Black Bird

14

For training Dolly gave me and outfit to use. It was a grey shirt over top of a black sports bra, exposing my stomach a little i also had leggings as well as well as knee high boots. The shirt had a big bold 10 on the shoulder. My hair was pulled up into a ponytail and they did my make up with waterproof products. I held my breath as Brandon and I pushed open the steel doors to the training room. Dill had been no where in the morning so we got no advice what so ever from him. In fact we got no advice from anyone leaving us clueless

"What do we do?" He asks me. I was staring at the other tributes throwing spears and knives and swords, shooting arrows with bows, starting fires, climbing, being amazing at what they're doing.

"Your eyes are the poop color again." Brandon chuckles.

I never made eye contact with him, i kept staring at the tributes.

"Uh huh." I say, i mean that was the only thing i managed to get out of my mouth. I thought for a second before we got here we would stand a chance but no, we didn't. We stood no chance against these tributes. None.

I felt Brandon take my hand, he took me to a free knife throwing station. There were targets and dummies placed everywhere around the building. The girl with red hair from district 7 shot and arrow from her bow in the station next to me. It whizzed through the air into a target. It didn't exactly hit in the middle but it was close enough to kill someone. The girl smiled at me when she retrieved her arrow. I just looked at her.

"Try it." Brandon says scaring me.

I pick up one of the perfectly sharp, carved knife. One side was serated and the other was sharper then even George's best cutting knife.

I get in the stance to throw the knife and throw. It hit the target surprisingly except not in the middle.

Brandon kept pushing me to throw more. We spent a good half an hour throwing knives together. I was better then him, not gonna lie.

"Hey, 10!" A voice calls from our left. I throw my last knife and look to see the boy from district 3. I take a small step back, running into Brandon.

"They're not worth it Klinton." A blonde girl with frizzy curly hair says.

He gives her a look telling her to shut up and she does.

"One of you come here." The boy says.

Brandon starts to walk towards them but Klinton stops him.

"By one of you, i meant the girl." He says.

My eyes grew big and i knew at this point they were the seaweed color Brandon seems to think is a poop color.

"Y-yes." I say looking at my boots.

"Knife now." He says placing his hand out. A girl with long brown hair and brown eyes passes one to him. He hands it to me.

"Throw it."

I look at him, shocked. For the first time i actually look into his eyes, soulless.

I hesitantly take the knife and get in my stance.

"Nicky, beside her." Klinton says. The girl who passed him the knife gets in a stance beside me.

"On my count you throw. Janice, Rucker, and Gerard you count to 3. " Klinton says.

"1. " The girl with blonde frizzy hair says.

"2. " a boy with tan skin and dark hair says.

"3. " Another boy with dirty blonde hair says.

"Throw." Klinton says.

Both me and Nicky throw our knives, hers hit right beside the middle. Mine.. hit the middle.

"Impossible, my turn." Klinton says snatching a knife from Nicky.

"1. " Janice says.

"2. " Rucker says.

"For gods sakes just say throw!" Klinton exclaims.

"Throw." Nicky says.

Klinton and I throw our knives, mine hitting just a little farther from the middle but still in the middle and his hitting the second circle from the middle.

"Hah i win!" I exclaim, my sass coming out by accident.

"Shut up, lucky shots." Rucker says.

"I don't need your help Rucker!" Klinton snaps. He grabs a knife and pulls my hair to the ground.

"Hey!" Brandon yells. Klinton cuts my skin just below my collarbone. I feel stinging and blood rushing down my body.

"Let that be a reminder." Klinton says. By this time Gamemakers are on the scene and taking me to the doctor. Brandon stayed by my side the whole time as the bandaged my cut up.

"Was it bad?" I ask Brandon.

"It was deep but not to deep for stitches." Brandon says.

I nod, "okay."

"You can go back to train after lunch, just dont push yourself to much it won't be good." The doctor says.

Brandon and I leave the doctor and head back to training room for lunch. We sit at a table alone in silence.

"The names Melanie." The red head girl from District 7 says approaching us.

I stare at her.

"Brandon," Brandon replies sticking out his hand, "is your hair naturally that pretty red color or do you dye it?" He asks shaking her hand.

She giggles and sits next to him, "Natural." She replies.

I groan quietly and roll my eyes. Typical Brandon, engaged yet flirting with other girls. Thats all he knows how to do, flirt.

"Hallen come here." Melanie says calling over a tall blonde boy.

"Yay more people." I whisper to Brandon, luckily Melanie didn't hear me. Brandon kicks my leg underneath the table and i shoot him the dirtiest look i can make. He shrugs and give me an apologetic smile. I just roll my eyes at him. He then pats my knee, typical Brandon.

Once the boy gets to our table, Melanie looks at me.

"Wheres my manners? " She asks.

"Huh?" I reply.

"Wheres my ma- Whats your names" She asks. The boy who we know to be Happen sits beside me, across from Melanie.

"Dont worry about it, my name is Brandon," Brandon says, "Brandon Brown."

"And you?" Hallen asks looking at me.

I chew the insides of my cheeks, should i tell them? I mean they could kill me in a matter of seconds once we step foot in that arena, no point of making friends.

"Phoebe. " I say giving in.

"Like the bird?" Hallen asks, "Black Phoebe."

"Not sure." I reply, "My mom really liked birds so probably. " why am i telling them this?

Brandon starts to talk, "If you think her name is cool, look at her eyes they change color when she's feeli-" He stopped due to the fact that i kicked his leg under the table. I smile at them.

"Your both from district 10 right? " Melanie asks.

Brandon nods his head and i do it to just to seem ordinary.

"I liked your outfits at the tribute parade." Melanie says, "im from district 7. "

"District 5. " Hallen says.

"What happend to you?" Melanie asks.

Does she ever stop talking?

"Careers." I say stabbing a fork into my food.

"I saw that," Hallen says, i look at him, "you and the careers."

"Yeah, it was my fault. I shouldn't have bragged." I say.

"No, your better then them. They see that as a threat, not your fault but be careful. "

I nod.