Updated as of June 12th, 2021.

Heya evera body~ :D

Here is Chapter 8 of...I Volunteer as Tribute!

ONTO THE STORY!

Disclaimer: I do not, and will not, own The Hunger Games. Only the characters I create in this story are mine. :D

FLASHBACK TO LAST CHAPTER

With a bow, he exited. Some incomprehensible programming played faintly on the screen in front of me, but it was getting too blurry to see. My eyelids began drooping and I yawned, stretching out before lying back down on the couch. Tomorrow would be the first day of training, and the first day all the tributes would be brought together to show each other how deadly they were with a certain weapon, or more likely, how useless they were at anything to do with survival or fighting.

Only a few more days left until the Games.

A choked gasp ripped from my throat as I jerked awake, tears blurring my vision. Sobs wracked my body as I struggled to sit upright, disoriented and confused as I pushed the covers off of me. Gripping my hair, I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on the pain in my scalp to bring me back to reality. I could still hear the jeers of those men ringing in my ears, broken bottles and alleyway trash cutting at my skin.

"Never again," I murmured, my breathing calming. They'll never get me again.

Shaking my head, I re-opened my eyes, spotting my closet across the room in confusion. Looking down, I ran my fingers along the blankets bunched around my legs. When did I come back to my room? Movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention to the doorway, Emery leaning against its frame. My blood ran cold as I realized he must have seen everything.

"Breakfast is almost ready," he said, his grey eyes never leaving my tense form. Why was he telling me and not Effie?

"Good to know," I said, unsure of what else to say. He pushed himself away from the doorframe, the skin tightening ever so slightly around his eyes. There was something familiar in that look, but he turned away before I could think of it.

"Don't be late," he said, the door closing behind him.

I sat there, staring at the door in contemplation for a moment. What exactly was his angle? One moment he defends me from those camera people, the next he storms out of a room. Sometimes he had this sense of orneriness about him that reminded me of Luke when he would play tricks on Lily. Other times, it was like he retreated into himself, letting a colder, meaner side out. Maybe the District 2 tributes weren't the only ones I had to worry about. Maybe the real threat was sleeping in the room next to mine.

With that in mind, I got out of the bed, still wondering how I got there in the first place, and went to the bathroom to take another shower. Today was the beginning of training, and my stomach twisted into knots of nervousness the more I thought about it. I wasn't strong like the other tributes. Hell, that boy from 11 could probably fight me and win.

Yeah, right, a voice scoffed in my head. There's no way you would ever let that happen.

As the water cascaded from overhead, I absentmindedly trailed my fingers along my scars. The odds had never been in my favor, not really. However, I had proved time and time again that the odds chose the wrong person to stack up against.

Rubbing my hands over my face, I headed back into my room, stopping when I saw clothes neatly folded on the bed. I assumed it was my training outfit for the day and strode over to it, unfolding it and holding it up. The top was black and red and felt kind of sleek to the touch, and the black leggings fit like a dream. The material felt similar to my bodysuit from the night before, so I wouldn't have to worry about any surprise ripping while I trained.

Everything was quiet as I moved down the hallway, as if I were the only one on the floor. The dining table was void of people, leaving only the buffet of food meant for my breakfast. I shrugged. At least now I would dine in comfort. I never did enjoy eating in front of other people. But really, if I were actually running late or anything, they would send at least one person to tell me. Wouldn't they? I hadn't messed up that badly yesterday, right? A feeling of uneasiness filled me, so I scarfed down my food quickly, just in case.

Just as I finished my last bite, the front door opened and in walked Portia. My brow furrowed in confusion as I looked over at her. Why she was here? She smiled pleasantly towards me, coming to a stop a few feet away from the table.

"Good morning, Laurel," she said in her lilting Capitol accent, watching me expectantly.

"Uh, good morning, Portia. What are you doing here?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"Haymitch had a meeting to attend to and he asked me to escort Emery and you to the Training Room this morning. Speaking of which, where is he?" She turned and searched the room as if he would magically materialize from the walls.

"I don't know. When I woke up this morning he was here, but after I got ready and came out of my room the floor was empty," I said, shrugging. She pursed her lips, placing a fingertip against them as she thought.

