Rudy Diamond (16), District 1
The Capitol's Training Center is much bigger and more elaborate than the one we have back home. There is also a greater variety of ways to prepare yourself for the Games. From every kind of weapon you could think of, to basic survival skills. During the past few years of training, I've discovered that my preferred weapon is knives. So, naturally, I went there first. So far, I've had pretty good accuracy. I'd say I'm more than prepared for these Games.
I glance around, and I'm underwhelmed by my fellow tributes. With the exception of a few standouts, I'm confident that I can beat most of these kids in a fight. As I remove a knife from the target, I decide I'm satisfied with my progress. I think I've earned a short break. I spot Blade, Cora, and Gilbert in the middle of what appears to be a heated discussion. I walk over to join them.
"Hey," I say in greeting. "Where are the other girls?"
"We've been meaning to talk to you about that," Blade says. "They're sort of out of the alliance."
"What? Why?" I ask, slightly shocked.
"Tori and Trina said they'd rather fend for themselves, and Jade said she doesn't 'do' alliances," he explains. His tone becomes somewhat sarcastic as he gives Jade's reasoning. Does he think it has to do with him? Now I'm even more curious to find out what happened between them.
"The alliance will be better without them," Cora says. "Tori and Trina aren't exactly Career material. As for Jade, she's a bit odd, if you ask me."
"Whatever the case may be, that still leaves us short-handed," I point out.
"No problem. We've already decided on replacements," Gilbert informs me. "The pair from 7 seems though, as does the boy from 10. All that's left to do is ask them."
"Rudy, why don't you and I team up to talk to Damien?" Blade asks.
"Sounds like a plan," I agree.
"I'll talk to Dante," Gilbert offers.
"Guess that leaves me to talk with Quima," Cora says.
Having decided on a course of action, we take off in our designated directions.
Jade West (17), District 2
I'm already starting to regret dropping out of the alliance, but I know it was the right decision. An alliance is supposed to be beneficial. How can it be when Blade is determined to shut me out? It would be better to go into the arena with strong allies to count on, but I just don't think I could deal with being around him all the time. Not like this. All I can picture is the two of us disagreeing on everything, putting the other members of the alliance in danger. Thinking about it actually makes me angry. I slice through the nearest mannequin with my knife.
Reluctantly, I scan the room, assessing the other tributes. I probably shouldn't be looking for new allies. It might make Blade suspect my real reason for dropping out of the Career alliance. Then again, he's probably already guessed it. I don't really care what he thinks anyway. Only one question remains. Who should I ally myself with? The pair from 3? No. They're smart, but not very strong. The pair from 11? The pair from 12? No. Family ties can make an alliance messy. Maybe the boy from 5. He seems tough. My eyes linger a little bit longer on the boy from 6. He seems promising.
At this point, all doubt has left my mind. I'm going to find new allies. The Career alliance may not be the right fit for me, but I'm sure some of these other tributes will be. I may be tough, but everyone could use a little help. With that help, I just might be able to win. I'll be able to go home. I'll be able to give Dylan the life I've always wanted him to have. The life he deserves.
Robbie Shapiro (17), District 3
Darla and I have been taking turns at the poisonous plants test. Right now, it's my turn. My fingers fly across the screen, easily picking out the plants that are known to be poisonous. Darla stands next to me, watching with admiration. My hard work appears to have paid off. The timer runs out, and the screen displays a near perfect score.
"Nice job," Darla says.
"Thanks. I bet you can't beat my score," I say.
"We'll see about that," she replies, taking my place in front of the computer screen.
As she begins the test, my eyes begin to wander around the Training Center. They come to rest at the fire building station. The girl from District 8 is there. She is knocking two stones together vigorously, trying to get a spark. I remember thinking she was pretty at the parade. Now, without the make-up and costume, she seems even more beautiful. If memory serves me, her name is Caterina. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. A sufficient spark ignites the pile of sticks in front of her. She lets out a little gasp, but she isn't startled for long. She drops the rocks, and falls over laughing. I find myself smiling with her.
"Robbie?" Darla calls from behind me.
"What?" I ask, snapping out of it. I turn around to find that she has finished the test, matching my score.
"Are you alright? You seem distracted," she says.
"No. I'm fine. It's nothing, really," I reply.
Darla gives me a disbelieving look. She peeks over my shoulder, looking in the direction I had been facing. After a moment, her eyes widen.
"Oh, you cannot be serious," she says, sighing. "That can't happen here, Robbie."
