Training:

Shiloh Bellows, 14, District Twelve:

The tribute center is the nicest building I have ever lived in. I swear just our floor is bigger than the entire Justice Building back home. My house back in Twelve was always crowded with too many people. We never had less than four people to a room. But here? Cinder and I both have master suites that could fit half of the district. Even if it's only for a short period of time, it will be nice to live here. Cinder and I had dinner with our mentors last night and then they assured us off to our rooms. I was glad it wasn't a late night, because training starts today. Cinder and I sit at the breakfast table with Haymitch, who is inebriated, as usual. Cinder rolls her eyes at him when she sees how drunk he is, and serves herself a plate laden with the delicious breakfast foods. I can't really blame her for being irritated with him. He does ignore her. I don't think he's said more than five words to her since we've been here. He focuses all of his attention me instead, something I don't understand. Cinder's older, more attractive. Those are qualities that make a District Twelve tribute more appealing. If he had any sense, he would start supporting her

But he doesn't. He ignores her all of breakfast, and only talks to me when he tells us how the training will go. Cinder's annoyed and gets up halfway through. She comes back twenty minutes later in fresh clothes, with her thick hair twisted into a bun.

"Well don't you look pretty?" Haymitch tells her. She rolls her eyes and ignores him. Haymitch chuckles and turns back to me.

"If you do find you're decent with any of the weapons, kid. Don't show off. Not until you're private training sessions, got it?" he asks.

I nod in agreement, even though I highly doubt that I will be good with any of the the weapons.

Haymitch waves off towards the elevator and Cinder and I get in it together. Cinder doesn't say much to me, she just looks at her nails. They're still black and shiny from last night, and she seems like the kind of girl who would like that sort of thing.

When we get to the training center, all of the other tributes are all already there. Gathered in clumps of one or two. Except for the Careers of course, they're all grouped together laughing loudly and talking. It didn't take very long for them to get chummy. Wasn't last night the first night they met? I guess that's what happened when the group of them are as tough as they are this year. Wonderful. Tough Career Packs usually mean a Career victor. I was at least hoping if the rest of us had to die, that someone from an outer district would win. You know someone who actually deserves too. Not someone's whose already well fed, rich and trained.

Cinder flits off the moment we get out of the elevator, to go stand by herself. Everyone's eyes are on us as I quietly stand off to the side. There's a dark-skinned Capitol woman standing on the raised stage in front of us. She introduces herself as Meila, and gives us the rules of training. They're simple and easy to follow; we can do whatever we want during the next few days. Try any weapon, learn any skill, as long as we don't harm another tribute. I see a disturbing glint on the smile of the boy from One when she says this. After a few minutes of other introductions, she releases us and the other tributes scatter. I make my way straight to the edible plants station to test my knowledge. This way, I can do what I'm good at and stay out of everyone else's way.

Crickett DeGraw, 17, District Ten:

I'm glad that Gael and I get along. Otherwise training would suck, and be extremely lonely. Most of the tributes hang out by themselves, doing their best to try and learn a new skill or weapon, while simultaneously not drawing too much attention to themselves. Only a couple of people actually stay with their district partners. The little twelve-year-old from Seven practically clings to the blonde, older girl with him. The quiet pair from Eight don't interact with anyone else, and the pair of from Five do everything together too. The rest of the tributes do everything entirely alone, except for the Career Pack. All six of them move from section to section dominating and intimidating everyone in their path. Gael and I move carefully to avoid them. But that's not too hard. They spent most of their time in the boxing ring or at the weapons rack, and I swear every so often they keep throwing glances at Gael and I. I do my best to ignore them, and make sure we go nowhere near the Careers. Gael seems to notice it too, because he keeps looking at the blonde-haired boy from Two. The big one with the blue eyes and the muscles. I don't blame him. I think he's probably the scariest looking one too.

