Chapter Five:

I walked in to my private bathroom and dressed. The weird outfit thing kept trying to give me short mini skirts and strapless tops. I kept going through each of the outfits until I came to one with a short sleeved top and a mid thigh length skirt.

I skipped downstairs quickly and saw that everyone was already awake. "Why didn't anybody wake me up?" I said, trying not to snap.

"We kept you up late," Mom said. "I wanted you to have enough sleep."

"And you will need to dress in something more athletic. Training today, sweetheart," growled Haymitch.

I glared at him. "Hey, it isn't my fault the stupid machine wanted to give me all these weird clothes."

"I think you look great," Cedric said honestly, blushing a little.

"Oh, thanks," I said, blushing too as I sat down next to him.

Breakfast was so incredible that I couldn't help but dish seconds.

"Don't eat too much," Mom advised.

Dad snorted. "Oh, by the way," he said. "While you are training, you will stay together at all times."

When we both came up with shocked and indignant expressions, Haymitch started laughing. "They look exactly like what the two of you did," he snorted.

Dad patted my shoulder. "It's safer that way. You don't know what the other tributes will do now." He paused, and then said, "We leave in an hour."

The hour went by quick. Soon, all the tributes were gathered together in the training center. My parents and Haymitch, along with the other mentors disappeared. Call me childish, but I really wanted my mentors back.

Cedric offered to go to the spear throwing with me. Of course, he had no choice, but it was nice enough.

The expert tried to help me, but I was no good with the spear.

"You can't hit the broad side of a barn," growled Cedric, trying to keep a straight face.

I snapped sarcastically, "Now when did you figure that out?"

He snorted, grabbing a spear and throwing it with ease. It thunked in to the target.

"Show off," I said, walking over to the bows and arrows, knowing I could beat him here.

I armed my bow and took aim. The bow felt different in my hands, but once I got used to it, I felt like I was home. When Cedric did just as good as me, I attempted the masks and paints. Now, this was the place for me. Just like my dad, I could naturally use paints. Sure, I could shoot arrows. Still, I wasn't as good as my mom. And I was no good at much else.

Once I finished my paint, I stepped back to watch Cedric. When the paints went flying and blue and black paint went everywhere...well, let's just say that it didn't make him happy as I started laughing vigorously.

I did not expect him to start a fight. Next thing I knew, I was drenched in brown paint. I squeaked in shock and rage, and threw a can of paint at him too.

"Stop!" cried the expert, but fell silent when he got a paint bucket in the face.

We kept throwing paint at each other until there was no paint to throw. I tackled him to the ground, and we thrashed around until we were covered with paint, leaves, and dirt. I glared at him, and then started laughing when I saw his black-paint streaked face. He tried to glare, but his eyes softened and he started laughing too.

The other tributes were staring in surprise, gaping at our ridiculous fight and eyes wide at our sudden laughter.

I propped myself on my elbows, trying to glare at him without much success. Cedric laughed, holding my head in his hands. The expert rolled his eyes, wiping paint off his face.

"Go get washed," the expert said, exasperated. "Lunch starts in a few minutes."

We sprayed each other with the hose, and once we were done with that, we walked back in to the center, wet and cold with smiles plastered on our faces.

"You two are insane," stated the District 2 girl tribute.

I laughed. "It's his fault."

Cedric smiled, sitting down for lunch. "Good to see you, Ariana."

I nearly choked on my sandwich when he knew her name. I gave him a quizzical look.

"This is my old best friend's younger sister," Cedric said quietly, no longer smiling. "Ariana, this is Laurel."

Ariana nodded, her eyes no longer lit up either. In fact, I could fairly say she gave me a look that downright hated me. Ariana said, "Hello. Cedric, would you like to eat with us?"

The Careers. Flushing, I looked back at my sandwich and tried to bite in to it. It no longer seemed so delicious though. I should've known that District 2 would try to get Cedric. He would last longer with his old friends anyway.

To my surprise, Cedric gave her a weak smile and said strongly, "No, thank you, Ari. I'm going to eat with Laurel."

Feeling a little satisfied and a little saddened, I watched her sharp eyes glare at him. "Okay. See you later, Ced."

Ariana walked away. I looked at Cedric. "'Ced?' 'Ari?' Were you two...close or something?"

Cedric eyes were black with fury. He turned to his sandwich and did not answer me.

"Answer me, Cedric."

Cedric turned and grabbed my arm. "Listen, Laurel, I do not want to talk about it."

"But, Cedric-"

"No!" His voice was so stubborn and insisting that I turned back to my sandwich.

I'm not sure why I brought this up, or why I snapped, but I couldn't help it. Not with how angry this made me. "You didn't need to say no, Ced. You could go be with your precious 'Ari'. I don't care. At least it proves I have one less person to trust." I stood up and walked away.

I don't know why he had to be this way. I already have lost too many people, lost trust in too many 'friends' who turned out to be enemies. I thought that these Games were over, when suddenly I was thrown headfirst in to one. I thought that I would live happily ever after, and everything would be great, and Hearth and I would never get chosen. After that, I thought that Cedric loved me.

I was wrong. Stupidly, ridiculously, foolishly wrong. As I forced my mind off the pain I had at losing his so called 'love', I swore in my mind that I would never let someone get close to me ever again.