Sorry it took so long to get this posted, but I was so tired...I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.
Chapter 7
Training
I fill my plate and slowly eat it, ready for the day of training. I'll need sponsors to win, so I better learn as much as I can and get as high a training score as possible. Haymitch leans towards us when we finish, and says, "So, let's get down to business. Training. First off, if you like, I'll coach you separately. Decide now."
"Why would you coach us separately?" Katniss asks. It's a good question. I know all her talents, and who cares if she knows my minimal ones? My father buys her squirrels, and they are always shot straight through the eye. "Say if you had a secret skill you might not want the other to know about," says Haymitch. "I don't have any secret skills," I say. "And I already know what yours is, right? I mean, I've eaten enough of your squirrels."
"You can coach us together," Katniss says. I nod in agreement, surprising myself. Am I starting to actually enjoy Katniss's company? "All right, so give me some idea of what you can do," says Haymitch.
"I can't do anything," I tell him. "Unless you count baking bread."
"Sorry, I don't. Katniss. I already know you're handy with a knife," says Haymitch.
"Not really. But I can hunt," she tells him. "With a bow and arrow."
"And you're good?" asks Haymitch. She definitely is. "I'm all right," She tells him. I stare at her. "She's excellent," I say, telling him the truth. "My father buys her squirrels. He always comments on how the arrows never pierce the body. She hits every one in the eye. It's the same with the rabbits she sells the butcher. She can even bring down deer."
"What are you doing?"
What am I doing? I want to be the one to make it out of the arena alive, not her. "What are you doing? If he's going to help you, he has to know what you're capable of. Don't underrate yourself," I say, not willing to admit I have no clue what I'm getting myself into. "What about you? I've seen you in the market. You can lift hundred-pound bags of flour," she snaps. "Tell him that. That's not nothing."
"Yes, and I'm sure the arena will be full of bags of flour for me to chuck at people. It's not like being able to use a weapon. You know it isn't," I shoot back, knowing that flour won't get me out of there alive. She actually has a chance and has no right to get mad!
"He can wrestle," Katniss tells Haymitch. "He came in second in our school competition last year, only after his brother."
"What use is that? How many times have you seen someone wrestle someone to death?" I say in disgust. Any of those Careers armed with any weapon could easily take me down. Why can't she see that? "There's always hand-to-hand combat. All you need is to come up with a knife, and you'll at least stand a chance. If I get jumped, I'm dead!" Katniss's voice rises.
"But you won't! You'll be living up in some tree eating raw squirrels and picking off people with arrows. You know what my mother said to me when she came to say good-bye, as if to cheer me up, she says maybe District Twelve will finally have a winner. Then I realized, she didn't mean me, she meant you!" I burst out, stunned that I revealed that.
"Oh, she meant you," Katniss says, with a wave of dismissal
"She said, 'She's a survivor, that one.' She is," I tell her. That makes her shut up. Even my own mother doesn't have faith in me. "But only because someone helped me." She says. My eyes flicker downwards, as I realize it's not her fault I gave her the bread. That she is a perfectly likeable person, and it is completely my fault that I gave her the bread. It kept her alive, and for once, I don't feel mad, even if I wish I had given it to Lenya. "People will help you in the arena. They'll be tripping over each other to sponsor you." I finally say.
"No more than you," she replies, but I know that's not true. Time to start playing my last card. "She has no idea. The effect she can have." I tell Haymitch, refusing to look at her. After a minute, Haymitch says,
"Well, then. Well, well, well. Katniss, there's no guarantee they'll be bows and arrows in the arena, but during your private session with the Gamemakers, show them what you can do. Until then, stay clear of archery. Are you any good at trapping?"
"I know a few basic snares," she mutters. Why did she take my statement offensively?
"That may be significant in terms of food," says Haymitch. "And Peeta, she's right, never underestimate strength in the arena. Very often, physical power tilts the advantage to a
player. In the Training Center, they will have weights, but don't reveal how much you can lift in front of the other tributes. The plan's the same for both of you. You go to group training. Spend the time trying to learn something you don't know. Throw a spear. Swing a mace. Learn to tie a decent knot. Save showing what you're best at until your private sessions. Are we clear?" says Haymitch. We nod, but I roll my eyes at the fact that Haymitch agrees with Katniss.
"One last thing. In public, I want you by each other's side every minute," says Haymitch. We both start to object, but Haymitch slams his hand on the table. "Every minute! It's not open for discussion! You agreed to do as I said! You will be together, you will appear amiable to each other. Now get out. Meet Effie at the elevator at ten for training." I glare at Katniss, and she stalks to her room, slamming the door like a two year old. I take back whatever I said about liking her. I sit at the table for a moment, before heading to my room for a few minutes, then heading to training. A tall woman, Atala, tells us all the stations, when you finish, I mutter to Katniss, "Where would you like to start?" She jumps. I smirk. "Suppose we tie some knots," she replies. "Right you are," I say, and we head over to the knot tying station.
I learn that I suck at tying knots. Literally suck. Now you may be laughing, because who can't tie a knot, but it's a lot harder than you think. The instructor is gushing over Katniss, because she's so good at everything. Little miss perfect. I finally learn some basic knots, before we head over to camoflauge. My hometown. I'm good at it too. Finally, little miss perfect isn't good at something. I can tell she's annoyed too, that I've finally beaten her. "I do the cakes," I tell her, in the mood for boasting. "The cakes?" she asks absentmindedly. I'm mad she doesn't care, which is sort of ridiculous. "What cakes?"
"At home. The iced ones, for the bakery," I reply. Finally, she gets it. I forgot how long it takes to get things through her thick skull. "It's lovely. If only you could frost someone to death," she says sarcastically.
"Don't be so superior. You can never tell what you'll find in the arena. Say it's actually a gigantic cake —" I begin, annoyed before she breaks in.
"Say we move on." I'm angry now. I sat through her knot tying, she could at least humor me now.
For the next three days we do this, and I'm so bored that I might welcome death. During lunch I'm forced to talk to Katniss, and I tell her about meaningless things in my life. Nothing important. Nothing about Lenya. I find out I'm good at lying, which is a good thing, I suppose. Do whatever it takes to win…
On the second day we're headed to bed, and I'm so tired of this, so tired of Haymitch snapping after us, of having to be here instead of home, that I grumble, "Someone ought to get Haymitch a drink."
Katniss snorts, before replying, "Don't. Don't let's pretend when no ones around."
Good. She doesn't like me either.
When time comes for our private sessions, I'm about to head in when Katniss stops me. "Remember what Haymitch said about being sure to throw the weights."
Thanks, but I remembered. I feel like I need to reply though, so I say, "Thanks. You shoot…straight."
I head into my session, and toss some weights around for awhile until they dismissed me. They were singing a drinking song the whole time I was there, and I bet I won't get better than a 5, and even that's pushing it. I head back to the apartment, waiting for Katniss to arrive.
Ok, I want 10 reviews before the next chapter. Thanks to all readers and reviewers!