After a couple minutes of her pondering, she sighed, shaking her head. "Well, I suppose we'll have to leave without him for now. I'm sure he'll be able to find his way if he hasn't already. Come on, Laurel. Let's go."

As we stepped into the elevator, I couldn't help but have my mind wander. Where was Emery? Was it possible that he was going to skip the first day or something? Were we even allowed to do that? It didn't seem like something he would do, but who was I to think that? I barely knew the guy, right?

"Laurel, there's something specific Haymitch wanted me to tell you," Portia announced, placing her hand on my arm to get my attention. Once I made eye-contact with her, she continued. "There's going to be a lot of weapons stations down there, and he knows you'll want to go to them as soon as you see them. But you can't. Don't show off any of your fighting skills in front of the other tributes. Instead, he wants you to focus on the survival aspects of training. Maybe some snares or fires or something. The higher district tributes will most likely try to goad you into fighting them, but don't fall for the bait. It will just give them an edge over you."

"I'll try my best, Portia," I said, but the words were hollow. She smiled in relief, retracting her hand from my arm but not turning away from me.

"You'll be able to show your stuff during your private session with the Gamemakers, so don't worry," she said, but I had already retreated back into my own head.

The rest of the ride was uneventful, neither of us speaking until the doors opened. I began walking out, but paused when I realized that Portia wasn't beside me. Turning back around, I found that she was still standing in the elevator, her body language not showing any intention of leaving it.

"Aren't you coming?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No, I'm only allowed to go with you to this point," she explained, sending me a reassuring smile.

"If I see Emery, I'll send him down. Oh, and one last thing. When you do see Emery, Haymitch wants you to stick by him at all times. No arguing. And please, remember what I said, Laurel," she said, her face solemn as the elevator doors shut again, cutting off our conversation and leaving me, once again, alone.

I bit my lip, torn about how to feel about her words. How was I supposed to remain unattached if I had to stick by the boy at all times? Sighing, I decided to think about it some other time and let it go.

Turning around, I took in the large double doors that led to the training rooms. If I was lucky, I would be able to blend into the wallpaper and go by unnoticed by the other tributes.

Yeah, but when have I ever been lucky? I sneered in my head, moving forward before I lost my nerve and slipping inside the doors.

It appeared as though I was early for once in my life. Only four or five other tributes were in here, and surprisingly none of them were Careers. They must be lazy this year, or so cocky they think they don't need to train. Either way, I was glad I wouldn't have to deal with them for at least a little while.

"Ahh, District 12! Come over here and wait with the other tributes. My assistant here will pin your district number on your back," a giant of a woman called to me, motioning me to come closer as who I assumed to be her assistant stepped forward with my number. The assistant smiled at me before forcefully turning me so that my back was to him. My fists tightened and my body went rigid as he pinned the number on my back, but I didn't show any of my anger or discomfort on my face. I had to play tough. It was a dominance thing.

His hands lingered on my back, and I had to fight against the chill going down my spine at the uncomfortable feeling it gave me. Just as I took a step forward to put some distance between us, I felt the ghosting of a grab on my rear. I clenched my jaw, eyes widening as my anger level skyrocketed to heights it hadn't been in a long time. Whipping around, I startled the disgusting pervert into jerking his hands away, but that wasn't enough. With rage fueling my decisions, I wound my arm up and struck him in the gut.

"Don't you ever touch me like that again, or next time, I'm going to do a lot more than punch you," I murmured, watching in distain as he doubled over in pain. The tall woman glanced our way, fury coloring her features as she took in the situation.

"Sinius! Get your ass over here and stay put," she commanded, focusing her rage solely on him. He nodded shakily, darting back to his position as quickly as his legs would take him. Once he got in place, she turned to me, an approving smile on her face.

"Alright. Now, go over and stand by the other tributes, 12," she said, gesturing to where the others stood in a loose semi-circle.

I came to stand in between the District 9 girl and the little boy from 7, who stared at the ground mournfully as his sister stood at the opposite end of the little line we had going on, selling the heartless look easily. It was hard to believe she was the same devastated girl that broke down when her brother was picked at the Reaping.

The District 3 girl kept glancing my way, averting her gaze almost instantly only to bring it back again, like she wanted to say something but couldn't. Her male counterpart stared somberly into the distance; his shoulders slumped like he had already accepted he wasn't going to win. Kids with his kind of mindset always died in the Bloodbath. Always.

