Chapter 6

I woke up to someone stroking my hair. Cato was by the bed ready to go. I was still in bed draped in all my covers. My outfit on the end of my bed waiting to be put on. Today was the first day of training and I was going to see my competition for the first time face to face. I got out of bed and showed Cato out of the room so I could change. Today I find out everyone's weakness and kill them first thing at the cornucopia. I was determined to win and I would not let anything stand in my way. We walked into the training area and had to listen to a lady talk about things that I didn't care to listen to. I know all of this anyway because I was the smartest girl. Cato was the smartest boy because he was smart and older. After that, we got to the physical stuff like fighting and defense. I walked to the throwing knifes session because that was my specialty. I good do other things because I worked hard to get other special talents like sword fighting which Cato tutored me on because my parents asked him to. I had to show everyone that I was a force to be reckoned with. There was something that caught my eye as I looked to my left Cato was with glimmer flirting like he always does. I should have known that he was so full of himself. I looked to the opposite of them and Katniss. I must have been dreaming but she was there, right in front of me. I ran up to her and hugged her. She was a little surprised and then released me. We talked and trained together for the rest of the day.

I got back to my floor late. I had missed supper and had it on Katniss's floor. Peeta was very nice and I could see love in his eyes every time he talked to or about Katniss. There was some magic there and I knew I should go soon. Effie was there and I got to talk to her and Katniss about Cato. Katniss was astonished that the Cato I talked about on the phone every night was here. Katniss promised that if he hurt me again that she would give him a piece of her mind and that was what we did. Glimmer even helped because she did not like a cheater or a playboy. We were going to get Rue to climb the roof shaft and hide there with Cato's favorite knife. Rue was tiny so she could fit and she wanted some friends so it was a win-win. All Cato had to do was flirt with Glimmer again so we could steal his knife. Then it was all set to get back at Cato. I thought this was actually fun. I tiptoed to my room but didn't get so far as I hoped. Cato was by my bedroom leaning on the wall. His face wanted answers and all I could be cracking up because I was just thinking about the plan. I got a question mark all over his face which made me crack up even more. I walked into my room and closed the door in his face. He deserved it and I didn't want to talk to him anyway. I think he got the point after three knocked when I didn't answer him at all. In the morning I was up before everyone and left a note saying I was at the training center. I didn't want to answer all the questions why I was not there for supper or why I didn't answer Cato calling to me to open the door and talk to him. I was fed up with him and I wanted him to know it without me telling him. He was like a thorn in my side that I want to be there. I needed some new friends and a new boy in my head because if we are the last tributes to win I was not showing him any mercy and I would die anyway. He was too strong to beat anyway.

He was the last person to come into the training room. His eyes were red and puffy like he was crying last night. I don't know why he has all he wants in a blink of an eye and big boys don't cry. Glimmer was there at his side in an instant. She winked at me and nudged his knife away from him. I walked up and started talking to them and grabbed the knife and walked away before Cato could talk. I gave it to Katniss who gave it to rue and she climbed up to the shafts. When Glimmer saw Rue was in place she ended the conversation and walked away. Cato looked for his knife and saw a boy near him. Full of rage he stormed over and started yelling at the poor boy. The tributes that were in and not in the scam were laughing because they all knew Rue was in the shafts. Cato looked puzzled and looked at me for answers. I was laughing as I pointed up. Rue was there smiling. She got down and us girls got into a group and were laughing at how our plan worked. Cato looked a little mad until he found out I was the planner of the plan. Then all he could do was laugh his head off. He knew instead of being mad a people I would play practical jokes on them. I could not hold a grudge for 1 minute. After three more days of playing practical jokes on him, we had to train alone with our victor.

I had so much fun joking with Jennette and practicing. I had to get a big score because then people would be scared of me and run when they see me coming. I knew I was going to win because I trained like heck just so I could just get a fraction closer to my goal. I had to win or what would my mother or Tina do. They would need food to live and my mother would not let her put her name in more times that she had to like I did. That all I could think about woke up and got out of bed. Today was the big day where they evaluate me and give me a score of 0 to 15. The highest someone has ever gone was 13 and I wanted to get higher than that so I am remembered. Cato and I sat beside each other laughing as he made terrible jokes trying to ease the discomfort. I was next. I was so nervous that I could puke. All I had to do was my thing and get high marks. My name was called after Marvels. I almost ran into there so I could get this done but held myself back and walked as calmly as I could into the room and waited till they noticed me. I think it took more time to notice me than for me to pick up the box of knives and threw them at the targets. I didn't' t miss a shingle one and they were all smiling because I had so much confidence and power for such a little-sized girl like me. I walked out there and passed Cato with a big smile flashed his way, so he knew I did well.

We sat around the TV on the couches and waited for our marks to come up. When they did I was shocked that Cato and I got so big of marks. Cato got 12 and I got 14. I had reached my goal and I had set a new bar and I had beat Cato. That made me smile beyond measure. Everyone left the couch but I wanted to see how she did. Peeta got a 9 and Katniss got a 13. Later she told me it was because she shot an arrow into a pig's mouth when they weren't looking. Tomorrow is the start of the hunger games and I was ready or so I kept telling myself.