So this is my new story :D I started writing this before Just a Journey, but never posted it... So enjoy
I stand there in The Academy weapons classroom with knives wielded in my hands. The targets are lined up along the wall. I take a deep breath and throw my knives at the targets. Each blade cuts through the air ending at the other end of the room in less than a second. The knives make a whizzing sound as they fly out of my hands and stop when they hit the target board.
After the last weapon has left my hand, I look up to see all of the targets pierced with a knife, each one a bulls-eye. Running, I retrieve the knives, forcefully yanking each out. After replacing the knives back, I look up to see everyone staring at me, eyes wide and mouths open.
Most of them turn away and pretend that they weren't just staring at me when I see their reaction. Only two didn't drop their stares. One was Mrs. Redding, the weapons teacher, who applauded me. The other was someone I couldn't believe was still looking at me. He smiled at me. His tall muscular body, with his light blonde hair wouldn't turn away. The boy all the other girls talked about, Cato, the strong swordsman. He was 3 years older than me, but I have had a crush since the day I came to the academy.
The bell for the end of class rang and I dropped our gaze. Mrs. Redding shouts, "Good job everyone, you will get your partners at the end of the day." I picked up my bag and rushed out the door with everyone else. My first day of this school year hasn't gone so well. I still don't have a friend. I never really had a friend the previous year's either. I usually just keep to myself and don't talk to anyone.
I push through the masses of people in the hall and make it to my next class on time. The Survival classroom was filled with supplies and practice areas. Mr. Rommel, the survivals teacher, marched into the room and posted the partner list. I walked over to the list and scanned the list for my name. Clove Greenleaf partnered with Danny Reed. I guess that wasn't so bad. He was one of the nerdier guys in the class. He wasn't exactly good looking either, so at least I won't be distracted by blinding hotness.
I sat down at our assigned table and pulled out my notebook. Danny came and sat next to me. Even with my head faced downward, I could feel his deep brown eyes staring me down. My eyes lift from my notebook and I give him an awkward, forced half smile and a small wave. Danny's eyes light up and his smile gets really big. He starts to wave like a maniac with his giant smile and wide eyes when I avert my head back toward my notes and try to ignore him.
"Everyone quiet down!" Mr. Rommel yells, "You and your partner must now collect notes on what you two think you need to survive a Hunger Games. You have 5 minutes." Danny scoots closer to me and puts his elbows on the desk, resting his head on his hands, staring me down with a large smile on his face.
"You first," he insists as his glasses slide down his nose.
"Well, um-," I shyly start, "maybe go find some drinkable water." As I quietly continue, he repositions his glasses back on his face. Danny yawns and stretches his arms, resting one on my shoulders. I swiftly grab his arm, ripping it off me, and putting him in a headlock. The whole class has stopped to watch us. "Don't you ever do that again," I angrily shout. The color in his lips starts to fade into a faint blue as I can barely feel him nod his head.
I shove my notebook into my bag and storm out of the room. Danny had just embarrassed me in front of the whole class and I felt like a complete idiot. None of the teachers really care if you storm out of class, though, they love a good show.
I made my way down the hallways and thought about Cato. He probably thought I was a monster. He probably thought I was crazy for acting like that. He might even be afraid of me now. A tear dripped down my face and I tried quickly wiping it away. But by the time I got to the girls bathroom, they were flowing in streams down my face.
I locked myself in a stall and cried. I am so weak, I thought to myself. To my surprise, someone walked into the room. "Clove?" an unfamiliar voice echoed on the tiled walls.
I shouted from the locked stall I was sat in, "What?" I spat. I wasn't really in the mood for visitors.
"Are you okay?" her sweet calming voice soothes me.
"Somewhat," I mutter. I stand up and kick open the door. I walk over to the sink and flush my face with water.
