Chapter 4

In the Training Center on the first day, I go around the room, deciding what station to work at. All of the Careers have already spent a few minutes on the food stations but have now moved onto the stations with weapons. Some of those in the last few Districts stick together at stations on how to camouflage and how to make traps for food. They seem to be staying away from the Careers, intimidated by their strength. Billee and I take our place at a small table where you learn about various berries and nuts. We learn about them for the whole day, really taking in what we've learned and remembering it well so that when it comes to eating in the arena we're prepared. Towards the end of the day, we have about an hour left to do something else. We both decide that for the next two days, our top priority would be to learn how to use a weapon. We also decide to keep practicing one type of weapon rather than have a small understanding of everything. I think it's more logical to be good at one thing than only okay at many things. Billee goes to learn about some medium-sized swords, and I decide to learn about throwing knives.

The whole station is meant for one person. There's a red mat for where you stand and a table next to it, decorated ornately with hundreds of throwing knives. Across the room are three different targets to throw at. Each of them is shaped like a human and has two different targets: the heart and the head. I stand ready with a knife firmly in my right hand. As I swing my hand back behind my head, about to throw the knife, I see the Careers watching me out of the corner of my eye. They snicker to each other, doubting my skill with this weapon. But I'm going to show them wrong. I've never used one of these before, but it seems easy. I keep my eyes glued on the head of the middle target. I whip my arm forward and release the knife, hoping for the best. Clearly I don't get the best, because when it lands on the floor a mile away from the target, the Careers begin laughing hysterically. I swallow hard and hold my breath, not wanting to show any emotion. I am angry at the fact that they are so talented at using all these weapons already and I have to make a fool of myself when I try to use one. This is what I'm sticking with, though. I will prove to them my worth at the end of these next few days.

During the next two days, I practice throwing knives. I begin to do well, nearly mastering my skill by the end of the second day. I can see Billee wielding the sword. He's a natural. He has such fast reflexes and such strength that it looks as if he's done this his whole life. It makes me a bit jealous, knowing he's better off than I am. I look over to the other stations and see how well everyone else is doing. I've improved, but I can't help feeling like I'm in last place. I can see the District 1 female tribute. She stands, poised on her toes with the bow in her left hand and the string pulled back with her right. She releases her arrow and if flies straight into the heart of the target. I imagine her killing me the same way. Shaking the idea from my head, I continue working on my knife-throwing skills.

By the end of the third day, I'm ready to prove the Careers wrong. I see them gathered around the District 1 girl at the archery station. They all laugh and kid around like this game is some kind of a joke, like they're at camp or something. It makes me sick. I stand there at my station, staring at them, waiting for them to look at me, and I'm startled when Billee grabs my shoulder.

"Don't creep up on me like that!" I snap at him.

"Come on, it's not like we're in the arena."

"Well, still." I say. "I don't like it."

"Why are you staring at them?" he asks me with a laugh. How long has he been watching me? And how long have I been staring?

"Because they laughed at me the other day when I tried to throw a knife."

"That's because you were awful at it." He begins laughing.

"It's not funny!" I say punching his shoulder. We had grown to know each other so well that we had a brother-sister type relationship. It was going to be hardest to let him go.

"I especially hate that District 1 girl." I hate her face. She has a small, thin nose that curves up at the tip. Freckles cover her nose and cheekbones, and she has these dark brown eyes that make her pupils barely visible. She is pretty, though, with long eyelashes and thin lips. That's one of the main reasons why I hate her so much. This pretty little girl is going to get so many sponsors with her bubbly personality. Underneath, though, she's definitely coldhearted, ready to do anything to win.

"Who? Portia?" Billee asks me, pointing at her.

"Well don't point towards them, they'll know we're talking about them." I say, slapping his arm down. So that's her name. Portia. "And yes." I say. But it's too late; they've already noticed the 'nonchalant' Billee. They all turn and stare at me. They want me to put on a show called 'Fail at Throwing Knives Again'.

"Time to show them what you're made of." Billee says, walking away from the station. He watches from a distance, and when I look at him before throwing a knife, he puts up his arms and makes a scared face, like I might hit him because I'm so bad.

"You're hysterical." I call to him, smiling. I make sure I'm loud so the Careers are definitely watching me. Okay, enough fun. I have to do my best. My smile fades and I concentrate deeply on the target. If I don't throw this knife well then I'll look like a complete idiot.

I hold my knife back behind my head like I had done the first day, but I realize throwing just one won't impress them. Portia can shoot ten arrows in ten seconds, all of them hitting critical points on the target. I need to do better.

I pick up two more knives and hold them in my left hand. There were three different sizes of knives provided, so I had one of each of them, the smallest in my right hand, ready to be thrown. I pull my arm back again and swing forward quickly, hoping for the best.

It hits the head of the target perfectly. I'm satisfied, but I know the Careers aren't, so I take the next biggest knife and throw it. Right in the heart. I look over to the Careers and they seem unimpressed, still. I need to throw in something to spice up my act. I know just what to do.

I take the largest knife from my left hand and hold it by the blade, taking a few more steps back. If this works, I will most definitely intimidate the Careers. Well, some of them. I pelt the knife at the target and it places perfectly, perfectly on the crotch of the target.

The boys from Districts 1 and 2 are pale and surely freaked out. Portia and the District 2 girl seem unimpressed, still. Maybe they are afraid but they're trying not to show it. Not likely.

My work here is done; I've proved my worth to the Careers, I guess. Perhaps now they see me as more of a competitor, not prey.

Billee walks up to me, his white teeth showing bright with his smile.

"I hope you don't pull that last move on me in the arena."

"Of course I will." I say, jokingly. He puts his arm around me as the bell rings, signaling the end of the day. Our last Training Center day. Tomorrow will be our Training Sessions with the Gamemakers, and the day after we will receive our scores. Then, the day after that, are our interviews, and then the next morning, we go to the arena. Three more days until my inevitable death.