❝ Careers are idiots, who dedicate their lives to die for rich people's entertainment. ❞
— Wren Madden
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"AND HOW CAN I do that?" Ashton asks, and I can help but let out a smirk.
"You want me to help you gain Haymitch's trust," I state, and Ashton nods, "So, I want you to teach me how to work a weapon."
He steps back. "You know I can't do that. I'm going to be a career. Anything else."
I grit my teeth. Of course. One thing about me though, is I am a pretty good judge of character.
I can see right through his lies. He doesn't want to help me. He's going to do the exact opposite of what I say. So I rephrase my request.
"Then help make the Capital love me during your interview. Bring me up and I'll help you," I propose.
I figure-best case scenario he gets me some sponsors, and worst case scenario he does some dumb shit that makes everyone hate me. But hey, Johanna Mason am I right?
"Deal," Ashton replies, snapping me out of my thoughts, and I flash him a small smile before slamming the door in his face. God. He's annoying.
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"Haymitch! God can I eat one of my last meals in peace," I yell, taking a giant sip of coffee and burning my throat- coughing nonstop.
"You okay, sweetheart," Haymitch smirks.
"Yea- Just- Peachy," I say in between coughs.
"Don't wake everyone else up now."
"Haven't we already discussed our strategy?" I ask, annoyed to be woken up once again.
Haymitch dragged me out of bed extra early again today to discuss strategy.
"Do you want to die," Haymitch asks, lowering his eyes- I begin to speak, but he cuts me off.
"That was rhetorical. Let me rephrase." He lowers his voice a tad, "Don't be an idiot. Don't burn your throat. Yes, we've discussed, but we've only gone into the basics. Now during the bloodbath-run, don't fight. We don't want you to expose your skills early on. Don't let Ashton know- and don't trust the boy. I'm pretty sure his story is a lie. I found out about his "girlfriend" from a friend back in 12. She does not exist."
I cock my head to the side, "Then why the fuck would he volunteer?"
"One of two options. Desperate for fame or desperate to kill. All I'm saying sweetheart, is be careful. We don't know him."
I shove some eggs in my mouth, and minutes later Ashton comes out dressed in his training outfit.
"What time does training start?" He asks Haymitch.
"In about an hour."
Ashton sits down across from us, and Katniss and Peeta come shortly later.
"So..." Ashton states, giving my shin a kick.
I jump, but immediately realize what he wants.
"So, Haymitch...." I begin unsure of where to go with this. "Ashton and I were talking and we think we should train together." I finally come at a conclusion. "That way we can both help each other."
Ashton glances at me and throws his hands up. "What?" He replies. "When the fuck did we talk about this?"
"Language!" Effie yells, walking into the room.
"I'm wondering that too sweetheart," Haymitch answers.
"It's not a bad idea" Peeta starts, but I jump up right away.
"Gotta go!" I exclaim, grabbing toast off the table and shoving it into my mouth before heading to my room.
I glance at the training uniform sitting on the ottoman they've given me to wear. It's identical to Ashton's. Black jumpsuit, red stripes going down, and a white twelve printed on the back. "Hawthorne" is written in cursive letters along the front, right around my heart.
I brush through my hair-which turns out to be a big mistake. The thing about my hair it has a mind of its own. The only consistent thing is that it's always a mess. Today it decided it wanted to be curly, so I throw my hair up in the best bun my hair will allow me to do.
I put on the white tennis shoes that the Capital provided for me, and flop down on my bed, letting my feet dangle, screaming into the sheets.
I do not want to go to training, if it was up to me, I would spend my last days in bed. My mentors would never allow that though.
I finally get off the bed and look in the mirror. Well, I look like a wreck, but oh well. I stroll back into the dining room.
"Ohh Ashton. Are you ready for this lovely day of training," I tease, and he looks up at me.
"Let's go," He mumbles, and we bid goodbye to Katniss, Peeta, Effie and Haymitch before going into the elevator.
"What the hell was that? I told you to make him like me, not make your odds better!" He yells in my face, and I take a step back.
"Well, you kinda put me on the spot," I sharply answer, "I figured your willingness to help would be earn you some brownie points with him."
"Fuck this!" He screams, "This dumbass deal is off. You can't do anything right."
I tilt my head to the side and pucker my lips, debating on whether or not to confront him about his girlfriend. Before, I come to a conclusion, the doors open and he walks away, joining the circle with the other tributes, standing next to the careers.
I join the circle too, but I join next to the girl from ten, Wren? I think and the nerdy boy from three.
"Hey, Wren right?"
"Hi, babe. Yes Athena." She replies, "How are you this fine day?"
I crack a smile, and she lets out a small laugh.
"As happy as you can be with awaiting your death." She nods her head in agreement, and the head trainer begins to speak.