"I know," I say, embarrassed.
"Come on. Let's go try out the bow and arrows." She grabs me gently by the arm, and I let her lead me to the rack of bows. I force myself not to look back.
Cora Finnley (15), District 4
"Quima, right? I'm Cora," I say as I approach the girl from District 7.
"Can I help you with something?" she asks, crossing her arms.
I pause for a minute to take in the sight of the girl before me. She is about a year older than me, and slightly taller. She appears very healthy, and strong as well. I can tell that she's quite athletic. I can also tell by her posture that she means business. She's probably wondering what a Career tribute is doing talking to a tribute from an outlying District in such a cordial manner. For a moment, I'm somewhat intimidated.
"Actually, it's what I can help you with," I reply. "We'd like you to join the Career alliance."
"I don't know if that's a good idea," she says. "See, I already promised Dante that we'd be allies."
"You don't have to worry about that," I assure her. "We're extending an invitation to him, as well."
"Well, that's good news" she says. "Just give me one minute."
I can almost see her weighing her options, trying to decide if having the protection and friendship of the most skilled tributes is worth the risk. She's certainly putting a lot of thought into this, more than I would have. Then again, it's impossible to know what I would be like if I had been raised in a different District. After a moment, it is evident that Quima has made her decision. The crease in her forehead disappears, and the corners of her mouth turn up in a small smile.
"Okay. Let's do it," she announces.
"Fantastic!" I exclaim, clapping my hands together. "You should come meet the group."
I start off in the direction of my fellow Careers at a run, delighted with my success. Quima jogs after me, seemingly happy with her decision.
Andre Harris (17), District 5
"So, I'm ready to hear this new problem of yours," I say as I toss a heavy sphere towards the goal marker I set up. To my excitement, it lands exactly where I hoped it would.
Angela is taking a short break from her own training to keep me company. She leans against the rack of weights, watching as I test my strength. Upon hearing my request, she goes from relaxed to nervous. She straightens, and a very serious expression comes over her face.
"My new problem…is him," she says, pointing. I follow her finger to where the boy from District 10 is throwing spears at test dummies.
"What about him?" I ask.
"He hates me," she replies, simply. She says it as if it is overwhelmingly terrible.
I can't help it. I burst out laughing. Why is that a problem, especially in the Hunger Games?
"Andre, this isn't a joke," she says. "I'm really worried."
"I'm sorry," I say, calming down. "But why exactly is that a problem?"
"I don't particularly care that he hates me," she explains. "I'm just terrified of what he might do. Look at him!"
I turn back to the boy from 10. He is throwing the spears with abnormal aggressiveness. What if he's imagining those cloth dummies are Angela? The scariest part is, he hits his mark every time.
"I'm starting to see your point," I admit, returning my gaze to Angela. "Don't worry. Our plan is to meet up every day, remember? I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you."
She gives me a grateful smile, and wraps me in a hug. Angela is one of the best people I've met in quite a while. I'd hate to see her die the grizzly death she thinks this boy has planned for her.
Jasmine Leek (14), District 6
I decided after the parade that I would work as hard as possible during training. Words cannot describe how badly I want to go home to my family and boyfriend. In order to do that, I have to win. In order to win, I'll have to be twice as tough as I am now. Beck and I have been trying everything. We've practiced survival skills, tested almost every type of weapon, and even managed to get decent scores on the poisonous plants test.
Right now, we're practicing throwing knives at targets. It's safe to say that Beck's been having much more success than I have. I've never been able to hit the center of the target, while Beck has done so a few times.
He throws another knife, and it lands fairly close to the center. "Nice shot," I say.
"Thanks," he replies, pulling the knife out.
I raise my own knife. Before I can throw, Beck's knife whizzes by again. It buries itself in the outer edge of the target. How did he go from a near perfect shot to that? I turn, and get my answer. Beck is staring vacantly in another direction. He appears to be watching the girl from District 2 as she goes about her own training.
"That shot wasn't so great," I say, trying to get his attention.
"Right. I'll just try again," he says, snapping back into focus.
I try to return to my training, but it proves difficult. As I think about it more closely, I realize that I recognize the expression Beck had on his face just then. The distant look, the slight smile indicative of some private joy. That was me, two years ago. When I first developed my crush on Jason. My eyes widen with worry. Beck's going to have a hard enough time with me here. What's worse, it appears he's not the only one. Earlier, I noticed the girl from 3 calling out her partner for staring at the girl from 8. And what's the deal with the cold shoulder between District 2's tributes?
