The Hurting Girl

Chapter 1

The corridors were bustling and busy. I had tried pushing my way through them, but soon given up. Most people here were much stronger than me. After all, this was only my first day here, and already I was learning not to push around the older kids. I was, of course, in District 2’s training academy. This was where all kids between the ages of 12 and 18 came to be coached in the art of survival, so whichever two of us got picked at the reaping that year would have a decent chance of coming home a victor. Kids here were ruthless. Kids here had no mercy. I had seen The Hunger Games on the small T.V back at home, and I had been shocked at how merciless they were. They killed as if they didn’t care, as if they had no feelings. And now, I was going to have to become one of these kids. I gritted my teeth, and followed the crowd to my first class.

Our first class was the art of Knife Throwing. I was pleased, as this was the thing I was most looking forward too. As I entered the classroom, I had a good look at my classmates. Three pretty brown haired girls stood in one corner, giggling and blowing kisses across the room. I followed the direction in which they were blowing them, and found myself staring into the face of the most handsome boy I had ever seen in my life. His hair was carefully styled and his eyes were blue and piercing. I immediately found myself staring. “Look away, Clove!” I told myself crossly. A girly little wuss was NOT the impression I was attempting to make on my first day at the academy. I dragged my eyes away from the gorgeous sight and saw one pale looking girl standing by herself at the back of the classroom. I gave her a quick smile and was about to open my mouth to speak when I saw the teacher, Mrs. Black enter the room. I shut my mouth immediately. As much as I didn’t want to be viewed as a goody-goody, it also wasn’t in my plans to get on the wrong side of the teachers here. However, me and the girl appeared to be the only ones silent in the room. Mrs. Black took a look around, and then, quick as a flash, pulled a knife out of her pocket and threw it across the classroom, narrowly missing a big groups heads. They fell silent immediately.

“Are you here to gossip or to work?” Mrs. Black inquired icily, looking at the handsome boy. “Work, Mrs Black.” He drawled. “Good.” She said. “Now lets get started. Each of you needs a partner to work with in this class. You will pick a name” she said, producing a glass bowl with slips of paper in it, “out of this. Girls will pick. All the names in here are boys names.” Everybody around the class groaned collectively. The three brunettes were staring at each other desperately, as if separation from the other two would kill them all simultaneously. “Right.” Said Mrs Black, ignoring the groan. “Lets start from the beginning.” She picked up a sheet of paper and started reading names off it. “Erin Anikan” she read. A big-boned blonde from the big group across the room emerged and shoven her hand into the bowl (which was beginning to remind me of a reaping ball.) “Marcus Fern” she read in a bored voice. The pair moved off to the other side of the room and watched the rest of us get paired up. “Isobelle Stern.” was the next name. The quiet redhead girl moved to the front and gracefully picked a slip out of the bowl. “Carlos Ray” she read, and a huge black-haired hulk went and joined her. “Amy Stone.” She called. The tallest of the three brunettes went up to the front and picked a slip. She looked at it eagerly and then sighed. “Ben Harman.” She muttered grumpily and stomped off with him, attempting to make eyes at the tall handsome boy. My attention began to drift as more names got called, and I was almost asleep when a sharp voice cut through my daydreams. “Clove Greenleaf.” Called Mrs Black. I made my way up to the front and picked a slip. “Cato Jet” I read. A large gasp of horror went round from all the remaining females in the class as the tall handsome boy joined me. But I couldn’t think of this as a good thing. How was I ever going to concentrate now, with him anywhere near me?