How It All Goes Down
- Katniss wakes the next morning from terrible nightmares. She hops into the shower she hasn't figured out yet how to use and then heads to breakfast. She's the first one up, but the Avox servant allows her to serve herself from the generous buffet.
- Haymitch and Peeta arrive, and Peeta is yet again wearing an outfit identical to hers. Katniss is annoyed.
- Training is set to start today, so Haymitch talks strategy. After Peeta and Katniss decide to be coached together, Haymitch asks them what their strengths are. Peeta? Baking bread. Katniss? Hunting with a bow and arrow.
- When Katniss underrates herself at hunting, Peeta is sure to chime in and say how great she is. He has been eating the squirrels she sold to his father, after all. Katniss is surprised that he's even noticed something like that.
- Katniss feels irritated, so she's sure to tell Haymitch how strong Peeta is – and how he can lift big bags of flour and wrestle people, like he does at high school.
- Peeta snaps back that his mother thinks Katniss is going to win. She even said that Katniss was a survivor.
- Katniss comments that she only survived because someone (Peeta) helped her so long ago. Peeta then makes some exasperated remarks about how the sponsors will all want to help her. And then things boil over as Peeta rolls his eyes and makes a comment about how Katniss doesn't know the effect she has on people. (Like Peeta, maybe?)
- Haymitch advises Katniss to keep her bow skills a secret during the general training sessions and only to reveal them during her private session with the Gamemakers. He tells them to pick up useful skills during group training – not show off.
- The other piece of advice? They have to stay by each other's side.
- Totally peeved, Katniss stalks back to her room and contemplates the breakfast convo. She's angry that she and Peeta have to pretend to be friends. And what did Peeta mean when he said she had an effect on people?
- Time for training: all the tributes gather together, but Katniss and Peeta are the only two dressed alike. Katniss notices that most of the tributes are bigger than her, but many are less well fed. That gives her an edge. The rich kid tributes, of course, are fed and trained and ready to go.
- Practice time starts. They can either go to combat stations or learn some survival skills. Sticking together, Peeta and Katniss decide (since this is a group session) to learn some skills. First up? Knot tying. Then camouflage. (Peeta likes this skill since it's like decorating a cake. This in turn annoys Katniss further.)
- Training lasts over three days and it's more of the same: Katniss and Peeta learn more survival skills – like how to start a fire and make a shelter. They steer clear of weightlifting and archery so as not to give away their skill sets.
- Peeta and Katniss eat together during meals, as do the Career Tributes (the rich kids). The rest sit alone.
- Katniss and Peeta attempt to make conversation (like Peeta's remarks about all the different kinds of bread in the basket) to keep up their image of a friendship.
- During the second day of training, Peeta and Katniss notice that they have a shadow: Rue, the little dark-skinned girl from District 11, who is tiny and reminds Katniss of Prim. Katniss watches her and realizes that she's good with plants, climbs fast, and can aim with a slingshot.
- On the evening of the second night, Peeta and Katniss start joking around. Katniss laughs, but then is confused. Are they friends or not? She tells Peeta that they shouldn't pretend to be friends when not around the others.
- The third day of training is the private session with the Gamemakers. Katniss goes into hers and sees what she's been waiting for: a bow and arrow.
- She's clumsy with the weapon at first, but after getting familiar with it, she skewers the practice dummy through the heart and hits multiple targets around the gymnasium.
- Not many of the Gamemakers notice. Most are too concerned with the free buffet in the gym – especially the huge roast pig that's been brought in for them.
- Infuriated, Katniss shoots an arrow straight into the apple in the pig's mouth. She thanks them for their consideration – and then storms out of the gym. Drama!