Heart of a Willow (51st Annual Hunger Games)

Part Six - Training

I wake to find my training uniform at the end of my bed. It annoys me that people are walking in and out of my room whenever they want. I decide it would be best to just get washed and dressed now even though it was still  rather dark outside. I walk into my bathroom and stand there for five minutes scanning the hundreds of buttons that operate the shower before I find the right one.

  I am just zipping up the front of my training top and slip on my shoes when there comes a quiet knock at my door. I open it to find Noah.

"Noah? " i ask.

"Morning. How are you?" he says.

"I'm fine" i reply. "Why are you here?"

"Huh? Oh, Blight says you better come and have some breakfast. We are going down in about twenty minutes" he shakes his head as he remembers why he came.

"Ok. I am coming now" i say putting hair up into a pony tail.

Noah smiles and steps back so I can shut my door. "Let's go"

  Blight and Petrenella have started without us but I notice Noah's plate has already been filled and immediately feel bad.

"Sorry you had to come and fetch me" i say.

"Don't be. I'm glad you managed sleep last night"  he replies smiling a little.

"Yeah. Wait. How did you know i managed to get to sleep"

"You didn't come and get a warm drink like on the train. I was in the living room most of the night"

   We all stand in the training centre whilst a woman named Atala tells us the rules about training. Then she lets us go and train.

  I head over to the axe station and choose a deadly looking axe.

"You don't mind do you? " Noah's voice comes from behind me. "I don't want to train alone and Blight did say"

"Sure. You could even if Blight hadn't have said a thing."

  We spend most of the morning with the axes. Even though we are better than most people here, we should still  get some practise.

 We then go over to different stations including knives, swords, edible plants, tying knots and starting fires. Noah seems to know more about plants than me ans gives me some tips. I excel in sword wielding and help him out a bit.

     "Hey! District seven" we both turn to see the Ditrict 1 tributes calling us over.

"What do you want?" Noah says hastily as we walk over.

"We wanted to know whether you and your little girlfriend wanted to train with us for a while " the boy says. "oh, i am Jack and this is Tiara"

"I'm Noah and this is Leigha. We are best friends. We aren't together" Noah explains. "Leigha, do you want to train with them"

"Maybe tomorrow. Training finishes in around five minutes." I say.

"Sure. Can you give me a few tips then. About using an axe?" Tiara walks over and guides me away. I don't want to be left alone with Tiara. I want to stay with Noah but that won't be the case.

NOAH'S POV

I really don't want to be separated from Leigha. Especially when the Careers are around.

"So, are you sure she isn't your girlfriend" Jack nudges my arm.

"I wish. I think she took pity on me when we were little. She is truly amazing and gorgeous but she could say no and then there would be that awkwardness between our friendship." i say regretfully. 

"That is a shame." Jack says.

  Leigha and Tiara come back so I shut up. 

LEIGHA'S POV

"They say we can go now if we want" i say.

Noah nods and walks off. He takes my hand as we enter the elevator.

"Thank you" he says.

"What for?"

"For being there for me" he says.