" In two weeks, twenty-three of you will be dead. One of you will be alive. Who that is depends on how well you pay attention over the next three days, particularly to what I'm about to say. First, no fighting with the other tributes. You'll have plenty of time for that in the Arena. There are four compulsory exercises, and then the rest will be individual training. My advice is don't ignore the survival skills. Everybody wants to grab a sword, but most of you will die from natural causes. ten-percent from infection, twenty-percent from dehydration. Exposure can kill as easily as a knife." The head trainer Atala says, before dismissing us to go wherever.
I look at all the tribute and see that most of the tributes have one hundred to one hundred fifty pounds on me. Some of them are even a foot taller than me. I'm only five foot four.
Everyone scatters, and I take a couple seconds to look around the room. There's every kind of skills you could think of- from painting to knot typing to axe throwing to hand-to-hand combat.
The words of Ashton and Haymitch are still ringing in my head. Why would he lie? I mean, I get people lie about having a girlfriend because they are embarrassed? But lying about why you volunteered, that's when it becomes sketchy. His angry outbursts don't help his case either.
I realize I've been standing here longer than a couple of seconds when I hear shouting.
"You took my knife!" I look over and see the boy from two yelling at, the guy from six, "Give me my knife back!"
"I didn't touch your knife!" The guy yells back, but they will not stop. It hasn't been longer than five minutes.
I look up at the ceiling and see the girl from eleven, Rue looking down giggling with his knife.
"You know what keep it!" the boy from two yells, "We can settle this in the arena."
Everything goes back to normal, well besides the boy from six pacing around in fear.
The boy from two turns around and glances at me. "The fuck are you looking at, Everdeen." I look back to see Ashton snickering.
Now, there's absolutely no way this boy just called me Everdeen. Instead of giving him the reaction he wants though, I maintain eye contact with him until I find my way over to the fire-starting station.
I really don't even know why I'm here- I feel like it's common sense on how to do this, and half the time a fire will get you killed. I search for Wren, but she her and her district partner at the bow and arrow station, I'll talk to her later.
I bounce from station to station working on all the survival skills, until I wait in line for hand to hand combat.
There's two lines, and by the time I get up there, I'm put against Wren.
Wren and I are a pretty fair fight. Similar heights, structures, and the trainer starts us off. Technically, we aren't supposed to fight other tributes before it begins- but they throw a blind eye to combat, and it gives you the best chances. They'll stop it if it gets too much.
"1,2,3, Go!" The trainer yells and Wren and I begin.
I place my wrist in front of my face, using it as a block before kicking Wren in the stomach. She bounces back grabbing her stomach, and yells at the trainer to stop, before leaving and sitting down.
"I'm sorry about that," I leave and sit besides her.
"Hey no worries, combat just ain't my thing." She replies. "I thought I could take the pain, but nah, I'm a flight kind of girl."
"Hey I feel you. But, I want to be prepared, especially if you know, I'm up against a career or my district partner tries to murder me."
"I thought you guys were supposed to be friends, partners," Wren furrows her brows together.
"I'm not very fond of pointless volunteers, he's just as bad as careers."
"Oh, I understand, don't worry. Careers are idiots, who dedicate their lives to die for rich people's entertainment. My district partners my baby cousin, so I'll do everything in my power to make sure if it comes down to it, he'll go home, not me. Unless they let us be like Katniss and Peeta," Wren teases, nudging my shoulder.
I throw my arm around her, "How about we work on that combat?"
She smiles before grabbing my wrist and pulling us back in line.
"Don't worry, Hawthorne. I got you this time."
We spend the rest of training working on hand to hand combat. We work on the basics, but I'm careful enough to not show most of my skills.
Near the end of training, we make our way to axe throwing. Wren throws axe after axe and she is exceptional at it.
I glance at her in shock as she turns around, after throwing her tenth axe in the bullseye.
"Agriculture," She answers, without me even asking the question. "Lots of axe work with my father."
I nod and try to throw one, but miss completely.
"Let me help you," She exclaims, "Bring the axe back directly over your head," and I do as she instructs.
"Bring your arms forward and release the axe at eye level," I throw the axe, and it hits the side, missing the target, but better than originally.
"You're getting better, don't worry," I keep throwing them and improving each time, not hitting the target at all though.
I see the careers snickering, at my bad aim, and Ashton turn around and whisper to him. When did he get in their good graces.
"Don't worry about them." She replies. "Focus on your throw."
I know exactly what I need to adjust- It's not that different from knives. I don't want to give my skills away though, so I miss again.
The buzzer goes off signaling the end of training. Wrens cousin approaches her and I bid goodbye.
"Goodbye my lovely ally," She responds.
"Ally?"
"I mean I figure we just spent the whole day helping each other. Why not extend that to the arena. I promise I will not kill you." She states.
"Deal," I laugh.
"See you tomorrow, Hawthorne! I expect great things with axes tomorrow."
I let out a small laugh. My strategy's slowing come to plan. But I remember what Haymitch told me.
Never trust anyone in these games.