Gael and I spend most of the morning doing everything but the weapons, in order to avoid them. We learn about edible plants, starting fires, and tying knots. Gael is good with the knots and makes perfect lassos every time.

"You're good at that," I tell him, as he makes his sixth perfect one in a row.

Gael chuckles and places the lasso down on the table. "I should be. I did it all day every day for the last ten years."

"Right," I nod. "You worked on the ranch. I forgot."

"Every day," Gael adds. "On one of your dad's ranches actually."

I snort. "You would have thought my dad might have taken me out there one of those days. You don't learn many survival skills sitting in the mayor's mansion all day."

"You ate well and kept your skin pretty though," Gael jokes.

My chest tightens at his words and I have to dig my nails into my palms to keep from letting the blush creep onto my cheeks. Gael thinks my skin is pretty? Good. That's the first step to getting him to like me. But I have to play it cool. Remain unaffected.

"I'll be sure to remember that when I'm starving in the arena," I say. I think that hides the excitement I feel running through my veins.

Gael shakes his head. "That's the point of having an ally, isn't it? We'll keep each other feed. As long as one of us doesn't get murdered in the first five minutes."

"I'm not a hundred percent convinced that won't happen."

"To me or you?" Gael asks.

I shrug, "Does it matter?"

Gael laughs, "To the one who lives, I'm sure it does."

I have to hide how wide my smile gets now. He's funny. Funnier than I even knew before. Three days of being reaped together and I already know him better than the last twelve years at school. Gael and I get along so well it almost doesn't feel real. I couldn't have asked for a nicer, or more attractive, district partner.

"Any chance you want to move on to weapons?" Gael asks. "I think we should probably try a couple, see what we're good at?"

I look back and see the Careers are still hovering near the exit of the weapons rack. One of them, the prissy blonde chick from One see's me looking and gives me a strange, confrontational look, so I turn back to Gael almost immediately.

"The Careers are still over there," I say, fidgeting a little. "They've been watching us all day. I don't really want to go over there and start something."

"You noticed that too?" Gael asks. "I feel like they've been clocking us since we got here."

I nod. "Why do you think that is?"

Gael looks over my shoulder at them and frowns. "I mean, we're the only other District team that's older. Maybe they're looking for more allies?"

I feel a tiny spurt of fear at the idea of joining ranks with the Careers. Not that they want me. I'm sure it's Gael they're looking at. I know enough to know I'm only good for my face. And the Career girls are already pretty enough. They want Gael.

"Do you want to ally with them?" I ask him. Gael is shaking his head before I even finish asking the question.

"No way. Those alliances don't last. And when they do, they end bloody."

I raise an eyebrow, "So if they asked you to join them?"

"I'd say no," Gael says quickly. "I'm not going to leave you high and dry. And you can't trust those Careers anyway. What kind of people volunteer for this?"

"Beats me," I say shrugging. "They might not take too kindly to you turning them down, though."

Gael shrugs. "What? They'll try to kill me. They're already going to do that once the gong rings, so I might as well keep my pride. And anyway, I don't think they're going to ask."

"Let's hope not," I tell him, as Gael leads us over to the weapons. When we get there, the Careers eye us with a mild interest, and then turn away.

Good. I hope they forget we're here. The last thing Gael or I need is to start trouble with the Careers. Enough people will be trying to kill us without targeting ourselves.

Elm Halloway, 12, District Seven:

I stick to Morgan like glue during training. Everything she does, everywhere she goes, I follow her. I apologize over and over, but she swears she doesn't mind.

Morgan's good like that. She never once makes me feel small or weak, or like I'm bothering her. She honestly seems glad to have me as an ally. Which I know is just because she's nice. Morgan may be quiet and timid, but she's still a Seventeen-year-old from District Seven. If she wanted a better ally, she could have one. I'm lucky she's as nice as kind as she is. I'm the youngest tribute here, and while some of the other tributes might not want to be the one to throw the first punch, I know they also won't volunteer to help me out in the arena. I'm a burden to everyone here. Even Morgan.

