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Cailen Arkley
District Eleven Female, 18 Years Old
Training

"Why don't you ever want to talk to me?"

"It's not that I don't want to talk to you," Alumax says, shrugging his shoulders and placing down the knife he has in his hand. He sets it down on the table, showing me that he's preparing to leave. "Don't take it personally."

"I do," I say, catching his attention. "And I don't like it."

"That's not my problem," Alumax replies, giving me a small nod as a form of a good-bye. He walks away, taking any potential conversation with him, leaving me alone once again. Before he's too far away, he continues, saying, "Find someone else."

He's too far for me to yell him.

He doesn't know what he's talking about. I can find someone else.

There are twenty-two more of us, right?

Biting my lip, I turn back around, sulking. The closest station to me is the plant-identification table, and when I see that no one's there, I decide that's my best option. If Alumax doesn't want to talk to me, who actually will?

Does he find me annoying?

Am I really that annoying?

I don't know.

"Hmph," I say, pulling out a seat from underneath the table. "Whatever."

Grabbing a book from the selection, I open it, tracing my finger along the sentences. I attempt to read it, but it doesn't make much sense to me. I look for a picture, and when I find one, I learn more from that than reading any of these words.

What do they say, anyway? I can only understand a few.

Tapping my foot on the ground, I try to distract myself from thinking of Alumax, but I can't help it. He hurt my feelings… But, I don't dislike him. Why would I?

I have no reason to dislike him.

I lean my head on the table, still tracing my fingers along the sentences and tracing my fingers around the diagrams of plants and flowers. They're all different colors and shapes, and honestly, I don't try to figure out what any of it means.

They're just plants. How hard could it be?

"Is everything okay?"

"What?" I say, lifting up my head and seeing the boy from District Eight standing in front of me. He runs his hand through his hair, taking a seat across from me. "What's your name?"

"Nathaniel," he replies, smiling at me. I smile back. "Or Nate. Or Nat. I get a lot of nicknames."

"I'll go with Nate. I like that."

"Sounds good," he says, winking. "What are you reading?"

"Trying to," I correct. "I like the pictures."

"They're colorful," I say, giggling, showing him a picture of a flower. "Do you see the colors on this one?"

"It looks like my escort."

I laugh rather loudly, making Nate smile. "You're funny!"

Before Nate can reply, his District partner and another girl come over. The girl from Eight pushes her hair out of her face, lowering her hands and beginning to play with them after. The other girl stands there in front and I smile at the two of them.

"What's going on over here?" The other girl asks, taking a seat. The girl from Eight follows. "I could hear you two laughing from all the way over there. I'm Gerri, by the way."

"I'm Cailen from District Eleven."

"I'm Claire," the girl from Eight says, her voice a murmur. "It's nice to meet you."

"Do you three already know each other?" I ask, noticing that they didn't greet Nate. "Are you allies?"

"Yes, we are," Nate says, playfully pushing Claire in the shoulder. She looks up, her face expressionless, not saying a word. "And, lucky for you, we have a spot open."

Are they trying to use me?

Are they playing me right now?

"That's so nice of you," I say, knowing that I already like Nate. With people, I tend to find the bad before the good, and with him, I don't see anything negative. He's nice and funny. "Why me, though?"

"You were sitting here alone," Gerri says. "No one should go into the Games alone."

I never wanted to be alone here.

I just couldn't find the right person.

In any relationship, I never know my place with people. The way I treat people and see them is always different from how they treat me and see me.

Whether people actually like me or are just using me for some ulterior purpose is always a mystery to me.

I get that Alumax might not like me, but at least he didn't plan on using me. I'd prefer him not talking to me at all than him trying to use me.

"You're right," I say, nodding. "I don't want to be alone in the Games."

"So, is that a yes?" Nate asks, a smile growing on his face. Gerri smiles too, and for the first time, Claire looks up at me directly.

"Yes," I say, my voice squeaking. "Yes!"

"That's more like it!"

