New ways were set by President Snow to maintain the ''peace'' in Panem. Since lots of people complained about the basic life they were living in their district, a few groups started protesting. They demanded education. The man with the white roses listened, for once. If parents thought that their children deserved a better future, they could sent them to one of the schools, for free. The fact that there would never be loans or endless debts sounded very interesting to a lot of parents. To normal citizens it would sound really generous of Snow. However, a few understood that all these families would be enslaved by his system.
A hard detonation. Katniss looked up, out of her window. A few streets away she saw smoke coming from an apartment. A couple hovercrafts flew over their neighbourhood. Katniss lived in a suburb, usually it was a pretty decent place to live, but nowadays the streets were filled with thugs and there hadn't been a day without the awful sound of screaming children because there had been a bombing again.
'How can this be called peace?' She sighed.
'I wouldn't know' Prim answered.
Katniss saw the fear in her eyes. It hurt her to see her sister like this. Prim acted all tough, just like the others did, but the eyes never lie. 8:12 am. It was time for them to walk, better run, to school. Beside the usual lessons, the students had to go to two hours of combat training every day. That was the other side of the generous Snow. He had them trained like that, because if he lacked soldiers, he had this child army. The students were mandatory to fight for the Capitol.
The two grabbed their bags and rushed outside, when they'd arrive at the school, they would be safe again. President Snow thought that his idea and the school was that good, that he wouldn't ever dare to bomb that building to the ground. Almost at the end of the streets, there was another explosion.
Katniss looked around skittish.
'We have to help them.' Prim screamed.
'Too much risk,' Katniss said. 'Hurry.'
Katniss was filled with anger when she saw Marvel turning up in his red Porsche. He parked his car on the middle of the road, and made a picture of the bombing with his phone. He noticed that she was looking. 'What are you looking for?' He yelled. Katniss angrily gestured at his car, not that she was impressed, but it was not done to stop here.
'Gurl,' Marvel laughed. 'there's plenty of ugliness in the world. At least let me drive in a beautiful car.'
She clenched her fists and quickly continued their way to school.
'That girl is so fucked up, she could be best friends with Harley Quinn' Peeta shook his head, watching Clove doing her training.
For Clove training meant playtime. She enjoyed scaring freshmen with her knifes, guns weren't a problem for her either. Seniors often underestimated her, so she was never easy on them. 'Her parents probably think this is some kind of self-defence training that we get here at school' Jackie said. 'Meanwhile she's probably trying to become a murderer or something.'
'Hey you guys. Go find an opponent.' A trainer shouted. 'An opponent?' Clove smirked. 'That's cute.' 'We gotta find a victim.' Cato laughed.
Katniss looked at Peeta, both sighed. They knew that in this school there were two kinds of people. The ones that enjoy combat training, and the ones that would be glad when it's over. Nothing in between. This wasn't usual physical education, but most saw it that way. Only a few minds that really were thinking, or simply read the entire document they had to sign when they got into the school, knew that one day they would kill people who'd stand up for their rights. Innocent people, who would be killed to scare others off. The group of the enjoyers would be a lot smaller, the rest would simply do what they're told, and probably leave with a post-traumatic-stress disorder. Katniss, however, knew for sure. If she had to take a shot, on a innocent human being, she would be faking shots.
'Take it easy.' Clove sighed, completely out of breath. She rolled over, slightly protecting her head.
Peeta looked up. 'Did I just heard what I heard?'
'You did. Never thought that I'd say this, but shouldn't we help her?' Katniss whispered.
'It's no use.' Finnick told them quietly. 'That's just how Cato works.'
'Don't make it easy.' Cato said, helping Clove up just before knocking her down again. It was a no-weapon fight, fists weren't allowed to be used either. Every other person would simply push and pull to bring their opponent down, but these two were something else.
'Is he even trying?' Peeta said.
'I don't know, but apparently she isn't.' Katniss told him. 'Look at her, she isn't fighting back at all.'
Clove noticed the words that they were speaking about her. She got up, gestured at Cato that it was time for a break, and headed to the anti-fighting couple.
'You've got a lot to say, don't you?' She spoke.
Peeta shut his mouth, wondering why she was acting so tough again while she had just lost.
'Why don't you fight?' Finnick asked.
'I don't fight huh? I'll show you.' She stepped towards him.
'Why is this your business?' Cato interfered, giving Finnick a sign that he should back off.
'It's only a training, you shouldn't be so hard on her.' Katniss said. 'God damn you bring up the feminist in me.'
