Training Part 2

If you read my last chapter, you'll know I told you I wouldn't get training scores up until Monday but it's possible I could get them up tomorrow after all or maybe even tonight. Enjoy the Chapter and May the Odds be Ever in Your Favour!

Lupus Cobaine POV

Finally we're at the interesting part; I'm starting to wish I hadn't wasted my time by volunteering. I forgot about all that chariot ride bullshit. Though to be honest, I've been let down from the start. Instead of having a useful mentor, I get Enobaria, who is just an older version of my mom. The escort, Caesar Lightdew is more pathetic than I ever believed he would be. The best thing a Career can be is feared, but I only care about being feared by people with a spine and Caesar babbles whenever he comes near me; useless creature. Aurora's just a traitor who I can't wait to kill. Why can't she be more like Whittier? She's ambitious, beautiful and as hungry for victory as I am; it's a shame the circumstances are different otherwise it'd be pretty easy to get into her pants. I mean come on; she's as close as she can possibly get to all three of us guys. Scout, Whittier's district partner thinks she's his girlfriend and Dusty, the district 4 boy thinks he and Whittier both have the same "issues". At least I see her for what she is; a slut who thinks it's hot to control people as powerful as her. I know because I can relate.

"District 2 tributes to the training centre for private sessions that is all" buzzes a female voice through the intercom.

On the way to the training centre we bump into Whittier and Scout, holding hands. Whittier pulls her hand away the second she sees us. She smirks at me while Scout just looks ahead dreamily; how sad. She barely acknowledges Aurora before walking on.

"Slut" hisses Aurora; Whittier keeps her back turned.

"I'd say something back but you're wearing that; do I need to?" she snarls.

Scout and I laugh even though it's not that funny before we part ways in our separate districts. I wait outside the training centre with Aurora and when my name is called, I know my training session is going to be special. I walk in and pull two dummies into the centre, then grab a sword.

"This is what I'm going to do to my victims" I decapitate the first dummy and a couple of the gamemakers nod in approval "And this is what I'm going to do to anyone who gets in my way."

I slice down the dummy's back and torso then cut the arms off. I then pounce on it and rip the stuffing out of it, picturing it as the insides of every person who has ever annoyed me; those stupid kids at the gym back home, Rowena and last but not least, Aurora. By the time I'm done the dummy is almost split completely at the waist.

Riddell Thicket POV

"Hurry up Riddell! Lateness is so crude!" cries Melissa.

You'd think by that reaction she'd be my escort but actually Melissa's my mentor. Genevieve, the actual escort is just as late as I am. She's still brushing her teeth as we're about to leave.

"Get off of his case Liss, I'm sure he has good reason" she chuckles after spitting out a lump of toothpaste into the kitchen sink.

"Ok one, that is disgusting; two, it's Melissa; you'd think considering we went through this last year you'd recognise the pattern and three, please stop encouraging him!" squeals Melissa angrily.

Genevieve winks at me and we both laugh quietly. I've kind of got a reputation now for my stories or "lies" as Melissa, the stylist Christa and my prep team call them. I don't see anything wrong with it; the truth is boring. Only Genevieve seems to understand it, and possibly Mai; she never really gets involved. Currently she's sitting at the table tapping her fingers on the table and humming, with a kind of- fixed smile on her face. I think she's been trying to keep positive but no one really believes she is.

"Let's go, let's go!" Melissa pulls Mai up and pushes us both out the door; Genevieve shortly follows us.

"Don't listen to her guys; she's just stressed because her nose job has been postponed" Genevieve explains jokingly.

"I heard that!"

We rush off to the training centre before she can come out. I have to go straight in so I don't get a chance to decide what to do.

"Riddell Thicket, why are you so late?" asks Athena, the head gamemaker angrily.

There's an idea.

"Well Miss Head Gamemaker, it's quite a funny story. I'll tell you while I demonstrate my camouflage skills" I pick up the paints provided.

As I'm finishing off my arm so it blends in with the wall, I'm really getting into my story. So are the gamemakers it would seem or at least one of them; I think his name is Zeus. He's barely stopped laughing since I began.

"So at this point Melissa's nose is just a bloody blob and Mai looks like she's about to puke. Luckily, Genevieve found the plastic nose just in time but as she was running over she slipped over an ice cube and- oh I'm done. Tada!" I put my arm against the wall to show how well it blends in.

"Woo! That was amazing; give this kid a 12 right now" Zeus yells excitedly.

I leave the room quite satisfied and as I open the door Mai jumps; she was standing by the door, listening in.

"Woah, what did you do in there? They're going crazy for you!" she says excitedly.

"I just told it like is" I shrug, not wanting to give anything away.

But funny enough, that's exactly what I didn't do.

Coal Hartcell POV

I don't want to fight anymore; it's too humiliating. I tried really hard to show I'm an all-rounder but I don't think I did too good a job. My aim was off for the most part; I wasn't concentrating properly. All I can think about these days is Lala; she was my only friend and I didn't do anything to save her. Every time I went to hit the dummy with a sword I imagined it was Lala I was hitting. I was going to move onto camouflage but I ran out of time. The gamemakers didn't look impressed. Dandelion ran ahead to let Peeta, our mentor how she did. They're really close; a little too close. Despite being one of the smallest, youngest tributes, she has some serious muscles. She can lift the some of the heavier weights in the training centre and even throw them sometimes. Apparently Peeta was great at that sort of thing too so he's always giving her extra tips. But as a result he ignores me altogether. Effie Trinket returned to having candy floss inspired hair the day after the reaping so she's not in sad anymore. She's more willing to help. Except she's decided Dandelion's "so adorable" and even though she doesn't totally blank me, it's clear who she favours. Dandelion and I don't really tend to talk; we don't seem to have a lot in common. I don't seem to have a lot in common with anyone actually. I haven't got any more friends here than I did at home. I walk into the penthouse, where the Avoxes are already serving dinner.

"Coal; you're late!" Effie sighs "Sit down, and no elbows on the table please.

Honestly, you put them there once and suddenly you're the rudest guy on the Earth.

"You smashed through three glass walls in a row with one weight? That's amazing Dani" he looks over at me "What about you Coal?"

"What do you care?" I growl, not looking up.

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb; all you've done is paid attention to the little girl wonder there. Why do you wanna here my business now?"

"Oh come on Coal, don't be like that."

"Listen here loverboy, you can't teach me anything anyway. I wish Katniss was our mentor, or even Haymitch. You're useless."

Effie gasps and Dandelion winces but instead of getting mad, Peeta just looks kind of hurt. What a loser. I hope I don't grow up to be like that. We finish our food in silence.

I feel bad for Coal; I'm being so mean to him. We'll have to see how he fares. Now I'm at the end, I'm pretty sure Training Scores won't be up until tomorrow. By the way, do I end my chapter on an awkward note too often? Just curious.