Gerri and Nate go back to talking and passing books to one another, while Claire still sits there and plays with her hands under the table. I take a book for myself, but I look at them, never imagining myself allying with them in the first place. I know I would have never allied with Alumax, so in a way, I prefer it here with them.

Now, I just can't let them down.

I'm not the smartest. Or the strongest. Or the fastest.

I'm not much of anything.

I know I need the help of others. That I might not be able to do all of this on my own.

But, I'm brave.

I'm not afraid of taking risks. Of taking chances.

And maybe – just maybe – that will make my allies like me. That, even though I'm here and I'm in their alliance, they'll actually appreciate me and won't take me for granted. I was always the girl that was too emotional, that always rambled on and on and was too excited about it all.

I don't want Nathaniel, Claire, and Gerri to perceive me as that. I never perceived myself like that, anyway. I'm more than aware of who I am and what my flaws are. I accept all of that. But, for my allies, I'll be the girl that can contribute something.

I'll be someone that they can depend on. That they can put some reliance on.

I'll be someone to them.

I'll be someone who's valuable to them.

Tasha Levelle
District Ten Female, 17 Years Old
Training

The boy from Seven stands there, flexing to himself in the mirror.

I grit my teeth, his own vanity making me hate him already. He steps to the side, looking at himself from one angle, and then he goes for an axe. He takes his time, going through each axe to make sure he finds the right. Then, when he does, he picks it up, weighing it in his hands.

He nods his head when he's content with the one he's chosen.

I remember him from the Reapings. Audrey is his name.

He's the one who ran away from the stage, the one who then attacked the Peacekeeper. That took courage, and frankly, brute strength. He reacted solely out of anger, while me? It was out of fear.

Fear of what's to come for me.

Fear of what I might not be able to control for once in my life.

With one swing of his axe, he tears the dummy's head off, sending it flying upwards. It falls down, and Audrey goes back at it, hacking away at the rest of its body. I take a step closer, and with one more swing, he slices the dummy in half.

Now I see why people avoid him.

He's considered the wild-card. The one who can't be controlled and is unpredictable. The threat that will be a challenge to the rest of us.

Lucky for him, I've always liked challenges.

It gives me something to conquer.

At first, I didn't consider an alliance. I thought I'd be better off on my own, without anyone weighing me down or holding me back, but after seeing everyone have an alliance, I see the benefit of it. Besides, I've always like the feeling of people relying of me.

It makes me feel strong. Like people actually need me in their lives.

I take one step closer, watching Audrey drop the axe down on the ground. He presses his foot on top of it, stretching his arms backwards and then cracking his back.

He's a fit ally for me.

I can do it on my own, but an ally wouldn't hurt.

Audrey bends down to the pick up the axe, letting the trainer give him another dummy. This one is taller and with more stuffing in it, the broad shoulders and added padding supposed to show more muscle. Before he can swing his axe at the dummy, I step in, nearly getting hit by the axe.

"Tasha," I say, wanting to avoid all the awkward greetings. I get the sense that he doesn't care for that, and frankly, neither do I. I want to make this short. "District Ten."

"You're the first person to come up to me," he says while chuckling, the angry boy from the Reapings not coming through here. He seems more restrained, more relaxed. "I'm Audrey, though. From Seven."

He rests the axe at his side, and as I don't say anything else, I find myself staring at him. I catch myself, shaking my head, and going back to the conversation. "That's rather impressive."

He shrugs. "You learn a thing or two from growing up in Seven."

"It shows," I say, eyeing his axe. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Don't worry about it," he says, stepping to the side, holding out his axe. "Might as well make your time here worth it. Show me what you can do."

Grabbing the axe out of his hands a little too forcefully, I grip it comfortably, assessing the dummy in front of me. With a grunt, I deliver one blow, but it only slits the chest a tad. Nothing from the inside comes out, making Audrey chuckle. He has a patronizing look on his face, that I'm not as good as him.

I'll show him.

I'll show him just how good I am.

