After lunch, the boy from Twelve joins up with me at the climbing station. He's not bad looking with his dark sandy hair and light skin. And he's taller than me, always a plus. Most guys back home are a touch shorter than me, not that I had interest in any of them. However this isn't the place to make a new friend. But then there might not be anything wrong with a little playful bantering to lighten the air.

There are a few to go ahead of us so I turn to him.

"I'm Falon Dawnson," I say.

He blinks, stunned momentarily that I've spoken to him. "Colvin Donner."

"Well, Colvin Donner, you have me curious. What was with the smirk last night during the speech?"

"What was with that kiss to the flower?" he retorts.

So he noticed that. "Just having a little fun to keep my mind off our current situation. I was mimicking something I saw on the TV once. At work we have to have the TV on in the control room so we can watch for shortage problems. Mind you we mostly keep it on mute."

He smirks and scratches the side of his head. "Let's just say I have my reasons."

A commotion has attracted everyone's attention. A pair of tributes is getting into a heated argument. They're shouting at the other, but so long as they're not exchanging punches, no one is interfering. What's worse is that Rotor stands up with one of them. The district partners are both aware of what's going on and are rushing over. There'll be a fight any moment and it won't go well for any of us.

"Hold my place in line?" I don't wait for a reply as I run across the training floor. In the months leading up to the election I've had to break up my share of fights. But these are not between my friends. Some of them will try to kill me at the end of the week.

"All right that's enough," I say cheerfully looking at one of the tributes. "Look, you don't have to be jealous of his outfit from last night, yours looked just as splendid. One and Four always have great costumes."

Their faces are all tightened up ready to lunge at each other.

"Move Five," the barrel chest boy from One says.

Right then and there I start doing this ridiculous dance, a tactic that has worked multiple times back home. I really have no shame sometimes. Some of the other tributes are laughing but the important thing is the two fighters are calming down.

I stop with a puzzled look on my face. "What? You told me to move."

Rotor is laughing his head off. He knows my antics better than anyone else in this room. "Falon you are flat out crazy."

I look offended. "I resemble that statement."

All the tributes are at least thinking about laughing. Situation neutralized. Merrily I skip back over to the climbing. Colvin is laughing quietly, but gestures to give me my spot back in line.

"Thank you," I say.

"Any time."

Back on our floor, Anna politely asks us how we did today. We discuss the different Gamemakers and what they look for in the tributes. While I knew they were up there, watching us, I never paid attention to them. I make note to do this tomorrow.

Our server from last night becomes my new best friend when she appears with a chess set. Rotor and I rush onto the balcony and race the other to set up our side of the board. Anna chuckles at our impulsiveness and leaves us to our 'little games'.

"So spill," I say. "What was that fight about?"

Rotor looks away, but knows he won't wiggle out of telling me. "The boy from District One was going at the District Four boy because he still supports what the rebels did. It was like the things I've heard shouted at my parents and I just…"

"It's all right. Standing up with him was brave, but don't do it again. I don't want to give the Gamemakers an excuse to take you out personally."

I wake up tangled in my bed sheets sweat dripping down my forehead. The nightmare fresh and intense slowly works its way out of my head. After getting myself out of bed I rush over and grab a pen and paper and start writing down some of the equations I used at work. By the time Anna calls me to breakfast, I think I have my sanity back, but my humor is all out.

At training, I'm focused on learning. Rotor heard me last night and has kept close to me most of the day. When I feel myself slipping, he asks me to tell him about the control room back home. I'm partway through my answer when I stop.

"Jay put you up to this?" I ask.

"He doesn't want you to lose your head in there. Come on, finish telling me."

A rush of gratitude towards Jay fills me. Even hundreds of miles away he is still looking after me. With Rotor's help I might get through this faster and so I continue talking about things that have always done a good job of distracting me.