I walked up to the Amazon silently, causing her to jump when she looked up from her holopad to find me standing in front of her. She smiled kindly and looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to speak.

"Since you've probably been doing this for years, do you know what time most of the other tributes will roll in at?" I asked, trying to calculate how much time we would have to wait, twiddling our thumbs. She chuckled and tapped an odd metallic arm band she had on, causing the small gold bracelet next to it to jingle slightly. I blinked when a little green hologram-type thing appeared, a timer blinking in it.

"Well, since most usually don't come in until the designated time, I'd say in about an hour, or maybe an hour and a half," she said, tilting her head as she guesstimated. Designated time? What was going on? Why hadn't anyone told me anything?

"Why do you ask, 12?"

Oh. Why did I ask?

I thought quickly. "Well," I said, deciding to choose my wording carefully, "Would it be alright if we, as in the other tributes here and myself, were given a little showing of the stations right now as we wait for the other competitors to arrive?" Her eyebrows shot up and she gave me an incredulous look. Before she could say anything, I continued on.

"Look, it's not like we'll last long in the Games anyway. What's an hour compared to the lifetime of training the higher districts have had?" I said, playing the wimp card even though it tasted like bile on my tongue.

"Oh," she said, a look of realization dawning in her eyes. She put a hand to her chin, a thoughtful look on her face. "I've never thought of it that way before...Well, I don't believe there's anything in the rules against it..."

I stood in front of her patiently, watching her face for any signs of rejection. It would be nice to do something productive with what little time I may have left. Wait, why would Portia lead me down here so early as if I were late? Nothing made sense and it stressed me out.

"Alright! Listen up, tributes!" The woman called out suddenly, commanding the other tributes who hadn't been watching our exchange to attention. "Seeing as though there is approximately an extra hour before the other tributes will arrive, I have decided to let all of you go to one of our training stations we have to offer and train for a short period of time. Each station has its own personal trainer to provide one-on-one learning with if you have any questions. Now, go!"

"I didn't mean getting to train early, only that we could be shown what-" I started babbling, but she raised her hand to silence me.

"Don't push it, 12," she said, giving me a look before turning her attention back to her holopad.

Nodding, I turned away from her, watching as the other tributes took in the announcement. The District 3 girl looked at me, a knowing smile on her face as she grabbed her partner by the arm and led him to the knot-tying station. The boy from 7 looked at his sister, his eyes asking if she wanted to go somewhere with him. She sneered and marched towards the weapons corner, grabbing an ax almost immediately on arrival. The little boy looked down at his shoes and shuffled down to the fire-starter station, which wasn't too far from the weapons area. The girl from 9 looked like she had no clue what to do with herself, her one good eye wide as she glanced around the room.

"Thank you," I said to the giant woman. She tilted her head towards me in acknowledgement.

"You can call me Coach Atala. Just remember that as soon as I hear an elevator door open, all of you have to halt your activities and come back over here. Are we clear?" Coach Atala asked, giving me a look that told me I should agree or else.

"Crystal."

"Alright. Now, go train, since you wanted to so badly. I have things I have to attend to. Sinius?" She said, causing her assistant to practically leap forward.

"Yes, Ms. Luvian?" He answered in a squeaky voice, subsequently causing me to put a hand over my mouth to hide my smile.

"You are in charge until I get back," she said, and then taking a step closer she added, "And if I hear that you so much as touched one of these tributes, I will personally see to it that you will never be able to use your hands ever again," Coach Atala threatened, punctuating her words with a sweet smile. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, the way his knees knocked showing that he understood the implications. She nodded once more to me before departing, casting a warning glance at Sinius over her shoulder just as the door shut behind her.

Not wanting to linger near Sinius for long, I headed for the stations, not really having one in particular I wanted to train at. The District 3 tributes were surprisingly good at tying knots of varying skill levels, even though the boy still didn't look like he had any will to do anything. The girl from 7 was missing horribly whenever she tried throwing the ax, always hitting at least a foot to the left of her intended target. She got so frustrated she just started hacking at them in close quarters, unknowingly tipping me off to her vicious behavior and what she would do when frustrated. Her brother didn't even pay attention to the fire he was supposed to be starting. He simply sat there and stared at her from afar. Poor kid.

