Cloves´s POV
I was walking with the rest of the academy students with my head up. I was going to be tribute this year. I was meant to be. My fighting skills were one of the best between the girls and I was even better than some of the older boys. I smiled at myself as I keep walking between girls of my same age that looked worried. They shouldn´t have been. I was going to be this year winner. Suddenly I felt a strong hand pulling me back. I was about to respond it with a hit when I noticed it was Cato.
"What do you want Cato?" I asked pretty annoyed; I didn´t like him being around me in public. Okay, he was my friend and everything but no one could know it. If they knew we were friends it would show weakness and then the rest if the students would eat us alive. Love and friendship was something forbidden in the academy.
"I heard you are volunteering." he said. He looked pretty upset too but then I noticed that his eyes showed something else. I didn´t took the take the find out what those two enormous eyes were trying to tell me.
"Yes I am. Now let me go. I want t a good place so when I volunteer everyone is going to be able to see me." After I said that I turned around and tried to walk away. Cato stopped me again.
"You can´t do it."
"Why not?"
"Because I am volunteering too."
That took me by surprise and for I moment I lost my angry and serious grin. I turned around to see him and bit my lip. I was trying to figure out if he was serious or if he just wanted to stop me for going to the games. When my eyes met his I knew he was serious.
"I don´t want to kill you and we can´t win both." He continued. I looked down as I noticed some of my fighting mates watching over us and winking over me. I was so embarrassed. I changed my grind to the usual one and pushed Cato aside. Maybe he was the bigger than me but I was strong enough to at least make him take some steps back. I didn´t want to talk anymore. But he hadn´t finished. "Please, for this time don´t volunteer."
"I have a better idea, this year YOU don´t volunteer." I answered with a cold tone of voice. He kind of laughed.
"Because if I don´t volunteer Tronk is going to and he will have no mercy with you. He is stronger than me and he kind of hates you after you broke his nose two years ago." In my mind I laughed when I remembered that day. He had screamed at me ugly rat and I had fought back. I broke his nose and also his favorite arc. He never told me that nickname again but he didn´t spoke to me either. "And by what I know, if you don´t volunteer no one else will and the tribute can´t be better than me."
I raised an eye brown skeptical. Damn it, Cato could be such a big head some times. I looked over me feet and thought about it for some seconds. Maybe it wasn´t such a bad after all.
One extra year meant more training and more chances of winning. And if Cato won we would end up living as neighbors. That sounded cool.
"So are you going to wait until next year?" he asked me. I nodded and then ran toward my place without looking back. I could feel him smile at me.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"First the ladies." said the selector with his joyful voice. I was standing proud and with my serious grin as always. I was confident. I was… "Clove Tenderwick."
I gasped surprised. No; that wasn´t the plan. I was going to wait and this was Cato´s year. I looked around and I noticed how everyone was clapping at me. Cheering me up and pushing me toward the podium. I walked there like if I was in a dream. I stood in front of my district and looked fiercely toward the boy´s section. Cato was looking at me with his mouth opened in shock.
"Any volunteer?" said the selector. I was fighting to get some air and to keep my face cold and secure. Cato was right; no one volunteer.
"So let's continue with the boys." Had hand left my shoulder and walked over the bowl where he picked a name. I didn´t hear it. I was too in deep my thoughts to pay attention. The only moment I returned to reality was when I heard Cato´s voice screaming. He was volunteering.
I opened my eyes and watched him run toward the stage. Everyone cheered him too and he smiled and waved at them. After that he turned to shake my hand and then I noticed that the smile he had given the audience was a false one and the one he was giving to me was the true one. He had volunteer to save me. Now I understood it and all I wanted to do was punch him in the face. For God´s sake; it was practically what we were trying to avoid!
.-.-.-.
When we were in the train we were finally able to have a one to one moment. There I slapped Cato as hard as I could. He laughed like if it hadn´t hurt. I slapped him again and this time he kept quiet.
"We are going to kill each other you idiot!" I screamed at him as tried to punch him again. Cato held my wrist and pushed me toward the couch. I fought back but he was bigger than me. "let go of me."
"Clove, could you please wait?" he said as he shoved me over and over again until I stood still. After that he continued. "We are not going to die, none of us will."
"How come?" I answered screaming. "24 enter and only one comes out. We are two you dump head!"
He sighed and shocked his head. I know that expression, he was trying to figure out something. "I think, if we are the only two left on the arena maybe they will let us win both. If we prove them we are strong enough and we are worth it maybe they will think about it."
I looked down and bit my lip as I tried to stop the tears. I was aware it was an impossible plan; but Cato seemed so sure about his plan that I didn´t have the guts to tell him the truth. I looked up and nodded. He smiled and let me go at last.
"Think about it Clove, we make an alliance and after we are few left us two kill the rest. With your knives and my straight we can´t fail. We can win."
I looked up and then I was surrounded by two strong arms that left me breathless. Cato was hugging me. It was weird because no one ever hugged me. I never hugged anybody so it was an odd feeling. When Cato let me go I slapped him across the face.
"Why was that for?" he complained.
"Don´t ever do that again on the arena or anywhere else." I warned him. "If we are going to make this work we have to be enemies until the end of the games. If we get to the final day, then we will be allies."
"Clove." He laughed again. "We are going to be the winners; don´t doubt about it."
