She sucks in a deep breath, taking a few steps back and gripping the bow tighter in her hands.
He looks from her to her hands and then to the arrow lodged dead center in the dummy across the room.
She'd been caught red-handed and there was nothing she could do about it.
How could she lie about what he'd just so clearly seen? Instead she calmly set the bow back into its rightful spot in the racks and looked him in the eyes. He was watching her curiously and with no form of maliciousness.
The District 2 boy-Cato was his name, knew her secret. Maybe that wasn't so bad considering he wouldn't run off and tell the Careers about it. Not when they left him. All she really had to worry about was him and how he would use this against her.
So she stood there, patient and even the slightest bit confident. She quirked an eyebrow and waited for him to threaten her, to do anything but stand there and watch her so intently.
Finally she gave up with patients. She grew self-conscious with his eyes examining every aspect of her.
"What?" She snaps, gauging his reaction and seeing if there was anything that gave what he was thinking away.
He shrugs, "all I said was that it was impressive."
"Shooting a bow is not all that impressive." She huffs, attempting to make herself seem smaller. That was her angle wasn't it? To be the one nobody paid any attention to and then to show them what she was made of when she was in the actual games. Assuming she made it past the first day, of course.
He gives her a small smile, "District 12, right?"
"Yes." She says slowly.
And then he turns on his heel and walks from the Training Center as though he hasn't just discovered that she may actually pose a threat.
The next morning Katniss reluctantly gets out of bed with the pesky reminder from Effie Trinket that today's the last day of training.
Breakfast is a quick affair and Katniss wondered briefly if she should tell the others about her encounter last night. She decides against it when Peeta mentions some strategy ideas to Haymitch and the two discuss it avidly, but more so secretly.
Most of the morning is spent at the edible plants station. The trainer there realizes she knows more than the average Tribute and gives her the more complicated stuff.
Her eyes fly to the door every time it opens. The 6 Careers come in at once, laughing loudly and talking hurriedly.
Cato roles in about half an hour after they do. He spots her and watches her for a moment which Katniss doesn't bother to reciprocate. The second she sees him her eyes dart away and return to the plants.
She's relieved when he ventures over to the spears and leaves her alone. Still, throughout the morning she's glancing over making sure he stays in that spot.
It's nearing noon and people begin to slow down in anticipation of lunch. Katniss looks around for Peeta as she thanks the trainer and begins to walk towards the lunch room.
The Training Center quickly empties and she concludes that Peeta must already be in the lunch room. She looks to the archery station regretfully but quickly snaps out of it when she runs into Cato.
She doesn't bother apologizing, realizing that he must have waited for her.
"Come on Firegirl."
He takes her suddenly by the wrist and begins to lead her towards the station she just looked at.
She manages to break his hold on her but continues to follow him, though she's not entirely sure why.
There are Peacekeepers on the other side of the room who watch them curiously. Other than that they are completely alone.
He takes the same bow she used last night and an arrow, pushing both into her arms.
"Shoot."
"Last night was a fluke, you know? Beginners luck."
"Bullshit."
She presses her lips together in frustration and thinks of a way out of this.
She moves to put the arrow and the bow back, "I want to get something to eat before the others get everything."
Just as she's about to put the bow back, his hand suddenly shoots out and presses it further into her arms.
"Let me put it this way then. Shoot now for me, or I go ahead and let everybody know when they get back from lunch."
"Why would they care?"
He smirks, "it's the Hunger Games. Everybody is looking for an edge."
She knows he's right and it makes her blood boil.
Her eyes glance back to the exit for the lunch room and then back to him.
"Fine." She grumbles, angry and exasperated by his request. Why would he make her do this anyway?
She notches the arrow and pulls back. She releases the arrow and purposely has its fall to the feet of the target.
Cato shakes his head beside her. "No, do it right." He says, handing her a new arrow.
"That was an honest attempt."
"Just do it." He snaps, an edge in his voice that shows his own annoyance.
Tired of this game she finally gives up and shoots her next arrow directly into the center of the dummy. Without looking to him she knows he wears a smug grin on his face.
She sets the bow back and retrieves the arrows. She puts the arrows away and waits for him to say something, all she really wants know is why he had her do this. She's not really sure what she expected but certainly not the words that come out of his mouth. "So how about an alliance?"
She sputters around and struggles to find her words. When she finally does she can't keep the hysteric out of her voice. "What?"
"An alliance. Between you and I. We would separate when we got to the final 8 and give each other a day's start before we considered each other enemies."
"Absolutely not!" She hisses. She can see it now, District 12 disowning her for her alliance with the boy who wouldn't sit around and try to outlast the others. He's going to want to hunt the others like dogs.
"Oh come on, you do want to get back to your sister don't you?"
She pauses and sucks in a breath at the thought of Prim. Would her sister hate her for this? And what if she managed to win the Games, wouldn't that justify it all? He smiles at her silence, finding her weakness and further using it.
"Come on 12, you know you don't stand a chance by yourself. And even if there's a bow at the Cornucopia, could you get it? Glimmer's going to go straight for it."
He's attacking some of her biggest fears going into the Games. Unraveling her original plans and pointing out the obvious that she had struggled to come to terms with.
"Well?"
"Let me think about it." She cracks, already struggling to say no. She just needed somebody's reassurance. Somebody to tell her that this wouldn't be the worst mistake of her life.
He shrugs, heading into the lunch room and calling back over his shoulder. "Have your mentor let Brutus know your answer."
She scrunches her eyes up and massages her temples briefly. She had to talk to Haymitch.
She waited for the right moment to talk to him but every time she thought of bringing it up something else would distract him.
It wasn't until after dinner that the others began to spread out. Haymitch was gone before she could even come up with the words to start a conversation with him.
"You okay?" Cinna asks her from the couch.
She slowly sits down beside him and can't help but wonder why she didn't talk to him to begin with. He may be from the Capitol but he was truly becoming one of her friends.
"Can I talk to you about something?"
"Of course."
She fiddles with her thumbs before falling back into the leather couch. "You know the District 2 boy? Cato?"
"Yes." He answers uncertainly, probably confused why she was bringing him up.
"He said he wanted us to be allies."
She saw the brief shock filter across his face before he asked, "and what did you say?"
"I told him I had to think about it."
"And have you?"
"Yes."
"What would your answer be?"
She digs her fingers into her palms and lets out a sigh. "I need to get home to Prim and maybe he can get me further then I could on my own."
"The Careers will want to go after him. If you're his ally then you'll have to worry about them."
She shrugs, having already thought of this. "I would be worried about them anyway."
He watches her for a minute before slowly responding. "I think you should."
"Really?" She asks quickly, having not really expected anybody to approve of this.
"Yes." He takes her hand and waits until she looks him in the eye. "I've come to consider you a friend and I only want what's in your best interest. Can you believe it?"
She nods.
"Then I think you should tell him yes. You should also leave before there's only a handful of you left."
"He said we would separate when there was only 8 left."
"Perfect. Now how about we go talk to Haymitch?"
To her shock, Haymitch doesn't bite her head off when she explains it to him. In fact, for the first time since she met him, he actually seems pleased with her.
"Well I guess it isn't the worst idea in the world. But why would he want to be your ally?"
"He caught me practicing with a bow."
Whatever approval he had for her slipped away at that moment. "How many times have I told you not to practice with that bow?"
"Well I didn't think anybody was around."
He grumbles something but gives up on speaking to her. He takes a sip of something from his flask. "I think Brutus is his mentor. I guess I'll go give him the good news."
She watches him leave and hopes Prim can forgive her.