We spend the morning doing odd things, avoiding the Career crowded weapons rack. We learn everything we can and try out all of the stations Morgan and I learn how to make fish hooks and nets. Neither of us are very good at it.

"We'll do our best to avoid fishing," Morgan jokes. "Want to try our hand at making fires?"

I shake my head. "I already know how to make fires. I can show you. We should try the rope, climbing wall."

Morgan gives me a tiny smile. "We're from Seven. You and I have been climbing tree's since we were born. We don't have to train on that."

I frown. "But don't you want everyone to see we're actually good at something?"

Morgan's eyes widen and she gives me a tiny shake. She bends down so she's facing me at my height.

"Look Elm," she whispers. "We should focus on learning new skills okay? Trying to get better at things we don't know. Not things we do."

That makes sense. I hadn't thought of it like that. I only wanted everyone to know that I wasn't as useless as they think. It only serves to remind me that without Morgan, I would die.

"Okay," I tell her. "Want to try and learn a new weapon?"

Morgan smiles. "Sure, let's go try throwing spears."

We move onto the weapons rack, and try our hands at throwing spears. Neither of us are very good, so we try a few different weapons and don't have any more success. Morgan almost sighs when we pass by a heavy silver ax, but she doesn't pick up.

The only thing I'm even a little good with is the slingshot and the tiny metal balls, but I know it's not a great thing to be good at, because it's not a range weapon. I'd have to be really close to someone to be able to hurt them. I don't worry about it though. I'm not stupid, even if I am young. I know I can't win this thing. I only have to try and die painlessly. And as long as I'm with Morgan, I should be okay.

Tyler Minroe, 15, District Six:

I wait until Lunch. That's the perfect opportunity to talk to the Careers. I spent most of the morning watching them, studying them. I planned on hanging out with my district partner, but Lincoln didn't want to train with me. He headed straight for the weights, lifting as much as he could and when he finished that, he went for the weapons. He wasn't bad with the swords either. I spent the first half of the morning at the camouflaged statement. It was kind of hard to use the paints and mixtures with only one hand, but it was fun to get messy. I used my left hand to paint dirt-packed pattern on my left. It turned out decently well and I feel better when I'm covered in fake dirt. It makes me feel like I'm at home with my brother and our friends. I always got along better with boys, then girls. That's why I find it so strange that Lincoln ignores me.

Whatever. I have a new plan anyway. One that includes the kind of rough and tumble friends I want, the Careers. I watch them all morning.

The Careers dominate the weapons rack and spend the first couple of hours showing off how good they are with the weapons. The boy from One routinely swings a long, serrated knife at the other Careers, and they make a game of dodging it. They all seem to like it, using it as training. Except his sister, she looks annoyed the entire time, but I expect that. She's the kind of girl who wants to be the center of attention. She reminds me of Chrysler. She focuses on throwing. Stars or Knives, it doesn't matter. She doesn't miss a thing. The practice dummy in front of her is covered with weapons that she's thrown. She's focused and determined, and I know I never want to be anywhere near her when she throws them. The boy from Two, Lykon is scarily good with a sword, and so is his district partner, Aurelia. He uses a broadsword and she uses a short one. They go back and forth blocking each other with the swords. Eventually they get bored of sparring with each other and Aurelia goes to the dummy, shoving her sword in and out of it until she's out of breath. Lykon moves on to the weighted balls, throwing them over his shoulder.

The girl from four, Sedna joins Maia in throwing knives. They seem to get along well enough. Finn spars back and forth with Brandi. He uses a trident. A big heavy one.

That's when I notice the pattern. The boys and girls from One and Four are more social, more trusting. The tributes from Two stick together or by themselves. There too wary to trust me. But the others? They're just arrogant enough to think I'm funny. I've got a fifty-fifty chance of them letting me stick around. So when Lunch rolls around, I go for it.

