Author Games: Memoranda Of Terror

Task Three - Friends! - Females

District One - Diamond Fabulo

There is a huge difference between watching the Games on TV and actually participating in them, that's for sure. Watching it with my family, it seemed like a piece of cake. All I had to do was get the people to like me and I was golden. Well, they liked me, and that does me no good now that I'm actually here in the arena.

I thought I would be fine. I had an alliance with the Careers, surely they could protect me. And even better, I somehow managed to get the highest training score! A ten! I felt as though I had already won, all I had left to do was wait out the Games and I would be home in no time.

But my high score did not have the effect I thought it would. Instead of other tributes respecting me, as I thought they would, they started going out of their way to confront me.

When I tried to explain to them that I couldn't fight at all, that I've never trained a day in my life, they didn't believe me. They thought I was just trying to play innocent. If only they knew how pathetic I really was.

I haven't killed anyone yet. All of the tributes who attacked me were taken out by members of my alliance. Well, my former alliance. Today is only the second day in the arena and already the Gamemakers have thrown a curve ball at us. Forced Alliances.

"Ow ow ow! Would you please stop tripping? My knees can't take much more of this!" Piper Corbet, the District 3 girl and my new partner, complains.

She's an odd person, and might I just say she has no sense of style whatsoever. What's up with those feathers in her hair? Does she think she's starting a trend or something? Please.

"Sorry, sorry!" I sigh and rise to my feet, dusting myself off. Forced alliances wouldn't be so bad if the Gamemakers didn't throw in the part where all injuries received by one alliance member is inflicted on all members. Did I mention that I was clumsy? You wouldn't expect that from someone who wants to be a model but yeah.

"For a Career you're kind of a loser, just saying." Piper remarked. Rude much?

"Gee, thanks, you're not so bad yourself." I mutter, twirling my nail file in my hands as we walk. I'm not exactly sure where it is we're going, and I don't think Piper knows either.

Suddenly, Piper drops down in front of me, hiding in the tall grass.

"Um... What are you doing?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. What a weird weird girl.

"Just shut up and get down!" She hissed.

Excuse me? I cross my arms and glare at her. "You're not the boss of me. What makes you think I want to get grass in my hair? I mean, seriously! Are you-- Ah!" My rant is cut off when she grabs my ankle and pulls me down. I fall on my butt with a painful thud as an arrow wizzes past me, just narrowly missing my head.

Oh.

I looked over at Piper, now realizing why she wanted me to get down. "Thank yo--"

"Don't thank me, I was saving myself." Piper interrupted. Oh yeah, right, the weird injury-bond thing. Forgot about that.

I didn't have time to come up with a witty comeback because a familiar voice reached me from the vally across from us.

"They wen't down over here somewhere!" Marine, one of my former alliance members, shouted. Through the grass I could see his feet and shins. He was close. I heard running and two more pairs of feet joined him.

"Can you use that?" Piper whispered to me, catching me off guard.

"What?" I replied.