Katniss

Glimmer and I walk into the cafeteria, which to point was fairly silent, the only noise came from the Careers. However with our entrance, they too suddenly stopped with their gloating. Everybody had seen the spectacle we'd made when we'd been dragged out of the bathrooms.

Suddenly self-conscious, I make my way to the food line without a word.

It takes her a minute, but suddenly Glimmer's behind me. Together we load our trays with food and make our way to the empty table.

I began to eat quietly, my eyes slowly moving over to Peeta who watches us curiously. At least he's curious unlike the Careers who stare at us with a morbid fascination. Although the District Two boy isn't so much as fascinated as he is ready to jump across the room and kill me right here.

However, eventually he stops with the constant glaring and resumes bragging about himself to the others. Either way the message is clear, Glimmer is no longer welcome to them.

Somehow, I know this means she will want me as an ally now. I doubt she is willing to go into the arena alone.

I begin to eat my food without much thought, this makes me feel guilty for a moment considering this is the only part that most outlying District Tributes enjoy about the Hunger Games. If there's anything to enjoy about being a Tribute.

"So," Glimmer begins, "we don't have much choice now. You might as well tell me what you can do."

I stare at her out the corner of my eyes, reluctant to give away my greatest asset in the arena.

We both told the Gamemakers that we were allies this year, still I know there must be a way to get out of this. How would it look? District Twelve and District One working together. Like we told Seneca Crane, it had never been done before.

I throw my bread roll down onto my tray, sighing and looking back to her. "We might just be able to get out of this."

She looks at me in alarm, her eyes wide and frantic. She glances just over her shoulders to the Careers who have continued their earlier conversations, no longer concerned with her.

I don't think they were upset so much with her leaving them, but rather joining me. Not that they really know we are allies now, all they can assume is that we're having lunch together.

Either way it doesn't look good for Glimmer.

For a moment I consider having her as an ally, it's strange to think of considering I never pictured myself having a companion in the arena. It's still not appealing, she's a Career and I have no doubt that she would betray me the second she could.

I can't blame her for this either, I think after only a few days in the arena I too would betray her.

She looks uncomfortable as she eats her food slowly, often pausing to look at me or her former allies.

"Look," she says, "I'm sorry I got us into this mess, but you didn't exactly help."

I glare at her, "what are you talking about? You're the one who went after me, if anything it should be you being punished. What I did was purely self defense."

This shuts her up.

A few moments later though, she tries again.

"I shoot with a bow, I'm usually really good but for some reason, ever since we got to the Capitol I haven't been able to shoot right."

Before I stop myself I tell her the reason, "you're not used to the bows here." My eyes widen alarm, realizing what I've just said.

"But I used all sorts of bows back home."

I sag in relief, realizing she didn't catch my mistake.

She begins to take small spoonfuls of her soup, wandering off into her own little world. I do the same for a moment, allowing myself to think of home. Mostly Prim and what she must be going through. I also think of Gale, it must be hard to take care of both of our families. I can only wish him luck from the other side of the country.

I'm fine with the silence, but suddenly Glimmer is covering her eyes and making a soft whining noise. "I can't believe I attacked you. That was so stupid of me! We are both so dead! A slum rat who can do nothing and a useless Career." She shakes her head back and forth, groaning and actually stomping her feet. I might laugh at such a display of childishness, but I'm reluctant to have any attention on us again.

Because we came into the cafeteria rather late, most people are finishing up now and heading back to training. The Careers leave just after the District Ten boy goes back inside, the District One boy casts Glimmer one long look before taking his place with the others.

Eventually the room begins to clear, including Peeta who leaves without saying anything to me.

By then Glimmer is done having her meltdown and is back to eating her food silently.

Only a few Tributes remain on the other side of the room and I deem it safe to say, "I can hunt."

I'm not sure what compelled me to say this, maybe the fact that the Careers wouldn't take her back now or that it still didn't give me away completely. Either way it made her perk up, she sat up straighter and looked me head-on.

"You can hunt?" Her eyes were wide and for the first time ever I saw a small spark of hope in them.

"Yes."

"Are you any good?"

Again I answer, "yes."

She mulled it over for a moment, using her forks play with her food.

"And I can kill people if I get my hands on a weapon, preferably a bow if I can find one like the one I had back home. You hunt, I kill... Maybe we have a shot."

The more she thinks about it she must finally realize what she was missing earlier, "what do you hunt with?"

I pause, we may be allies for now but we may still find a way out of it. There is no way I could ever trust her, maybe if we go into the arena together I'll have to. But tonight she will go back to her suite where her District partner will be waiting, and like Peeta will with me, he will question her. If she lets it slip, the Careers know what I'm capable of. After that it's as simple as snapping a bow, which they might still do now that Glimmer is no longer with them and they know it's her weapon of choice.

I shake my head slowly, looking back up at her and letting out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding.

"Look, I know this sucks and it's not like I actually want to be stuck with you just like I know you don't want to be with me, but we are and we'll just have to get over that." She looks expectantly at me, believing it is only fair that I now tell her the weapon that I use.

I need a way to put this off. Some insurance on my life.

"How about this," I tell her, "we announce our alliance during the interviews with Caesar. Afterwards I will tell you what I hunt with."

It's not the most solid plan of mine, she can still turn around and betray me, but this will disappoint Panem and she will no doubt lose sponsors. Not to mention the Careers would be reluctant to take her back.

"I guess that makes sense, in fact when we announce it to Caesar we can do it in a way that is so fabulous all the other interviews will look so dull in comparison. Actually now that I think about it, with me going first and you almost last the Capitol won't be able to forget about us."

She nods to herself, her confidence coming back as her posture is no longer hunched forward and her body no longer scrunched together. I see the wheels turning in her head and somehow know that the interviews this year will be especially entertaining for the Capitol. I can only hope that I live up to her plan.