The thought of Nook winning the Hunger Games seems illegal. Dangerous and disturbing. I feel like I'm betraying myself to think such thoughts. Nook's my brother. My best friend. He wouldn't kill anyone to win the Hunger Games, and he wouldn't kill me. But who says he has to? I'd probably die within the first few seconds of the bloodbath by a Career's hands. Besides, Nook could just camp out in a cave or something and let everyone else kill each other. He doesn't have to kill anyone necessarily. He can and will find his way around anything the gamemakers throw at him.

And I'm happy for him. No, that's not true. Not really. I want him to win but I... I want to win with him.

"Not possible," I whisper the words into my pillow. I sigh then turn over, staring up at the ceiling. My thoughts drift to tomorrow.

Training day.

I cringe. I don't want to train with all those deadly weapons. It makes me start counting all the different ways I can die. All the painful ways I can die.

Everything's about death in this world... No, not death. Power.

Power, power, power!

That's what The Capitol have and they aim to keep it. My life, Nook's life, the other tribute's lives... it all means nothing to The Capitol. Just away to keep the balance, the power.

God I hate The Capitol.

The head trainer, a man named Seano, explains the rules for training. No attacking or killing other tributes. No taking weapons or supplies out the training area they're from. All the basics everyone knows really. I feel the Career's eyes on me but then trail past to the more intimidating tributes. Relief fills know I'm not a threat and I haven't gained any attention from anyone who could snap my neck before I could even blink.

As soon as Seano finishes, tributes scatter to different stations. I pause and look around for Nook. He's already at the crossbow station, not something likely to be found in the arena.

He sees me and smiles. I run over to the station and watch as he shoots bolts at the targets. After a few false starts he gets the hang of it and hits bulls eye. When he hands me to the cross bow I gulp nervously and look to the trainer for advice. She starts saying how to hold it correctly and load in the bolts but I can't get the hang of it. Thankfully, Nook shows me himself and earns a sore look from the trainer.

"Not like you were any help anyway," I mutter under my breath. Nook laughs loudly and I jump, accidentally pulling the trigger and shooting the bolt. It flies through the air and skims the top of another tributes head. Her wide eyes and scared expression makes my face flush a deep red and drop the crossbow. The noise it makes as it hits the floor echos throughout the room.

Everyone's staring at me in shock as if it was no accident. I want to defend myself but when I open my mouth no sound comes out.

I know the gamemakers are staring at me too from their balcony. Suddenly, I hear a slow, sarcastic clap. My eyes shoot up to the male tribute from, I think, District 4. He laughs horribly and walks off with his District partner to the wrestling station. And, just like that, everyone goes back to what they were doing. I look up to Nook and he tries to bite back a smile. I glare at him and leave for the camouflage station.

The gamemakers are watching me carefully. Every move I make now will be recorded. They're thinking I'll be a hazard to their games, that I'll kill a tribute way before due. If I did I can only imagine what they'd do to me.

I get so caught up in my thoughts I don't notice when I've walked past the camouflage station and to the one-handed weapons area. I grin sheepishly at the trainer. His face is blank but I know what he's thinking.

"She's the one that tried to kill that other tribute. She's the one that's out of control."

I gingerly pick up a sword, the weight of it surprising me so I almost drop it. It's much heavier than my old dagger but I can try and transfer my skill over to it. Hopefully this will be a small advantage that will make a big difference.

The trainer asks me if I know any basics and for honesty's sake I say I do. If he's surprised he doesn't look it. He starts teaching me new techniques and the proper stance. After ten minutes of that, we engage in a proper sword fight.

I try everything I can to knock him down or make him submit but shamefully I'm the one that gets knocked down. I scramble to my feet and the trainer points out my mistakes and gives more advice. Halfway through the bell sounds for lunch. I trail behind the other tributes but as soon as we're in the lunch room I brake off and sit on my own. Shortly after Nook joins me.

"Lovely show you put on," He chuckles. "Really made the careers jealous actually."

I perk my head up. Is he serious? Apparently so.

"Are they jealous of my determination to get myself killed before the games begin?" I ask lightly and somewhat sarcastically.

"What? No, of course not. Don't you see?" He frowns and I realize this is definitely serious. "You got the gamemakers attention. They'll remember you more than any of the others now, something that is rare before the private training."

He's right... I never realized just what I've done. I made my self stand out and now everyone, not just the gamemakers, will remember me. The careers have gone from not knowing I was there at all to envying and despising me just because of one mistake I made. The only bright side is that the sponsors won't know about any of this.

"Oh damn." I whisper. "Oh damn it! I've made myself a target, haven't I?"

"You mean for the tributes? No, your're not... not a target." Nook says as if it's impossible. He squeezes my arm to reassure me. "You just need to show them you're not worth remembering. They'll soon have bigger issues than you."

Like you.

I bite my lip hard, remembering everything from last night. I want to tell him what I heard but I can't. What if I'm wrong? It'll hurt him, break him even, if he knows what I've been thinking.

"Avia?" He asks, unsure.

"What? Oh, yeah, I need to umm... make them forget me. Sure, easy as pie!" My words sound fake even to me but I smile broadly and hope it fools him.

"No, Avia, look!"

I follow his gaze and see the head gamemaker and four peacekeepers escorting him over to our table. I feel a stab in my heart but can't say I'm all that surprised. I committed a crime of sorts and I need to pay for it.

"N-Nook?" I fail at keeping my voice steady and it sounds as if I'm going to burst into tears at any given moment. His hand grasps mine tightly like he'll never let go. I have something I need to tell him though before-

"Miss Avia Pines, female tribute of District 7. Please come with us."