It's my birthday! Have a chapter as a gift!

Content Warning: Language

Leonie Everett, 17, District 5 Female

Training Day 3, Morning

Leonie had the perfect bodyguard.

She knew that he would protect her from the Careers and anyone else who would have loved to cut her throat in the bloodbath. Leonie had tried to appear unassuming and weak, latching onto Vaughn and not putting herself out there. There was only so much she was able to learn that way, but it did allow her to observe and learn.

Leonie knew the Careers were hanging on by a thread, even more so now that the weird boy from Eight had joined and hooked up with that bimbo from One. It was so obvious they were playing each other like fiddles!

Leonie was, however, more than willing to let that run its course and implode beautifully when the time was right. There were other ways to go about this.

Leonie had managed to sweet-talk Safira into giving her the files on each and every tribute, something that usually wasn't allowed, which made the feat even more impressive. She knew exactly how she could sow distrust in the pack.

Leonie wasn't an idiot. She knew that there was a chance that this could backfire and then the fallout would be on her. Vaughn could handle a stray Career, but she wasn't sure he could handle the entire pack bearing down on both of them. She needed another bodyguard, someone else to keep the pack off of her. The odds of both of them making it out of the bloodbath were slim, of course, but was that not the point of a bodyguard?

So she puzzled out the logistics. Merging with a pre-existing alliance was out of the question. Most of them were either weak, crazy, or both. The ones who were without an alliance were all similar, with the only somewhat reasonable option being the girl from Seven — the one who was reaped in a prison uniform. She would make the perfect protector, not just because she looked strong, but because the Seven boy, who seemed to despise criminals with a murderous passion, already had eyes on her. If the girl joined the alliance, the boy would target her for sure –– and hopefully leave Leonie alone.

After Vaughn was safely deposited at one of the training dummies, Leonie strode towards the girl. Her eyes were quite strange, dark pools that burned into the void but had nothing else behind them.

Leonie was suddenly very aware of her own back. She took a deep breath and hid her fear behind a smile. This was just until the bloodbath, she reminded herself. After that, she'd simply cut the girl's throat and be rid of the liability. Something told her District 7 would appreciate that very much.

Leonie cleared her throat.

The girl slowly turned around. Those dark eyes both burned into and stared past Leonie. She brushed her wild dark hair out of her eyes and regarded Leonie the way a predator would regard prey.

"What?" she said, her voice flatter and blanker than Leonie had thought possible.

Leonie widened her eyes and put on the most innocent, doe-eyed expression she could manage. "You're pretty good."

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm from Seven. Sevens are good at axes. Your point?"

"Oh, I was just thinking. You're strong. My district partner is too ... but between you and me, he's not the most radioactive atom in the reactor."

"And I'm guessing you're the smart one. 'Kay. So you want to team up or something?"

"Yeah, I think that we'd make an awesome team! And between you and me," she added in a mock-whisper, "I don't think Vaughn's surviving the bloodbath."

The girl stared at Leonie for several seconds. Leonie had to keep from shuddering at just how judgemental her gaze was. "You have that little faith in him, huh?"

"It's the Hunger Games," she said with a shrug. "Faith gets you killed."

The girl sighed, her nostrils flaring as she seemed to think about this for a moment.

"Okay, fine. Whatever."

Leonie widened her smile. "Awesome! Thank you! I'm Leonie, by the way!"

"Ebony. Now go away. We'll talk at lunch."

Leonie nodded and walked away. Her grin grew more sinister as she moved further away.

Everything was falling into place.

Now she just had to think of what she was going to write in her letters.

Hyacinth "CiCi" Fluss, 18, District 9 Male

Ever since CiCi got arrested, it was nearly impossible to do anything right.

When he volunteered, he'd had no idea what he was getting himself into. All he knew was that it had to be better than the fate that awaited him if he had stayed in the Middle of Nowhere.

Now he wasn't so sure –– especially since he felt as though his life was one screw-up after another.

Screw-Up Number One was accidentally offending his mentor when he'd asked if she was still in contact with her district partner. Even sweet little Tilly had glared daggers at him. Thankfully, the air was quickly cleared when Amber realized where he was from and explained the entire situation ... which obviously made things so much worse.

Tilly offered to ally with him, but CiCi had declined. She seemed trustworthy, but after what happened with Flo, he wasn't entirely sure who he could trust. In hindsight, that was Screw-Up Number Two. He needed someone to watch his back and someone who wasn't capable of just sticking a knife into it when the fancy suited them. If anyone was that person, it was Tilly, and now she had allies of her own –– not just any allies, but a bunch of little kids.

