After we have finished all the activities we go back to our floor of the tributes building and have lunch with Danielle and Dale. They ask us how we went. I'm silent. How can I tell them? I did terrible. Instead Nick speaks.

"Sarah is amazing," he says. "She can climb, not just trees but boulders, nets, cliffs, basically everything."

"It wasn't that hard," I mutter. "You could do it too."

"Not as well as you."

"Well, you can throw spears, I can't."

"Yeah, but you can pick edible plants."

"You can hit targets with a bow and arrow."

"So can you."

"Ok," Dale says. "You both seem to be going pretty good. You can both climb which is excellent. A way to get away from other tributes. Nick, you can throw spears. That can be a weapon you can use. Sarah, you can pick edible plants. Very good for surviving. You can both use a bow and arrow well. You have a chance of winning. You have the survival skills and you can attack other tributes and predators."

"Predators?" I ask.

"I forgot to tell you," Dale says. "There may be predators other than your fellow tributes in the arena. They could be deadly. There could be wolves, sharks, different animals. There's one thing you must know. Always kill them. They are made by the game makers as an extra part of the game. You have to understand this. If they come near you either run or attack. They won't retreat. They are bloodthirsty. Always ready to kill. There may not be any animals in the arena this year. There may be a few. There may be a lot. No one knows, apart from the game makers." He looks down. "Not only that there are other things in the arena. Unusual things. Blood rain, deathly fog, earthquakes. All these things could happen. Just beware."

We sit there in silence for the rest of the meal before leaving for training again. This time we work on things that we aren't good at. I don't work on spears because if I'm going to be allies with Nick then he can throw spears. Only one of us has to be good at one thing. Instead I go over to the swords and wait for an opponent. While I wait I watch the other tributes. They're all so good. There's the district 1 girl, throwing spears. There's the district 7 boy throwing a large ball with spikes on hit. The ball goes flying. It looks really heavy. There's the district 4 girl throwing knives. She hits every target. She's fast and strong. She scares me.

Suddenly someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn around. It's the seventeen year old boy from district 2. I've seen him train. He's amazing with swords.

"You ready," he says picking a sword. I walk through the two poles that cover you in the safety barrier. I pick a sword and go over to the circle where you practice fighting with swords. I see Nick watching me out of the corner of my eye. He looks concerned. It might be because I'm training with an enemy.

My thoughts are stopped by the countdown. Three, two, one. It has started. He swings his sword at my waste but I block it with my own. I duck before he swings again, this time at my head. I realize I'm not attacking. I'm defending. If I want to win the games I have to practice attack. I block his sword as he swings again. Then I swing. I'm aiming for his waste. He blocks it and quickly strikes my leg. I couldn't block it. Luckily I have the safety barrier on.

"You're pretty good," he says.

"I'm better at other things," I say angrily. I'm certain he's lying.

"I've seen," he replies in a calm voice. "You could win."

He's so aggravating. He keeps lying. The countdown starts again. Three, two, one.

I try to strike his chest but he blocks it. I swing at his head but he ducks. He grabs my ankles and pulls me down. He quickly stands up and tries to strike my face. I block it and swing at his feet but he jumps. I start getting up but am forced to block another strike aiming for my arm. I'm up. I swing at his head and he ducks but isn't quick enough to block my strike in his chest.

The safety barrier stops it from harming him.

"Wow," he says. "Never knew you could do that."

"I was angry," I reply.

"Well, my district partner doesn't want to be allies with me," he says. I can see he's hinting something. He puts out his hand. "It'll be easier with two of us."

I walk away. I make my way over to Nick who's at the throwing knives activity. He stops.

"What was going on over there?" he asks. "With the district 2 guy."

"He wants us to be allies," I reply. "I can't trust him."

"Why?"

"He's aggravating."

"He could save your life."

"I wanted to be allies with you."

"Can't we have all three of us as allies?"

I pause. "If you got to know him you would understand."

"Understand what?"

It isn't Nick's voice. I turn around. It's the district 2 guy.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"I may have annoyed you but I'm being serious," he says.

"I don't even know you," I reply.

"I don't know you either, but there's something about you. I can't let you die."

What's that supposed to mean?

"Come on Sarah," Nick says. "He's not going to hurt you."

He puts his hand out to the tribute. They shake hands and say "allies".

Then the tribute turns to me and puts his hand out. I stay back for a while and then shake it.

"My name's Lucas," he says.

"Sarah," I reply. "And this is Nick." I point to Nick but he's already gone back to what he was doing.

I go back to the sword activity. Lucas follows me.

"Another round?" he asks.

I nod. We grab our swords and wait for the countdown to finish. Soon we're fighting again. I think I'm getting better. I used to be horrible at this. Well, that's what I thought. Lucas must have thought differently. He kept complementing me. There's something about him, something that makes me feel queasy. Maybe it's just because he's from a different district and could turn on me at any time in the arena. But he seems nice. We fight for a while and then I decide to move on to something different.

Knife throwing. The girl from district 4 is still there. I grab a few knives and start throwing. The girl just looks at me. I look back at her after a while. She's giving me the death stare.

"I'd like to be left in peace," she says.

I'm silent. Is she telling me to leave the activity? I guess she is.

"I'm allowed to be here," I reply.

"If you want to make friends you had better go somewhere else," she says in a scary tone. She starts throwing knives again. "Just so you know we will never be friends, let alone allies. Sarah and Ruby. Never going to happen."

"I know you don't like me," I retort. "That doesn't mean I have to leave."

She turns around and stares at me. Her arm is back, ready to throw at any moment. I leave. I meet Nick at the bow and arrow activity.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," I reply. "I'm never going to get any practice on throwing knives."

He looks at me inquisitively.

"The girl, Ruby," I explain. "From district 4. She obviously doesn't like me."

"She doesn't like me either," Nick says.

"Did she threaten to throw a knife at you?"

"No! Why'd she do that?"

"She just did. She hates me."

"You're in trouble. We shouldn't make enemies."

"Hey! I wasn't the bad guy!"

"I'm not saying that. I'm just warning you."

I grab a bow and arrow and start shooting. For the rest of the afternoon I avoid Ruby, the girl from district 4, and work on things that I can't do well.