Plates clink as Avoxes place my breakfast on the table. Across from me, Simon nods at one of them in acknowledgment.

The main hall of the District Five suite is silent other than the scraping of silverware as Simon and I eat. Laurentia must be busy with something this morning; Damien is also nowhere to be found. I just eat - if Simon wanted to explain where Damien is, he would have done it already.

Simon sets his fork down, taking a sip from his glass before turning his gaze to me. "I heard what happened between you two yesterday," he tells me.

I start to squirm under Simon's gaze - I've gone against his orders, and he knows it. "I'm sorry-" I start, but Simon cuts me off.

"Don't be sorry," he sighs with an air of impatience. "There is no rule here saying that you have to do everything I tell you to, Luna. Let me make that clear."

I just nod, but I still feel as if I've wronged Simon. He's doing his best to help us, and Damien certainly isn't making it easy for him already.

"I would like to apologize, actually," Simon says, and I almost drop my fork. "Clearly, my approach yesterday wasn't the right one. I shouldn't have just gone to Damien and expected you to follow through with everything. You're my tribute just as much as he is."

"It wasn't your fault, I promise," I assure him. "And I don't hold it against you. Damien's been ignoring me this whole time, so it hurt me to know that he only wanted to be around me because you were forcing him to."

"That's understandable," Simon says, continuing with his breakfast. "But, Luna, we'll need to work together if we even want a chance that one of you will survive this. If we don't get Damien under control, there's no hope."

"Agreed," I say with a nod. If I can do this to make things right with Simon, I'll do it. "I'll do what I have to do. For Damien and for me."

Simon looks content with my answer. "Well, you can head down there when you're ready," he says, standing from the table. "Damien's already down there."

I'm thrown off by this; I thought Damien was in his room. "He's training already?"

Simon turns to glance back at me. "The training center never technically closes," he informs me. "The trainers are only there during the day, so I send you down when they arrive in the morning. Damien wanted to get some extra training."

I stand from the table as quickly as I can - if Damien's down there unsupervised, who knows what trouble he could be getting us into. If the training center is open all night, I'm sure the Careers practically sleep down there, and Damien's treading on their turf.

To my relief, the training center is almost completely empty when I arrive. Surprisingly, the only Career down here is Trent, who's practicing his archery. The other Careers are nowhere to be found; they must have spent so much time preparing for this already that coming down here early would be pointless. At first, it seems like Trent is the only one here, but I spot the siblings from Four at one of the plant stations nearby. It looks like none of the trainers or Gamemakers have arrived yet, but one burly man dressed in all black sits in one of the Gamemaker's chairs. He must be here to make sure we don't kill each other.

I find Damien at the far end of the training center. He's sparring with another boy; from what I can tell, Damien's technique looks a bit better than yesterday.

Damien spots me as I approach the boys, and he lowers his sword.

"Good morning," I call, nodding at the other boy.

"So, are you gonna join us today?" Damien asks with his hand on his hip. "I told you I'm sorry, Luna, really."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, Simon talked some sense into me, I guess," I tell him, emphasizing Simon's name to let him know that this isn't my first choice, either.

"Perfect," Damien says with a grin. "Well, I found us some allies."

I glance over at the other boy, startled - for some reason, I thought he was one of the trainers, despite the number '7' embroidered on his shoulder.

"This is Clay," Damien says, elbowing Clay in the side. "And this is Sienna."

I look where Damien is pointing to see a girl who I didn't notice before. She's sitting against a nearby wall; she must've been watching the boys train.

I hear the sound of someone laughing, and I turn to see Midas enter the training center. The brown-haired girl from Two is with him, and her sister trails behind them. The older girl is laughing at something that Midas has said, and it seems as if her sister doesn't find it as funny.

Damien's face darkens as the Careers enter. "Clay and I are going to try out the obstacle course," he tells me.

The boys place their swords onto the weapons rack before weaving through the other stations toward the obstacle course.

I guess I'm sitting with Sienna, then. I sigh as I sit down next to the other girl.

"He just can't sit still," I grumble. "I wish he wouldn't leave me behind for once."

"Clay does the same thing," Sienna reassures me. Her long brown hair matches her brother's, and she pulls it over her shoulder as she turns to face me. "Ever since he met Damien, it's been over for me. But that's how boys are, I guess."

I laugh a bit, but I don't think Sienna understands that our situations are different. Our brothers have left us here for different reasons.

"It worries me, actually," I admit. "I mean, you saw what Damien pulled in the parade. We could be in trouble if he decides to do something crazy."

"Right," Sienna says. "And Clay would definitely be one to go along with it."

Sienna stares at me for a few seconds; is she expecting me to say something? Her eyes are a dull brown shade, but there's something so rich about them, like they're trying to tell me a secret that I can't quite make out.

"Well, everyone knows there's strength in numbers," Sienna continues. "Without our brothers, we'd be screwed, wouldn't we? We'll just have to look out for one another, because I know they'll be looking out for each other."

I look away; I watch as the first few Gamemakers arrive and take their seats. "Agreed," I say.

My heart is racing so fast that it's embarrassing. We'll just have to look out for one another.

I came in here expecting to be a loner. Who in their right mind would want to align themselves with me? I don't feel like I have anything useful to offer in the Games. Yet somehow, this is the second girl who's tried to be my friend since I got here.

Right on cue, Lindsay walks into the training center with her brother. She scans the room, finally pausing as she spots me. She hesitates, giving me a wave before turning to follow her brother.

I feel a pang of guilt - Lindsay went out of her way to be my friend yesterday, and now I'm paying her back with dirt. I have no choice, though; Damien would never let Lindsay join our group, and Sienna is right: we have strength in numbers. Only now do I realize that Lindsay was right all along when she predicted that I'd join forces with Damien. Who would've thought that it would happen so soon.

"Have you been up to the roof yet?" Sienna asks, and I turn my attention back to her.

"I didn't know that was possible," I admit. "I've barely been out of the District Five suite."

"You've got to come," Sienna insists. "The view is amazing. I'm gonna go up tonight after dinner if you want to join."

I nod my head eagerly. "I'll be there," I say, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

"Perfect," Sienna says. She stands, extending her hand out to me. "Now, let's train."

Yayyy Luna has found some new friends :3 hopefully Lindsay won't be too mad! And finally Luna and Damien have decided to team up for now... stay tuned to see if it lasts!