Chapter Fourteen - Private Sessions

I'm in a sort of mental panic. I've finally allied myself with the Careers but I don't have anything left to show the Gamemakers. They're sure to be expecting something interesting after the show I just put on but I've got nothing.

Calm down, Alexis. The rational side of my mind says. Think. What skills do you have?

Hmm. I have obviously got spears and tridents; I've been using the things since before I can remember. And definitely swimming, I can swim better than anyone here, including Cassius, he never did spend too much time by the water.

There's water plants too, all the stuff I've fed myself with since I started working the Samphire, along with preparing meats and cooking them. And I can't forget knot tying, I have been making my own nets for years.

Since I've gotten here, I really excelled in fire and shelter building, as well as tree climbing. I didn't do too bad in the electronics Jayden showed us either, but my axe, sword, wrestling skills were a nightmare. My plant identification was okay, since I have some experience with it, but not something I would want to count on in the Hunger Games much. I just tried to remember some of the edible plants, a few poisons and just steered clear of the rest.

So all I have that the Gamemakers will really be interesting in is my spears and tridents. Unless…

Only seven people will go in for private sessions before me. Finnick tells me this is good, because I'm from a Volunteer District the Gamemakers will still be paying attention to me. Now I just need to give them something to pay attention to.

We, the tributes, are all sitting around the cafeteria of the Training Centre, waiting for our chance to impress the Gamemakers. I take a moment to pity the tributes from the lower districts, like Heather and Spencer. If what Finnick said is true, they won't get much attention at all.

Jayden stands up and walks over to me as Gray, the first tribute, walks in to the Training Centre. Six tributes to go.

"I'm nervous." Jayden says, sitting down next to me.

"Me too."

"Why should you be?" Jayden asks, surprised. "They saw you throw yesterday. They've probably already decided your score." Across the room, Shine stands and struts in to the Training Centre. Five to go.

I thought about that. I've never known the Gamemakers to decide on a score before the private sessions.

"They won't." I say. "They'll be bored, since they've already seen me throw. I'm going to have to make it more interesting. Somehow."

"What about me? What can I do?" Demetri walks in to the Training Centre. Four to go.

I smile at him. "Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses." He raises his eyebrows. "Build something." I clarify.

He frowns, thinking about it, then slowly his face breaks into a huge grin.

"I'm guessing you have an idea." I smirk, teasingly. Tiana leaves the room. Three to go. Jayden's next.

He beams at me. "I think I do. The Gamemakers won't know what hit them."

"Hit them? Wait…what?"

Jayden smiles mysteriously. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see."

The Capitol attendant walks back into the room. "District Three - Jayden Carter!"

I raises my eyebrows at him. I realize then that I'd never heard his last name.

He stands. "Wish me luck."

He starts to walk to the doors, then stops. I'm probably more shocked than anyone when he runs back to me and gives me a huge hug.

"Thank you, Alexis." he whispers. He's gone before I can even hug him back.

Cassius walks over to me then. "You're lucky all the Volunteers have left, Alex." he says. "They would have seen that as betrayal."

"Well, good for me then."

He frowns. "You're planning on leaving them, aren't you?"

"The Volunteers? Yes, of course, eventually. And if any of them lay a finger on any of my friends I will spear them so many times they wouldn't recognize themselves."

"Your allies." Cassius corrects. "They're your allies, not friends." Pascale, the girl from Three gets called in.

"No." I frown. "Friends."

He leans in closer to me and whispers in my ear. "Still working on getting us out of here, aren't you?"

I nod. This is dangerous, we shouldn't be talking about this here. Not following the rules of the Hunger Games, (aka dying) is definitely considered illegal. Rebellious. We could be shot instantly for just talking about it.

"Be careful, Alexis." He pulls back. "Okay?" I nod again. We could have been talking about anything now.

"Cassius Achille!" The Capitol attendant calls.

"That's me." Cass says, as if I didn't know. "I'll see you later."

He stands up straight and marches straight in to the Training Centre.

Willow and Ash slide in to the seats next to me. "Got a plan?" She asks.

I gulp. I'm next. There's no more tributes to be called before me. I put on a brave-ish sort of smile.

"I'm sure I'll come up with something when I get there."

Willow raises her eyebrows, but doesn't push it. She's probably just as scared as I am. Then, for the second time today, she pulls me close to her and whispers in my ear.

