THE 150th HUNGER GAMES

The Training Center (Day 1)

Piper Evergreen's (District 4) P.O.V:

Entering the Training Center, I walk directly over to the bow and arrow station. I've decide that I need to work more on my fighting skills. There's a pretty good chance that I'm going to get attacked by another tribute in the arena, so I want to be prepared when that happens. I can get food fine, I'm sure of that; being from District 4, I'm a pretty good fisher. I also have some knowledge with what plants are edible and which aren't. So I have to spend some time on weapons, starting with the bow and arrow and then the trident. I'm most comfortable using the two of them.

I decide on a target a reasonably good distance away. I go through the steps of archery slowly, taking my time. Knock... I attach the first arrow to the bow carefully. Next set- get into the right position, holding the bow correctly. Set up... I raise the bow to face the target. I pull back the string, securing it at my anchor point. Then comes aim... I squint at the target, picturing the arrow going right in the bull's eye.

Right as I'm able to release, another arrow coming from behind me whizzes past and lands directly in the center of the target. I twirl around to face the person, fuming, completely losing my concentration on shooting, distracted by my anger. A tall girl with dirty-blond hair smiles down at me, her gray eyes sparkling challengingly. I recognize her as Clavia Turnbolt from District 10. I narrow my eyebrows. "Show off. Get out of my sight before I put an arrow through your head."

Clavia raises her eyebrows like she doesn't believe my threat and walks away. Scowling, I turn back to the target and prepare myself to shoot again, going through each step carefully. Aim...

Release.

I exhale as the arrow hits the outer yellow ring- just one away from the center of the target. I immediately know what went wrong- it was my release- I flared. Sighing, I repeat the whole process with the remaining four arrows. When I run out, there are two in the inner red circle, one right on the line of red and yellow, the first shot in the outer yellow ring, and finally, one bulls-eye. Not bad. I'm rather satisfied with my shooting skills. But a little more practice can't hurt.

I pick up another arrow.

Allison Bay's (District 8) P.O.V:

I want to team up with another person and this is the perfect time to make an alliance. But who? One of these twenty three kids must be good to ally with. My preference would be another girl. As I chuck another throwing knife at the target, I glance around at the other tributes.

My eyes first land on Sharis. Definitely not. I don't want to ally a girl like her. She's currently practicing her torturing skills her District partner, Drake. I don't know how she's getting away with it. Or how she convinced him to tortured. Anyone in their right mind wouldn't let them do something like that.

It's the same thing with the District 6 girl, Amoura. She scares me, so fierce and determined to win. I'm afraid if I ally with her she'll murder me in my sleep to win.

I look around the training center again and my eyes fall on the District 12 girl, Cameron Heatherfield. She's currently making a shelter at one of the survival stations. She seems nice, but I don't really think she's good with any weapons. I want to ally with someone who can defend themselves. It's the same case with Twilight, the girl from 7. I don't think she can really fight.

Throw another knive. Go back to observing.

The District 9 girl and the District 6 guy are obviously aligning. They're definitely crushing on each other. I don't want to interrupt their little love fest by asking to align with Felicity or Axel. Better to leave them alone. I'm pretty positive the two tributes from 2 have something going on, too.

So that leaves... Malina, Piper, Areta, Clavia, and Sophie. Malina seems seriously depressed; she's sitting in the corner of the training center curled up, doing nothing. Clavia seems a little crazy. And I just watched Piper get really, seriously vicious when Clavia shot at her target. Maybe it's best not to work with her in the arena.

That leaves Areta and Sophie. I'm having trouble choosing which one I want to ally with. Areta seems pretty athletic and she's currently using a whip pretty successfully. Sophie seems super nice, and I'm pretty positive she knows stuff about poison, considering the tips of the arrows she's currently shooting are drenched in some greenish liquid of some sort of another.

I suddenly remember the eighteen-year-old Hunger Games and how two out of the three girls that teamed up survived. Maybe we could be a trio. In fact, I like that plan. Considering how it worked for the others, I'd say it'll end pretty well.

The odds may be in our favor.