The tributes break for lunch, which is a rich Capitol feast with all sorts of meats and delicacies. There are four tables dedicated just to dessert! Prim would be in heaven here. As soon as she's been old enough, she loves to cook. I don't mind cooking, but I'm not the best at it, and I often get frustrated and bang the pots and pans around. Prim is never like that, she'll make the perfect housewife someday, she's so prim (forgive the pun) and proper.

There are 12 tables, one for each district, obviously. But as Gale and I sit together at a table, we are surprised to see the tributes from eleven walk over. A big muscular guy, built like an ox, and the little girl, a twelve year old who reminds me of Prim. I realize that somehow Gale and I missed the recap of the Reapings. Oh well. We can survey them just as well now. They both have dark brown skin and dark hair as well. They look used to the outdoors and strong. When they reach our table the little girl comes up to me. In a loud voice, she asks, "Excuse me, can we sit with you?"

This is not what I'd expected. Tributes are not usually friendly before the games. The reason why is quite obvious. "Umm..sure." I stammer out. I look at Gale. He just shrugs and raises his eyebrows. "Pull up a chair."

Then, Thresh and Rue have barely introduced themselves when the tributes from 3 come up. All the other tributes start to gather and sit in little clusters. Gale and Thresh move chairs and push tables together so that everyone will fit. They push the tables into groups so that six can sit at each table. The tributes from 10 come over too. We all sit talk and laugh together. But the six from one, two, and four are not joining us. They sit in their own little huddle. Soon two of them stand up and come over. The blonde girl, I think she's from one and the boy from two. The boy is just kind of stalking over, but the girl has put a tiny sway in her hips. When they reach our table the boy speaks first. His words are directed towards Gale. "We have a proposition." He says, gesturing towards the huddle of careers. "You seem strong. Strong willed. Mentally and physically. We'd like to extend an invitation to join the alliance." Gale gives me a look. When the boy sees Gale's direction of thought, he says, "But of course, we won't carry around any...unnecessary baggage." He jerks his head toward me. Gale's eyes harden and he says, "I don't think you quite understand. She could kill you faster than I could. I'd be the unnecessary baggage in that alliance. The blonde girl comes over and leans toward Gale. She grabs his hand and says, "We'd love for you to come with us..." Gale's eyes widen and his gaze flickers down to their clasped hands. She winks and saunters away.

Gale suddenly gets up. "I forgot, I need to umm..talk to Haymitch. Don't worry, I'll be back before lunch is over. Katniss, why don't you come too?" I look up, annoyed. Rue was in the middle of explaining to me how things work in District 11. But I get up and follow Gale out the door. Gale starts walking down the first hallway we see and stops when we get to a storage closet. He pulls me inside and shuts the door behind him.

"Gale, wha-" Gale shows me his hand, the hand the blonde girl had grabbed. It was still clutched in a fist. He slowly opened his fist. Tucked inside his hand was one small slip of paper, folded neatly. I can't imagine what a career would have to say that had to be said in a note.

"We're all with you. I'm not sure how much you've been told, but 1,2,3,10,11, and 12 are the districts fully committed to the rebellion. We are all willing to sacrifice our lives. The other 6 districts are aware of the rebellion but have chosen not to take an active part. (It is uncertain which are neutral and which are aligned with the Capitol, so be careful.) For the first week of the games, 1,2, and 3 will align. You need to take 11 and 10 with you. Try to eliminate the rest of the field, and then we'll meet at the Cornucopia. Don't share this information. The fewer people who know the better."

Gale and I just gape at each other for a moment.

"Rebellion?" Gale asks, "There's a rebellion?"

"Yes, I'm not sure of exactly what's going on, but the careers seem to know what's going on. I would assume the note passing means that we shouldn't communicate in public."

"So, who was it that was sitting with us? 10 and 11?"

"Yes," I reply, "so...our table is the table of the people in the rebellion."


We go back and don't give any notice that anything has changed. But I can tell Gale is analyzing the people at our table with a new interest. I do so as well. Rue, the girl from 11 is small, but looks fast. She reminds me of Prim. And being small could come to her advantage. Thresh is huge, solidly built, kind-of like an ox. The girl from 10, Chelsea, is brown-eyed with black hair. She is short and compact. But she seems fit, and you can tell she's strong. The boy from 10, Ryan, has blonde hair and blue eyes, reminds me of a merchant kid. He's strong, I can see that just by looking at him, and him and Chelsea are a couple as well.

I can't help but think that maybe, if we had an alliance like this, things could work out. Maybe I could get Gale out of here. But my heart twists at the thought of little Rue, or even Ryan, who I've just met, dying in just a few days.

When lunch is over, we go back to training, and Gale and I try to be friendly with the tributes from 10 and 11. I show Rue and Ryan how to shoot a bow, and Gale shows Chelsea and Thresh the finer points of knife throwing. Ryan picks up shooting easily, but Rue has some troubles. She is so little, every bow she tries just overpowers her. So I ask her what she's good at, and she says, "I'll show you."

She takes off, running to the other side of the training center. Ryan and I look at each other, shrug, and run after her. By the time we catch up to her, she's halfway up a wall. I gape at her. The wall is almost completely smooth, with only a few handholds.

"How did you..."

"In District 11, my job was to pick fruits from the orchards. I've spent nearly all my life up in a tree. I guess I got kinda good at climbing."

"Kinda good?" Ryan says, "You're amazing at climbing! I've never seen anything like it! Look, you just climbed 10 feet up a wall with like, 3 handholds!"

Rue blushes. "Thanks. But climbing won't do me much good in the arena."

"Are you kidding?" I ask, "You can hide from anyone and anything. You just have to scamper up a tree like a little squirrel."

By the end of the day, I feel like Gale and I have made a bond with the Rue, Thresh, Chelsea, and Ryan. And for the first time since I've been Reaped, I have a little bit of hope.

Sorry sorry sorry for the super-long wait. I would give you a bazillion different excuses but all I can really say is I had writers block with the new characters, and how I want the plot to go.

~MusicIsHarmony