'Feminist or not, I don't need you protecting me.' Clove told her. 'I can take a lot more than you think. Also am I capable of fighting all of you.'
'Then why can't you-' Finnick started again.
'Shut it.' Cato warned him.
The remaining time of the session, Cato and Clove sat on a bench. The trainer had given them a warning, because they didn't follow the rules, so they were given a time out. While the others were too busy to look, Cato pulled her a little closer. She leaned against his arm. Both didn't say a word.
After the combat-training, five more lessons followed. Boring, time consuming lessons, but at least they were non-violent. During math Katniss sat next to Jackie. They were just in the middle of a whispered conversation about how they just couldn't understand how Clove worked in her mind, when a loud alarm rang all around the school. The in-class-sleepers shocked awake. All students listened to the notification that was given through the speakers.
''All students remain inside, leaving the school's property is not allowed.''
That was all, they weren't told why. A lot of students started questioning others and teachers. Sounds outside spoke for itself, all the questions were answered all at once. Another bombing, the third that day. 'Well that's a new record.' Marvel said. No one laughed, a few who sat next to a window glanced outside, often taking their eyes off what was going on outside. A horrific high pitched voice screamed loudly. It had to be a child. Katniss stood up and looked out of the window. She saw a group of soldiers marching through the streets, gathering all people who got in their way, to execute them. She held her breath, her eyes were glued onto the scene outside. Three shots were fired, two men and the child dropped dead on the street. When her mother got to her, she cried her eyes out while holding her girl.
Katniss looked back at the classroom, almost everyone covered their ears. Annie wiped away upcoming tears, she seemed to be the only one with feelings.
'We're next, aren't we?' Glimmer shrieked.
'Today isn't the day I'm going to die.' Cato said.
'Snow won't bomb his own building.' Peeta said. 'We'll be fine.'
'Well how comforting is that.' Katniss rolled her eyes. 'Innocent people are dying out there.'
Two hours later there had been multiple attempts to calm everyone down, but the level of panic in the classroom had risen. Anxiety was everywhere. A few girls started sobbing. Clove watched them. Every sound of bomb exploding sent shivers to her spine. Just like the others, she was afraid. She just never showed it through emotions, but completely shut down. No words, no tears, no movements. Cato noticed that she was staring into the void, and sat down next to her, on a table.
'Are you okay?' He asked.
She slowly shook her head 'No'.
'Everyone is afraid, you don't have to hide it.' He looked at her.
'They can be afraid. It's not that I'm unable to feel it, I just prefer not to.' She answered. 'I want to go home.'
Jackie and Katniss were trying to cheer Peeta up. If he'd get distracted maybe it would help reduce the anxiety. Finnick hugged Annie, who was absolutely terrified. She had cried almost the entire time, and had started hyperventilating. Eventually she calmed down because he gave her one of the pills that her psychiatrist gave her for situations that she would panic.
Cato had doubted for a while if he should do it or not, people weren't supposed to think that Clove could be afraid. But after a while he decided to ask for a pill.
'What for?' Finnick asked.
'Well what do you think?' Cato said.
'Fine by me, but this is not your everyday kind of vitamin or something.' Finnick warned. 'Not everyone can just take-'
'It'll be fine. Drugs are drugs right? They all make you numb as fuck.' Cato grabbed the box.
He went to get some water for Clove, to swallow the pill with. Then gave her two, maybe feeling nothing at all for a while was the best for her. After 10 minutes she almost fell asleep in the middle of the classroom. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do. A few people looked at her.
'What shit did you give her?' Marvel laughed.
Did Marvel think this was all a big joke? Cato was known as a jerk, but deep down he did care about her. Now it just seemed like he had given her some kind of weird drug that knocked her out completely.. which was true but not for fun. He knew that if she would panic, shit was really about to go down. It was better this way. Yet it was the best for Cato's reputation that he'd play along.
'Man I don't know.' Cato answered. 'Want some?' 'No thanks.' Marvel smirked. 'But hey, maybe Glimmer wants to try.'
Finnick stood up. He knew that Cato couldn't be trusted with these things. Once he found out that Cato had given her two pills, he flipped out and almost called the ambulance because it was an overdose. Cato told him that she would be fine, and that she would wake up soon.
Then the speakers started making a noise again.
'You all are dismissed'
Heyhey, it took a while but I'm back on fanfiction. I'm not sure if I should finish my other stories, or you guys want me to continue on this one. Please let me know because I sure as hell don't have time to do more than one story.
Reviews give me strenght to type stories and stuff. Gimme some 3
