Another training chapter. After reading over, I have noticed some stupid spelling errors I have made while typing, and I apologize. I will do my best to fix those. Also, REVIEWS! Please leave your reviews, good or bad, and give me some constructive criticism or thoughts about my story. Thanks.

"We decided we want allies," I say, sitting down at the table with Melanie and my mentor parents.

"Good idea," Mom says. "I had allies, and they helped me get from the first part of my games to the next. They are a great way to help survive longer."

Dad gives Mom a look of uncertainty. "I'm not so sure about that, Cal." Mom looks back at him.

"What's wrong with that? It's how I survived most of my games."

"I just think that allies are a bad idea. It could be hard to kill them…" Dad stops there. I think he feels bad, knowing that Melanie and I could very well be the last two people alive. One of us would have to die. It could also be because he was very subtly revealing something about his games. Mom and Dad have never let us watch their games, or even told us what happened. We must catch little glimpses of things that they say if we want to know anything about how they panned out. From this conversation, I learn that Mom had allies, and maybe Dad did to and ended up having to kill some of his own.

Dad ends the conversation, letting Mom win this one. "So, who were you guys thinking?"

Melanie says, "I haven't really thought about it yet. I was looking around the training center today, but I didn't really see anyone. I was thinking I would decide tomorrow."

I think back to training today, and I know the things I say next will anger my parents. "I want Keesha."

"Who's Keesha?" Mom asks.

"The girl from District 7."

"That little kid? No," Dad says. "With her, all you have is a liability."

"You didn't see her-"

"No! End of discussion," Dad demands.

"Ok," I say. "How about Dax, that kid from 11"

"What?" Now I just have my parents confused. "He's even younger than that girl."

"So? I saw him in training today, and he can run fast, and he is good at climbing and is strong for his age!"

"Allies are supposed to help you, Jake. The people you have just named will only slow you down. You need to have a chance."

"Yeah well maybe they need a chance!" I say. We sit in silence for a few moments. I have found that to be happening a lot lately.

"Jake," Mom begins, softening her voice. "You know there can only be one winner. And it hurts us as parents that it can only be you or Melanie, but we want the Victor to be at least be one of you." There is pain in her eyes. I haven't thought much about what my parents must be going through, knowing that by the end of the week, they will see one of us, if not both, for the last time. "You can't save everybody, Jake, you just can't. And it sucks."

The only noise now is the hum of a fan that has turned on in the room. There is nothing left to say. I have been avoiding it for a long time, but Mom is right. I can't save everybody. Not younger kids, thrown to their death to soon. Not my sister. Hell, I can't even guarantee Max's safety. He still has ten more reapings to go and, win or die, I won't be able to volunteer for him again if he gets reaped.

"Excuse me," I say. And for the second time in the day, I find myself walking away to my room.

…

I am allowed to sleep until 9:30 today, and report to the second day of training at 10. Melanie and I decide we will look for allies while we train today. I start by scouting people at the weapons stations, and Melanie goes over to the strength, agility, and speed stations. The only thing I get at the weapons are the careers and some people who are mediocre to plain out awful at using weapons. Macie and Kaelib, the District 5 tributes, prove to be good at electrical wiring, setting up a circuit they use to electrocute and burn the training dummies to a crisp. Their district is power. They would be good at that.

Aaron from District 9 tries his best with a knife against a training dummy, but he misses a mark almost every single time. I notice Dierks, the boy from District 7, is good with an axe, if he is close to his target. Before he gets a good chance to show off his skills, however, he is stopped by Felicia. He immediately gives up his axe to her, which baffles me, because she cannot currently hurt him. Maybe he is just being smart, unlike you, and trying not to make an enemy. I push my thoughts away and watch Felica throw her axe, from which she hits the target dead in the center of the chest.

The other tributes clear away, but I stay for another minute to observe what weapons the careers specialize in. Careers tend to be good with every weapon, but usually pick the one that they are best at. Aleks uses a sword, Felicia sticks to throwing axes and knives. The District 2 tributes, Aletha and Onix, use a bow and arrow and throwing knives. Diamonda makes her own hooks, to witch she throws right into where the vital organs and arteries would be in the dummy. For my sake, I assume, she also uses spears. Riker uses a trident, and Trinitee proves to be very lethal with throwing knives. I make a mental note to myself to watch out for knives.

Another surprising thing I notice is the young 11-year-old from District 3, Jack. He attempts to impress his fellow tributes by creating an electric wire, that he fastens to his belt, able to be coiled and uncoiled at will. He throws the wire to the dummy, and I see that he is going to attempt to electrocute it. However, his aim is off, and he misses the dummy. Aletha storms over to him.

"Do you want allies or not?!" she yells.

"We only want people who can actually HELP us," says Riker, getting in his face.

"I… I know. I was just trying…" Jack stutters, but he doesn't get to finish.

