All-Stars: Non-Careers

Chapter 15

Haber Dasher

Time to round up the usual suspects. With upwards of seventy Tributes, we could make a veritable Valkyrie army. Skills didn't matter. Women had to help all of their sisters.

I didn't even notice we had an animal calls station, but there was a girl there. She was listening carefully to the recordings and blowing a whistle.

"Hey, what you up to?" I asked.

"Trying to learn enough to stay alive," she said. "How about you?"

"I'm building an army," she said. "I need as many allies as I can get."

"You're going to ally with everyone?" she asked.

"No, just the girls. We have to have solidarity," I said.

"What does that matter?" the girl asked.

"Haven't you ever felt the power of female friendship? If we stick together, there's nothing we can't do. We have to pull each other up and encourage each other to become greater," I said.

"So, like a real army? That sounds important," the girl said. "I've been trying to get better at making friends. That sounds like a good way to start. Can I join the army?" she asked.

"Of course. We're sisters," I said. "I'm Haber."

"I'm Calista," the girl said. And the crusade began.

Emmalie Bluebell

"So let me see if I have this right. If I join your army, you'll support me, share your supplies with me, help me in fights, and treat me if I'm wounded?" I asked.

"Of course," Haber said proudly.

"Heck yeah," I said. "Count me in."

Haber looked so pleased I'd joined her harpy brigade. I didn't care about solidarity or sisterhood. I'd pick a woman's pocket as soon as a man's. Teamwork and warm fuzzies were fine for her, and they were fine if it meant she'd charge in and fight if someone came after me. She might think I'd do the same for her. She could go ahead and think that. I didn't have time for cooperation and girl power. I only cared about surviving.

I liked the benefits. I didn't care about the cause. Haber had her head in the sand if she thought girls were perfect angels. Some were. Some were little devils. In the end, anyone will stab you in the back, no matter what their pants held.

The Games were dog-eat-dog world. Boy eats girl, girl eats boy, girl eats girl, I didn't care as long as I was top dog.

Calista Corral

I was part of something important now. I had sisters to care for. They were my friends just because we were in the same alliance, and I wanted them to be my friends because they liked me as well.

I didn't even know where to start. Haber had lots of friends and she made them so easily. I should be more like her. I should be open and outgoing, and I should be passionate. I should spend a lot of time with my teammates and make sure I knew what they needed. Whenever I saw other girls, I'd be sure to ask if they wanted to join. Some of them might be shy.

I should be a useful team member, too. I listened even more closely to the recordings and practiced until I could do them myself. It seemed useless, but that's how Hyden won his Games. I could call food for us or make it seem like some dangerous animal was coming near so the Careers wouldn't look for us. If I got really good I could sneak up near the Careers and imitate one of them so they went away or whatever.

It was good to have friends. I was glad we were in the same alliance so they wouldn't leave me. I just had to make sure I was nice so they stayed even if Haber died.

Lyra Axelle

I was glad to join Haber's alliance. She died before I was a Tribute, so she didn't know who I was before. I could just be a normal girl and no one had to know I was the mayor's kid.

Honestly, though, Haber was a little odd. Girl power's nice and all, but boys are kind of important for keeping humanity going. Equally important, I'd say, even if women did the hard part when it came to babies.

"Are you in the army too?" a girl asked when I joined the group.

"Yeah, you could say that," I said. It was silly calling it an army when there were four of us, but she seemed so enthusiastic.

"I'm Calista. I'm so glad you joined," she said.

"I'm Lyra. From Five," I said.

"It's hard to remember when there are so many of us," Calista said.

"Yeah, tell me about it," I said.

"When we're done training, you want to hang out? We can see the Games building," Calista said. I got the feeling she didn't have many friends, but I couldn't see why. Maybe she was a little overeager, but she wasn't annoying.

"Sure. Sounds fun," I said. Calista seemed so happy I started to warm up to the idea. Maybe we'd have fun.