When lunch is called, we're the first to go in and gather our food. As the other tributes start to sit I find the Pack is forming. Yesterday only a few tributes sat together, but always with their district partner. Today Districts One, Two, and Four are sitting together with only the District Four male sitting alone. The rest of the room looks nervous as we all know why they're sitting together. These will be the tributes to hunt the rest of us down.

"It was going to happen sometime," I tell Rotor.

All our playfulness from yesterday is gone and we eat in silence. Finishing quickly I go back into the training room while Rotor goes for a second helping. I climb up the cargo net and lay on my back at the top. Up high is where I've always gone when the nightmares begin to takeover and this spot is the best I can come up with.

I rack my brain questioning if I really do want to go home. A question that needs to be answered before I go into the arena. Jay told me I could beat these games, so why shouldn't I give it a go? I just don't know. All I do know is I won't give in without a fight.

Lunch has just ended as the tributes file back in to the training center. My time out from reality is over. I roll out of the netting and land on my feet. As I stand up I notice a few Gamemakers watching me rather impressed. Probably falling gracefully makes for good TV. By the end of the day, the Gamemakers curiosity with me comes and goes.

The third day of group training is fast drawing to a close. After lunch, we will be called in one by one for a private session with the Gamemakers. Rotor knows to be as impressive as possible. As he gets up to leave I realize how fond I've become of him over the last month. And my district voted him in. But it's the Capitol that holds the games. The Capitol that killed so many that I love. The Capitol that would just love to see me cry out pitifully as I die.

The other tributes look up startled when I pound the table. I'm going to go into those games fighting. Not sure if I'll do any killing of other tributes, but the arena's mutts are fair game.

"Falon Dawnson."

As I go, I notice Colvin looking at me. His district partner nudges him and says something. Probably something to do with the fact that in a few days we are rivals for our lives. That's the point of the games for the tributes isn't it?

My blood is boiling when I walk in. Above me many of the Gamemakers lounge in their chairs holding wine glasses. Most of them are full, but that's not to say this is their first glass. Some of them sit up wondering what I'll do. Funny thing is so am I.

"Whenever you're ready," a Gamemaker tells me. In other words 'get moving'.

I walk over to the throwing knives and pick up five. Looking around the training center I start placing knives near certain stations. After placing the last one at the bottom of the rope climb, I spring into action. First I rush up the ropes and swing by my arms until I reach the middle. Once there I let go and shoulder roll until I'm next to the knife. In a heartbeat I pick it up and hurl it at the nearest dummy getting a solid stick in the neck.

That's got their attention. Next I rush over the gauntlet, grabbing the second knife as I go. Hopping from platform to platform was difficult during training and I know they were watching me then so I want to show them I've improved. While leaping to the highest platform I throw the knife behind me sticking it in the pole marking the starting point.

I'm almost out of time. Booking it to the other side I stop in the center of a bunch of dummies. With the remaining three knives, I drive one into each of the blue objects around me.

"Thank you, Miss Dawnson, you may go."

With a bow, I exit the room and into the elevators.

Upstairs, Rotor is chit-chatting with Anna. When I walk in they both turn to me.

"What's going on?"

"It appears, my dear, that a pair of tributes would like to form an alliance with you," says Anna. "I found out after you went into training or I would've told you sooner."

"Which districts?" I ask

"The tributes from Twelve," says Rotor.

Thinking back just before my private session I read something in Colvin 's look. Now I know what it is. Rotor and I had gone down early to practice and his note must've come after that. He was wondering what my answer is.

"Let's talk about it later," I say. "How did your session go?"

Rotor gives a halfhearted smile. "I showed them I could survive. Built a fire and did the eatable plants and bug tables. Did you throw knives around?"

"With a little flare," I say. "Hopefully we can get some decent scores so we can have good sponsors."

Anna smiles her big toothy grin. "That won't be a problem dear. You already have several admirers from the Opening Ceremonies. I think most of them plan to be your sponsors."

I try to look pleased. But I'm not sure I can hide how happy I am that I've won sponsors by showing skin. Somehow it feels degrading, but then good looking tributes always do get the most sponsors. "That's good news."