I twirl on my toes, spinning faster as they flash red in my peripheral vision. I hear the thud of my knives meeting the targets; sinking their blades into the foam. I know that I will not miss any of them, even though the world around me is a blur – I will not miss, because I never miss. Twirling as I hurl the knives I feel like I am dancing. My deadly dance. I come to a standstill, laughing at the scene around me; all six of the targets' lights are out, leaving the training room in a sort of semi-darkness. I catch my breath, smiling, when I notice him. From the corner of my eye I see the tall boy leaning against the wall, watching me. He claps his hands together slowly and mockingly and he raises an eyebrow as I stare at him.
"Cato," I greet him coolly, watching intently as he runs a hand through his golden hair. His body is muscular, toned and strong. His face handsome, but never without a smirk; a half smile that whispers I'm gorgeous. You want me, but you will never ever have me. I am better than you.
"Keep that up, and maybe you'll even have a chance getting into the hunger games this year." He replies, confidently undermining my achievement with the targets. My skin bristles with anger and my hand goes to my hip automatically, searching for my weapons, all of which are currently embedded in a lifeless targets. What a waste. Embarrassed, I try to mask the gesture but Cato catches it anyway.
"Clove, isn't it?" He steps towards me purposefully, leaning in close so I can barely breathe. His lips are slightly parted, his eyes twinkling. I feel alive, like the electric fence that runs the perimeter of our district. And like the fence, he has me ensnared. Irrational, I tell myself, stupid. But in that instant I'm wondering what it would be like to meet those full lips with mine. For a wondrous, terrifying, erratic second I think that's what he's going to do. His face is so close to mine that the tips of our noses brush. But then he widens his mouth into a smile, showing off pearly white teeth.
"You wouldn't dare, little girl," he whispers seductively before striding from the room, his brassy laughter echoing behind him.