Most people eat alone, or with their district partners. I notice that the tributes from Five and Seven eat together. Lincoln sits alone.

The Careers sit together at a nosy table in the middle of the room. I take my tray carefully and stand in front of them. They quiet immediately when they see me standing there. Maia raises one of her perfect, silvery eyebrows and Sedna gives me a strange glare.

The boys eye me with an odd, almost amused smile. I take a deep breath and offer a wide smile.

"Hey dudes!" I say happily. "Can I sit?"

Sedna's eyes widen in disbelief and Maia grins. Aurelia sights. Maia looks to her brother and he nods his head, running his hands through his long hair while he puts it up in bun. He looks entertained. Lykon says nothing. He just stabs his plastic fork into a piece of beef in front of him.

"You want to sit with us?" Finn asks arrogantly. "That's funny."

I grin at him. "I am funny. Very funny. I thought I'd offer you dudes the pleasure of humor."

Brandi chokes on his water and Maia purses her lips. Finn narrows his eyes and Sedna actually laughs. Aurelia and Lykon do nothing, they just keep eating.

"You're a confident little thing, aren't you?" Sedna asks, twirling one of her long dark curls between her fingers.

"Cocky," Finn snaps. "Too cocky for a tribute with one good arm."

Maia snorts. "Right like you should be talking too anyone about cockiness, Finn."

I don't let it show that what he said phases me. Instead, I keep smiling. I have to be fun, upbeat and entertaining if I want these Careers to keep me around. I have to be like a pet. It's the best chance I have.

"What I lack in dexterity, I make up for with a sparkling personality."

"Is that so?" Sedna asks with a laugh. She's definitely entertained.

"Quite the stunt, I'll admit," Brandi says with a cruel smile. Something about that smile worries me a little, but I do my best not to let it show.

Maia leans forward and smacks her brother on the arm. She gives him the dirtiest look I've ever seen and then she flashes me a wide smile, her clear blue eyes sparkling.

"Could you give us a minute, Six?" Maia asks sweetly. It's fake sweetness, the same kind Chrysler used at home. God, I hope Chrysler doesn't someday turn out like this.

"My name is Tyler," I tell clarified.

Brandi smiles. "Tyler? Isn't that a boy's name?"

"It's urban," Sedna tells him quickly. "Poor families in the districts do it."

"That's stupid," Finn says loudly. Lykon and Aurelia make eye contact and roll their eyes.

"Enough" Maia says holding a hand up to Brandi and Finn. They stop talking and she turns back to me.

"Are you not from Six?" she asks. She waits for me to answer.

I blink at her. "Yes."

Maia smiles and looks to her brother. Brandi chuckles. "Don' expect her to call you anything other than Six."

"Now, give us a minute," Maia says and ushers me back.

I make sure to keep smiling and take a few steps back, so the Careers can talk in private. The second I'm out of earshot, they bend their heads together and talk. I watch their faces to see if I can get any sense of the answer. Sedna and Brandi both smile. Aurelia says something quickly and then leans back. Lykon stays in the conversation for a little bit longer before he bows out. Finn looks annoyed. Maia looks enraged.

She and her brother talk back and forth, but then Brandi waves her off, and the conversation seems over. Maia lifts up her eyes to meet mine and they're murderous.

Brandi looks to me and smiles, waving me back over. A wave of excitement washes over me. They're letting me sit? My plan is going to work. If I get to hang out with the Careers, the most successful and strong tributes here, I'll definitely have some fun.

I place my tray down on the table and sit down beside Brandi. His sister is throwing daggers at me with her eyes but I ignore her.

All around the cafeteria, the other tributes are staring at me in disbelief. Either in shock or jealous that I'm joining the Careers. Lincoln looks amazed. I can't say that doesn't feel good.

"So, what were you dudes talking about before I got here?" I ask them. "Or were you just bored?"

Brandi looks downright thrilled and starts to chuckle. "You're entertaining, Six."

