The 25th Annual Hunger Games: 1st Quarter Quell

Chapter 15: Training: Showing off

Hey guys sorry for not uploading last Friday... I'm too busy with stuff and anyway this is the 15th chapter... 

The following day was the last training day for the ‘survival’ in the games. The 4th day will be used for training for the interviews. As Serena got up, she wondered what she’d be doing that day and to where she’d train, of course still together with Julius. But the thought of the careers and their training came to her mind and she wished to train like they do if intimidating the others will make her have a good chance of winning. That morning the same routine happened. After dressing up they eat breakfast but what surprised them was that Oak asked them to do whatever they like and particularly to train like what the Careers did, with the weapons of their specialization. But he warned them not to fight with them nor anger them.

Julius and Serena went ahead to train but they saw the Careers still training in the weapons section so, agreeing with Oak’s warning, they just took another lesson from survival skills. As they walk to the specific section they’d be going, they saw the girl from 8 classifying the berries whether they were edible or not. That girl was, according to Serena, the most fragile and innocent-looking tribute. She trained alone away from everyone’s sight including that of her district partner. She seemed as if she couldn’t even hold a knife straight with her fragile looking hands. She was thin but probably because she wasn’t fed well coming from one of the poorest district of Panem. She didn’t seem capable of doing even the slightest harm possible but seeing what she did with the berries she has the chance to be the victor by staying away from the others and surviving alone all by herself. And maybe Oak’s right. Maybe that’s her strategy of being so fragile but deadly if provoked. Those are the silent types. And her greatest weapon. It’s probably her knowledge. Though she seemed weak in hand to hand combat, by waiting for the others to die and living long enough for that, she could be hailed as victor. But that is as long as she’s not caught by a group of allies.

After taking lessons at that station the two went to see if the Careers left the Weapon Training Section but to their dismay the Careers are still boasting their skills successfully intimidating the others. Serena told Julius to train to some other place with other things and Julius agreed but he asked her to wait for him. He left to the comfort room. While he’s gone Serena watched the Careers but to her surprise the young boy from 3 politely asked the fiery girl from 2 who was happy for some reason and at that point, looked a bit kind.

But as expected the girl drove him away shouting at him and taunting him. “You shouldn’t train in our spot! There’s no need for you. You can never win in these games. You can never be a victor! A weak young boy like you doesn’t even stand the chance in the competition. What you can do is hate and continue hating the district that voted you here to die in the arena, in the hands of the Capitol. Get lost! This is out spot!!”

The other Careers, the ones from 1 and 4 looked at how the girl from 2 mocked that poor and little boy and showed a smile to what she did. Even the girl from 2 smiled after. And this provoked Serena to lose her composure and helped the kid out by approaching and talking angrily to the girl from 2.

“Well, I guess it’s not stated by the Capitol that this spot is your property! It’s the Capitol’s!”, sarcastically said Serena to the Careers’ surprise specially the girl from 2.  

“Trying to fight with us eh?”, the girl replied back.

“Not exactly! Just stating my position. I remember you said that the ‘Careers’ own this place because one of you will win. I guess you’re all cowards”

“What?!! Are you trying to pick up a fight with us?!”

“We’re gonna fight in the arena anyways and to think that you’re trying to intimidate me. You’re sadly mistaken.”, said Serena leaving the girl from 2 speechless. “You’re nothing but cowards training in this weapon spot because you don’t want others to use this spot. You don’t want others to learn how to fight and it’s not because you think that they can’t but because you don’t want them to be dangerous soon. And to think that you’re using your relationship with the Capitol to train ahead of time just proves that you’re all cowards! You’re not the only ones who know how to fight here.”

“…And I suppose you know?”, angrily said the girl from 2.

Without making a speech to answer back, Serena grabs the three throwing knives that the girl from 2 was holding and shot the center of every target that the girl from was practicing and looked at her mockingly causing her to erupt.

“How dare you?!!” But before she can hit Serena she was stopped by the trainer. “Kristy give it up. Do it in the arena.”, said Ivory, the girl from 1. But because of her persistence the trainer accidentally pushed her down the floor. But this incidence was seen by her district partner angering him but he didn’t lose his composure to attack the tributes. Serena then pulled the kid away with her. As they leave she glanced at the Careers who seemingly noticed her capability.

As the kid thanked in a corner, a frantic Julius arrived and scolded her about what she did. “Why did you do that Serena? Now they are coming after us in the arena and perhaps we’re the first that they’ll kill.”

“I just got mad Julius besides we’re gonna fight anyway so take it easy. Besides they’re too much”, Serena answered back.

But instead of scolding Serena even more, Julius hugged her and told her not to worry because whatever happens he’ll always protect her. And Serena replied gratefully with a smile and a soft “Thanks”.

He soon told her to stay where he is and he’ll just get something. Then he left. But before the kid can talk about himself and why got reaped Felix, the boy from 2 approached them and grab Serena’s arm. “You mocked my partner. How dare you?! You know what I hate your district and now you. So prepare yourself once you’re in the arena. I may not be the one to kill you but you’ll never be the victor and I’ll stand up to that.”

After that he left but left Serena unable to speak and frightened even more than the boy. The boy tried to calm her. Serena asked him not to tell Julius about what happened and tried to make a slight smile to the boy. The boy agreed. But this is the first time that Serena was so frightened by that handsome boy from 2, the district she hates the most. But why does Felix hate District 7. For just what Serena did to Kristy, the girl from 2? Or there’s a much more deeper meaning to that?