For Mackenzied; because she made my day today.

By the end of the first day of training we, being the Careers, were all confident we were ready so that night we decided to follow in tradition like all the other Careers before us and spend the night of the roof. It was supposed to seal the deal of our alliance. Brutus was telling us about his night at dinner and they got piss ass drunk apparently and that's why they all scored only 9s.

Sadly, he wouldn't let us drink. So we settled for sitting on the ledge with our feet dangling over the edge and getting sugar high…. Don't judge. We may be killing machines but in the end we are still people who like to have fun.

"So, if one of us doesn't win who do you think its gunna be?" Marvel asked while throwing a small pebble at the force field repeatedly.

Glimmer scoffed, "How could one of us not win?" God, I hate her, almost as much as I hate Clove and that's a hard one to beat.

"I'm just making conversation." Marvel defended.

"Thresh. Or as much as I am going to hate to admit this one, Everdeen." I said kicking my feet against the wall. They all started at me, so I continued, "Thresh, cause he is a brick fucking wall. And Everdeen cause she has something to fight for."

Cato mumbled, "Don't we all?"

"Yeah, but I don't know. Something about her irks me."

Glimmer nodded, "Then they have to be the first ones we take out."

Marvel rolled his eyes, passing me the bottle of what tasted like pure sugar, "I don't think its gunna be that simple."

"Nothing in the Games is ever that simple." Cato replied taking the bottle from my hands after I was done. It was quiet for a minute before he brought up something we were avoiding. "I think when it's down to the final 5 whoever is left of us goes their separate ways." he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and I knew he meant with them.

Ferocious bunny, that's never gunna get old, nodded. "Sounds go to me. The people will eat that shit up. Normally the Career alliance dissolves way before then."

We went silent again and I thought about having to kill the two people I considered friends now. Is this how it always is? The Careers getting 'close' to only have to be the ones that kill each other in the end. Would I even want to kill them? No, but I could just let Cato do it… well… maybe I'd take Glimmer out. Quickly, of course. That's how you were supposed to do it if it came down to Career on Career. Fight as hard as you can to win but if your win is obvious you take them out quick. The unwritten rules of the Games have been in place far too long for us to be the ones that break it.

Glimmer then did something I will forever remember her for. "It's kinda sad, that we all met this way, you know. We probably could have been good friends."

I tore my eyes from the skyline to look at her. "Yeah, probably. But things aren't that easy."

She gave me a soft smile. "That's like our motto." We all laughed at the truth in her words and fell back into silence, thinking about what laid ahead of us. In two days time Cato would beginning his suicide mission. I'm not ready for that. But I am a good Career. We all were good Careers. Death happens in these Games. You can't avoid it. As sick as it was, that was something we grew up learning. Death is inevitable.

I just never thought someone would give up their own life for me.

And in that moment I didn't care that Glimmer was next to me and Marvel next to her, or that I was breaking at least two of Brutus' rules, I laced my fingers with his (granted our hands were mostly hidden between our legs) and laid my head on his shoulder.

"You two are together, aren't you?" Marvel asked, a bit of disappointment in his voice.

Cato looked down and me before answering, and I knew he was going to lie, "No, if things were different, maybe. But they aren't."

"Things are never easy." Glimmer said quietly, laying her head on Marvel shoulder too but in a friendly way.

"Unfortunately" I muttered darkly. Suddenly I was in a very sour mood. This whole thing was fucked up. Yeah, lets make a tradition that lets our Careers feel like they're friends only to make them kill each other within the next two weeks.

Marvel took a large sip of the green liquid. "Anyone else think this was a bad idea?"

I raised my free hand causing the other three to laugh. "I was legit, just thinking that!"

"Maybe…" Glimmer trailed off. "Maybe that's the point of this. Make us realize we can't be friends. Only allies." alright she isn't a dumb as I thought.

Cato nodded. "That is the point because if we go into this knowing what we know now we wont feel as bad when we have to kill one another."

Marvel laughed, "Who says I'd feel bad killing one of you fuckers?" he was joking. It was easy to tell. We all were sadly in the same boat. We were friends. And that made everything ten times worse.

"Thanks, bitch." Glimmer said hitting the back of his head.

"I won't feel bad about having to kill you, Marvel." I said back, sticking my tongue out to let him know I was joking. He glared and gave me the finger.

