Snowdrop

Chapter 7

"Melia, come on! Hurry up, we've been waiting for nearly half an hour for you. Training starts in fifteen minutes." Acacia hammers on my door, shouting for me to wake.

"Wha – fifteen minutes!" I throw myself out of bed and run around the room, hastily dressing and scraping back my hair with my fingers.

Everything's cleaned up now. There's not a shard of glass left on the carpet, nor a scrap of clothing out of place from my temper tantrum last night. I wonder who was the poor soul who tidied everything away.

I lace my boots and hurry down the hall to the dining area. I must look a real sight. Matted hair, dark circles under my eyes, creased clothing. Maximus shakes his head at me and I have to restrain myself from snapping at him.

Bailey gives me a small smile, and that's when I notice Ember sits beside Acacia, not in his usual spot across from Maximus. He catches my gaze and I quickly look away, a pang of guilt hitting me like a train. I should never have shouted at him like that last night. He was the only person I was certain I could count on in the Games, and now I've gone and blown it.

I slide into the only free chair left, and I can't help noticing it's the one furthest away from my brother. Is he really that angry with me? A servant scoops a spoonful of hot grain and a roll onto my plate, and I tuck in straight away. As I chew, I remember the hurtful things I said to him.

You think you're so helpful, but you're just a pain.

Maybe Kaitlynn and Burnet were right when they said you were just a stupid kid trying to act grown-up.

Acacia puts her spoon down and leans across the table, her fingers laced together. "You four know what today's about. Survival skills. Edible plants, starting fires, tying ropes and setting snares. Perhaps tomorrow before your private sessions I'll let you choose what you brush up on, but you have priorities today. You did wonderfully yesterday, but today is about working on things that the others won't think of. Today is the day that will give you an edge in the arena. Melia, I don't want any more reports of coming to blows with another tribute." I stuff another handful of bread into my mouth to stop myself from having a go at her. Yesterday wasn't my fault. "Ember, I know you and Melia stuck together like glue yesterday. But you need to split up and work separately. I can almost guarantee there'll be a point in the Games, probably near the beginning, where you two will be alone. You need to know how to work without each other. Understood?"

Ember snorts. "I'm sure Melia won't have a problem with that. I'm just a pain, aren't I?"

Haymitch stands and goes to put his plate up on the table, despite the servants being around to do the job for him. He's probably getting himself out of the way in case anything happens. Bailey coughs awkwardly, and I just sit there, clenching my fingers around my cutlery.

Eventually, once everyone's plates are empty, Maximus rearranges his features into a somewhat convincing grin and says, "Come on, everyone. We're almost late for training."

We're one of the last districts to arrive in the gymnasium. I glance over at the knife station and smile to myself. I can't wait to see the look on Rouge's – or any of the Careers' – face when she sees how I'm faring with them now.

She looks at me now, then tilts her head to the boy next to her and rubs her finger under her eye. "Probably stayed awake all night, absolutely terrified," I hear her mutter, then she snickers.

Ugh. I stand up straighter, throw her my filthiest glare, and fold my arms. You're fierce, I tell myself. You'll show her.

Ember does his very best to avoid me all day. Whenever I move around the stations and sidle over to his, he either ignores me completely or puts down whatever he's working on and walks away. At lunch, I hear his loud, unmistakable laugh from across the room. Bailey looks past me, her eyes widening, and mutters something that sounds like an awful lot of swears. I turn. My blood boils.