Suzanne Collins owns this wonderful idea.
Training Day 1:
Chapter Nine.
"I love you Cato," I tell him, before he can sneak out of my room. He needs to know that, before the day starts. Before the sun rises and all the crazy shit starts happening.
"Why," he whispers, but I hang onto every word.
"You're the only person I belong with."
He shakes his head, "I'm a monster."
"And I'm any different?" I shake my head aswell, "I love you because you make me feel again. You are my stake to reality, the one person who makes me love, when I only hate. I just thought you should know that."
"I don't deserve you," he leaves the room before I can tell him any differently and I know there is no changing his mind. The truth is, neither of us deserve the other. That's why we're so perfect together. I don't wait for Athena's silly voice to float into my room, I get a head start in the shower. Excitement courses through me, I'm always happy for the chance to show off. I love that first moment when I throw my knives and I see fear mix on the audience's faces.
I put on my training outfit, which I found in my closet. I wonder who put it there, it definitely was not there last night...shit. What if my stylist Redmond saw us together? Then he would know about Cato and I, great. If he tells. Well...hopefully he doesn't know. It's a black spandex training suit, full body, lovely. It tightens to my curves and my muscles. Wonderful. On the top of my two arms the number "2" is written, just so everyone knows what Distict I come from. I hope my number is burned into all their little skulls.
I gulp down my portion of breakfast and practically bounce out of my seat. I'm tired of waiting, I just want to get down there and start training. I bounce my boots up and down in anticipation. I wonder what the gamemakers are like. How do they watch us? Will the tributes watch me? Are they any good? I wonder what the trainers are like, Brutus like or...Edward like. Hopefully the first. They'd better have good knives and dummies, I like the moving dummies rather than boring old targets. Are there obstacle courses, there should be. Brutus said there would be. I realize I'm rambling on inside my head, I need to calm down, take a breath. I can do this. I can do anything.
"Calm down Clove," Enobaria finally says, annoyed by the pacing I took up. I shoot her a glare and she grins. Flashing her fangs at me. To win the games she ripped her opponent's throat out with her teeth. She got her teeth sharpened to fangs to recollect the moment. And to get in good graces with Snow, you always do what he wants.
"What?" I complain, "I'm just too excited." Cato flashes an adorable sideways grin. Which I easily return. Ugg, why were we always bent on annoying each other so much? We could have gone straight to the fun stuff.
"Most people are afraid for their first day of training," adds Edward.
I roll my eyes, "sure, people who know they're gonna die in the bloodbath."
"No need to be cocky."
"No need to be an ass," I shoot back.
Enobaria shakes her head, "enough guys, we don't need Edward ending up with anymore injuries, now do we? Anyways, you should be heading down to the training centre by now, the others are supposed to arrive by 10:30, you should be the first ones there." I like how she believes Edward would be the one with more injuries, it's true, but she's never really seen me fight before.
The clock reads 9:30, if we're not the first ones there, some people have serious overachieving problems. We go to the elevator, following Athena, who is going on and on about how we'd better represent our District well. Or something along those lines, Cato gives me an annoyed look which I return.
"Remember, show them who's boss," Enobaria remarks, as we enter the elevator. Athena presses one of the buttons and the door begins to close.
"No problem," but the huge metal doors cut off my words. We descend past the level we came in and go down a few more levels. Eventually the elevator screeches to a stop and the doors open. We saunter into the training centre, ignoring Athena's last words of lecture. Which lasted the whole elevator ride. Does she even have a filter? Or does she just say the first thing that comes to mind. I'd say the latter. I was right, we are the first ones to arrive. No overachievers here but us. I gaze around the place, it's pretty cool.
The trainers are standing near their stations, making sure everything is perfect. The room is dark, with fluorescent lights and red accents. The head trainer has a black and red uniform, and is waiting for everyone to arrive. On the balcony above, some game makers are watching with interest. Others are chatting and some have already started on the alcohol. I really need to work hard, to make them remember me. I need to stand out somehow. I know just how to do that and my eyes land on the knives station.