"We were talking about which tributes are the weakest, so far," Sedna tells me eagerly.

Maia narrows her eyes. "Besides you, of course."

"Enough, Maia," Brandi says. "If Six wants to join us, let her."

The other Careers all make direct eye contact with each other and then smile. I can sense something is going on between them, but I don't question it. I want to have fun with the rest of my life, and I know being with the Careers will give me that. Who cares why they're doing it? If I stick with them, I might live a little longer. And if they kill me? They kill me. But I'm going to prolong that for as long as possible. All I have to do, is entertain them.

Finn Landers, 16, District Four:

I don't know what Brandi is thinking.

When that scrawny, crippled, dude-looking chick from Six came over and asked to sit with us, I wanted to punch her in the mouth. I know Maia did too. One of the unwritten rules of the Games is that the weaker tributes do not address the Careers. There supposed to be afraid of us. And avoid us. I like that power. I've earned it. I'm the youngest Career in years. I'm going to win this thing. Weak tributes should not be talking to me.

So then, when we talk about it. I assume we're going to teach her a lesson. To make sure that her and every other weak tribute in the room know not to mess with us. But what does Brandi do? He tells us to let her to stay. He thinks it will be fun. Like a plaything.

Something to keep us entertained while we get ready for the Games. That's Brandi's problem. He's a tough tribute but his need to be constantly entertained. That's why I'm going to beat him.

Six joins us after lunch too. She's constantly doing little bits and jokes for attention and it's driving me insane. Brandi and Sedna don't seem to mind it. and Aurelia has no opinion. She's too busy messing with the spears to notice. Six annoys Maia the most, so she and I distract ourselves with the climbing rope wall for a little while. I like hanging out with her. She's almost as good as I am at training. Almost.

We go back up and down the rope wall, over and over again until we can do it in seconds. When we get back down onto the ground were both sweaty and angry.

"Why do you think Brandi wants to keep Six around?" I ask Maia. She shrugs, wiping the sweat from her face and pulling her into a tight ponytail on the top of her head. I can't deny how hot she is. She makes the girls back home in my District look hideous in comparison. Too bad they're can only be one victor, because Maia looks like the kind of girl I want to marry when I win.

"No idea," Maia says irritated. "But I'll let him have his fun. She'll let her guard down and then we can handle it."

"Bloodbath?" I ask her.

Maia nods and turns to the dummy closet to her. She punches it so far it slams backward towards her at full force. She just barely has time to hit it again before it knocks into her.

"You'll have to flip me for her," I tell her.

Maia gives me a cocky smile. "Deal."

We both look over to where Six is with Brandi and Sedna. She can barely hold up an ax with one arm.

Maia laughs. "We might not even have to worry about. She'll probably stab herself by accident before we even get to her."

"Hope not," I tell her. "I'm looking forward to it."

And I am. I'm going to kill as many tributes as I can. But killing Six? That will just be fun.

Futura Bug, 14, District Three:

I don't know how that Tyler girl convinced the Careers to let her eat with them, but she did. And she trained with them after lunch too.

It doesn't make any sense. Careers never hang out with anyone else unless they're so strong, and unbeatable that they have no choice but to make them an ally. And this Tyler girl? She's tiny and only has one good arm. That's not exactly a strong tribute. I don't get it.

Marcus probably knows why, he's smart, but I don't dare ask him. He's ignored me all of training. He just keeps walking around with his tiny notebook, writing things down and staying at each station for hours.

He doesn't touch a single weapon and focuses only on the survival and skill related stations. Maybe he's already good with weapons, or maybe he doesn't think knowing about them is worth it. But either way, he's doing something.

I don't know what to do. I just keep wandering around aimlessly, doing my best to learn something. It takes me hours at the fire-making station to even get a spark going, and even then, I'm shaky at it.

