Never Coming Home

Chapter 6

I reach the training centre and hang up my bag on its hook. There is no one in the changing rooms so I assume I must be late. I pull my hair back into a high ponytail and tighten the laces on my shoes. The trainers are usually more lenient if you look presentable. When I reach the main training rooms however, something is different. Usually we have started warming up and there are trainees everywhere, but today everyone is crowded together at one side of the room. When I reach the cluster of people they all turn and stare. "Ah nice of you to join us Clove!" calls Randell one of the trainers sarcastically. I glare back at him, my cheeks burning. "As I was saying" he continues "this years games are only three weeks away, and the volunteer choosing ceremony is next week." I'm excited for this years games actually. It's the 72nd annual games and I'm almost certain district 2 will produce a winner. "The thing is, we don't just want to focus on training our tributes for this games, we have next year, the year after that, and the year after that the third quarter quell to think about." Randell says, "So that is why we are starting a new training regime! Here is the list of partners:

"Winter Ralsey and Phantom Smith

Hazel Jacob and Francis Blake

Tia Croyden and John Filtrane

Ka..........."

The list drags on for a while and by the time I hear my name I'm pretty zoned out. It's only when I hear Cato's name right after mine and see him smirking across the room at me, that I realise what's happening. I groan loudly. Being partnered with anyone would be bad for me but Cato? I have no idea how this is going to work. "Now it is up to you how much or how little you train with your partner and how hard you work but just remember, those of you doing the exam will have to do it with your partner, which means if they fail you fail and vice versa. Good luck everyone and keep working hard!" I glare at the floor for a while before sighing and walking towards Cato. "Hey Clove!" he says brightly " How are you? We haven't talked in ages!" "What's with the 'I'm so perfect and lovely' act? I though you had to act 'cool' in order to stick with your little group." I snap back. "Woah" he says sounding wounded. "I was being polite!" "Sureee" I snarl. "Look clove we're partners. If you're gonna spend this whole time yelling at me then neither of us will pass the exam. Do you actually want to go to the hunger games or not?" I think about it for a few moments. If we are going in for the exam together then there's nothing I can do. We're partners so I have to train with Cato or I can kiss the games goodbye. Great. Training just got a whole lot more complicated.....