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ot good deals because people pitied me？ I try to think if this is true。 Perhaps some of the merchants were a little generous in their trades； but I always attributed that to their long…standing relationship with my father。 Besides； my game is first…class。 No one pitied me！
I glower at the roll sure he meant to insult me。
After about a minute of this； Haymitch says； ¨Well； then。 Well； well； well。 Katniss； thereˇs no guarantee theyˇll be bows and arrows in the arena； but during your private session with the Gamemakers； show them what you can do。 Until then； stay clear of archery。 Are you any good at trapping？〃
¨I know a few basic snares；〃 I mutter。
¨That may be significant in terms of food；〃 says Haymitch。 ¨And Peeta； sheˇs right； never underestimate strength in the arena。 Very often； physical power tilts the advantage to a player。 In the Training Center； they will have weights； but donˇt reveal how much you can lift in front of the other tributes。 The planˇs the same for both of you。 You go to group training。 Spend the time trying to learn something you donˇt know。 Throw a spear。 Swing a mace。 Learn to tie a decent knot。 Save showing what youˇre best at until your private sessions。 Are we clear？〃 says Haymitch。 Peeta and I nod。
¨One last thing。 In public； I want you by each otherˇs side every minute；〃 says Haymitch。 We both start to object； but Haymitch slams his hand on the table。 ¨Every minute！ Itˇs not open for discussion！ You agreed to do as I said！ You will be together； you will appear amiable to each other。 Now get out。 Meet Effie at the elevator at ten for training。〃
I bite my lip and stalk back to my room； making sure Peeta can hear the door slam。 I sit on the bed； hating Haymitch； hating Peeta； hating myself for mentioning that day long ago in the rain。
Itˇs such a joke！ Peeta and I going along pretending to be friends！ Talking up each otherˇs strengths； insisting the other take credit for their abilities。 Because； in fact； at some point； weˇre going to have to knock it off and accept weˇre bitter adversaries。 Which Iˇd be prepared to do right now if it wasnˇt for Haymitchˇs stupid instruction that we stick together in training。 Itˇs my own fault； I guess； for telling him he didnˇt have to coach us separately。 But that didnˇt mean I wanted to do everything with Peeta。 Who； by the way； clearly doesnˇt want to be partnering up with me； either。
I hear Peetaˇs voice in my head。 She has no idea。 The effect she can have。 Obviously meant to demean me。 Right？ but a tiny part of me wonders if this was a pliment。 That he meant I was appealing in some way。 Itˇs weird； how much heˇs noticed me。 Like the attention heˇs paid to my hunting。 And apparently； I have not been as oblivious to him as I imagined； either。 The flour。 The wrestling。 I have kept track of the boy with the bread。
Itˇs almost ten。 I clean my teeth and smooth back my hair again。 Anger temporarily blocked out my nervousness about meeting the other tributes； but now I can feel my anxiety rising again。 By the time I meet Effie and Peeta at the elevator； I catch myself biting my nails。 I stop at once。
The actual training rooms are below ground level of our building。 With these elevators； the ride is less than a minute。 The doors open into an enormous gymnasium filled with various weapons and obstacle courses。 Although itˇs not yet ten； weˇre the last ones to arrive。 The other tributes are gathered in a tense circle。 They each have a cloth square with their district number on it pinned to their shirts。 While someone pins the number 12 on my back； I do a quick assessment。 Peeta and I are the only two dressed alike。
As soon as we join the circle； the head trainer； a tall； athletic woman named Atala steps up and begins to explain the training schedule。 Experts in each skill will remain at their stations。 We will be free to travel from area to area as we choose； per our mentorˇs instructions。 Some of the stations teach survival skills； others fighting techniques。 We are forbidden to engage in any bative exercise with another tribute。 There are assistants on hand if we want to practice with a partner。
When Atala begins to read down the list of the skill stations； my eyes canˇt help flitting around to the other tributes。 Itˇs the first time weˇve been assembled； on level ground； in simple clothes。 My heart sinks。 Almost all of the boys and at least half of the girls are bigger than I am； even though many of the tributes have never been fed properly。 You can see it in their bones； their skin； the hollow look in their eyes。 I may be smaller naturally； but overall my familyˇs resourcefulness has given me an edge in that area。 I stand straight； and while Iˇm thin； Iˇm strong。 The meat and plants from the woods bined with the exertion it took to get them have given me a healthier body than most of those I see around me。
The exceptions are the kids from the wealthier districts； the volunteers； the ones who have been fed and trained throughout their lives for this moment。 The tributes from 1； 2； and 4 traditionally have this look about them。 Itˇs technically against the rules to train tributes before they reach the Capitol but it happens every year。 In District 12； we call them the Career Tributes； or just the Careers。 And like as not； the winner will be one of them。
The slight advantage I held ing into the Training Center； my fiery entrance last night； seems to vanish in the presence of my petition。 The other tributes were jealous of us； but not because we were amazing； because our stylists were。 Now I see nothing but contempt in the glances of the Career Tributes。 Each must have fifty to a hundred pounds on me。 They project arrogance and brutality。 When Atala releases us； they head straight for the deadliest…looking weapons in the gym and handle them with ease。
Iˇm thinking that itˇs lucky Iˇm a fast runner when Peeta nudges my arm and I jump。 He is still beside me； per Haymitchˇs instructions。 His expression is sober。 ¨Where would you like to start？〃
I look around at the Career Tributes who are showing off； clearly trying to intimidate the field。 Then at the others； the underfed； the inpetent； shakily having their first lessons with a knife or an ax。
¨Suppose we tie some knots；〃 I say。
¨Right you are；〃 says Peeta。 We cross to an empty station where the trainer seems pleased to have students。 You get the feeling that the knot…tying class is not the Hunger games hot spot。 When he realizes I know something about snares； he shows us a simple； excellent trap that will leave a human petitor dangling by a leg from a tree。 We concentrate on this one skill for an hour until both of us have mastered it。 Then we move on to camouflage。 Peeta genuinely seems to enjoy this station； swirling a bination of mud and clay and berry juices around on his pale skin； weaving disguises from vines and leaves。 The trainer who runs the camouflage station is full of enthusiasm at his work。
¨I do the cakes；〃 he admits to me。
¨The cakes？〃 I ask。 Iˇve been preoccupied with watching the boy from District 2 send a spear through a dummyˇs heart from fifteen yards。 ¨What cakes？〃
¨At home。 The iced ones； for the bakery；〃 he says。
He means the ones they display in the windows。 Fancy cakes with flowers and pretty things painted in frosting。 Theyˇre for birthdays and New Yearˇs Day。 always drags me over to admire them； although weˇd never be able to afford one。 Thereˇs little enough beauty in District 12； though； so I can hardly deny her this。
I look more critically at the design on Peetaˇs arm。 The alternating pattern of light and dark suggests sunlight falling through the leaves in the woods。 I wonder how he knows this； since I doubt heˇs ever been beyond the fence。 Has he been able to pick this up from just that scraggly old apple tree in his backyard？ Somehow the whole thing his skill； those inaccessible cakes； the praise of the camouflage expert annoys me。
¨Itˇs lovely。 If only you could frost someone to death；〃 I say。 ¨Donˇt be so superior。 You can never tell what youˇll find in the arena。 Say itˇs actually a gigantic cake 〃 begins Peeta。
¨Say we move on；〃 I break in。
So the next three days pass with Pee