I move onto the stations slowly, and do my best to learn what I can. None of the trainers really seem to take to me, and focus on other tributes. The one's they have faith in. Every single one of them seems better at everything than me. Even the twelve-year-old from Seven lights fires faster than me. I try to make conversations with a few of them, but most of them say quiet.

Training is making me realize more than ever that I have no skills. No one here has any more faith in me than the teachers back in the district. I'm useless and I'm going to die.

Lydia Light, 16, District Five:

I can't help it, I decide to have a little fun with the trainers at the fire-starting station. I already am pretty good with them, and when I pick up on it quickly, the trainer is delighted.

"I'm good with fire," I tell him, tapping my burned face.

The look on the trainer's face was priceless, and I chuckled as I moved onto the weapons rack. The boy from Nine was there when I got there, playing with a tiny slingshot. I moved past him quietly, trying not to draw too much attention to myself. I try with some of the weapons and find most of them are too heavy for me to use. I try the bow and arrow and fail miserably too, so I decide to focus the rest of my attention on making fish hooks. The trainer tells me I'm decent at it, so I spend another two hours there so I can master every single one. Then I move onto the nets. I figure I might as well learn everything I can about fishing, since I'm good at the hooks. I want to be able to feed myself, and there's usually fish in every arena.

I can live a long time if I'm fed, so I silently pray for a lake full of fish.

Velvet Wilkinson, 15, District Eight:

Junez doesn't like other people. That much I've gathered from spending time with him. He avoids most people even Cecelia. Which I think is stupid, but he doesn't listen no matter how much I question it. He doesn't ever really listen to me. I'm not even sure why he hangs around me. Probably just because I'm from home. I seem to be the only person he will willingly talk to.

So, I wasn't surprised when training first started and he told me he didn't want to train with anyone else. We've pretty much stuck together since this whole thing started anyway, and he's not bad company.

Our stylists put us in nice athletic wear, the thick stretchy kind that offers perfect mobility. I've never worn anything made of this material before. It's soft like cotton but stretchier and more durable. I make a mental note to ask my stylist, Tilly what it's called, later. I saw her this morning, when the prep team spent almost an hour neatly arraigning my hair into a low ponytail that keeps my hair out of my face. Drusilla and Alba had me so paranoid about having such vibrant hair, I'm glad it's up. I don't want to make myself particularly noticeable. Not around this batch of terrifying tributes.

The training room is intimidating with all of them standing there. I was too distracted during the tribute parade to notice most of them, but now that were all gathered together and training? I see how disadvantaged Junez and I are. In a group of lethal hunters, we're like sitting ducks.

I pay close attention to the training woman's instructions and scan the room when she dismisses us. There's stations, weapons racks, and trainers, all standing around for our use. But it's the other tributes that are the most intimidating. The strong ones show off their skills with the weapons and weights, and the weak ones try to go unnoticed. I don't know where I fit into that equation. Junez and I are so skinny that even the younger tributes are bigger and stronger than us. If we want to get a decent training score, we'll have to develop some new skills, and soon.

The training room has a series of steps and Junez and I decide to go jogging on them first. Running up and down on them is relaxing and it it's the only thing I know for sure I'm good at.

I spend at least two hours there, jogging up and down until I can barely catch my breath. Some of the other tributes watch me with uncertainty and some of the Careers snigger. It's obvious they think I'm wasting my time jogging, but it feels good to stretch my legs. It's familiar and it gets my blood pumping. I used to run all the time at home.

But I still can't ignore the sniggering. The Career's alternate their sneering between Junez and I, and the pair from Ten.

"Ignore them," Junez says panting. "Running is useful."

I nod, "Yeah, chances are we're going to be doing a lot of it, in the next couple of days."

"Running is better than trying to fight off some of these tributes," Junez agrees. "Have you seen the size of them?" He's looking directly at the men in the Career Pack now.

I nod in agreement. "I know. Since when are all the tributes well-fed and strong?"

"Who knows," Junez says shaking his head. "Wish we were better fed."

