What if the odds were in our favor?

Five

I don't get a chance to talk to Leaf before bed, so I decide to catch up with him before breakfast. I run up to him and tap him on the shoulder.

"Yes?" Leaf asks, flashing a grin.

" Get a low training score!" I demand.

"What? Why?" his grin turns into a frown

"They're targeting you if you get above a five!" I breathe hard, in a frenzy. He needs to believe me. He has to believe me.

"They? Who's they? Iris, you're not talking sense."

"Clea, Lake,Wade, Misty,Autumn and Ryker! The whole lot of them! The careers! Pearl, the girl from 6 and I overheard their conversation about targets! If you get above a 5 they'll target you!" I yell

"And why should I believe you? Maybe you're just trying to make sure I get less sponsors!" Leaf yells

"Please Leaf. Please." I plead with him, meeting his eyes. He doesn't answer. I only hope that he believes me. But honestly, why should he? Unjust a few short days, we're going to be thrust into an arena where the sole purpose is to kill each other until one person is left.The lone victor. Not two victors.One. So why would I tell him something that could help him? Honestly, I'm not so sure myself.

Today, we get until noon to train and then we have our private sessions with the gamemakers. I don't know what I'll do, climb probably. I sit down next to pearl and munch down on my food. It's weird to think people in the capitol don't have to work for their food. They don't have to forage for it or hunt for it, they just have it. Oh, what I would give for that to be me.

Lavender and Lily will survive without me, Lavender hunts anyway, and she's pretty good with foraging, she'll take out tessere next year. But what if next year she gets reaped? Lily certainly won't survive all by herself. She's too gentle. Too innocent. But then I remember with a jolt that I was 6 when I had to start taking care of myself.

I remember when I came to the community home, for the first 6 months I was nearly starving, I only ate the oatmeal that was provided for us, nothing more. Then one day, I wandered into the woods and picked some strawberries. That started my foraging journey, and for the next 6 months I ate some berries, then Lavender came when I was 7. And we quickly became fast friends, starting to hunt and forage together. I don't remember at what point we became sisters, but I know it was before Lily came, shortly after the rebellion ended, her parents were rebels who were executed. She was 4, we where 11. We quickly started to take care of her, hunting and foraging for her too. Lily became our sister after not much time. And then it was the 3 of us. The three sisters, The three flowers

Once when I was 13 I got into a fight with a girl who claimed that I couldn't be sisters with Lav and Lily. That I was a little orphan girl with no family. I am an orphan, yes. But I do have family. Lavender and lily are my family. Why couldn't she understand that?

Tears well up in my eyes at the thought of them, but I push them own deep. I wolf down my pancakes, toast and cereal and hot chocolate. I'm trying to gorge myself before the games.

Me and Pearl train until noon, spending a lot of time at the camouflage and axe throwing and knot tying and spear stations, with pearl is good at. I advise Pearl to show off her foraging in her private session.

At lunch, the tributes start getting called. First if Ryker, who comes out with a haughty expression on his face, I assume he used swords

Autumn and wade go, and then it's Clea's turn. SShe comes out with a bloodthirsty and confident smile, and I have no doubt in my mind that she scored a 10. Perhaps an 11.

The tributes from 3, 4 and 5 go, and then Ruto, pearls partner goes. He leaves, and before Pearl goes in I remind her about the foraging. That's the thing she's most likely to get a high training score, which means more sponsors. Pearl comes out, and before Leaf leaves I look at him.

"Please." I plead before he goes in, he doesn't reply, but I think he understands. And then before I know it, It's my turn. I walk in, and the first thing I notice is the game makers standing behind a shield. I see the head gamemaker, Cordelia Kensington. The first thing I notice about her is how much she looks like me, she has light blond hair and green eyes almost exactly like mine. I shrug it off and look around at all the weapons and other stuff. But what I start to head to is a climbing wall with a timer. I know I can climb it fast. With the game makers looking, I set the timer are race up to the top. I don this a couple times before I am dismissed to go back to my apartment.

I don't think I impressed them at all, but I hope I get at least a 5. I walk back to the apartment and see Leaf sitting on the couch, hands on his head.

"Did you listen to me?" I ask, meeting leafs eye.

"Yes. I missed with the axe tons of times." He says. "I hope I don't regret this."

"You won't." I smile. Rumina comes up and joins us.

"Chop Chop tributes! We have to turn on the tv so we can find out you guys scores!" She says, clicking a few buttons and then the hunger games channel is on. Caesar says a few quick words and then the scores turn on.

Ryker gets a 10, and Autumn gets a 9, Clea manages a 11 while wade gets only an 8. The tributes from 3's scores are low. Misty gets a 10, while Lake gets a 9.

The tributes from 5 get average scores, and Ruto, Pearl's partner gets a 10. Pearl gets a 7. I cheer, which gives me a weird look from Rumina. Then Leaf's score comes on, and it's a 4. I'm glad my warning worked. Rumina looks at Leaf, as if she's disappointed. And I bet she is. Tomorrow, we have the entire day with Rumina. Oh golly, how I'm looking forward to that.

I look at the screen, and see I landed a 5. Average. Rumina looks at us, clearly saddened that she's been given throwaway tributes again. All of a sudden, I start laughing. I'm not sure why, but I buckle my knees and fall to the floor in laughter, Leaf joins in as well, and Rumina looks at us disgustedly. I Can hear here mutter "District Scum." Under her breath. That makes me lose it

"WE ARE NOT SCUM!! WE ARE PEOPLE, BEING FORCED TO FIGHT TO THE FUCKING DEATH!! BUT THIS IS ALL JUST A GAME TO YOU WHILE YOU AMD YOUR FELLOW SHITTY ESCORTS EAT YOUR FANCY FOOD WHILE BETTING ON US AS IF WE'RE OBJCETS! MAYBE, YOU GUYS ARE THE SHITTY PEOPLE FOR DOING THIS!" I scream, right in Rumina's makeup-ridden face.

My outburst silences her. She sits down on the couch, contemplating what I said. I decide not to stick around much longer, so I turn on my heels and head to my room and plop down on the bed. I hear a knock on the door

"Go away Rumina!" I yell. But the face that emerges isn't Rumina. It's my fellow tribute, Leaf Ridge. Leaf sits next to me on the bed. And without warning, without explanation, without any type of planning, I cry. I really cry. For the first time since I've got here, I sob. I sob and sob and sob.

And then Leaf starts to cry too.

We both ugly cry for several minutes, I till eventually the tears dry out and we just lay there, next to eachother. Silent. I give Leaf a hug before he leaves.

I go back out an hour later for dinner. And I sit at the seat farterst from Rumina. My mouth waters at the sight of the scrumptious steak and salad. I make a point of eating my food with my fingers, to annoy Rumina. We eat most of the dinner in silence.

"I'm sorry." Rumina mouths. Honestly I can tell this is a revolution for her, that my angry fit really did her some good. I finish my food, change into my pajamas and get back into bed.I think of Lily, and remember the time when we met her as I drift off.