"Watch this," I say, grunting with another forceful strike at the dummy. I manage to tear its arm off, and I spin around, implanting the axe in the neck of the dummy. I thrust it upwards, splitting the neck, the head falling off of it. "How's that?"

"Just add blood and some screams to that and you'll be fine," Audrey says, and I slow down my swings at the dummy, not making them as forceful. "This is the Hunger Games, after all. We won't be fighting dummies."

"That's a good point," I say, giving him a side-glance. "A trainer won't be able to replace one of us in the arena."

"When you're dead, that's it," Audrey continues, looking down at the head on the ground. "Let's hope it's not one of us, huh?"

I wrinkle my nose, shaking my head. "Won't happen."

"What makes you so sure?" Audrey asks, raising an eyebrow. "Are you untouchable? Invincible?"

"Don't underestimate me," I snap, dropping the axe to the ground. "How do you know I won't kill you in the arena?"

"How do you know I wouldn't kill you?"

"You wouldn't," I say, grinning. I like a person who can return what's dished out to them. I like someone with attitude. "I would recommend not messing with me."

"We'll see how it goes in there, then. Keep your ears and eyes on alert."

"The same to you."

I nod my head, feigning a good-bye. I begin to walk away, not looking over my shoulder or stopping, and just as I predicted, he calls out after me. I don't want him to think that I only came here to ally with him, that I only see him as a stronger opponent that could protect me.

He's not here for me.

I'm here for him.

"Where are you going?" He calls, and I still don't stop walking. "You know you were here to ally with me."

But, with that comment, I do stop. "I was not talking to you to only ally."

"What else, then?"

"To knock you off your high-horse."

"It didn't work."

"It will," I say, turning back around. I make my way back to him, standing a few inches in front of him. "Just give it some time."

"I'll hold you to that," he says, grinning again. "Don't let me down."

"You can count on me."

He holds out his hand, expecting me to shake it. I stare at his hand, refusing to put out my hand, and he chuckles.

"I don't have germs."

"I can't trust you yet," I say dryly. "But, we can ally."

"That's all we'll be. Besides, I have a girlfriend back in Seven, so don't try to pull anything."

He shouldn't try to pull anything, either.

I'm not one to mess around with. To play a joke on or to betray. I'm not someone he can walk all over and control.

I'm in control here – of myself, of the others around me. That's how I like it.

Where I'm on top. Where I'm in the lead.

Where I appear strong and confident.

Because I'm not weak. I'm anything but weak.

And that's what will help me win.

Reanine Darsh
District Nine Female, 15 Years Old
Training

"I think one more wouldn't hurt anybody."

"If there are more than three of us, we'll be caught sooner," Marlon says, not budging. I spoke to the boy from District Twelve, Amias, yesterday, and he was rather nice. "Three is enough."

"But, Marlon!" I say, stamping my foot, looking at Caden to help me convince Marlon to let one more person into our alliance. "Please?"

Marlon shakes his head, tapping his fingers on the metal table. "Four is too many."

"She has a point, Marlon," Caden adds, looking at me and nodding. "More people means more security."

"We provide enough security, don't you think, Caden?" Marlon says, directing the question at Caden. Caden narrows his eyes, and before he can respond, Marlon continues. "I thought so."

Standing up from the table, I face the two of them, standing my ground. I want another ally, so I will go get him myself. I don't need Marlon's permission, nor do I need Caden's. Caden gets up to follow me, while Marlon still sits at the table, and as I look at him, I feel a little bad.

I don't want to be mean to him, but I don't see the big deal.

Reluctantly, Marlon gets up from the table as well, and when I see him walking over, I smile. I reach out my hand for him to grab, and we interlock fingers, prancing away towards Amias. He's sitting at a table where there are a bunch of books and leaves and plants. Across from him is the boy from District Ten, whose name I really don't know.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to Marlon. "I just want another ally."

"Let's go get him, then," Marlon says, smirking.

We approach the table, and Caden and Marlon take seats. Standing next to Amias, I expect the boy from Ten to leave, but he still sits at the table, reading away. I wave at Amias, smiling at him.