There's this beautiful wall covered in different knives. Every different style and sized knife is there, I need this for my room back home. I gaze at them with dreamy eyes, I can't wait to get my hands on those...to run my finger on the smooth blades. What can I say? I'm obsessed!
"Already in dreamland," Cato nudges me with his shoulder.
"Isn't that beautiful," I point to the wall of knives.
Cato laughs, "ya…if you call weapons used to kill innocent children beautiful."
I frown, "actually, I do." He just shakes his head again, but I do see his eyes flick to the line of swords. He such a hypocrite.
I know there are 3 days of training, 2 discluding the private sessions with the gamemakers. The session where you show them all you've got and they score you on a scale of 1-12 based on skill. 1 being horrible, 12 being extremely good. I wonder if anyone has ever gotten a 0 before.
Soon more tributes start coming by elevator. First District 1 joins us, Glimmer instantly trying to chat up Cato. Looks like she's trying to go with my mother's game plan. Too bad he's taken. Then District 4, we invite the girl over.
"Part of the alliance?" Cato asks her. She nods agreement.
"My name's Morgan," she tells us, "your's?" We all recite our names, before going over what our specialties are. I find out that Marvel is best with spears, but also good with swords. Glimmer likes the bow and arrow (which I doubt she can actually work). And Morgan says she practiced in hand to hand combat and axes. I don't tell them about my knives, I just tell them I'm pretty good at everything. Which I am, but I hope it makes it seem like I'm nothing special. Then I can blow them away even more when I get to my knives. I like surprising people. It's my thing.
Eventually the whole place is filled with tributes, it's interesting to see them up close. Like how Cato and Thresh are about the same size (at least Thresh didn't turn out to be bigger) and that the boy from 4 is even smaller than I thought. He cowers with the 12 year old from 11, I actually feel bad for her. I don't fancy killing a little girl, if I have to, I'll make it quick. Depending on my state of mind I guess. The last to arrive are District 12, sauntering in like best friends. Acting like they're on top of the world. The head trainer's speech interrupts my glaring.
"Welcome tributes, my name is Atala," her voice echos around the large room, "In two weeks 23 of you will be dead. One of you will be alive. Who that is depends on how well you pay attention over the next few days, particularly to what I'm about to say. First, no fighting with the other tributes. You'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. There are four compulsory exercises, and the rest will be individual training. My advice is, don't ignore the survival skills. Everybody wants to grab a sword, but most of you will die from natural causes. 10% from infection, 20% from dehydration. Exposure can kill as easily as a knife." Cato gives District 12 an arrogant look when she glances around, she quickly looks at the floor.
Then we're dismissed to go to our training. It is said that Atala can supposedly whip even the weakest tribute into shape. The weakest ones here are hoping thats true. I head to spears first, quickly excell there, then head to swords. Where I practice against the trainer, we spar for a while before I eventually beat him. I watch District 12 for a while, but they stay to the survival stations, how weak. I learn how to make a fire and the poisonous plants (yes, we had to learn that back home too.) I stand in line, waiting for a obstacle course, when I hear a commotion.
"Where's my knife!" Cato is shouting at the District 6 boy, his face is red. All the other tributes have stopped what they're doing to watch, Girl On Fire watches with her arms over her chest. Her and her boyfriend haven't left each other's sides all day. Almost like Glimmer, who is now attached to Cato like a leech. I wonder how long it will take Cato to start getting annoyed. He has quite a short temper and I really hope he takes it out on her.
"Where's my knife huh?" looks like he's taking it out on the boy instead.
"What?" 6 stutters.
Cato points angrily to the black block, "I put my knife right there."
"I don't know."
"Tell me where my knife is," Cato pushes the boy's shoulder, "tell me where my knife is!" He pushes the boy again, this time harder. The boy stumbles back. "Give it to me, you little punk," Cato moves towards the boy and continues repeating the same thing, while the boy tries to deny it. Eventually the peace keepers grab Cato and pull him back. Cato's face is twisted in anger, he doesn't like his things being stolen. It's a form of losing and he hates to lose.