Too good for this sinful earth, if you asked him.

CiCi had spent the last several days trying to think of something, anything, that could possibly resemble a strategy; but nothing reasonable came to mind. Meanwhile, everyone else had spent that time getting themselves allies, and by the third day of training, CiCi was alone and desperate. Screw-up Number Three.

He arrived at the dining room for breakfast that day on the verge of screaming and tearing his hair out. Flo, stealing, getting caught, volunteering, everything that happened since. One screw up after another that would inevitably end in his death. All that in less than four days.

He needed an ally. He knew that if he went into the Games alone, he'd be dead in a matter of days. He needed someone who knew how the Games worked, but the idea of putting his life into someone else's hands…

Damn it all, this was all Flo's fault. Flo for putting his stupid Peacekeeper duty over the needs of the people he was supposed to be protecting. Flo's stupid Peacekeeper friends taunting him in the jail cell. Flo and his stupid smug face in the Justice Center. Did Flo know about the Games? Did he know that CiCi was most certainly going to his death? He had to have known.

He was screwed. Completely and utterly screwed.

Flo, if I somehow survive this, I'm going to kick your ass.

CiCi arrived on the training floor on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but that wouldn't do any good. He ignored Tilly's attempts to comfort him and the strange looks he got as he stormed straight to the combat station and grabbed a wooden baseball bat. It felt good in his hands, like an extension of his anger. He swung at the nearest dummy with an angry yell. He was going to die, all because of his stupid, stupid––

"Hey, are you okay?"

CiCi's vision grew red hot with anger. "Piss off!"

When he turned and saw the stunned and concerned face of the boy from Twelve. The boy slowly raised an eyebrow, he felt regret and shame deep in his gut.

"Dammit..." he groaned.

"Hey," the boy replied softly. "It's okay. Deep breaths. Follow me."

The boy took in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and then released it. CiCi attempted to follow the boy's breathing, letting his anger slowly turn into shame as his pounding heart slowed to its normal pace and volume once more.

"Better?"

CiCi nodded. "Thanks."

"It's no problem." He looked away. "Listen, uh, you can totally say no ... but I'm looking for an ally, and, uh. A little birdie told me you were too."

CiCi blinked. He honestly wasn't sure what to think. Here he was, torn between wanting a friend in that arena and wanting nothing to do with anybody, and now the decision was right on his doorstep.

"Was that little birdie named Tilly?"

"Yep."

CiCi took another deep breath, held it, and released it, very slowly. He'd have to talk with Tilly about that later.

"Can we talk later?" he said finally. "I know Tilly probably told you I'd join you, but I need some time to think about it."

"I understand," said Twelve. "Take your time. I'm Cole, by the way. District Twelve. And you're Hyacinth, right?"

"CiCi, and yeah. District Nine."

Cole smiled. "CiCi it is. I'll see you later?"

CiCi nodded, and with that, Cole turned and walked away.

CiCi put the bat down and sighed. "Well then. Fuck."

Tilly Mayfield, 16, District 9 Female

Hoover wasn't up for combat training, which was completely fair. Tilly knew how to use a sickle and could protect them both. But the poor little boy wanted so desperately to be useful, and while Tilly believed he had nothing to prove, she wanted him to be happy.

She had spent the previous evening coming up with a gameplan, and as soon as she was released for training, she brought Hoover to the survival stations. "I already tried those," Hoover said with a tinge of helplessness in his voice.

"Nobody gets them on the first try," Tilly replied. "Just keep practicing, okay? I'll help you! I need to work on them too."

It helped that the trainers were incredibly supportive. They cheered Hoover on and showed him easier ways to build fires and tie knots. He was all smiles within an hour. It took some practice, but he was shaping up to be quite the little survivalist.

Deep down, Tilly knew that Hoover would likely perish, but she still hoped and prayed that he'd live long enough to show the world what he was capable of.

They were eventually joined by the boy from Six and the girl from Eight, the ones who stood up to that Career boy the day before. She couldn't help but smile at the spectacle. Tilly had always hated bullies with a burning passion. They did nothing but tear people down, and she'd had to go up against several in her lifetime. But that Career boy was the ultimate bully, and seeing the two stand so bravely against him made her strangely proud, even though she didn't know them.

The girl from Eight looked incredibly uncomfortable and occasionally glanced at the archery station where she had been staying the past couple of days. The boy was hyperfixated on something in front of him.