"Listen. We might not have time to talk after now, so we need to say it now."

"What?" I ask, laughing a little so the other tributes are suspicious that we could be talking about anything important.

"I think you should do the Games with the Careers."

I start to protest, but Willow's voice cuts me off. I look at Ash for help, but he just nods encouragingly. They must have talked about this before.

"The Careers will probably track you down first if you don't." Willow continues. "And if your training score is as I think it's going to be, then they definitely will. Plus, it would be good for us to have someone among the Careers we can trust. Act like you broke off the alliance with us, but come find us after the Careers split."

I think about it for a bit, then say, "And where will you be?" I hope that doesn't sound too suspicious.

"By the water, in the trees. If there's water, we'll be there."

She pauses for a moment, then says, "We'll leave you a sign."

"How will I know?" I ask.

Just then, the Capitol attendant comes back out. I don't hear her words, but I know what they are. My name.

Willow pulls back. "You will. Just remember…just remember us. Remember us and you will find it."

I don't know what she means by that, but it's not for me to figure out now. For now, I need to figure out how to impress some Gamemakers.

"Good luck." Ash says.

"And may the odds be ever in your favour." Willow whispers, smiling a bit. I chuckle a bit, then march through the doors.

The place is a mess. The targets have been attacked by points, probably Shine and Tiana, and the dummies are in shreds, probably the doing of the Volunteers boys.

My new allies. I remind myself.

The oddest, however, is the mat pulled in to the centre of the room. The Gamemakers, who I can tell, now I'm looking for it, all seem a bit shocked, as if something happened that they didn't know was possible.

The last clue to hit me is the smell. The smell of burning. I realize there are marks around the mat that match the ones on the Gamemakers' table, clothes, and now that I look at it, the whole room.

I finally realize what Jayden did. A bomb.

I've registered all of this within seconds of walking into the room, so nothing seems to odd about it. I walk up to the front, bow and say, "Alexis Lace, District Four." A man sitting in the front of the group, the Head Gamemaker, I assume, nods, signalling for me to begin.

It takes me only about three spears to realize how boring this must be, watching a girl throw spears at a target. No matter how far away you are, it's only impressive for so long. I need more, but that's all I can really do.

Think Alexis, think. If throwing is the skill you want to show, then the only thing you can change is the target.

I stand up straight, like one of those cartoons I saw on the train when they get a bright idea. I feel like I could reach up and grab the lightbulb from above my head.

It doesn't take long to find a few interesting materials and toss them randomly around the room. Pieces of wood from fire building. Maple leaves from plant identification. Lifejackets from the pool. A couple dummies. The Gamemakers are looking at me like I'm crazy, but I'm pretty sure they'll get it in just a second. Finally, I turn to face them and directly address the Head Gamemaker, something I'm not completely sure you're allowed to do based on the surprised look he gives me.

"Sir, could you please name one of the items I've just placed around the room for me?"

It takes him a while to get over his confusion and just answer me, but when he finally does, he says, "Maple leaves."

I nod, then, hoping this is still somewhere within my skill level, run to the tree I picked out in the middle of the room in the tree climbing station. I climb as high as I can with spears in my hands, then secure myself to the tree. It takes me exactly fifteen seconds to hit each maple leaf with a spear. I climb down and show them the punctured leaves on the end of the closest spear. The shocked but impressed faces are very encouraging. I ask the woman next the Head for another item.

She watches me for a second, then smiles, a little evilly, and says, "The sprinklers."

I look up. It's a tall ceiling, maybe three meters, but nothing too difficult. I eyes catch on one of the pieces of wood from fire building and I get an idea.

It takes me too long to make a fire, I must be running out of time. The others before me didn't take nearly this long, but the Gamemakers have said nothing so far.

The fire finally takes hold and I quickly grab a few of the longer sticks around me and dip the ends of them in propane, then into the flames. This will be my final trick.

I toss several burning sticks up into the rafters, immediately setting off the sprinklers above my head. My fire is put out quick, after all, that's what they're for, but I think I've made my point. I bow politely to the Gamemakers and walk out of the room.

Once outside, I release the huge breath I didn't realize I was holding in and grin from ear to ear as I dash for the elevator. I doubt anyone will be beating that any time soon, but now it's up to the Gamemakers to decide.