"Amias!" I exclaim, poking him in the arm. "You remember me, right?"

"Of course, Rea," he says, looking at Caden and Marlon now. "What are your names?"

"Marlon."

"Caden."

"It's nice to meet both of you," Amias says, and when he looks at the boy from Ten, he perks up. "Oh, I forgot! This is Lonan. He's from District Ten."

Lonan looks up from his book, raising an eyebrow. He doesn't smile or smirk, he just stares at me. Only me, not Marlon or Caden. He nods, and then goes back to reading his book. He traces the lines with his fingers, looking completely invested in it.

"What are you reading?"

"Something about trees," Lonan says, dropping the book on the table and closing it. "Pointless stuff."

I take a seat right next to Lonan, sliding the book away from him. I flip through the pages, not retaining much information from it. Making a face, I push it away, looking back up at everyone. They're all staring at me, and for a moment, I remember how shy I used to be back home.

I would never talk to anyone. Never want to be the center of attention.

But, here, I want to make allies. I want to make friends.

"So, Amias and Lonan," I say, folding my hands over one another on the table-top. "Are you guys allies?"

Lonan just shrugs, but Amias actually provides answer. "We just met today at this station."

"Do you want to be?" I ask, looking at Lonan now. "With us, I mean. All five of us."

"I would like to," Amias says, picking up his book and putting it away. "What about you, Lonan?"

"I guess so."

"Then, it's settled!" I say, standing up from the table and spreading my arms open widely. "We're an alliance!"

"That's all good and dandy," Marlon says, and as I sit back down, I wonder what's going to come next. He always starts out nice just before he says something mean. "But, we barely know anything about each other."

"You know what?" I exclaim, pointing at Marlon. "That's a really good idea. Let's go around the circle and tell everyone something about ourselves."

"I'll start," Marlon says, seeming not as enthused as I want him to be. "I'm from District Nine, as I'm sure you all know. It wasn't the best, nor was it the worst. It was what it is."

"That's it?" Lonan asks, and Marlon shoots him a not-so-nice look. "Come on. Tell us why you're here."

"Why I'm here?"

"We're all here for a reason."

"What does it matter to you?" Marlon snaps and I don't like his tone. I look at him, and he leans back in his chair, slumping down. "It was my brother. He messed around with the Peacekeepers."

"What do you mean, 'messed around'?" Caden asks, resting his head on his hands as he leans on his elbows.

"He killed him," Marlon says, his voice not matching up with his facial expression. His face looks agitated, while his voice is still flat. "Is that what you want to hear?"

"That's more like it," Lonan says, smirking, and as Amias takes his turn, my eyes widen.

His brother… His brother killed a Peacekeeper?

Why would he do that?

Shaking my head in disbelief, I frantically look around, keeping my mouth. I stare at the books, not wanting to make eye-contact with any of them. His brother killed a Peacekeeper… How can I associate with someone like that?

I would never do that.

My family might have, but me? I'm not a rebel. I was never a rebel.

If anything, I blame them for why I'm here. I blame the rebels and the Rebellion. I blame my family, too. They're the reason why I'm here – they all are.

I never did anything wrong.

I don't even understand why everyone wants to rebel against the Capitol. They're the reason my family was rich; why isn't my father grateful for this wealth that comes from them? Why aren't they all grateful for the protection the Capitol provides?

"Rea, it's your turn."

"Oh, sorry," I say, forcing a smile onto my face. What am I supposed to say? That I support the Capitol? That I hate the rebels?

I can't tell them that.

I can't tell them anything.

They might be my allies, but they're still rebels.

And I'm not.

I'm not like them.

Anaise Tuist
District Five Female, 17 Years Old
Training

I pick my fingernails, flicking the nail onto the table of wires.

Aiming for the circuit board, I flick it at the right angle, watching it fall into one of the crevices in it. I see a yellow wire attached to it, and I yank it out, wrapping it around my fingers. With the end of the wire, I file my nails now, letting the shavings fall onto the table too.