Tilly did wonder if her alliance was incomplete. Amber would be apprehensive about this, but what else was new? She was already dealing with poor CiCi. Surely an alliance of small children wouldn't bother her too much in comparison.

"Hey," she whispered.

Hoover looked up at Tilly, his brown eyes wide with excitement. "Tilly! I'm doing it!"

"I know!" Tilly grinned. "I'm so proud of you. See, I told you that you weren't useless! I did want to talk to you about something, though."

"What is it?"

Tilly lowered her voice so that it was barely above a whisper. "How would you like to bring those two into the alliance? If you're not comfortable with it, then it doesn't happen, but it never hurts to have more people."

Hoover's eyebrows knitted together and his mouth scrunched sideways.

"Sure," he said finally, "I'm okay with it. As long as they're nice."

"We're about to find out. I'll go talk to them."

Tilly left Hoover to his knots and carefully approached the boy and girl. She made sure to appear as non-threatening as possible. Only when they looked up at her with wide eyes did Tilly smile. "Hi there."

"Hi," the boy replied. The girl only waved and hid behind her hair.

"What are you two doing?"

The boy pointed to his workspace, which currently consisted of several piles of leaves and berries, some Tilly instantly recognized as edible and others as poisonous.

"Blanca and I are just sorting through plants while we wait for the archery station to become available again."

"So you're Blanca?" Tilly looked over to the girl, who nodded. She looked back over to the boy. "And what's your name?"

"Hendrix."

"I'm Tilly. Do you mind if we join you?."

Tal "Tali" Comgan, 15, District 11 Female

Two days of training came and went, and no one had bothered to approach Tali to be her ally. She had been hoping that someone would ask her. She had no idea whom to even approach, let alone who would take her.

She'd gone into training worried that somehow more than one alliance would approach her, and she would face the same conundrum that cost her her friend groups. By the third day, she was worried that she would be alone in the arena. The idea of remaining alone, especially in the arena, made Tali's chest tighten and her heart pound.

If she was going to be alone in the arena, she knew she would need a plan. She'd need to hide and be prepared to defend herself as necessary. She liked to think she was good at being sneaky, but she also knew that there would also be some very observant people in the ring with her, and simply hiding would not be enough.

That was how Tali found herself at the camouflage station, struggling to keep up with the artist girl from Six.

While Tali was trying not to shudder at the cold paint on her skin, the girl had turned her arm into a cavern wall, complete with a couple of sparkling gemstones.

"So pretty..." The words spilled out of Tali's mouth before she could stop them. She immediately wished she could rip them out of the air and stuff them back into the far reaches of her mind, never to be seen again. Heat rose in her cheeks and the floor suddenly looked very interesting.

The girl laughed and Tali dared a quick glance. The laugh wasn't mocking or malicious in any way. It sounded magical in a way - and kind. She found herself fantasizing about the floor swallowing her whole. "Thanks. Yours isn't bad either."

"I always wanted to be an artist," Tali lied, "but never really had the materials to learn."

Why are you like this?

"Yeah, I know what that's like." The girl offered her hand out. "Viorica."

Tali took her hand, marveling at just how firm and warm the girl's grip was. "Tali. It's nice to meet you."

The two girls started talking. Viorica began discussing painting and other forms of artistry, seemingly happy to find someone interested in learning. Tali smiled and nodded, occasionally adding in some input when she felt she could do so without looking like an idiot, or worse, a liar. Art was interesting, but it was never really something Tali could get into. She preferred reading books over drawing pictures, but she couldn't help but admire just how passionate Viorica was about her craft.

She also remembered the fiery temper this girl possessed, and wasn't sure if she wanted to test that by admitting that she wasn't interested. But despite that temper, Viorica was nothing but encouraging towards Tali as she taught her how to paint her arm to make her look like the branches of a tree. It was the kind of warmth and companionship that Tali yearned for.

"Do you want to have lunch together?" Tali asked finally, after almost an hour of working up the strength.

"Rhys and I were going to eat together, but you're more than welcome to join us," Viorica said with a smile. "We can talk about strategy and whatnot, since the Games start soon."

"Strategy?"

"Yeah! I didn't expect to run into a fellow artist out here, not to mention you seem capable enough. I saw you at the knife station the other day. Rhys would have to be okay with it, but I'd love to have you as an ally if you're both okay with it."

