Chapter 1: The Beginning
-CLOVE-
I woke up in the early hours of the morning only to find out that I was too excited to go back to sleep. Today will be my first training as a career tribute and I've been looking forward to it ever since I passed my qualifying test. Passing this said test is necessary in order to train exclusively for the games, proving that you are indeed qualified to be a career tribute. Passing mine was totally a piece of cake, considering I've been training my whole life for this. Now I'll finally get the chance to enhance my skills and to learn how to use weapons that I'm not yet familiar with. It will also be an opportunity for me to show off to everyone, especially to my parents.
My dad became the victor of The Hunger Games during his time and he's really looking forward to me becoming the same as him. On the other hand, my mom didn't get to participate in the games due to physical health problems when she finally came of age (18) and was planning to volunteer that year. Because of that, she's been encouraging me to do what she had not done. What my parents have said didn't trouble me at all for I really wanted to participate in the games and win. I will become a victor just like my father and accomplish what my mother didn't. I will bring pride and honor to my district.
...
Two hours have passed and I'm in the dining room with my parents for breakfast. They're also looking forward to this day.
"Clove," my mother said. "Today will be your first training as a career tribute. Do your best and impress everyone." She doesn't need to tell me these things, because I will definitely do my best and impress everyone.
"I will mom," I said. "Of course I will."
"Make us proud Clove," my father said.
"I will dad," I said. "You know I will."
They both smiled at me proudly and we went on to eating.
...
My parents drove me to the academy and we said goodbye as I stepped outside our car. As they drove away, I entered the academy's massive double gates and stared in awe at the buiding looming in front of me. It's huge and is comprised mostly of stonework. A pathway led up to a set of stairs leading up to the academy's main entrance, a double door which is currently wide open for trainees and instructors alike. On either side of the stone pathway is a lawn of freshly mowed grass which is as green as you could make out, dotted here and there with trees and bushes with the addition of benches giving off the ambiance of a park.
When inside, I quickly look for the training center. The familiar sound of weapons clashing and people fighting gave it away. I go to the door - which is also wide open - where the noises are coming from and made my way inside. I just walk around and watch them do their training - though itching to get hold of a weapon myself - when a boy, probably a year older than me, caught my attention.
He is tall, muscular, handsome, and blonde. He also looks very strong. He cuts the dummy's head off with ease using his sword and sliced all of its remaining body parts as well. Pretty impressive. But he probably sensed that someone has been looking at him because he turned his head on my direction. He gave me a cocky grin and I glared at him before he gets back to his training and I looked away.
...
Minutes later and the trainer has arrived. Everyone stopped training at once and gathered in front of him.
"Good morning everyone. Now, before you get back to your training, I would like you to meet Clove, our newest member," the trainer said as if bored. "Come here Clove and show us what you've got." He beckoned me forward and so I quickly come in front with everyone else watching me.
"Hello everyone. I'm Clove and I'm skilled with knives," I said confidently, staring everybody down. I caught sight of the blonde boy looking at me lazily.
"Then show us how skilled you are to be able to get in here," the trainer said, again with his bored voice. His words pissed me off, especially his tone. That's why I'm thinking of grabbing some knives right now and use him as my target.
"Okay," I simply said instead, deciding against it.
I purposefully made my way toward the knives station (briefly aware of everyone watching me), grabbed some knives, and aim at my targets on the wall, too bad it wasn't that bored - though boring himself - trainer. I sent three knives one after the other at three different targets and not one of them missed. I turned to look back at everyone and was glad to see them pleased with what I did.
"Not bad," the trainer said boredly once again. What is wrong with him? Is he doing this on purpose? He's annoying. "By the way, I'm Allan." What a very ugly name, same as him. "Nice to meet you, Clove."
"Liar," I said inside my head. I gave him an untruthful smile before he turns away and I proceed with my training.
...
I trained with the knives even though I know that I'm already very good at it. It is just to show to that Allan what I'm capable of with knives.
I was busy throwing a couple of it - of course, with accuracy - when the blonde boy suddenly came towards me.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," I said too, not bothering to look at him.
"You're really good with knives. Who taught you to throw knives like that?"
"My father, ever since I was little."
"Well, I can't tell. You're still little," he said, laughing. Admittedly, he's telling the truth, but still. How dare he make fun of me like that? Wasn't he aware that I have perfectly sharpened - and obviously fatal - weapons in my possesion right now? Not to mention my precision in throwing them.
I gave him a look now. "You'll regret calling me little when this knife is already stuck in your heart," I said menacingly, twirling a knife in my hand as I said so. I glared at him for a second and turned away when he said, "By the way, it's been nice meeting you little one." I walked away from him without another word after that and train somewhere else. Jerk.
...
-CATO-
I'm training as usual when I saw Clove, the little girl from yesterday, training with the sword. I sigh as I see her not even able to hold the sword properly. I made my way towards her.
"Grip it tightly or it'll slip right through your hand," I said to her. She turned to me and then scoffed as I smiled at her. Well, she's different, alright, from most girls, that is.
