop the blood from going everywhere."

One boy starts to look a little sick at the mentioning of blood. I almost feel sorry for him because he's going to see that and much more here. I'm a little grateful that I can withstand the sight of wounds. Sometimes they do make me feel nauseous, but I still manage to keep my composure and act like I am not bothered by anything at all. There's that word again-act. Pretend.

Chiron removes the material from the girl's wrist. She gives a short nod and joins our group as an audience.

Leo raises his hand.

"Yes Leo?"

"What happens when we run out of fabric?" he asks.

Good question.

I'm pretty sure that there won't be enough material for band-aids to last us in Tartarus. Chiron opens his mouth to speak but Percy pipes in instead.

"You can just use bits of your clothes, that's what me and Annabeth did." he says.

Annabeth nods before correcting Percy, "You mean Annabeth and I, Seaweed Brain." He smirks at her before turning back to the lesson.

It suddenly occurs to me that the two have actually been in the Games together, something that never came to my head. Two years ago Annabeth was in, so was Percy. Was it possible that they had been in together?

It would definitely explain their close bond together as friends; they were always training and sitting together, talking about different things, about home...

Chiron smiles at the two. "Yes, exactly. Your clothing can be used as a substitute for that."

An image pops into my mind of tributes slicing off bits of their clothes and wrapping it around their bruises. For some reason, I feel a little disturbed at the fact that they could end up having no clothing at all. And to think that this would be televised all over Olympus!

I look at Leo and see a small smile tugging on his lips, with the fact that he is trying not to crack a joke at this. I suppress a smile myself and shake my head a little at him as he struggles not ask the question everybody is thinking of.

'What happens when we run out of clothes?'

I cover my mouth with my hand as I try to hold back a laugh.

Chiron goes onto talking about bruises, rashes, bites.

I can feel myself shiver as I picture myself in each situation-having claw marks on my shoulder and a big gash on my leg...I feel somebody nudging me and waking me up from my reverie again.

Leo.

"Do you have any battle tactics yet?" He asks. "Not to be nosy or anything..."

I find myself not willing to tell him about Aphrodite's plan. I know I shouldn't feel insecure at the idea, but something pulls me back a little. "No its fine, really-my plan is to hide in the bushes and hope I'm not a monster's meal."

Not a lie, just not the whole truth.

Leo snorts "Isn't that everybody's?" This time, the image in my head is of Leo and I hiding behind trees and rocks and I have to laugh as well.

"Why? Do you have a plan?"

"No, but Chiron was talking about battle tactics at the beginning of the lesson so I was just wondering."

Chiron was talking about that? I must've not been paying much attention. I never pay much attention now these days...

Leo and I have already made an unspoken agreement that we are each other's allies. I'm glad because it almost feels like I can be myself when I'm around him...he reminds me of Mitchell or a brother. And I'm his sister.

Leo sits himself onto a bench and I go down next to him. We watch as Annabeth and Percy shoot arrows at the bullseye. Annabeth laughs good-naturedly when Percy misses by an inch or so. He messes her curls with his hand and pokes his tongue out when she narrows her eyes at him.

I bite my lip slightly and kick at the dirt near my shoes. "Leo?"

"Yes?"

"Annabeth and Percy were in the games together two years ago, weren't they?"

Leo runs his hand through his hair and thinks for a while. He scrunches his nose as he watches the two teasing and playing around.

"I think I remember seeing Percy in his last games...I don't really know about Annabeth."

"I think they were." I say. "Two years ago. They were both in the games two years ago."

Leo shrugs. "I never really watched the games,"

"We never had much of a choice to watching it."

He looks back at them. "I wonder who their allies were,"

I try to think of any memories of me watching the Games. The only that comes to me of Annabeth is one where she and another girl take each other as an ally.

"A district 13 girl, I think."

"People from 13 always give me the creeps." Leo says a little quietly.

"Why?"

"Apparently they have this darkness about them, I don't really know but they've always seemed that way to me too." He says shrugging. I find myself glancing at the district 13 tribute for this year. The girl with the golden-brown eyes. I find the comment a little stereotypical, so I ask him something else.

"Leo, what does your district say about 10?"

"Nothing much," He looks at me a little embarrassingly. "Just that it-uh-it doesn't really provide people who are..."

"Strong? Powerful? Smart?" I offer him a little amusedly. He hesitates a little then nods.

"But you're not like that!" he says quickly. "You're not one of them."

For some reason, they way he says 'them' rubs me the wrong way. As if all the district is weak. "Not everybody in 10 is useless." I can hear the sound of defensiveness in my voice.

Leo nods. "Yes, of course." I try not to let the comment bother me, even though I had been expecting it. Obviously we would be looked upon as useless to others. If I was in a different district I would think district 10 was pathetic too. I think I just feel a little protective over Lacy and Mitchell and Silena since I know that they are definitely not hopeless.

"Well I guess we are the least memorable district." I mutter. Leo shakes his head at me to try and convince me that I am wrong, but he knows it too. I sigh and cross my arms.

He pauses for a moment too. "What does your district say about 9?"

It takes me a while to answer to that, because I honestly do not know much about district 9 other than that it has forges and Leo lived there. I purse my lips.

Silena had once told me that she had met the son of the mayor from 9. She said that he had been absolutely charming, only they don't really visit each other. Just whenever the leaders of the district have to have a small meeting and their families are dragged along too.

Silena had told me all about the different districts and she said that 9 had been her favourite, much suspicion that it was because of her beau.

Other than that, I had no idea what the 9 tributes were like. Probably excelling in strength. Leo isn't of the best body build but I know he is rather strong. And they must get something out of working in the forges all day. So what does our district say about them?

"That you're tough."

Leo seems satisfied at the answer, but he still waves his finger in front of me. "But not as tough as district 5 kids."

"Or the career tributes."

He only hums in response. We watch the others train for a few more minutes before I ask him something that I have been meaning to ask.

"What are the tributes' names?"

The Hispanic boy gives me somewhat of an amused smile. "You didn't know?"

"I didn't care." I say smiling a little.

"How many people do you remember?" I do a quick count of the people in my head. Annabeth, Leo, Percy, Clarisse...

"Four."

"Seriously?" His tone makes me feel as if I ought to be ashamed of myself. But I don't need that coming from him because I already am ashamed. Besides I never was really good with names, just faces.

I frown. "Well then how many do you remember?"

"Eight. Annabeth, Percy, you, Clarisse, Will, Zoe and Jason..." I can tell that he's seen confusion on my face so he tells me that Zoe is the girl who got up and helped Chiron demonstrate bandages. She is from district 8. Clarisse La Rues is the murderous girl from 5, though I had already known that. I knew Percy and Annabeth too.

He points to the boy with blonde hair and bright blue eyes who is talking to Chiron. I look at him. "Let me guess, that's Will Solace?"

Leo shakes his head. "No, that isn't the tribute for 7, that's the tribute for 1.

"He's Jason Grace."


Hello hello!

Yes so I know you all must be excited for chapter 10 hehe but I'll tell you that Jason will be in chapter 11 more...

so don't get your hopes too high for the next chappie ;) Well anyways, I hope you liked this chapter :)

And a special thankyou also to nikitabella! You're the best, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Alright I'll update again soon :D goodnight from Australia!

-Di Blythe