The spandex red and black ensemble I donned was uncomfortably tight, but, regardless, I walked back into the main room. Lulu waved me towards the door where Travis stood outside. I didn't see Andree, but it didn't matter. In less than 10 minutes I would be in the same room with kids of all ages and sizes that will try to kill me.

Travis, who was wearing his distractingly fitted (not that I was looking…) pants, and I were shoved into the elevator by Lulu, who looked like a babbling parrot as she walked away.

"So," I pressed the marble elevator button, and we whooshed up. "We should probably spend all of this evening talking to Andree about strategy." I steadied myself so I wouldn't fall on the speedy, swaying floor of the elevator. "Yeah, that'd be good. I really wanna hear more about how she won." Travis held onto the gold metal bar lining the wall.

I grasped it for balance, too, and said, "Yeah. Hey, you know, I forgot to ask you something."

He looked into my eyes and the elevator dinged and clicked open. We were on the 15th floor. We walked out, side-by-side, and he said, "Anything."

I decided then I wasn't going to be my typical guile self during that "investigation". I flat-out asked, "What are your strengths, Travis?" I pulled him over by his forearm right in front of the Center doors. He shrugged nonchalantly, but he let me hold his arm in my feeble, shaking hands.

"I don't have any, Marissa." I dropped his arm and rolled my eyes dramatically. "No way. You've got to have something!" I paced in front of the silver, modern doors. "Nope. Nothing. Nothing like you, anyways." He stuck his hands in the slim pockets of his pants.

"Just tell me," I demanded fiercely. "I would, but I'm not good at anything. Except basketball. Does basketball count?" He gave me a sarcastic but kind of somber frown. I raised my eyebrows. Was basketball, the antediluvian sport of men, really all that he was good at? I dug deeper. "Basketball involves running. Speed is important. Are you a fast runner?" I stopped pacing a stood still a foot or two away from him. "Just because I play basketball doesn't mean I run well," He insisted.

While I was wondering why I even cared, the elevator dinged perkily once more. Out stepped the coal kids, this time dressed in identical suits as us. I quickly opened the door before they could see me. I assumed Travis followed me. There was a big, dark room and around it were stations filled with weapons and skills of all sorts. I gasped in awe.

Travis, who stood behind me, walked forward. A group of red-and-black clad tributes was gathered around a tall, muscular woman, who yelled, "File in! Are you the last ones?" I had no time to reply before 12 waltzed in. We clumped up in a group, and the woman boomed, "Settle. I am Atala. Today is Training and as you can see…" I zoned out, and I looked at my adversaries. A little girl, 12 maybe, with black curly hair in pigtails stood beside me. I thought of how easy it would be to slide my hands up her throat and…

Whoa! I shook myself out of it. How could I kill her? How could I kill any of these seemingly normal teenage kids? The answer was simple: defense. These people won't be normal teenage kids in the arena. They'll be bloodthirsty monsters.

Atala must've dismissed us to train during my mental tirade because the kids scattered like ants drawn to a picnic. It looked like sword throwing was immensely popular. I started off walking casually around, sizing up everyone's abilities. A gorgeously tall blonde, who I marked as a Career, missed her target in archery by several feet. Geesh, I thought. If this is my competition, I have a fine chance.

After looking at the other tributes and mentally scoring them in my head, I sauntered over to Travis. He was tying knots beside of the girl from 12. I didn't see the boy with her. He looked up at me for a moment, but then he continued binding an intricate tie out of two strands of thin rope. I walked on. Then I saw it: a huge machine with words across the top. Test your plant knowledge. Edible or not edible?

I yelped inside. Perfect! I know all about edible plants; we learned it last month in biology class. I hold information like a sponge, so I clicked yes on the keypad and the screen brightened. I clicked the column of plants and fruits I knew were safe to eat. Leeks, nettles, different types of berries like blue and goose. Man, this was easy! Then, I zoomed by the portion of non-edible plants and fruits. Moonseed, mayapple, nightlock. I passed the test with all correct.

I watched out of my peripheral vision as 12 girl walked past me questioningly. She saw me whiz past this test. Oh, well. All the better for them to see my skills before the contest.

I then did the next stations in order: snare setting, fire starting, camouflage, and the ropes course. Camouflage is not my strongest, but I did well with the snares and fire. The ropes course was adequately easy, but I could see that little girl with the black pigtails darting from rope to rope with immense speed.

