Y/N Solane is a fifteen-year-old from District Eleven. Due to her family situation, she trained herself to prepare for the Hunger Games from a young age. But preparation can only do so much. When it comes time for the 71st Hunger Games, she is reape...
song of the chapter -> lunchbox friends (melanie martinez)
"There are two sections of the training area, combat and survival. There is a break for lunch and then it's another couple hours before you can come back to the apartment," Ravonna explained as we ate breakfast. "The careers tend to head towards the weapons first so-"
"So we should hit survival first," I finished. My mentor nodded.
"You should also look for potential allies," Onyx interjected while filling her plate with more food.
"Y/N and I already agreed that we would stick together," Knox explained.
"Yes, but just know that the option is always there. You don't have to get close to them, just enough to where it makes it hard for them to kill you, if it gets to that point," said Ravonna.
After breakfast, the both of us went back to our rooms where our stylists had set out some clothes for us to wear. Eros had blessed me with a simple brown tank top and black biker shorts.
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He also made sure to include my token from Eden, as well as a good pair of dark running shoes. My prep team made sure to pull my hair into a slick ponytail, even though I assured them that I could do it myself. I met up with Knox in the hallway. Marigold made sure to take into account his blue eyes that were always hard to match with the traditional color palette of our district. He wore a black t-shirt with grey stripes going down the arms as well as some athletic shorts and the same running shoes that I had on. He gave me a good high-five before being escorted out to the training center.
"The training center may be overwhelming and you may be pressured to try everything. Stick to the things you are good at. It is easier to improve skills you already have instead of coming up with new ones on the spot," Ravonna instructed. "However, save your best skill for the gamemakers during your evaluation. You don't want other tributes to know your strengths: keep the element of surprise on your side."
Knox and I arrived at the center earlier than most of the others. The only people that were there were the careers and the kids from Twelve. Two polar opposites. I stuck by Knox's side as we walked inside, making sure to mask the fear that was slowly building up inside. I looked towards the careers. All six of them were all huddled close together, similar to the cliques of girls at the high school. I guess they could sense my eyes on them because they all turned to look our way. I smiled at them. All but one brushed me off; the girl from Four. If I remember, her name was Mara Fishner. She smiled back and gave me a subtle wave. Her partner slapped her shoulder, turning her attention back to the group. If she wasn't glued to One and Two, I would've considered her for an ally.
It took another hour for the rest of the tributes to arrive. The leading instructor gave us a tour of the center as well as the schedule for the day. Each section had an expert stationed outside to instruct the tributes on their respective skill. As soon as the lead trainer let us loose, Knox and I made our way to the survival section, just like we had discussed. One of the first things Ravonna had explained to us was the survival rule of threes.
Three weeks without food: depending on the layout of the arena, Knox and I will be able to eat plants and hunt easily. An instructor taught us how to make traps. Knox was better at it than I was.
Three days without water: if watching the Hunger Games every year has taught me anything, water will most likely be our first priority. After traps, we learned unique ways to stay hydrated.
Three hours without shelter: while looking for water, we'll probably scout the route for a good place to set up camp. I gave Knox a run for his money in this part of the center.
Three minutes without air: just...don't drown. Luckily, we both know how to swim.
By the time lunch came around, I was starving and I could tell Knox was feeling the same way. We had been burning mental energy all morning and we needed a little pick me up. They led all the tributes to the dinning hall. There were a lot of options, but because we would be weapon's training afterwards, I didn't want to eat anything too heavy. I picked up a sandwich and looked for a place to sit. Aside from the traditional alliances, everyone sat with their districts, other than Ten who were practically sitting on opposite sides of the hall.
"Anyone seem friendly to you?" I asked him jokingly. He smiled and shook his head.
"I didn't come here to make friends," he responded as he took a bite of his sandwich.
"So you're sticking with the 'lone wolf' approach?"
"Well, what do you think?"
"I don't think it would hurt to get to know people, just a little bit," I explained. "Like Ravonna said, if they have a good impression of us out here, it will be harder for them to kill us when we are in the arena."
"That's a two way street Y/N. That strategy leaves us vulnerable; I don't trust anyone in this room but myself."
"Do you trust me?" I asked him. Knox looked at me for a second before opening his mouth to answer, but he didn't. He remained silent as he directed his attention to the food in front of him.
---
After lunch it was awkward. Knowing that Knox probably didn't trust me left an uneasy feeling in my stomach, and being at the armory didn't make the feeling any better. I decided that I would not go out of my way to make connections, but would accept if one fell into my lap. If an alliance became a topic, I would make sure Knox had the same amount of protection as me. We made our way to one of the training rooms. A different assortment of deadly weapons lined the wall to the right. The knives were the first to catch my eye, but remembering what Ravonna said about the gamemaker evaluation, I decided to make a different choice. Next to the swords was a pair of scythes: rare in the arena but a good option for practicing here. Scythes are used pretty often in Eleven, so I should be just fine. Knox went towards the machete, not surprising since he is used to using it in the fields. He stepped forward into the training simulator.
"Good luck," I said with a small salute. He responded with the same gesture. He started the simulation and I watched as he hit all the glowing holograms with ease. It looks natural for him and there was no hesitation in his movements. If I didn't know any better, I would think he was a career. The thought made me nervous. What happens when we get far in the games? If he determines me to be a threat, he'll kill me without hesitation. The doors opened and he came out. His breath was heavy and there was a little bit of sweat dripping from his brow.
"Your turn," he said, placing his hand out to the entrance. I smiled at him, masking the nervousness in my stomach.
I stepped inside. The screen had a difficulty level option. I didn't see which one Knox had chosen, but I felt that medium was a good choice. An orange wave of light went around the room, spinning around me like a scanner. Then, the holograms came out. Unlike my knives, which I prefer to throw, the scythe is a close range weapon. The number one priority is to conserve my energy, so I waited for the holograms to come to me, making exceptions for those with long range weapons. One after the other, I struck them down with the blades. Just as I thought I was done, I heard the slight sound from behind me. I whipped my head around and was met with a hologram using a bow. They were up on the second balcony. So, as if it was a reflex, I threw my blade all the way to the top, striking them in the chest and leaving a dent in the wall. I turned around to see two people watching me from outside the doors: Knox and Mara Fishner. Mara smiled and waved, while Knox stood there with a neutral expression. I waved back.
"Good job," Knox expressed.
"Thanks," I responded.
"Scythes: I like it," Mara interjected.
"Yeah, well, it's what I know," I told her.
"I can show you how to use a trident if you teach me how to use those," she said, gesturing to my blades. I looked to where Knox had been standing, only to see that he had ditched me for the obstacle course. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. He'll thank me later.