"Listen, pal," says Alek cutting in. "I don't care what you were trying to do. But if you want to be our ally, you better actually DO something." Alek, losing his calmness, gives Jack a little shove, then walks back to the sword, where he slashes a dummy in half. Jack gets up, and sadly walks back to what he was doing. I remember the crowd of children laughing at Jack during the reaping. He is young. He has not had as much training as the other careers. It answers his inability to master weapons, but not why they laughed at him.

I wander around the training center for a while, checking a few things out, then go back to the weapons once the careers clear out. I practice alone with my spears for a while, when suddenly, Keesha joins me.

Keesha and I practice our own weapons in silence. I am still simply stunned at how good she is with a bow and arrow. She can hit any target, moving or still, and does not take long to aim her bow. I don't care what my parents say. She is good.

"Uh, hey," I start awkwardly. I never thought I would be making allies. "I saw you shoot yesterday. You're really good."

Keesha stands there for a second before answering. "Thanks," she finally says, without even a hint of emotion. Just like in her reaping. I think she is going to go back to shooting, giving up hope that she could be an ally, that she is to much of a lone wolf type to want allies. Then she speaks. "You're really good with a spear. Where did you learn that from?"

"Oh! I uh…" I try to think of a legal explanation. "I just kind of picked it up, you know. Must run in my family blood."

"Oh, well, I learned how to use my bow and arrow by hunting," Keesha says casually. It makes me cringe to hear her admit that she takes part in an illegal activity, even though yesterday I made it seem like I didn't care if people found out. Maybe because I wasn't blatantly admitting it.

"Wha… Keesha…" I struggle to find a response. "Just… how could you just admit that? Hunting is a crime you know."

"Yeah, but what are they going to do? They can't kill me. They need me for their little game." She picks up her bow and shoots another arrow.

"What if you win?" I ask. Keesha finally shows some emotion, but this time it is sad. She brushes it away, quickly, like she doesn't want anyone to see she has any doubt in her mind that she will win. But I caught it.

"If… If I win, the capital isn't going to hurt their victor. Plus, I'm not going to have to hunt anymore, with the fortune promised to us." I think about that for a moment. Technically, I've never had to hunt. With two victors as parents, there is never any worry about not having enough to eat. The only reason I did it was because it was my escape, a place where I could be alone for a while with just me and the world. A place where I felt ordinary, not the product of two of the world's most famous survivors. I don't think I would ever stop hunting, even if I won. Keesha probably doesn't understand that if she wins. If.

"Listen, Keesha," I finally say. I think we would be good together, as allies. Me, you, my district partner, Melanie, and whoever you want. If you want your district partner you could-"

"Dierks can barely do anything with an axe," she cuts in forcefully. "He can hit a target about two feet away. We don't need him. I'll be your allies, Jake. I think me you, and your sister with the knives can do good together."

Surprised at the quick response, I say "Whoa, that's… that's great! Ok. We are allies. Its settled."

"Yeah, it is," Keesha says, turning back to the target. "Now, leave me alone. I'm focusing."

"Ok, uh, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I walk away from the targets to let Keesha have her peace. I decide to take a stop at the station where they teach you how to make your own weapons. I decide this will be valuable if I do not take anything from the Cornucopia.

I am learning how to make a bow and arrows out of sticks, string, and feathers, when I notice somebody sits down next to me. I look up, and see the pale white skin and curly dirty blonde hair. Sahara. I struggle with myself for a second, then decide to get up and walk away. As I start to move, a voice comes from behind me.

"Don't act like this isn't happening," says Sahara. I turn around to face her. She wants a confrontation. She wants me to be afraid. I decide to play dumb.

"Uh, what?" is my response.

Sahara doesn't look up from what she is doing. "Don't play dumb, Jake. I know who you are, and I know you know who I am."

"I know your Sahara, from District 8." I really don't want to do this.

"Say my last name,"

"Why," I respond a little too quickly.

"You very well know why." She finally stands up to face me. "The district 12 reapings happened about an hour before the ones in District 8. News travels fast in Panem." I hold my ground, not letting my expression shift. I drop the dumb person act, deciding I have to many questions for this girl.

"Your last name is Griveson," I say calmly. She won't scare me.

"And yours is Demener." She goes over and picks up a little dart from the place she was making her weapon. "And for as long as I can remember, that name has been stuck in my head." She comes back so we are face to face. "The name of the family that is the reason my brother is dead."

That shocked me. How are we the reason her brother is dead? If anything, her family is the reason my brother is dead! He literally killed him! Dylan was already dead before her brother died!

"You know that's not true."

"I know what I saw on TV all those years ago! I know that if your brother hadn't made her, that girl from 11 wouldn't have killed Mojave!"

Made her?! The girl did that because Mojave killed Dylan! Sahara was obviously deranged. She was insane!

"Now Jake," she says. I listen, with the expression on my face shifting from expressionless to angry. "Isn't the one thing everyone wants in life revenge?" With that, Sahara turns around and uses the blowgun she made to shoot the target. It hits very close to the center of the chest.

Sahara might be an even bigger threat than the careers.