After I completed the ropes, I walked over to the Gauntlet, which is practically an oversized obstacle course. This monstrous Career boy was running through the swinging bolas like a madman. I saw a small, weasel-like Career girl with brown hair simpering towards the boy. At least it's not only me.

Then, as it was my turn next to run the dreaded Gauntlet, Atala bellowed, "To the middle!" I looked around for Travis, but he was talking to some girl who was at the trident station. Her sleeve said District 4. I know Travis is attractive or whatever, but he's no Career god. I walked to the center of the room and subconsciously stood by coal girl. "Day 1 of Training is complete," Atala paced in front of the group of kids in front of her. "You are dismissed. See you tomorrow."

I met up with Travis outside the elevator. I couldn't help but think that we were on a team. Turns out that we weren't.

The next two days flew by. Andree, Travis, and I discussed hearty procedures of what to do and when to do it. She won how I would like to, being stealthy and evasive. We trained again the next day, and the day after that. I gained a lot of knowledge by simply watching the other tributes. I thought I was ready. I thought I might just win.

The third and final Training day finally arrived. My plan then was to be as forgettable and invisible as possible. I didn't do anything I excelled at. I practiced camouflage and knife throwing, which I was mediocre at at best. We were escorted into a large room after Training on the third day.

"Children," Atala gave a disgusted sneer. "The Gamemakers are ready for you." She pointed to the large, modern double doors and I winced. I would be tenth to go, since females went first. "District 1 female, Glimmer." Atala opened the door, and the blonde who missed her mark in archery stood up. She really was beautiful. I hoped she wasn't going to show the Gamemakers archery.

Actually, I hoped she did.

The next few hours seemed like an eternity. I didn't speak or even move. But I thought. I thought and thought about all things, until Atala called out, "District 5 female, Marissa." I stood up and I knew what I was going to do. I didn't want to get an above average score; then I would be targeted. I didn't want to get below average; then I would be targeted. I decided it would be best to appear average and ordinary, so I was determined to get in the four through six range.

I knew what I was going to do when I stepped through the doors. The Gamemakers, including Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane, were sitting attentively drinking a dark liquid which I presumed was wine. I nodded to them and walked to the knives. I threw five of them from fifteen yards. I hit two on target, but the other three missed the board completely. Some of them giggled in spite; some sat blasé.

Then, I walked over to a replica of the edible plant test that was in the Center. The answers were randomized, but I still flew through it. They seemed more impressed by this. Then, for my last attempt, I walked to the ropes course.

I grabbed ahold of the first rope like I had before. I am an average climber, so I thought being bad at one thing, good at one, and mediocre at one would guarantee me an average score. I swung through the ropes like a monkey-sloth hybrid, going incredibly fast through the balance portion but slow through the part with the ropes you must swing across with no net.

After I was finished with the course, I walked sheepishly in front of the Gamemakers' stage. Some nodded; some sat nonchalant, just waiting to go home. Seneca was scrawling down notes, then he looked up. "You're dismissed," He said coolly. I walked with my head held high into the door opposite of the one I went in, feeling confident in my run-of-the-mill score.

I sat down in my room, dressed in a casual white tee and dark brown pants. I pulled my now messy hair into a bun and I flopped back onto the plush bed. I bet Travis No-Skill was going now, either embarrassing himself in front of the Gamemakers, or being average as I so-very-cleverly was. Anyways, I ordered myself a large portion of gingersnap and berry custard with a roll from the automated system. I ate until I heard a familiar rap on my door.

Before I could get up, Lulu burst in my room and piped, "How'd you do, Mary? Come in the living space! Travis is back!" She skittered away like an excited squirrel. I rolled my eyes and ate the last bite of custard before I walked into the main room. Travis, who had changed into jeans and a jacket, was sitting with a tired Andree and a perky Lulu at the table. If only their energy levels were balanced…

"How was it, huh? How'd you do?" Lulu was sitting in her chair, bouncing up and down while spilling her glass of wine. "Fine, I suppose," I said as I sat down to a warm mug of coffee. Coffee, like home, where Momma would've told me I can't have any. That was only a few days ago, but it seemed like forever. Travis nodded in accordance. "Yeah, fine."

"Well, scores are coming on soon." Lulu pointed to the modern-looking clock and replied to herself. "In a few minutes, I think." "Did you have any certain strategy?" Andree sipped her mug of either coffee or hot cocoa. "No," Travis said. "I started with knives. Then I ran the Gauntlet, and then I did hand-to-hand combat." He looked gratified, so I had to interrupt. "Yeah, me too. I kind of just ran around doing the stations I did best at the past few days." I sipped the coffee that tasted so much like home.