Something tells me this is going to be a very interesting Quarter Quell.
Dante Xavier (18), District 7
It took a bit of convincing, but I ended up accepting Gilbert's offer to join the Career alliance. He leads me to where most of the other Careers, along with Quima and the boy from 10, are standing. Once we join them, the four Careers express their excitement at our acceptance of their offer. Formal introductions are exchanged, and we share a little about ourselves.
"Well, we're here. Why exactly do you need our help?" Quima asks, voicing my a thought I'd been having.
"Our partners dropped out of the alliance," Blade explains, gesturing to himself and Rudy. "So, we needed replacements. Are there any more questions?"
"Will we be splitting up to search for food and water?" Damien asks. "I have a bit of a personal mission I'd like to complete."
"That does seem to be the best plan," Blade says. "We won't be stopping you from doing your own thing, trust me."
"If that's it for questions, we should probably move on," Gilbert says.
"Since you're going to be in the Career alliance, it's important that you know what that entails," Blade begins. "A Career tribute is expected to be among the most skilled fighters in Panem. This means you'll need to push yourselves during the remainder of training."
"A Career also isn't afraid to get a little bloody," Cora says. "You can't be afraid to kill. The object is to get home. This is no place for mercy."
"Do the three of you think you can meet these expectations?" Rudy asks.
"I'm sure it won't be a problem," Damien replies, and Quima and I also voice our consent.
"Then, it's official," Blade says. "Welcome to the alliance!"
What follows is a barrage of hand shaking and slaps on the back. Just maybe, with the help of these experienced individuals, I'll be able to show my parents that they have nothing to worry about. My only hope is that nothing goes wrong.
Cat Valentine (17), District 8
Once I was able to put aside the fact that I'll be fighting for my life in a matter of days, I began to enjoy testing my skills. I've learned how to build a fire, and discovered that I can whip up some pretty convincing camouflage. One thing I haven't quite been able to master is weapons. I tried working with knives, with little success. I also tried spears and swords, but I couldn't get the hang of those either. Finally, I decided to give a bow and arrow a shot. That's where I am now. I'm the only person at this station at the moment.
Taking a deep breath, I prepare to shoot. I fit the arrow to the string, and pull back. After some brief hesitation, I let the arrow fly. To my utter amazement, it lands just a little short of the center of the target.
"You're not half bad at this," a voice says from behind me.
It surprises me so much that I let out a squeal, dropping the bow in the process. I turn to see a young girl with blond hair, and brown eyes. The patch on her uniform bears the number 12.
"I'm so sorry. Did I startle you?" she says.
"It's fine," I assure her. "And thanks for the compliment."
"You're welcome," she says, smiling. "My name's Layla."
"I'm Cat," I reply.
"You seem kind of sad. Is everything alright?" she asks.
"I'm just not sure I can last very long in these Games," I tell her.
"I feel the same way," she admits. "Us underdogs have to stick together, right?"
We both laugh. Then, Layla suddenly stops. She looks as if an idea has come to her.
"Hold on," she says. "That's not a bad idea."
"What's not a bad idea?" I ask.
"Us sticking together," she explains. "Would you like to be allies?"
"That sounds like fun," I say, grateful for the offer.
"Great!" Layla exclaims. "I already told my cousin I'd stay with him, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind adding an additional member to our group. I'll go ask him."
With that, Layla darts off across the Training Center. She must be going to find her cousin. I wonder what he'll say.
Rye Vestalli (15), District 9
I've been putting all the effort I can into training. By pushing my body to its limits, I can discover what I'm capable of. I chose to focus on making myself an able fighter. I improve my strength by lifting weights, and practice with various weapons. My favorites so far are the knives and swords. Hopefully, by the time training is over, I'll have what it takes to win the Hunger Games.
There are two main factors that are motivating me. The first is, of course, the thought of going home to my family. Just imagining holding my baby sister in my arms again makes me wish I was anywhere but here. The other factor has to do with my mentor. His name is Greyson, and he just so happens to have won last year's Hunger Games. He told me some terrifying things about the arena, and what he had to do to win. His words make me determined to not be afraid, and also remain true to myself. In order to be true to myself, I'll have to be able to defend myself.
Yvetta's been telling me that I shouldn't work myself so hard, and I should take a break. She says it's better to focus on the strengths you have, rather than try to develop new ones. She's also worried I might hurt myself. I don't share these concerns. Getting home is just too important to me.
