It starts off simple right? Wrong.

Every story gets a happy ending, right? Well maybe this one will, if we play our cards right.

This isn't one of your 'Once upon a time' bullshit stories. If you want one of those stories, read something else. Just not this one.

But you like that beginning, right? Fine, I'll give it to you.

Once upon a time, in the life of Panem. There was a boy and a girl. Of course there was a boy and a girl. There's always a boy and a girl.

A brown haired, green eyed girl. She never misses.

A blond haired, blue eyed boy. He's brutal and bloody.

If you haven't figured out who are the stars in this story, I'm about to tell you. Just give it time.

But first, take a moment. Take a moment to think of your best friend. Write them a note or a letter, call them, talk to them in anyway right now. Because you don't know if you're going to be thrown into an arena with them. An arena where you fight to the death and only one, only one comes out.

I don't know about you, but I'd be pretty scared. Scratch that. I am scared. Terrified. Because this is true. This is happening. I'm going into the Games with my best friend. My better half. My rock. Whatever you want to call him. I just call him Cato.

Like I said. This is a story of a boy and a girl. The girl that never misses and the brutal bloody boy. But those are just labels and they don't matter.

Anyways you probably want to know how I met Cato, right? You probably have your own ideas. Training, just walking in 2 or even us not being friends and just meeting on the train ride.

All of those are false. I met him when I was born. Well basically it was that way. His father and mine worked together in the Nut. We lived in the same area that all the Nut workers' families lived. Actually we were next door neighbors. let me tell you, it was quite annoying living next to Cato. Even at six years old, he had a cocky attitude.

But that all changed the day my mom died. Her and I were walking to the store. I asked her if Cato could come. She said yes. Me and Cato were jokingly fighting with each other. But my mother didn't seem to think that. She was paying more attention to the two of us then the road ahead.

Let me tell you the less gruesome ending. My mother was hit by a car and she died. But me and Cato were right behind her. We saw the whole thing. I was only ten.

After the funeral, Cato vowed to always protect me. He also lost his cocky attitude towards me that day. Granted, he still has it. But when it's just me and him, he doesn't. I prefer that Cato over any other Cato.

But I think that vow will be broken soon. Wait. I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me walk you through this past day. This day of hell.

I woke up to the sound of my brothers bouncing on my bed to wake me up. They're lucky they're eight.

"Alright. Alright. Boys, go wake up dad." I tell the twins. Identical twins my ass. They're little devils.

The nod and leave my room. Finally. Silence.

"Clove! Are you done yet!" I hear Cato knocking on my door.

"I just woke up!" I scream.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the weapons closet." He muttered.

I grab the knife on my nightstand and throw it at the door.

"Sorry Clove!" Cato said.

I sigh and get dressed. "Cato!" I yell.

I hear him trip over one of my brothers' toys. "What?" He said as he hit the door.

"Are we going to walk around before reaping or can I get dressed in my reaping clothes?" I say as both outfit lay on my bed.

He starts to drum his fingers across the door. One of the few things that annoy me.

"Cato." I bark. "Come in."

He smiles as he opens the door. "We can do whatever you like, Clove."

I sigh. "You're not going to volunteer today, are you?"

He sits on my bed. "You really want to bring that up now, Clove?"

I nod. He puts his head in his hands. "Yes." He mutters.

I walk back to my closet. I felt arms circle around my waist. "Its going to be alright Clove. Do you know why?"

I turn around in his arms. I didn't even notice that he wasn't in his reaping clothes. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to win."

I sigh. "And how do you know that?"

He kissed the top of my head. "Because I have something worth fighting for."

I roll my eyes and duck under his arms. "So I take it we're going to walk around town for a little while?"

He shrugs. "We can if you want."

I smile. "Yeah. I'd like that. A lot."

He nods and starts to head out the door.

"Cato." I call.

He turns back around.

"Just stay." I say. He laughs and gets under my covers, like we did when we were kids and one of us had to change.

I laugh and throw on my jeans and a white tank top. "You can come out now." I say.

He removes the covers. He smiles.

"Have you seen my plaid shirt?"

He rolls his eyes at me and tosses it at me.

"You kept it from me?"

"Yes."

"Cato Stone, you will be the death of me."

He smirks and grabs my hand. We race down the hall, avoiding all the toys, and down the stairs. He beats me. As usual.

"Bye Dad!" I yell as I leave the house.

Cato looped his arm threw mine. We started to walk all over town. And, of course, there was drama.

All the girls drooling over Cato. All his exes wanting to murder me because me and Cato are 'dating'. All the guys drooling over me.

Okay, that just made Cato jealous. His jaw clenched, along with his fists. I laughed a little. Jealous Cato is kind of cute. Yes, I did just say my best friend is cute. No, I don't like him that way.

Plus, there were the whispers. The whispers of me and Cato.

"Are they dating?"

"When are they getting married?"

"He obviously likes her."

"She needs a man in her life."

The usual. But something curdled in my stomach when I heard this new one.

"He's volunteering today. Could she go in too? I mean, the Capital knows everything."

I turned around when I heard that. Cato looked down at me, then shook his head.

"Let's go home." He says. He saw how hurt I was. I swore I was going to start to cry. But I couldn't. I haven't cried since mom died. Six years tear free.

I was in a daze. Me and Cato in the Games? Fighting to the death? I couldn't hurt him. And he vowed to keep me save.

"Clove!" My father yelled. He was shaking me at the table.

I look up at him. "Hmm?"

"You haven't spoken since Cato brought you home, two hours ago."

I look around. Sure enough I was home, with a fork full of macaroni and cheese. "Sorry." I mutter.

I excuse myself from lunch and go up the stairs. I close the door and remove my knife from it. I place it back on my nightstand.

I quickly change into the floral dress that my mother once wore. Apparently I look just like her. I'm the same size and shape of her. But I don't care. This is the only dress I like. Scratch that. I love this dress.

Its a dark blue, with white flowers on it. It has a white belt just below my breasts. I threw on a pair of white flats. Then I brush my mane of hair. I curl it as best as I could. Luckily, Cato came in. He curled the back of my hair.

Once he was done, he looked at me.

"My little Clove is all grown up."

I punch him in the arm as we walk to the square. We ignored the whispers as he walks me to my spot.

"Bye, Cloves." He says.

I ignore the video I have seen way too many times. I ignore our Capital person as well. I ignored it all until I heard a name that sounded very familiar.

"Clove Matthews."

Who the hell is Clove Matthews. I start to look around and everyone is staring at me while I try to figure out who this Clove Matthews is.

I'm Clove Matthews. I'm going into the Hunger Games.

I go to the stage and stare out. I see my dad crying with my brothers by his side. I see Cato, pissed that no one volunteered.

"Please don't volunteer." I keep chanting in my head.

But its no use. Before Lacy or Lily or Lamby or whatever her name is pulls the boys name out of the bowl, Cato's hand went into the air.

"Damn you." I mutter.

"I volunteer!" He yells. "I'm Cato Stone and I volunteer as tribute."

And well, that's the first bit of the story. And I hate this. I hate that I'm writing this down in my journal. But when Cato wins, He can give it to my Dad. At least he gets to read everything after it happens.