Cato POV

"What's your name?" Germanus, the head trainer at the training center leered down at me.

"Cato, sir." I replied.

"Cato, hmm? Are you wise, as your name suggests?" I realized that he was about two feet taller than me and could easily crush me.

"I-I-I think so, sir," I replied.

"Good. Then leave." He spun around and began to walk away.

"W-w-wait!" I cried, "I really need to be here. I want to fight."

Germanus turned around. "Determination. An admirable quality. Defiance, a little less. Stay, then." He pointed to a boy across the room beheading dummies with a sword. "That's Casssius. He's your training partner from now on."

I crossed the room and tapped him on the shoulder. "I'm Cato. We're training partners now."

I stuck my hand out, expecting him to shake it. The boy looked at me carefully. He looked about twelve, my age, but he was taller than me. Suddenly, he swung his sword at me. Without thinking, I ducked and rolled towards the sword rack. My instincts took over and I grabbed a sword off the rack. He began to strike again, but I blocked his sword. The clang of metal resonated thought the training center.

Cassius smirked. "It looks like my new sparring partner knows how to fight."

"Vanity, Cassius," Germanus says, sneaking up behind me. "Keep it in check or it'll get the best of you in the games. Cato, keep up the good work. You might even surpass Cassius." He patted my shoulder.

I think I could get used to this.

Six Years Later

"I am proud to announce this year's male volunteer tribute for District Two: Cato Aelius!" Germanus shouts to the crowded training center. "When he came to us six years ago, he was the scrawniest kid I've ever seen, but he showed potential."

While Germanus continued his speech, I looked around the crowd. I picked out Clove, the girl who threw knives better than anyone. Shyly, she smiled and gave me a small wave. She was hot, but deadly. When she threw at practice, she never missed a mark. Along the back wall of the center, I saw Cassius. He was leaning against the wall, brooding. He'd been training longer than me so he could be the volunteer in these games.

"And now," Germanus said, breaking my thoughts, "the female tribute for District two. Ladies and Gentlemen, Clove Laelius! Or, better known to most of you as the knife girl."

Clove practically floated up to the stage and before I knew it, her arms were wrapped around my neck in a hug. "We should start talking about strategy. We will win, of course."

Everyone went back to training. With Clove still clinging to me, I made my way through the crowd to Cassius. While walking, I detangled myself from Clove near the knives. Distractedly, she picked one up and admired its shine before throwing it into the heart of a dummy fifty feet away. Wow.

"Hey man, look. I didn't want to take the honor away from you," I began, looking at Cassius, "but I don't even know how Ger-"

"No, YOU look. I've been training for this since I was ten. That's two years more then you. Count 'em, one, two. I'm done with you, man. Find yourself another guy to fight." Cassius walked away. To show how much he hated me, he snaked his arm around Clove's waist and kissed her. She turned and tried to follow after him as he stalked off, but Germanus pointed to a target for her to hit.

Without warning, a person runs into me. Two people, actually. The sobbing, sniffling messes are my little sisters, Aemilia and Valentina. I crouch down to get a better look at them. Puffy eyes, red cheeks… Yep, they'd been crying while running here.

"What's wrong, girls?" I look back and forth between the two of them.

"It's papa," Valentina sobs, "He's fighting with mama again." My little ten year old sister wipes her nose on her sleeve.

Fifteen year old Aemilia stands on her tip toes and whispers in my ear, "He's leaving mom for the lady who sells flowers in the market."

Rage fills me. The flower seller is only a few months older than me. He and my mother were together for a long time. And now he leaves her for someone the age of his son. I scoop up Valentina in my arms and grab Aemilia's hand.

"C'mon girls. We're going home."