I turn over to look at who came in. The skinny blonde girl my height looked to me and smiled. "Let me fix you up," she said as she brought me to a chair and sat me down. She pulled a makeup bag out of her bag and I jolted out of my seat. She grabbed my arm and sat me back down. "I only want to make you look like you didn't just cry, sweetheart," she reassured, "I'm Misty, I was sitting behind you in class. Good job standing up for yourself girl!" I smiled. I closed my eyes and she started to apply the thin coat of makeup on my pale skin.
After she was finished, she led me to the mirror over the sink. I looked up at myself, my skin wasn't blotchy anymore and my eyes didn't seem to be as red as before. "Thanks Misty,"
The bell rings and we head off to lunch. I sat with her at lunch and we talked about ourselves. In the middle of our conversation, a muscular brunette boy by the name of Darren came over and enveloped her in a hug. Then, they started to kiss.
I lifted my bag from the ground as I walked out the lunch hall and headed for my locker. I couldn't stand being around people while they kissed. I didn't want to stand there watching them, waiting for them to stop. It also makes me jealous because I am not loved like that by someone other than my family. Even sometimes, I question if my family loves me.
I slump down against the lockers and rest my head in my knees. "I don't get how that would ever be a comfortable position to sit in." The voice startles me. I let out a small scream and fall over. I never expected anyone to come to the lockers. No one really goes to their lockers during school. They usually just go before and after school starts.
I look up to see that Cato was staring down at me with a large grin on his face. He gives out a small laugh. I sit myself back up and try not to look at him. Cato walks over to his locker three feet away from me and opens it, shoving his books in.
"I don't get it," he starts, "You never talk to anyone, and then when a guy shows any interest in you, you freak out and scream at him." My emotions start to well up inside me like a large army waiting to attack.
"Well, I don't like it. If I want a guy to show me he likes me, I don't want him to attack me!" I blurt.
"Oh my gosh, she talks," Cato jokes as he squats beside me. His bright ocean blue eyes meet mine for a millisecond when I turn away. "Screaming and that," Cato adds mumbling putting a large emphasis on 'that'.
"What do I do?" I bark. I move my stare upward to the ceiling. "Avoid eye-contact," he laughs. The bell gives a long awaited ring and Cato stands up. "Bye Clove," he says as he stands up and walks to class.
Cato knows my name. I am overjoyed; I stand up and make my way over to Games Studies class. I sit down in the only empty seat left which was in the front corner of the classroom. The teacher then turned on a recording of the first Hunger Games. Through the year in this class, we will go over techniques used in the games, survival strategies, and the arenas. It's a pretty interesting class, though, you get to see everything that worked and didn't work for tributes.
After the class ends, I walk to my last class of the day, weapons training. At the academy you have four classes a day. Two of them are Weapons training, and the other two are any other class that does not involve fighting and weapons that rotate every day (ex. Etiquette, Edible Foods, Snares, etc).
I walk back into the familiar setting of the weapons classroom. Everyone stands around the room talking to friends, while I stand there and look at the floor. I resist the urge of going straight to the knives because they are the closest I have to friends at the moment.
"Sorry I am late class," Mrs. Redding states as she trots into the room, "I lost my partner sheet." You could hear a few groans around the room as she remembered about giving us partners.
She pulled a flimsy sheet of paper from her desk and began to read the list of partners. "Clove Greenleaf and Cato Jet," she yelled. She had to pair me with Cato, didn't she? I am going to make a complete fool of myself in front of me.
I stared at the floor and walked to my assigned seat next to Cato and sat down, not looking up once. Cato sat down shortly after me and leaned back in his chair. "If you fall over I will laugh at you," I warn him.
"Okay everyone, go find a station," Mrs. Redding calls out. Everyone stands up and scatter in different directions with their partners. Cato stands up, and walks over to the hand to hand combat station. I pause and stare. Does he really want me to do hand to hand combat.
Cato holds out his hands and motions for us to fight. I lunge in to attack but he grabs my arm and flips me onto the floor. I hit the floor and a shot of pain run through me, but it disappears as quickly as it came.
