Act 5
'Training Center'

The training center is where we would be staying for the next few days. The top 12 floors were assigned to each district's tributes for them to live. The basement floor though was assigned to be where we trained for the Games. It was there that we truly started to feel like tributes.

"Here you will train for the Games," spoke one of the trainers. "There are the obligatory stations, but the rest are just as important."

We are told about how most of us will die. The idea of talking about my death made me freak out. I think I zoned out about around when we started talking about the percentages of us dying from natural causes.

I looked around at the other tributes. Dezji stood there, listening, though not happy about it. The tributes from One, Two, and Four were ready to get started.

To my other side stood a girl from District 11, one who had to be 12. She was so short, there was no doubt of her age. I had to wonder how someone her size could even think about competing. Looking at her, she appeared to be thinking the same. She was obviously nervous, biting her lip to stop from crying.

"Now I suggest you choose your stations over the next three days carefully," said the trainer. "I will leave you to your training."

We were dismissed.

I watched as everyone went to a station. The Careers had been eyeing the weapons stations. Dezji had gone to the camouflage station. Where I was going to start, I truly hadn't thought about that. There wasn't really anyone at the tree-climbing station from what I could see, so I went there.

There actually was one person there; the girl I had seen from earlier. She was already at the top of the fake tree. She seemed very adept at climbing, something I had no experience in.

"You need to find footing and handholds," instructed the trainer. "Take your time at first so you can get an idea at what you're looking for."

He gestured me towards another fake tree and I tried my hand at it. It was actually a lot harder than I thought. I ended up falling a lot of times, not even making it two feet off the ground.

"You really suck at this, don't you?" asked the girl, still in the tree.

Apparently during this entire time she had been watching me.

She's mean for her age, I thought.

I didn't want to make any enemies before the Games even started. I think I already did with District Two for some reason, but I don't want to make any more by getting caught fighting with a 12 year-old kid. So I ended up having to walk away.

I hope there are no trees in the arena this year, I thought to myself. Because if so, I am screwed.

There were many other stations to go to other than tree-climbing, but most of them were crowded. I didn't want to embarrass myself any further.

Dezji's station, camouflage, had another kid there. The kid was 12 years old and already excelling at it.

What's up with the younger kids being freaking experts?

I didn't want to get shown up by a kid again, especially seeing how the Gamemakers are probably watching us.

I walked over to knot tying station. I knew I could do that, so I hoped that maybe excelling at something would bring back some of my confidence.

At the station was another girl. She was the girl from District Four. I remembered her from the parade. She was gorgeous in her outfit, which not many people could have pulled off, but she somehow did. Even in her training outfit, she had looks. Tan skin, loose wavy hair, a thin, curvy figure… I felt a bit envious comparing our two appearances.

She was busy doing arbor knot when I walked up. It was a type of fishing knot, which makes sense since she is from Four. I knew its name, but that was about it. I mostly knew knots that could used in an urban setting. I end up starting one of the knots, a bowline. It was pretty easy.

The girl from Four looked over as I was doing it.

"That's a good knot," she simply said before walking away.

That little compliment actually made me somewhat good. I know we would be enemies in a couple of days, but still it was nice for right now.

I stayed at the knot tying station for a little bit longer before I went over to the Gauntlet with a few others. It was a required station, so I was bound to go there any way. I ended up standing behind a younger boy from District 11 and in front of Dezji.

"I see you were having issues with the kid from 11," whispered Dezji.

I just rolled my eyes. Thinking about her attitude made me quite upset. I didn't care to think too much into it for that reason.

"I think her name is Nova," he continued. "Careful of her. She may be small, but she is harsh. She probably won't get very far, but she is bound to cause some injuries before she falls. Standing in front of you is her district partner. I believe his name is Gavin."

Unlike the girl, Nova, Gavin had seemed like her was taught manners. I had seen him being respectful towards all the rest of the tributes, even the Careers who weren't very polite to him. He acted how I thought a kid should… Not like a brat.

"Also, I saw you talking to the District Four girl," said Dezji.

"Why are you watching me?" I asked.

"I'm watching everyone," he answered. "This is when you learn the most about people. They aren't in front of the cameras and don't have all the eyes on them. They aren't thinking about how they are going to look for the sponsors. So of course I am watching them to see who I can trust. And that District Four girl is probably not someone you want to trust."

I kept looking forward as Dezji talked. At the front of the line was the District Four girl with her district partner.