I bend my legs and put my hands down on my knees so I can catch my breath. Junez sits down on one of the steps beside me.

"Maybe if you stopped skipping meals with Cecelia, you'd gain a little more weight before the Games," I tell him, "I can only sneak so much food from the table."

Junez rolls his eyes. "I get it okay? I'll join the family dinner with the mentor, but I still don't think a few extra meals are going to turn us into Careers."

"They won't," I tell him. "But at least we know how to be hungry. I guarantee those Careers can't miss a meal without feeling it."

Junez's eyes darken. "I guess that's the one good thing about being starving." He kicks his feet out and stretches his legs.

"Can I ask you something, Velvet?" he asks.

I look up at him, confused. I usually have to practically pull Junez's teeth to get him to answer any of my questions. It's strange for him to be asking me questions.

"Sure," I tell him. "What's up?"

Junez's face goes even and he puts his hands in his lap. "Are we allies?" he asks.

It's an honest question from him. And Junez doesn't share things honestly. It catches me off guard. Then I want to laugh.

"What did you think I was going to knife you the second the gong rang out?" I ask, with a chuckle. "Of course, we're allies."

Junez's rolls his eyes and he nods his head. "Okay, good."

"Good," I agree.

Junez gets up and nods towards the climbing rope wall. As we walk towards it, I'm left thinking. The Games are dangerous and terrifying. It's a good thing to be able to have someone to trust in the arena. Especially someone from home. Even if Junez doesn't like talk, that doesn't matter. I'm not exactly the most talkative person around either. As long as we trust each other, we'll be good allies, and that's all I can ask for.

I decide to move on to the edible plants station. Being from Eight, Junez and I are already disadvantaged when it comes to plant life. District Eight is nothing more than a maze of concrete buildings, so I never see any kinds of plants. And considering there will be tons of plants in the arena, it's time I study up.

I spend a long time at the station, trying to memorize all of the non-poisonous and poisonous plants I can. It takes three hours before I can get through the test with a passing score. I have to come up with tiny rhymes in my head in order to remember the harder ones.

Mushrooms with white on the bottoms are edible, and the one's with yellow on the bottom are not. The dark purple berries are edible and the black ones are not.

Junez gets bored halfway through and disappears to go the fire-starting station, but I don't leave until I'm positive I know everything I can. The trainer is kind, and he works with me. He seems glad that someone is actually willing to learn. He likes my rhyming system and helps me come up with one to identify the edible green fruit; If it's round and on the ground, you're victor-bound, if its long and thin, you'll never win.

When I'm finally convinced I'm able to tell most of the edible and non-edible plants apart, I head to some of the other stations and do my best to pick up whatever skills I can; camouflage, knot tying, and making fish hooks. Then I try lifting weights and swinging across the bars on the ceiling. I do everything I can the first day, until I'm so tuckered out I can't move, but I try and eat as much as I can at dinner. I'll need my strength.

I purposefully wait until the second day of training before I go anywhere near the weapons rack. I'm not looking forward to the idea of getting familiar with them, but I know I have too. Junez and I head straight for the weapon rack. It's laden with some of the sharpest and scariest things I've ever seen. Things I never thought I'd touch before; swords, maces, whips, hatchets, ax's, spears, tridents, bows and arrows, and at least ten different kinds of knives. Junez messes around with the bigger ones, the swords and the mace. I avoid those, knowing I never want to have wield something like that, even if I could get my hands on one.

I suck at everything, except throwing the knives. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but eventually they stop scattering on the floor and make it on the practice dummy. When I use the archery, target, I even make one on the inner ring.

But Junez is the real star of the show. He's good with the sword. Really good. He lazily swings it at the practice dummy and decapitates it in seconds. The head falls to the floor and rolls onto the floor. Even the Careers notice that, and eye him with interest.