"You okay?" he asks.
Being in complete shock, I can't talk or make a noise to answer him. I manage to nod my head slightly as my mouth hangs open. I probably looked like such an idiot.
Cato reaches out a hand to help me up and I flip him over into the open mat space above my head and flip myself so I am pinning him down and my face and body hovering in the air inches from his. I stare straight at him for a few seconds with a big smile. My dark brown hair dangles over his face, "So you say I don't make eye-contact," I say jokingly.
Cato gives out a small laugh and smiles. He grabs my sides and lifts me off of him. This is the first time I just stop thinking about everything else around me. I just feel amazing.
I hop to my feet and we fight again. Every time I knock Cato over, I feel terrible, like I could have hurt him. He laughs it off and jumps back to his feet.
The bell gives out a long ring, and then I realize, the day is over. I walk to my locker and grab my stuff. I can't help but notice all the hushed whispers and stares aimed in my direction. I try to ignore them, but not with much luck.
The only time the whispers and stares went away was when I left Academy grounds, but I had a feeling someone was following me. I shake it off and think about Cato. The way he smiled at me. The way his bright blue eyes shined in the light. The way his laugh echoed through me. The way his voice numbed my body when he spoke to me.
Continuing on my usual route, I walked past the row of stores and turned through the park. I stopped and sprawled out on a field. I stared toward the sky and smiled.
I heard a small laugh come from behind that echoed inside me. I closed my eyes and embraced the feeling that his laugh gave me. "Why are you following me, Cato?" I sighed. I heard him walk across the field over to me.
"Because I want to know more about you," Cato admits. I turn to him and shoot him a questioning look. What did he mean by that? "You aren't like other girls," he explained, "You don't talk a lot, you keep to yourself, and you have no interest in guys whatsoever." My eyes float down and my cheeks get bright red. I try to hide it by throwing my hair in front of my face, but it doesn't work.
"Oh you like some," he teases, "so who is this guy that is blessed to be loved by Clove?" I lean over and lightly push him to the ground. "None of your business," I shout back to him as I stand up and walk away.
In seconds, Cato is next to me. "Okay, how about I have one guess on who it is a day and you have to stare me straight in the eye and tell me if I am correct or not," he insists, "and if I think you are lying, you have to tell me the truth."
I stop and think. I finally manage to pull an answer together, "Okay, but you can only ask if I am lying once, got it?"
Cato grabs my hand and shakes it. "Deal." His smile warms my body, which makes me smile, too.
Cato turns and leaves to go home, and I continue to walk my route back. I feel so happy. I feel like I am floating. I hardly even notice that my foot has started to bleed.
I walk into my house make my way towards the living room. "I'm home," I yell. I walk across the room towards the bathroom.
I push myself onto the counter and stick my bleeding foot in the sink. The cold water rushes over my foot and I relax. I lean back and think of Cato. Out of everyone in the school he could talk to, he talks to me, vicious, shy Clove. I think back to weapons class when I was literally on top of him. A smile crosses my face when I think of him laughing and pulling me of him.
"What are you so happy about Clove?" my brother's voice wipes the smile from my face, "You never smile like this after a school day."
I slide off the counter and grab my bag from the floor. "Go away Glen," I say as I shove him out of my way. Glen runs behind me throws me over his shoulder and drops me on the couch. He pins me down and I scream and squirm, trying to release myself from his grip.
It was no use; I couldn't move his 19 year old muscular body off of me. I stopped trying to get away and laid on the couch in defeat. I couldn't help but thinking of me pinning Cato down again. I wanted to smile, but hid it.
Glen stared at me as to say "I am watching you," and starts to unpin me. As soon as he lifted his hands off my shoulders, I bolt up to my room. I close the door and fall on my bed, almost immediately falling asleep.
What'd ya think? :) Thanks for reading guys. New chapter coming soon!