"I was talking with Douglas, the District Seven guy, and he says her name is Delphine. Apparently she has a reputation," he explained. "She gets people to like her with either her looks or small compliments, something that makes the other person receiving it feel good and like her a bit more. Once they are in her pocket, she betrays them."

"First off, I am in no one's pocket," I said, slightly irritated at the thought. "And secondly, how does he know this?"

"Her district partner, the guy in front of her, told him," he said. "The guy's name is apparently Coriander… Strange name is you ask me, but apparently he is reliable, at least on this. He told Douglas that Delphine liked to ruin people that way."

I thought about how Delphine acted. Sure, she probably wasn't the most reliable person and in the arena, I would probably stay away from her. I only took the compliment because I felt discouraged after Nova started talking. Still, I don't know if I would believe the guy, Coriander, either. He is spreading information, rumors, about someone from his district. I don't know how reliable that is either.

Looking at Coriander, who was second in line behind Delphine, as he laughed with her and the other Careers near them made me slightly weary of him for some reason. He seemed like a chill guy at first look, but something about him that made me feel uncomfortable. Not only because it felt like he had betrayed Delphine by talking about her behind her back, but something else. There was something deeper there that I couldn't place.

"Oh, Douglas also told me about the District Two guy. You know, the one glaring at you," Dezji said.

"Oh yeah, him…"

I had almost forgotten about him.

"Well, apparently his name is Marcello," he continued. "I was watching him with the swords. He is decent. You can defiantly tell he is a career. But apparently his personality doesn't match. Douglas has been keeping an eye on all of the Careers, because everyone is weary of them. Marcello likes to talk the talk, but cannot always walk the walk. You should be careful if he has a weapon, but if he doesn't, he probably is nothing but a yapping dog."

I snickered at the thought. For some reason, I imagined his brunette head on the body of a shivering lap dog as he bounced up and down while barking.

"The one you want to be careful around is his district partner, the girl named Helena."

"Helena?" I mimicked.

"The girl behind the two District One tributes…"

There was the brunette girl standing behind the two blondes. Her dark hair was pulled up on one side into a simple braid, though the rest of her hair was a mess. Her black eyes seemed to unintentionally burn into anyone she looked at, even when she was showing happiness and laughing. Everything about this tall, fit girl screamed warrior, but that seemed a pretty obvious trait coming from someone from District Two.

"She's mean; simple as that. She was dealing with the axes with the District One guy and Douglas, and it was apparently an intimidating sight."

Figures, I thought. Of course someone is going to be so scary in these Games; the Games I am participating in. Fate couldn't have made this easy for me.

"Despite being from District Two, she seemed pretty skilled with an axe. Douglas thinks that she is probably skilled with other weapons too, judging by her dexterity and strength."

Every time Dezji said Douglas' name, I wondered something.

"What about this Douglas guy?" I asked.

"Take a look behind me," said Dezji.

Taking a quick look behind Dezji, I noticed tall boy a few people behind him. He was a generally laid-back looking guy, even more so than even Coriander's first impression. Douglas looked to be genuine about his personality, like someone you could truly trust. He was openly talking with the people around him. Despite one girl feeling uncomfortable talking with him, he continued to smile and chat away. It was like he was trying to brush away her uncomfortableness.

"After talking with him, I can, without lying, say his appearances match his personality. He looks laid-back and pretty much is."

My eyes stopped on the left side of his forehead where two scars were.

"Yeah, don't ask about them," said Dezji, as if knowing what I was looking at. "He gets defensive when I asked. Really, really defensive. If I hadn't seen the nicer side of him before, I might have actually bitten his head off."

I don't know what was with me today, but my imagination was running wild. I just imagined Dezji's mouth growing and consuming Douglas' head in one gulp. I think someone must have slipped me some morphling when I was sleeping.

"You are awfully friendly today," I told Dezji, trying to get my mind off of the scene I imagined.

"I only talked to Douglas and that was because he approached me," said Dezji with a shrug. "I am not going to be everyone's friend or anything."

"Last question. Why are you telling me all this?" I asked.

"I thought it would be helpful, but if you don't want to know this," said Dezji. "Just don't come crying to me when you are mortally wounded because you didn't want my information."

I chuckled.

"Fine, I'll take it," I said. "Thanks."

I turned back around, slightly smiling.

I think I made my first ally.

I was determined to write the training scenes, even though I particularly had trouble writing them. This chapter seemed strictly interaction. I am hoping for more action next chapter. I introduced interactions between Calico and Nova, plus Calico and Delphine at least. I also introduced interactions between Douglas and Dezji, even if it was off screen. More characters to come.