"Right, I'll wait until the arena," he says as he's being pulled away, "you'll be the first one I get, so watch your back."
Finally everyone slowly gets back to their training, I complete the easy obstacle course. Before heading to the swords, where Cato is taking his anger out on the dummies. Fabric covered heads are rolling across the floor in accumulating numbers. However, Cato finishes with the swords, so he stalks over to the spears station. The tributes let him go first and he spears a dummy in the heart from 15 yards away. I catch District 12 watching him, good. They should know what they're up against.
Finally Cato decides to join me, "kill enough dummies?" At least Glimmer has had enough sense to stay away, I see her trying to use the bow and arrow, over Cato's shoulder. She hits the dummy in the arm, pathetic.
"Not nearly enough," he replies, "you haven't been to knives yet?"
"The big finale."
"After lunch?"
"After lunch," I agree. I can't wait to show off for the other tributes, time to make them all notice me. Cato has had his fun, now it's my turn. We head off to a separate room for lunch and I fill my plate with food. They have all the breads from the different Districts, I take the breads from my alliance. I try District 1's first and can't help but wonder if my dad liked this bread or not.
All the careers sit together. District 12 is sitting together chatting, and laughing. I wonder if it's real or fake. I guess if doesn't really matter, since they'll be dead by the end of the week. 2 more days of training, the interviews, then bam. The games. I can't wait to kill them in the bloodbath, then the stunt they pulled will be all for not. And they will only be remembered as the tributes from District 12, who had the audacity to outshine us.
"Should we ask Thresh?" I whisper to Cato, who has just taken his seat beside me. He looks at Thresh, who is eating alone.
Cato nods,"I'll go talk to him." He gets up and heads to the practically empty table. I can't hear what they are saying, but I watch their facial expression, well...Cato's. Thresh is quite good at keeping a straight face. Eventually Cato storms back to us, his eyes burning.
"What?" I ask, as he sits down.
"He said he'd rather die than join the careers."
"And?"
"I promised I would make that happen."
I grin, a malicious hungry grin, "and we always keep our promises." I proceed to glare around the table at our alliance, they all look down. Except Glimmer, I'm going to have to show her who she's messing with. She didn't accept our leadership, which means she is challenging me. I glare into her green eyes, I'll meet her challenge. She's either too dumb to look down from my glares, or she's stupid enough to try and lead us. Either way, she's an idiot. I can't wait to show her what she's up against.
I head straight to the knives after lunch, Cato follows and of course Glimmer trails behind him. She laughs when she seems me selecting my knifes, I pick a large one with a hooked blade and stand in front of the dummies. Glimmer is standing right beside Cato, their arms almost touching. District 12, who is standing in line, has turned to look. They won't know what hit them. It's a good time to be the girl who never misses.
"When the dummies light up you have to hit them in fatal areas with you knives, if you don't in 10 seconds you're considered "dead". Go ahead." I nod, like I didn't already know that, I've been preparing for this moment.
I hold my knives ready, leaving the curved one for last. The dummies start lighting up and I throw my knives, I twist and throw, twist and throw. I don't look to see if I hit the targets, I already know I have. Eventually there is only one dummy left, and all the others are either speared in the heart or the head. I turn to glare at Glimmer, who is staring at me with wide eyes. I glare straight into those emerald green eyes, before twisting towards the last dummy. I let the curved knife go without looking, it curves in the air before hooking around the dummy's neck and taking the head clean off. I think everyone knows what they're up against now.
"I thought you we're pretty good at everything?" wonders Marvel as I saunter by. So he really did believe I wasn't spectacular at anything. His mistake.
"I am."
A/N: Oh much cocky, such wow.
Doge you have to do that to me?
OOO wow OOO :)
Clove is scary, and Glimmer is stupid. Who ever came up with Glato needs to go climb a tree.
Why is Glato even in the movie? *pukes everywhere*
Anyways, thanks for putting up with me & my story.
BYEEEEEE BOOOOOOES