Tali nodded excitedly at the thought that her last-ditch effort to find a friend in the arena was about to pay off. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

Viorica McCoy, 17, District 6 Female

Lunch

Viorica pulled out the set of colored pencils and the sketchbook she'd brought with her to keep her occupied. The pencils in question were of exceptional quality, much like the ones her parents would buy her back before things went to hell in a handbasket. They reminded her of simpler times. Tali was leaning towards her, watching her intently. Rhys was stuffing yet another cookie into her mouth.

For the first time since her name was called on Reaping Day, Viorica felt as though she was in a good place.

"Whatcha drawing, V?" Rhys asked between bites of cookies.

"Oh, I'm not sure," Viorica replied. "Honestly, I'm just doodling."

"It's really good," said Tali. "You're awesome at this."

"Years of practice," Viorica said nonchalantly, though she could feel herself blush at the praise. Words could not describe how excited she was to find a fellow artist among the other tributes. "Don't worry, I'll ask Merc to send me some stuff so we can draw together in the arena if you want."

"I'd love that."

The intercom came to life with and the voice of the head gamemaker echoed through the cafeteria. "District 3, Rhys Marcel. Report for individual assessment."

Rhys stood up and stretched, let out a loud yawn, and grabbed one last cookie for the road.

"Welp, that's my cue. See you all tonight for the scores?"

"See you then," said Viorica. "You sure scarfed down those cookies. You're not going to vomit in front of the Gamemakers, are you?"

Rhys waved her off good-naturedly. "Eh, I'll be fine. Good luck, you two."

He walked towards the waiting Peacekeepers and was taken down the hall before disappearing behind the closing doors.

"What are you going to do?" Tali asked.

"Probably some camouflage, run the gauntlet a couple times. How about you?"

"I don't know..." Tali frowned and looked down. "I don't know what I can show them that could get me a good score."

"Just show them something you're good at. I don't give a damn about what score you get, and neither does Rhys. We'll manage."

Tali nodded, reassured, and Viorica went back to drawing, occasionally taking a sip of a soda that tasted like childhood. A butterfly began to take shape on the paper. She was talking through different shading techniques when her name was called.

She sighed and rose to her feet. "Okay, well, I'll see you later," she said before turning the sketchbook to a blank page and pushing it towards Tali. "Here, have at it. Just give it back to me tonight."

Tali slowly took the sketchbook. She looked up at Viorica, a worried look now twisted onto her face. Viorica gave her a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, Tali. You got this."

Viorica's pleasant mood soured the moment the doors closed behind her and the voices of Gamemakers echoed through the otherwise quiet hallway. When she arrived at the training area and saw all of the Gamemakers in their stupid opulent robes eating their stupid opulent food and spilling their stupid opulent tea, rage washed over Viorica like a tidal wave and she had to bite her tongue.

"Viorica McCoy," she spat out. "District Six."

The Head Gamemaker examined Viorica for a moment.

"Do you need a moment, Miss McCoy?" she asked.

Viorica looked up at her defiantly and met her gaze. "No."

"Very well. You have fifteen minutes to present your chosen skill."

Viorica stalked towards the camouflage station and picked out the perfect paints for her little project. She unzipped her jacket, tossing it carelessly to the ground, and adjusted her headband before getting to work with a seething grin.

Ebony Warwick, 16, District 7 Female

Leonie was called to her private session and Ebony was left alone to think.

Leonie's plan was interesting, and would certainly sow distrust among the Careers, but her uses ended there. As for Vaughn, well ... a Career's attention on him meant less attention on her. And considering the dark looks Stupideon Holland gave her from across the cafeteria, she could use all the meat shielding she could get.

Speaking of whom, she heard him mutter something to her as she passed to refill her water. She stopped in her tracks.

"What's that?" she asked.

"You made a mistake associating with the Fives."

"Well hello to you too."

"They're going to betray you."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Your point?"

"I'm just pointing out what everyone else around you can see," he said with a shrug. "You can take it or leave it."

Ebony's eyes narrowed.

"You don't actually think they can kill me. Those two? You're smarter than that."

He said nothing.

"You just don't want them to get the chance," she went on.

"Why would I give a shit who kills you?"

"Don't insult my intelligence. I've seen the way you glare at me. You just want me to survive long enough for you to take a crack at me yourself."

Gideon started laughing uncontrollably. He tried to spit out a retort to no avail. The tributes still in the dining room began to give the two of them weird stares, and Ebony gritted her teeth.

"What the hell is so funny?" she asked.