Hannily Jeffers (14), District 10
As I go about my training, it suddenly occurs to me that I haven't seen Damien in quite a while. At first, I try to brush it off, saying that it's not a big deal. It isn't long, however, before the curiosity becomes unbearable. I do a brief scan of the room, trying to spot him. Finally, I do see him. He and the pair from 7 are standing with the Career tributes.
What are they doing talking to the Careers? I decide to find out. Quietly leaving the station I had been at, I make my way in their direction. Once I am close enough to hear what they're saying, I duck behind a weapons rack. Damien might be angry if he saw me spying on him. As I listen, it becomes apparent that I've caught the end of the conversation.
"Then, it's official," the boy from District 2 says. "Welcome to the alliance!"
I gasp, putting my hand over my mouth. Damien is joining the Career alliance? Why would he want to do that? I fight the urge to gasp again as I realize the only possible answer to that question. Not only is it an almost guaranteed ticket to the last few days of the Games, but he'll also get advice on his plan for revenge from experts.
I stomp away in disgust. I can't help but be a little disappointed. I thought I was finally getting through to that boy, but it appears I was wrong. This reinforces a lesson I have learned from two years with Mrs. Chambers. No matter how many times you try to do a good thing, it will always be overlooked by the people who matter most.
Everett Cropper (14), District 11
It seems as if Kara and I have taken a step back from where we were during the tribute parade. We were well on our way to becoming friends, but training has brought our competitive natures back to the surface. We've been constantly trying to outdo each other. We turn almost everything we try into a competition. Who can build a fire the fastest? Who's the strongest? Who's the best with a weapon?
Today is a prime example of this. Kara and I decided we wanted to try our hand at throwing spears next. Kara picks one up, and aims it at one of the test dummies with careful precision. She lets it fly, and it sinks in just below the shoulders. I scoff, trying to act unimpressed.
"I still say I'm a better shot than you," I tease.
"Oh, come on! I hit it exactly where the heart would be," she retorts.
"Show-off."
"Jealous much?"
At this point, we are up in each other's faces. That's when something happens that makes me believe a permanent change has been made. We laugh. It is very genuine laugh, causing us to bend over. I suppose showing you really do care about someone is like super glue. Once you take that first step to repairing a broken relationship, it is very difficult to break it again.
Layla Stone (13), District 12
"The answer is no, and that's final," Ash says sternly.
"But, Ash…." I plead.
"Don't argue with me on this, Layla," he says. "You won't change my mind."
I can't believe what I'm hearing! I tried to convince Ash to take Cat on as an ally, justifying it in the most logical way I know how. He said that it's too "dangerous" to trust another tribute, given the nature of the Hunger Games. If you ask me, he's being total unreasonable. I admit that I've only known her for a few minutes, but I can already tell that Cat is about the least dangerous person you can meet.
"Cat is really sweet girl," I tell Ash.
"I'm sure she is," he says. "The thing is, she may not be that way when her life is on the line. I've been watching the Hunger Games a lot longer than you have. You don't understand what the arena can do to people."
"Actually, I do," I say. "I got plenty of experience with that from watching last year's Games."
"Good," he interjects. "Then you must understand why this is just too risky."
I sigh, giving up. "Fine. I'll tell Cat that this isn't going to work out."
"Thank you," he says, putting his hands on my shoulders. "It's really for the best. You'll see."
He pulls me into a tight hug. I just hope he doesn't see my fingers crossed behind my back. Cat needs a friend, and I'm going to be that friend.
Hello, my wonderful readers! I hope you enjoyed this excerpt of what went on in the Training Center. Next time, we begin the evaluations. These will be spread out over three chapters. I hope they won't become repetitive and boring.
Now, a few items I'd like to discuss.
I just want to make sure there's no confusion about the companion piece I announced last chapter. I will not be starting work on it until this story is complete. I know, it's almost as tragic as the ending I have planned for this story. Sadly, it's the way it has to be. Some of the stories I want to cover would spoil reveals that will be coming later. Working around this problem would involve planning that I don't have time for. On the bright side, I think it will be much more interesting and heart-breaking to read more about these characters after you already know how things play out for them in the Hunger Games.
Before I go, I just wanted to let you guys know how much these reviews make my day! If I'm ever having a bad day, I know these review will bring a smile to my face. It means so much to me that you guys are enjoying my work. Thank you!
Well, until next time. See ya!