The 122nd Annual Hunger Games: The Anti-Careers

Testament Of Skills

XVII, i - Fern Aventin, District 2 Female

Silver was the first tribute inside the training room for the private sessions, leaving me sitting next to Jade from District 3 on the long bench on the girls' side of the narrow room. Everyone was situated in order of district, boys on one side and girls on the other.

Quietly across me was Hentis chatting with Castle, seeming somewhat annoyed with the seventeen-year-old. Gray and River made faces with each other, giggling like some kind of cutesy couple with nothing but feelings or each other. Meanwhile, down the boys' row, Evan Ashe was playing rock, paper, scissors with the boy next to him, that District 8 boy. Other things happened occasionally with others which seemed to be abouteverything going on.

At the end Silver's session, Castle waltzed in confident, his scheme for The Hunger Games. I was to be next, Hentis following in afterwards. I could only assume that both Silver and Castle were both going to end up showing off their strength and ability to wield swords; that's actually quite boring.

A little afterwards, Castle came out of through the door and jabbed his finger towards the door while looking to me; my cue to enter. I cracked my neck on both sides as I stepped through the door, hoping to unhinge some of the other tributes.

I hooked the set of arrows on my back and picked up the bow. With purpose, I made my way up the line where I would shoot at a dummy from far away; they needed to know I had perfect aim. I readied the first arrow and took in a deep breath, ready for the Gamemakers to see my perfection from the first shot. After letting go, I stood confident and ready, expecting and receiving the bullseye. The Gamemakers saw it and seemed intrigued. It was good to have their attention from the beginning.

Next, I let another arrow fly right above and then right below the bullseye. Afterwards, I felt it was time to mark up the body. The first one was in the left knee. At first, the Gamemakers probably thought I had just shot bad until I landed a second arrow in the right knee. Then the left elbow and right elbow. Then straight in the face. After a few more minutes of having fun and marking up some of the other dummies, I was dismissed. They had to give me an excellent score, I knew it deep down.

-o-o-o-o-o-

XVII, ii - River Murk, District 4 Female

Fern bounced in through the door with a smirk on her face; she had done well for sure.

"Next," she said seeming bored. I could tell she thought she had it in the bag.

Hentis made his way inside the room and the usual restarted; people fidgeting, others talking, and some even napping. Finally, all of the other Careers were gone except Gray and I. I could feel more at ease because the others weren't silently looking intimidating. Despite me being their teammate, I was intimidated myself. Meanwhile, Gray was looking to seem harmless and friendly. Perhaps it was for the other tributes underestimate him as a Career or simply because he was a good person in general. It could have been both but I could never understand what Gray was thinking in his mind.

Soon, Hentis was out and the District 3 girl was in, the girl that sat next to me. For a while, Gray would make silly faces or do something stupidly funny and I kept giggling quietly. Thankfully, there were other things going on like talking and various noises so I didn't feel entirely embarrassed being an annoying sixteen-year-old girl. Sometimes, I would pretend not to notice him and then he'd be begging for my attention.

It was unsafe to say that Gray Devon and I had become good friends in the past few days. Certainly, Silver was obnoxiously jealous of his natural attractiveness and wanted him. She clearly disliked me for thinking that Gray and I had something going on but I was confident we were just bonding and dealing with the fact that we had to participate in The Hunger Games; I wasn't out to make him mine. I would have let Silver have more time with him but I preferred that she waste her time being jealous. It was the one thing I had on her.