But my boyfriend, the eternal optimist, sighed and I knew he was about to kill the mood. "We probably should go back inside before we make this worse for ourselves."

We all slowly stood up. Not waiting this carefree-ish night to end. I felt like I was back at home with our group of friends. I missed those crazy kids and it was never going to be the same without Cato in the crew. I'm going to have to find new friends.

"Things are serious from here on out. No more bullshitting. One of us is going to win and we have to make all the other districts aware of that" Cato said looking at the three of us. We nodded in response and the other two said goodbye, leaving me and Cato alone.

I sighed, for what felt like the millionth time since all this began, "Glimmer was right though. We would have been friends." We are friends.

"We can't make friends, babe. Not now. This is alliances to make sure we come out in the end," he said in a cold voice. I knew this was going to happen. Him turning into the Career he was expected to be. I just didn't expect it to happen till we were in the Games.

All I could do was nod, looking over the lights one last time before letting Cato take my hand and lead me towards the elevator. I didn't sleep that night. I don't think Cato did either. Shit was getting real and it was hitting me, and him, really hard.

The next day at training Cato was in full on 'im-going-to-show-everyone-what-a-dick-i-am' mode. He went off on some younger boy about stealing his knife. I barley had time to grab his elbow before he could impale the kids face. He did manage to say that he was going to make sure the kid was the first one he went after and the kid looked like he could die right then and there.

The peacekeepers came in and took him out of the room, probably to cool off, or knock some sense into his head that there is enough time to do that in the Games. While they were pulling him out of the room I caught Everdeen's gaze flicker from Catos retreating form to the rafters, where the little girl from 11, Rue I think, was. With the knife Cato was looking for in her hands.

I rolled my eyes and she caught me looking at her. She looked like a deer in the headlights and I held my hand out to her. "Drop it." I said quietly. She looked terrified. "I wont tell him you had it. Promise." and that must have been enough for her cause she released the knife and I skillfully caught it by the hilt. "I wouldn't suggest messing with him again though."

She nodded and I walked away, putting the knife back in its rightful place. If that girl wasn't careful she wasn't going to last long at all. It is a shame because she hasn't even had a chance to live yet. I sigh and run a hand through my hair. Each day that passes I'm growing to hate these Games more and more; which is a horrible thing to say considering I have been training for them my whole life; which is equally as horrible… This whole pregnant thing is really throwing my emotions for a whirl-wind.

I was at the plant survival station when Everdeen came up to me and in ridiculously sarcastic voice said, "Your district partner is a real charmer."

With a glare in her direction I responded, "What are you doing?"

"Making conversation while I wait for this station." she replied. Wow, someone is cheerful. Please note my own sarcasm.

"Make it with someone else, Everdeen." I sighed and went back to trying to memorize the poisonous plants and fruits.

She shook her head, "Are you bi-polar or something?"

"Wow, that's a nice thing to ask someone." I mumbled, trying really hard to just focus on the objects in front of me. She was making this difficult.

"Well it's the truth. You were just nice to Rue and now you're the opposite."

I put the pages down and gave her an exasperated look, "I was nice to Rue because she is a little kid who doesn't deserve to be here. You are a grown ass girl that can handle yourself. See the difference." I said sharply, "Now, if you don't mind I have work to do." Everdeen put her hands up and took a few steps back. Who the hell does this girl think she is?

One of the trainers dismissed us a bit later top get ready for our interviews. It didn't take nearly as long to get us ready this time. Fari left my hair down and put it into loose curls while dressing me in a silver sequined dress that was skin tight till my hips with a slit up to the middle of my thigh. My make up had the glitter shit on it again but I'm not going to lie, I looked damn good.

Cato was in a silver tux. He looked good too. Damn fucking take me right now kind of good. And if he didn't stop winking at me; I was going too.

"So, you going to tell me what happened this afternoon with the peacekeepers?" i asked him as we waited in line to be called to our interviews.

He shook his head, "Nothing really. They yelled at me a bit and told me that this wasn't the time or place to lose my temper. That i would have enough time for that in the arena. Blah fucking Blah."

I rolled my eyes at him as Glimmer finally got called on stage, "You really are something, you know that? And they are right; there will be enough time for that. The kid looked like he could die from fright."

Darkly, very darkly, he replied, "He's gunna die from something, but its not gunna be fright."