Gideon took a moment to take a breath and shook his head. "You really are a piece of work," he said finally, "aren't you?"

Ebony could feel her face flush with rage. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me."

"How dare you?" Ebony roared. "Seriously, who do you think you are? You don't know a damn thing about me!"

Gideon slammed his palm against the table and shot to his feet. The resulting bang silenced the entire cafeteria. Ebony's glass shook with the impact and she almost flinched at the cold fury in Gideon's eyes.

"I don't need to," he said quietly. "You've shown me all I need to know."

Ebony felt something snap in her head. Her fists clenched and her focus narrowed as she briefly considered what he'd look like with his curls torn out.

"Condescend me one more time, Holland, and I'll rip your throat out right here."

A strange look formed on Gideon's face. He seemed almost eerily calm. "You can certainly try."

Ebony let out a screech and snatched up her empty glass before hurling it right at Gideon's head. Gideon dodged out of the way and the glass sailed right towards the wall and shattered inches away from the girl from Ten's head. The girl and her ally both shot out of their seats with shock and anger written on their faces. The Peacekeepers descended on them before Ebony could realize what she had just done.

The Peacekeepers grabbed Ebony's arms and began ripping her away from the table. She tried to pull away, but the Peacekeepers' grips only tightened, causing pain to flare up down her arm. Ebony's mind raced with panic. She was being kicked out of training. She wouldn't get her private session.

This couldn't be happening.

"No, no, wait! He started it!" she protested loudly.

"That's actually not true," Gideon replied coolly. "She threw the glass."

As Ebony was dragged away, kicking and screaming obscenities at her district partner, all she could think about was how she was going to kill him once the gong sounded.

She was too angry to even consider the fact that she had played right into Gideon's hands.

Dawn Maconson, 18, District 10 Female

Dawn watched Becket exit the lunch room, leaving her alone with Jann. She thought vaguely about what had happened and what might come of it. She'd already made peace with the fact that some of her allies weren't quite ... sane. She and Macha had hit it off almost immediately, and while she'd had her reservations at first about some of the others, she certainly had better odds with than without them.

Her left hand fell into her pocket, around the piece of yarn and wool that once belonged to a sweater that would never be worn again.

"So, what's your story?"

Speaking of annoying…

Dawn glanced over to her fellow outlier in the Careers and gave him her best side eye. "I don't have one," she coldly replied. Not that it was any of his business anyway. Even if it was, she really didn't need the title of family annihilator hanging over her head. "What do you want?"

"Me? Oh, just getting to know my other allies. Besides, us outlier Careers have to stick together."

"Right…"

"Who knows? Maybe this could be the dawn of a new friendship!"

Oh, Gem of Panem…

"Come on! Laugh! It's funny!"

Dawn didn't dignify that with a response, opting instead for a glare.

"Tough crowd? Come on, not even a smile?"

She graced that statement with a fine showing of the third finger from the left, and Jann drew back a bit. "Wow, that's not very nice."

"I'm not a very nice person."

"Hey, neither am I!" Jann's face suddenly grew incredibly serious. "Okay, real talk. I know you're tight with the others, especially Macha, but we're still outliers. If they decide to trim the alliance down, who do you think they'll go after first?"

"Aren't you hooking up with Safira?"

He scoffed. "Do you think that will matter to her if it comes down to me or her?"

Dawn frowned. As much as she wanted to say that Macha wouldn't turn on her, that it wouldn't happen, she knew she couldn't afford to think like that.

"Right. I'll think about it."

"I'll take it! Just don't betray me in the bloodbath, yeah?"

"I don't betray people," she said easily, winding the wood through her fingers. "So you won't have to worry about that."

She could almost sense Jann's frown. "You good, Dawnie?"

"Don't call me that."

"But are you?"

"Yes. I'm fine. Now go away."

Jann departed quickly, and Dawn embraced the silence that once again graced her ears. There was something to his offer. At the end of the day, he was right. With a Career pack that large, it was bound to implode sooner rather than later, and she didn't want to be nearby when it did.

It was something to consider.

More tributes were called. The girl from Eleven went, and then Hoover. Finally, it was Dawn's turn. She stood up, took one last sip of water, and strode towards the training area.

She stopped once she was in full view of the Gamemakers and announced herself. "Dawn Maconson, District 10."

The Head Gamemaker nodded at her. "Miss Maconson, you have fifteen minutes to present your chosen skills. You may begin."