"What do you want?" she asked me impatiently, putting one hand on her hip.
From behind, I grabbed her hand with the sword and did what's right - without further ado or whatsoever. The dummy's head ended up rolling on the floor.
"Hey!" she exclaimed.
"That's the right way," I just said, letting go of her hand.
"I'm not an idiot. I know how to handle a sword," she said, clearly annoyed.
"Yes, you're gifted with knives, but with swords, I'm guessing you're not," I said teasingly.
"Okay. I acknowledge the fact that you're good with swords and I'm not. Happy?"
"I'm Cato," I said. "You're Clove, right?"
"Right. I got to go."
"Where?"
"As far away from you as possible," she said, walking away. And that is how Clove and I got acquainted, sort of.
...
I've been training lately at night when I heard someone come inside. I turned around and saw Clove making her way towards the knives station, her favorite place.
"Why did you come here? It's already late at night," I said loudly to her. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've ever spoken to her in days.
"I can't sleep at home so I decided not to waste my time there and come here instead to train. Do you have any problem with that?" she said, already grabbing some knives and aiming at her targets.
"Nope," I simply said. She just shrugged.
"I can come here anytime I want. So stop acting as if you own this place or something." She's really fierce even though she's small. Her knives then went flying through the targets and not one of them missed.
"You're really good," I said to her. "You know what? With skills like that, you can really qualify for the games. Are you planning to volunteer?"
"Isn't that asking the obvious? What are you expecting? Of course I will. But only when I'm already 18," she said determinedly. "I'll be a victor just like my dad and accomplish what my mom didn't."
"I see," I said, and I smiled at her. Surprisingly, she smiled back.
...
-CLOVE-
Two years have passed and here I am, sitting with my back on the wall of the training center with Cato. We are staring at the remaining pieces of the dummies scattered on the floor. We have been training from morning until night and here we are, very much tired of what we have done.
"Cato, do you think either of the two tributes our district has sent this year will win?" I asked out of the blue.
"No... I don't," he answered. "They're not as good as you and me."
"Really?"
"Really. Wait until next year," he said.
"What do you mean?" I asked him though I think I already know the answer.
"I will volunteer next year and win," he said determinedly. "I will be the victor and bring pride and honor to our district."
"Are you sure Cato?" I asked, a little worried - sounding a little worried too, I know - though I don't even know why I'm worried at all. Maybe it's because we've been friends after all, but still. He nodded. "Cato, you're only 16 next year."
"I know Clove. But I know that I can do it. I know that I can win. Don't you trust me?" He eyed me meaningfully. He probably sensed my discomfort earlier.
"I do. I do trust you. And... the year after you became a victor, I will be as well," I said to hide away my worries. He bought it, fortunately.
"Good," he said, smiling. "Come on, it's getting really late."
We both stand up getting ready to leave. I was about to go first when he suddenly said, "Clove, do you want me to walk you home?" I stopped in my tracks. Clearly, I was startled, totally startled. Since when did he walk anybody home?
"What do you think of me? A kid? I can take care of myself," I said, quite annoyed, though stilltotallyperplexed by what he just said and offered.
"Are you sure? It's really dark," he said, eyeing the door, as if imagining the darkness of the night devouring up the world outside and all the dangers it might've left on its wake. Definitely not like him. "Besides, girls shouldn't be allowed on their own especially at night." Definitely not like him at all.
"Do I look like most girls? I can handle it." Either way, I just shrugged it off, not wanting to dwell more on this sudden weirdness, because seriously, it's starting to creep me out.
...
-CATO-
I went straight to my room as I got into our house. I think about what happened earlier. I ended up walking Clove home even though she's been really against it. Now that's a first. Since when did I walk anybody home? Much less a girl? I'm probably going nuts.
I don't know why, but I just wanted to see her get home safely, that's all. And I don't know why I care so much about her when I shouldn't care at all.
"No! I don't care about her," I said to myself. Then why do I have to tell her those things, which sounded that I really cared? Well, maybe I really do. After all, we're friends.
"No! I don't," I said to myself again. But wasn't she worried about me when I told her that I would volunteer next year. She sounded worried. Is it possible that she cares for me too?
"No!" I said to myself once again. She's Clove. What am I thinking?
...
-CLOVE-
I'm lying on my bed but I'm not yet asleep. I'm still thinking about what happened earlier. Why did Cato have to walk me here? Because as far as I know, he has never done that before, to me and to anyone, or, well, to me and to any girl.
He has always been a bully in the Academy. Sometimes he even bullies me. But what he did earlier was strange, what he said earlier was strange and how he acted earlier was strange. He acted as if he cares for me, as if he's worried about me, and maybe that is why he walked me here.
"No!" I said to myself. We're talking about Cato here. He is someone who doesn't care about anyone. He is someone who I think doesn't have feelings. He's Cato. What am I thinking?
...
Visit my official wattpad page for more stories and stuffs (cast, pictures, music, etc.) :D
/chinmae22