I stared at him for a second before shaking my head at him, "Wow, whoever is peeing in your breakfast really needs to cut it out. You're really starting to get on my nerves with this dark guy shit."

He eyed me long and hard before his face softened a little and he said honestly, "Its kill or be killed."

"Yes, killing the boy from fright really is what you should be doing." I said sarcastically as Marvel went up onto the stage.

"No, but he needs to know who is in charge around here."

I just shook my head at him again and watched Marvels interview. Or acted like i was. Cato was being an dick. Yes, i understood why. But he was being a bit excessive. Excuse my ego but we're Careers. That alone shows that we are in charge. Whats the point in looking like an asshole to try and be in charge. All that does is make you and asshole. I sighed and waited for Marvel to be done. Right now, no matter how good he looked, i needed to get away from Cato or I'd probably punch him in the dick. His ego was being enough of one.

Finally Marvel walked off stage and it was my turn.

"And now from district 2, she's the sister of two former Victors, I give you the stunning, Valina Frighlin!" The crowd was nuts and I couldn't even hear myself think. But I kept the smile on my face as I walked to Caesar.

"Let me start off by telling you how absolutely beautiful you are, and you look so much like your sister."

"Well thank you." I smiled as genuinely as I could at him. "I still think she is prettier then I am but I appreciate it none the less."

Caesar shook his head, "You're both lovely girls. How does she feel about you being in the Games?"

"She's insanely proud. So is my brother and they both know I'll win."

"Oh, you are " he took the joke and the crowd laughed. I was a "shoo in" to win. You could hear it in the way the crowd cheered my name. They all wanted me to. My family was a legacy in the Games. It was sad really. They lived off of this. They looked forward to these games. How can you look forward to children's deaths?

"I am confident in my abilities. I'm ready."

He smiled at me, "Well if you're anything like your siblings we can all expect great things out of you."

"You definitely can." I winked and they crowd went wild again. "They taught me a lot but I also have a few things up my sleeves."

Caesar leaned in like it was a secret, "Oh, do tell."

I waved him off and laughed, "I can't tell you those things! What would be the fun in that? You're just going to have to wait and see." It's sickening how good I was at this. Everything I was doing these days was sickening me.

The crowd was cheering again. Okay, these people are nuts. "A girl with confidence, what's not to love? So with your beauty and wit there has to be a boy back home. Tell us all about him."

I laughed lightly. Brutus warned us about this and gave us one piece of advice. Lie. Lie. Lie. "Unfortunately there isn't."

"I do not believe you, you're joking. You have to be. Someone get this girl a boyfriend, right now." he said and the crowd all laughed again. "Well if you go home a victor the boys will be lining up outside your door."

Not the boy I want. "So you mean they'll be more?" I joke back just as the buzzer goes off.

"Valina, thank you. You are absolutely delightful, isn't she folks? Valina Frighlin!" he took my hand as we stood up kissing it before I gave one last wave and walked off the stage.

Atila was the first one to rush at me telling me how amazing I had done. I saw Brutus and Enobaria nodding behind her. Well maybe that will make up for my little slip up this afternoon with Rue…

Cato was quickly called to stage and he looked intimidating to say the least. The crowd loved him.

"The sponsors are going to swarm the two of you. I can feel it." Atila said to me as Catos buzzer went off and the crowd went wild one last time. We have to make it to the final 2 so I could only hope they did.

And just like every night since we left 2, i realized how quickly my time with Cato was passing. As we walked back to the room he nudged me and mouthed that he was sorry. I managed to smile at him but he knew it was forced. Words didn't need to be exchanged because the same look that was on my face was on his. In less then two days time we were going to be in the area; we were going to be surrounded by cameras 24/7.

In less then 48 hours Cato's suicide mission was going to start.

Mackenzied; thank you lovely. :) i was having a bad day and your review came in at the most perfectest time. I dont like my writing style most of the time, i feel like its a lot of bitching, so thank you for that lovely compliment and i apologize to you personally if this chapter sucks.

i might edit this a bit cause i am not 100 % happy with it but i needed to get it out. it has been bothering me all day that it wasnt up.
gahhh I knew i was going to rush through the interviews and training, i feel like this is a bit much though...
I did give the Careers some depth though which i thought came out really well.
and Katniss and Valina finally talked which was something i have been looking for a perfect time to do.