One Lucky Winner

Chapter 17 ~ Caleb

I put back the sword on the pile of swords. Harry and I have been training together all afternoon, and we just finished sword training. We both sucked at it. I've tried this and a few other weapons training stations, and I've failed at all of them. I can't do anything.

It's not really bothering me, though. As long as I'm allies with Tris and Four, I'll be fine. And my mind is too focused on the new friend I made; Harry. If me and him become allies, then he'll have his wand, which is good. He's not a good fighter, but he's lethal with his wand.

Harry puts back his sword too, and we exchange a look and then a laugh. We both majorly failed at that.

I turn to the sword trainer. "How much time of training do we have left?"

The trainer looks at a clock on the wall. "10 minutes." It's 5:20, which means training ends at 5:30.

The trainer speaks again before Harry and I can say anything. "You don't need to do another station. Everyone's just kinda finishing up here..." He looks at me. "You can just chill for the last 10 minutes."

"Thanks," I say, happy that we just get to chill. Harry and I walk away from the sword training.

I spot two lonely metal fold up chairs by the wall. We walk over to them and sit down. I'm exhausted.

"What a day," Harry breathes.

"Definitely," I say. I'm so tired and in pain. I lost the fist fighting match with Harry. I got bruises everywhere, which is kind of embarrassing because Harry is almost a foot shorter than me. But I have to admit, he's way faster and stronger than me.

"I'm beat," I say. "I'm going to bed early tonight, and getting 10 hours of sleep."

"Same," Harry says, looking at all the other tributes training.

"This was exhausting. Do we really have to do this tomorrow again?"

Harry just chuckles. I look at everyone else train. I don't know who it is, but I'm pretty entertained in seeing someone fail at archery. It seems like no one can do that well.

"Hey," I hear Harry say. I look over to him and see him looking up at his other friend that I met earlier at lunch. Ron.

"Hey," Ron says. He nods at me and gives me the I-don't-know-you-well-enough-to-say-hi-but-hi-anyways look. I return it, and they start talking. They're cool.

I look around and spot Tris and Four over at a station together; I can't read what station it is. Everyone seems to be finishing up their stations.

I turn back to Harry and Ron, and see that someone new has joined them in talking. She's one of the other two girls besides Tris.

Harry suddenly looks at me. "Oh-! I don't think you've met Hermione yet," he says.

I look at the girl, I guess named Hermione. She's the one who spilled her drink all over another tribute at lunch today. She's very pretty, yet she looks uncomfortable and awkward standing by Ron and looking at me. She looks judging and kind of mean.

"Caleb, this is Hermione," Harry says to me. "Hermione, this is Caleb. My new friend."

I give Hermione a very small smile and a slight nod, and she barely even grimaces at me. I'm wondering if she doesn't like me or if she's just rude.