The implosion of the Career pack was inevitable, she reflected as she rushed for the nearest machete. The only question was whether she'd be the one to strike first.

Cole Beckham, 17, District 12 Male

Cole wrapped his hand around the pickaxe and took in the refreshing familiarity of its weight. Then, he forced a smile and walked towards the nearest dummy while trying to ignore the sharp smell of cleaning chemicals in the air. "Being from Twelve," he explained to the Gamemakers as he made his approach, "you don't get a lot of opportunities to pick up skills that translate to the Hunger Games –– unless, of course, you're lucky enough to be reaped at eighteen, when you have some experience in the mines."

He wasn't expecting a response. Alcohol was banned at the training center after an incident four years prior, according to Effie, but the Gamemakers were still tired and wanting to go home, no matter how interesting he tried to make this. It was why he was surprised when he heard Puer Begonia answer him. "But you're not eighteen. So what sets you apart?"

"One thing we're taught in Panem is that hard work will improve your standing," said Cole, swallowing his disgust, "but in reality, hard work is only half of it." He swung the pickaxe into the dummy's chest. It split open with a resounding thud, and stuffing spilled out the way he'd seen past tributes' organs do. "You also have to have the right attitude."

He looked up at Puer, who had a knowing smile on her face. "So you got into the mines a year early. That's impressive. Lowering the age limit has been something the Ministry has been discussing. What do you think?"

"The mines aren't for children –– the age limit is there for a reason –– but kids like me should be able to contribute to Panem's success in other ways. We're the last of humanity, after all. It's what President Snow always tells us: it's up to us to do our part."

Cole casually tossed the pickaxe aside, shocking even himself when it hit yet another training dummy. Then he moved towards the weights. He picked one up and threw it as hard and as far as it could. It slammed into the nearest spear rack, knocking the weapons onto the ground in the process. After a few minutes of this, Puer once again spoke up.

"You remind me of someone," she mused. "Someone with a good heart and the right attitude. I think you would have gone far in Twelve."

"I still can," Cole said.

Puer nodded, and when she smiled, it seemed almost genuine. "May the odds be ever in your favor, Cole Beckham. You may go."

Cole gave a bow, and turned to leave the training floor. He could only hope that he had done enough to get a good score. As much as he hated sucking up to the Capitol, as much as he hated all of this, he had no other choice but to do just that. For his family.

When he arrived at the elevator, he was shocked to find CiCi standing there, his arms crossed and a wry smile on his face. "So ... what's the word?"

Cole blinked.

"How long have you been waiting there?"

"I lost track." He sounded almost amused. "How did it go?"

"Well, the Head Gamemaker talked to me."

That got CiCi to raise an eyebrow. "Good talk or bad talk?"

"Good? I think she wished me luck. Why were you waiting in the elevator?"

CiCi's smile dropped and he let out a long sigh.

"Look, I thought about it, and, well ... I want you as an ally. Yeah, there can only be one winner, so don't be upset if I find it hard to trust you. But I can barely make sense of all of this, and as big of a dumbass as I am, I'm not stupid. And I'm willing to team up with you, as long as you promise not to take pity on me again."

Cole thought about this for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright," he said. "And don't worry, I won't do that."

"Great. Want to go up to my floor after they show the scores? I need to have a talk with Tilly about butting into other people's business. Not that her heart wasn't in the right place," he added reluctantly. "We can talk strategy after."

Cole grinned. "Sounds good."

The Careers: Safira, Caden, Zhenya, Macha, Becket, Luce, Jann, Dawn

Blossom Boogaloo: Cordy, Jann, Ansi

The Chaos Crew: Rhys, Viorica, Tali

The Power Couple and the Third Wheel: Leonie, Vaughn, Ebony

Tilly's Daycare: Hendrix, Blanca (nervously), Tilly, Hoover

The Unlucky: CiCi, Cole.

The Lone Wolves: Gideon, Florin

As always, thank you Philomena for beta-ing this chapter!

And thus concludes training! The next chapter will be an interlude where I will reveal training scores, and then we'll be onto the final round of POVs before the Games start! The POVs will consist of interviews, final night, and launch, then we will have one final interlude before the bloodbath! We're almost there! In the meantime, what are your training score predictions?

Also, I added in a poll on my profile regarding bloodbath predictions! If you want, let me know who you voted for, and the person who guesses the most correct will win a shoutout! My blog is also fully back online on Wix, with the new link on my profile. I will update next chapter with the training scores, so there won't be any change between day 3 and now until then.