The TV flipped on and I turned my chair so that I could see the huge screen on the opposite wall. "Hello, everyone." A man with crazy blonde hair and a striped suit sat beside a man who I knew to be Caesar Flickerman. "I am Claudius Templesmith. Welcome to our first installment of the 74th Annual Hunger Games Training!" "Haha, yes, Claudius. I am Caesar Flickerman, prime interviewer for the tributes. And I do mean prime." He winked and I wanted to giggle, but I couldn't. Lulu decided to laugh out loud.

Caesar was appealing in an odd way to me. He seemed funny and nice enough to the tributes each year, but he was still a rogue Capitol citizen. I decided I couldn't like him. For Dad and Trex, I couldn't. Claudius countinued, "The tributes have been working hard to train and gain for the past few days. Just a couple of hours ago, all of the tributes finished presenting themselves and their talents to the Gamemakers. Seneca and his crew have been deciding on scores one through twelve to give to them, one being impossibly bad and twelve being unattainably high." Caesar leaned toward the camera. "You all know I am a twelve!" He winked again.

Claudius rolled his eyes and smiled. "Well, shall we get on with it, pal?" "My pleasure, pal." Caesar took the papers from Claudius's hand and he sighed melodramatically. Caesar smiled and started reading. "So, first, we have our beautiful District 1 tribute, Glimmer!" A picture of that gorgeous blonde girl flashed upon the screen. "She got a glimmering score of… nine!" A nine rolled across her face. "Also, from 1, is Marvel!" A good-looking teenager with brown hair popped up. "He got a marvelous score of… nine!"

The monster-boy, Cato, and the weasel-y girl, Clove, from District 2 got tens, unsurprising for Careers. 3 and 4 had average scores, but the boy from 4 had an eight. Then, my picture made its way upon the screen. "Marissa Finch from 5 got a score of… five!" Lulu and Andree did a little half-cheer, and Travis told me good job. I did it. My mediocre score made me seem terrible compared to the Careers. "Next up is our District 5 male, Travis Oakland, who got a score of… seven!" Then, the two ladies did cheer. I congratulated him as well.

6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 had average scores of three to nine. Then, the little girl who stood beside me at the Center popped up. "From 11, here is little Rue." She was so cute and small. I expected for her to get a two. "Rue here got a score that will make the other tributes rue the day!" The name jokes continued. Caesar laughed. "She got an amazing score for her size… a seven!"

The boy, a huge-looking monster from 11, got a ten. "Last but definitely not least, we have our highest score this year from District 12." Claudius gasped. Caesar continued, "Katniss Everdeen from 12 got a ravishing score of… eleven!" I gasped. Coal girl got an eleven. I was instantly jealous and I wondered how. "And also last but not least is Peeta Mellark. Peeta got a malarkey score of… eight!"

"Caesar, a score of eight isn't malarkey!" Claudius said in attempt of banter. "Yes, I know, but his last name is Mellark. He had it coming." Caesar grinned. "Well, see you tomorrow with the tributes for their interviews." Claudius smiled. "I'll be there, Claudius. Thank you, tributes, and see you tomorrow! Good night everyone!" Caesar signed off.

The room was silent when the TV turned off until I turned to talk to Travis. "You got an eight. What did you do?" "I told you," He said. "I threw knives, ran the Gauntlet, and fought combat." I stood up. "You did something else. Or you did something really well. I don't know which one, but I will find out!" He stood up to face me. "Why does it matter if I got a higher score than you? I won't win anyways!" He stormed off down the hall to his room. That deflated balloon feeling returned. "You okay, dear?" Lulu, in all of her pink glory, walked over and hugged me firmly. "It doesn't matter what he can do. You both have a good chance." Andree stood up and patted my shoulder like Momma would.

"I know. Thank you." I liked them. Lulu, a spoiled Capitol girl who has everything she wants and who is ignorant about the others who don't, became likable. Andree had always been likable to me because she was real. A real victor who struggled and survived. I hugged them and walked to my room. "Interview prep tomorrow?" I held the corner of the hallway entrance.

"Yes, dear."

"Yeah."

I nodded and smiled tentatively. Even though the murderous Capitol, who is undeniably evil, is terrible, my home in this tribute skyscraper was becoming comfortable. Too bad it wouldn't last that much longer.