Bring back the pride

Training

I slept peacefully for once. Avilas' squeaky voice rang in my ears the next morning, "Up up up! It's going to be a big day!!" I groaned, but sat up. I had slipped on a night gown the night before. I yawned and went to shower, "Hurry!" Avila squeaked again.

After getting shampoo and soap in my eyes twice, I decided enough was enough and went to change. Today was obviously training, the formal outfit was layed across my bed.

"So pretty!" Avila giggled as I walked out. I was trying to tie a pair of combat boots.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

"Your going to get in an elevator, that'll take you to the training center." Darius explained as we ate our breakfast. "You'll also have private sessions with the gamemakers."

We finished quicker than I thought. Rory decided to walk us out, "Good luck." She whispered as she pushed Luke and I in. It was the same elevator that had taken us all over the building we were kept in.

Luke pressed the button marked 'T', obviously for 'Training'. He crossed his arms and said, "We should stick together, during the training time." I shot him a glance, "I mean, now that we're allies!" He added quickly. I shook my head and grinned.

The doors flew open and I felt my eyes widening. It was stupendous. There was every weapon known to man kind, and a bunch of stations to help you survive. I couldn't help but smile like an idiot.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" I hadn't noticed that Luke had dragged me to stand by a girl with the number '9' marked on her shoulder. I nodded, she was at least three inches taller than me and looked a lot healthier.

But I didn't pay much attention to her, I had other worries at the moment.

She gave a long speech about how we would all be dead in two weeks, and that we shouldn't just focus on the weapons. It got a little annoying, Atala talked to fast and almost never stopped. "Phew." I mumbled when she said we could go.

Luke zoomed right over to me, "So where-" I groaned.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm going with someone else." He looked confused.

"Bye." I waved quickly, and skipped over to see the camouflage station.

Tree's surrounded a table full of paint and brushes; like we'd find any in the arena. Pfft. I picked up some dark pink paint and a blue. "This better work." I whispered. While mixing them, I found out that I should've listened when Sasha talked about the all the colors she liked to mix. Sasha. No, stop it Jade!

I sighed and looked down at the bowl, it was a night black color with bubbles. I heard a laugh, "You have the wrong colors." It was the girl from nine.

"I come from five so I don't know much about... this stuff." I shrugged and set the bowl down. "Jade." I extended my right hand out.

"Neveah." She shook it. "So, what are your skills?" She picked up a bowl of blue and yellow. "I'm good with a spear, sometimes." I shrugged and Neveah nodded.

She stirred the Colors together and showed me. "Your good at this!" I dipped my index finger in. "We could make it darker." Neveah suggested. I shook my head. "You don't really expect us to find paint in the arena?" She grinned and shook her head.

"Let's go try to start a fire." I suggested, putting back the bowls and paint. "Good idea."

We walked around until we found the right station. I watched some other tributes finish, failing, before I sat down. "Take two sticks and rub them together." The instructor told us. I nodded and got ready, Neveah had already started. She had a couple flames before they died down.