"Can you stop?" The girl from Six says sharply, not looking at me. I ignore her, going back to picking at my nails, tearing each layer off.

I flick it towards her this time.

"Do you mind?" The girl from District Six snaps, only slightly turning her head towards me. She still stares forward, the wires in her hand, and I grunt.

"Do you mind?" I retort, biting the air. I do it again, scaring the little girl away. She makes a face, walks away quickly, and goes to another station. "Looks like she did mind."

I continue picking my nails.

Pushing the wires to the side, I begin to build up a little pile of my nails, wanting to do something with them after it's big enough. I sit there, dropping the nails one after one, but when I hear someone's footsteps, I stop myself.

In the corner of my eye, I see someone else coming, but I don't look at him. I like the mystery of anyone who would have the audacity to approach me.

It turns out that the District Eleven boy who will be my next victim.

He saunters over, trying to ignore that I'm already at the station. He stands at the end of the table, choosing to ignore my nail-biting and picking, unlike the girl from Six. I already like him more than the rest.

"Hi," I say, grinning. I wait for him to look up, but unfortunately, he doesn't. He still stares down at the wires.

"Hi."

I choose not to respond. I watch him carefully, watching his every move as he attempts to build something with the wires. I stare at his hands, noticing his own nails, the hair on his knuckles, the dryness of his skin.

He catches me staring.

"Who are you, again?"

"Who am I?"

"Yes, who are you?" He asks, leaning forward a little.

"Who are you?"

"Alumax?" He says, simply answering my question. Alumax – that's his name. He was just answering my question.

"Thank you for answering my question," I say, leaning forward too. "Can I ask another one?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't."

I ask another one anyway. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

I shake my head. "No, you aren't."

"How do you know?"

"You're seventeen."

"Why do you know that?"

"I know everything," I say, bobbing my head up and down. "Want to know something else?"

"I'd rather not."

I tell him anyway. "You had a brother that died in the Games."

He seems to get defensive at the mention of it. "Why do you know that?"

"I just told you, silly."

Alumax shakes his head, gripping the wires in his hand tightly. His jaw shifts, the hair on his cheeks basically standing up, the anger so visibly rushing through his. I didn't mean to upset him; really, I just wanted to share this information with him. I know a lot. I want to show him that I know a lot.

There's no harm in that.

"Alumax?"

He doesn't respond. He still stands there, the disbelief smacked on his face, shaking his head and gripping into the wires even tighter. He stares down at the table, his hands beginning to shake as well. He doesn't unleash any of that anger, though. He keeps it bottled up.

I couldn't do that.

I want people to see how I'm feeling. To feel how I'm feeling.

"You can control your emotions well," I comment, noticing that in him. "What else can you do?"

"I can walk away," he deadpans, but I know he won't. If he wanted to walk away, he would've already done that. "What else can you do?"

"I can follow you."

"Don't."

"I will."

"You aren't going to leave me, are you?"

"No," I say, a smile creeping across my face. "I don't plan on it."

"What will it take for you to leave me alone? At least a little."

"Ally with me," I say, my eyes widening as a grin forms on my face. "Let's be allies, Alumax. We can be allies!"

"And what if I decline?"

A sullen expression replaces the enthusiastic one. "I'd have to kill you, then."

"You'd kill me?" He asks, not too much emotion in his voice still.

"I would have to, Alumax."

"Alright."

"We're going to be the best allies," I say, standing up. I begin to walk over him, watching him squirm as I get closer. "I'm excited. So, so very excited."

"So am I," he says, his voice quiet now.

We are allies.

He is my ally.

And he won't leave me. He can't leave me.

He's mine.

And he isn't going anywhere.

Author's Note:

Training is officially over!

We have not met all of the tributes yet, so there's always that to look forward to. Next chapter will be Private Sessions with the Gamemakers.

A poll will be coming soon, so start to figure out who are your favorites!

I apologize for the weekly updates, but midterms week is coming up and then I'm having surgery so I'll have a week or two to write as I sit home and do absolutely nothing. They will speed up – I promise.

So, until then!