I decided it would be best not to work with weapons, especially since I was told not to, so I headed over to the edible plants station, much to the trainer's delight. She began avidly talking about what plants soothed pain and what caused a rashes, and I didn't have the heart to tell her it was stuff I already knew. The test she gave me was, sadly, way too easy, and she appeared genuinely impressed with my knowledge. When asked where I learned everything, I just smiled and told her from my best friend's mother. She nodded, buying the explanation. I'm sure I could have said anything and she would have nodded.

When finished, I asked her how long I had been there, and she told me only fifteen minutes. I sighed, thanked her for her time, and left. At least I knew my botanical knowledge wasn't slipping. Examining the leftover stations, I felt a pull to go to the archery area, or at least to the knives. But I knew I couldn't. I'd have to wait until my private session. Which didn't make sense not to practice before, and the bows looked beautifully crafted…

Gritting my teeth, I headed over to the knot-tying area, determined to learn something new. The trainer there looked even more thrilled that I came over than the other one. The District 3 tributes watched me curiously as I sat down with a piece of rope, showing the trainer what I knew so he could show me something I didn't. Even though Gale hadn't liked me much when I tagged along for hunting trips, he did show me how to make snares and knots rather decently if I were to admit.

"Damn. You're good at that," the District 3 girl said, staring at the knot I had weaved without knowing it. It was Gale's signature.

"No, I was just taught well," I replied, forcing a cold tone. I couldn't afford to be nice to everyone if I wanted to survive.

"Psh, whatever. It doesn't matter how well you teach someone, they have to at least have a little skill to be any good at it. That's what my mom always told me," she said with a scoff, looking down at the rope in her hands.

"My name's Klew, Klew Blackthorne. It's nice to officially meet you, 'Girl of Flames'." She gave a lopsided grin, holding out her hand to shake mine. I returned the gesture and we shook, but that didn't mean I wasn't freaked out about this. Why was she telling me her name? We shouldn't even be talking to each other. Soon enough we might be at each other's throats, our only thoughts being, 'Kill or be killed.'

"Where did you hear that name?" I asked her, undoing my knot without looking at it.

"With that wild entrance you made, everyone else was blown out of the water. Everybody's talking about it. I'm surprised you haven't heard it before considering you are the one everyone seems captivated by," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm not here to impress people," I said, asking the trainer for more tips on a difficult snare.

She smiled, turning to face me fully. "But you have, and that's the point!" Klew said quietly, her eyes trained earnestly on mine.

A shrill ringing suddenly filled the air, its source being a whistle that Sinius the Pervert was blowing.

"Alright, everyone get over here and stand as you were! The other tributes should be arriving in a moment!" He said, somehow managing a somewhat commanding tone even as his hands shook.

"It's that time already? Crap!" Klew huffed, handing her untouched piece of rope back to the trainer and stomping back over to the waiting area. Her partner looked around him as if in a daze and saw that she was gone, to which he responded with a sigh of relief. Rolling my eyes, I gripped him by his arm and hauled him up, completely catching him off-guard and causing him to freak.

"Don't hurt me!" He said, ducking his head and wincing.

"Hey, calm down. We just have to go and stand over there, alright? The other tributes are coming," I said, speaking softly as to calm him.

"O-Okay." He nodded, allowing me to take him over to where we were supposed to go.

I let him go next to Klew, whose eyebrows rose at the sight but didn't comment. We all looked like we had just gotten here, and that was exactly what we were going for. The other tributes looked a little scared as we all waited in tense silence, knowing that soon the real killers of these Games would be here any second. I stood up straight, my shoulders back and my chin raised defiantly as I waited.

I would not be intimidated.

A/N: Question I have for you guys: How do you like the new characters, like Klew and Sinius? Or how well do you think I portrayed Atala? And what about the nickname Laurel has, Girl of Flames? If any of you have read my Beta profile you'd know I'm terrible at coming up with names. It took forever to think of Klew's.

Shout-outs this time are: Lovely Lexie and TheLittlePervert! Thank you for sticking with me Lexie, and welcome to the party, Pervert! Every party needs a pervert, right? Well, maybe not birthday parties. That'd be weird. Forget I said anything.

And to the lovely Silent Watchers out there, thank you for following and favoriting my story :)

Sorry I threw the cookies (/-\)

See you next update!