I'm so shocked the knife I'm throwing misses the target and hits the walls behind the curly-haired boy from Four, Finn. It misses his arm by inches. Terror fills every inch of me as the boy gives me a scathing glare.

I feel my blood freeze as he looks at me, furious. The other Careers chuckle while he yanks the knife from the wall and twirls it in his fingers.

"You want to watch were you throw that knife, Red," he warns me. "Or it'll find a way back to you in the arena."

He drops the knife on the table beside me and sneers. Then he walks back to the Careers without another word. I'm still frozen with terror. I've been in the Capitol for barely three days and I've already pissed off a Career. So much for going unnoticed.

Junez looks scared for a moment and then shakes his head. "And I thought I was bad at making at friends."

I sigh, hoping Finn will forget about this. I don't need an enemy before I even get to the arena.

Niko Dyne, 18, District Five:

I spend training, watching and observing. There's a lot to see if you pay attention. Some people might think it's a waste of time to watch the other tributes, instead of learning about edible plants and starting fires, but I don't. These are the twenty-four people I'm going to be up against. It's time I learned a thing or two about them.

I start with the Careers. The pair from One are just as skilled as they are attractive, which isn't good. I was hoping they'd be idiots, and they're not. The pair from Two are even worse. They're strong and quiet. Whenever the louder Careers start to fight, those two always exchange glances or eye rolls. Something tells me that there the real Careers to look out for, no matter how flashy the other two are. The pair from Four hate each other, but they're both skilled fighters. The boy is pretty much skilled with every weapon imaginable, and the girl? I watched her throw skills with such stunning accuracy, it worried me. If the dummies she uses were tributes, half of us would be dead.

I watch Lydia too, though not like the rest. She's my district partner so I don't look forward to the idea of looking for her weaknesses. Instead I focus on her strengths, she's good with the fish hooks and nets.

I do overhear a conversation between Morgan and Elm, from Seven. Turns out she's pretty good with an ax, and at climbing trees. Though I could have guessed the second. The score of training, was overhearing the conversation between Maia and Finn. I really was lucky. I happened to be standing behind one of the practice dummies when I heard them talking about killing the disabled girl from Six, Tyler. I had thought it was weird they were letting her tag around, but killing her as soon as the Games start? That's cold. Part of me wants to warn her, but I also know that's a bad idea. If the Careers find out I'm telling their secrets, I'm the first one on their hit list. And that is not a good way to survive.

Lykon Sestius, 18, District Two:

The private sessions. Finally, a part of the pre-Games that makes sense to me. This isn't about making people like you or looking pretty. The private sessions are about making sure the people who run this thing know exactly who they're dealing with. And I intend to show them.

Lifting weights, skills with weapons, Endurance? I'm good at all of it. I'm made for the Games, and it's time the Gamemakers see that.

On the third day of training, I wait patiently with the other tributes for the Gamemakers to call my name. Only Brandi and Maia go before me, so I don't have to wait long. The second I hear my name called, I get to my feet, ready and alert.

"Good luck," Aurelia tells me.

I fake a smile and tell her thanks, but she and I both know I don't need it. Aurelia has been watching me train this entire time. She knows how qualified I am. When I get inside the private session room, I see it's much smaller than the training room, but filled with most of the same stuff. The Gamemaker running it, a white-haired man up front, tells me I have fifteen minutes and can spend them however I like.

I start with the swords, because I know that's what they really want to see. Sure, endurance and survival skills are important in the arena, but everyone knows that what audiences really care about is how well you can kill. I stab and slice all of the practice dummies in the room for the first ten minutes, and see that Gamemakers are watching my every move. Hanging on to it, with wide, excited eyes. This is exactly what they're looking for, so I keep doing it. I use the hammer, the mace, the machete, whatever looks terrifying. Then I move onto the weighted balls, throwing each 100 lb. one over my head several times. After that, I'm out of time. The Gamemakers dismiss me with wide smiles and claps.

As I walk out, I know I've set the bar very, very high.