A/N: First one-shot, people! We hope we get constructive criticism and reviews! :)
Disclaimer: We do not own anything.
Lara collapsed in front of the television. She couldn't bear looking. The images flashed in her mind repeatedly, refusing to stop. That District 11 boy raising her Clove, taking a stone, smashing it right into Clove's skull. Cato, Clove's childhood friend, rushed out from the depths of the forest. He was too late. Why, oh why did she send Clove into that mess of a battlefield? She had cost her her life.
Tears ran down Lara's pale face. She looked around the room, suddenly moving and knocking over an antique vase in the process. There, were two tattered notebooks on the practical mahogany table of Clove. She opened them and read hungrily.
Property of Clove Lenna. Do not open this diary! Somethimes edited by Mama.
(Dearie, it's sometimes.)
My Thirth Birthday (Third, Clove.)
I got this diary from Mama for a -presant- present. I kannut (cannot) wait to right (write. Please, Clove. Your spelling needs a lot of improvement) in it.
My Fourth Birthday
Mama is teaching me how to write nicely without any speling (spelling, sweetheart) errores (errors) , and I think I am improving from last year. (Spelling. Errors. Didn't we run that over today?)
My Fifth Birthday
Cookie died yesterday. He was such an adorable little puppy. I really miss him now. At least I will be going for training tomorrow, with Cato! I can't wait. Cato brought some pretty flowers for Cookie. That was so nice of him. I told him that I wanted to marry him when I grew up, so he would always be near me. He proposed with a candy! I love him so much. (Sweetie, finally your spelling's fine! I don't think I have to edit anymore.)
My Sixth Birthday
Cato says that I am improving! I can throw seven out of ten knives to hit the target. Some girls still think that I am short. Cato shouted at them and they ran away. It was so funny! Cato gave me the best birthday present ever! It was a beautiful fountain pen and I am using it to write this very diary entry!
My Seventh Birthday
I think Cato is so amazing! He's the top 5 in the Training Centre because he's just so good at fighting. I want to be just like him. He gave me a glorious painting of the riverside. I think he drew it himself. I never knew that he could draw. But Cato is so amazing. So amazing. I want to be just as good as him when I am as old as him now. I will not be one of those pushover girls in the training centre.
My Eighth Birthday
Today's my birthday. Cato came over to help celebrate, so nice of him. This evening was brilliant. Cato gave me an album as a present, and he put in all of our photos in it. He's such a nice person! I love having him around. Mama and Papa don't argue as much when he's here. I think they like him a lot.
My Ninth Birthday
This year was not so good. Cato was scolded because he punched someone in the eye and they fought. He couldn't come to my birthday party because his parents grounded him. I made a new friend this year, her name is Delia. She's very nice and she's really good at sword-fighting, and I'm getting really good at knife-throwing now. Mama and Papa are very proud of me. Cato's good at sword-fighting too, just like Delia.
My Tenth Birthday
It was lovely. Cato came, just like he did for the past few years. He's been the centre of attention in the conversations with my friends. I've tried hard to steer it closer to training, but they're smitten with him. The present was thoughtful, as usual, a handwritten card and a wonderful bow and arrow set. My friend, Delia, said I was very lucky.
My Eleventh Birthday
This entry is going to be really short, because I need to go with Cato now to the Riverside to go for a stroll. Today was enjoyable. I received a notebook as a gift. This diary is pretty old, so I'm switching to that new notebook after this last page is used up.
My Twelfth Birthday
My mother got me a nice bicycle. Cato didn't come this year. He has a girlfriend now and today was her grandmother's funeral. She's called Poppy, and Cato says she's really nice. Perhaps I'll hang out more with them if she doesn't keep giving me the evil eye. I looked through my diary entries and realised I wanted to marry Cato - hilarious. I hope he doesn't remember but if one day he leaves I'll use that to threaten him. Imagine. "Don't you dare leave me, Cato! You married me! Okay, I don't have the ring since I ate it years ago - but still!" Cato apologised to me but I decided to talk to him passive-aggressively.
My Thirteenth Birthday
Finally, people are taking me more seriously in the Training Centre. Cato doesn't have to stand up for me now. I can deal with them myself. No one dares to underestimate me now.
Cato's still going steady with that girl Poppy - they're becoming quite unbearable, to say the least, making out at every opportunity. Cato came, and apologised for Poppy's absence. I didn't mind - I knew she hated my guts. Cato should really listen to my advice - that girl didn't love him. I caught her with Matt yesterday. My mother asked me to think about my future. Specifically, romantic prospects.
My Fourteenth Birthday
Cato split up with Poppy today. Can you believe it? Poppy tagged along when he came to my birthday. He really doesn't need to come anymore, being so busy with training, but he still comes. He makes the whole celebration more cheerful, now that Papa is frequently working into the late hours. Poppy was acting all snobby and condescending, and I got really annoyed with her. Poppy threatened to punch me, and Cato decided to split up with her. Delia was laughing at Poppy scrambling away, humiliated from the public break-up. What a show we had. Mama disapproved though, thinking that breakups should not happen on my birthday. Well, whatever. It was really funny. Hopefully next time Cato will get along with someone who doesn't stick to him and make out with him whenever she can.
My Fifteenth Birthday
My boyfriend of one-year, Sam, gave me a promise ring today. It was much too soon. I saw Cato storm out of the room - the nerve of him! I obviously accepted, and my mother was over the moon. I didn't even know if I truly loved Sam, though. Cato said after the incident that he would break Sam's neck if he hurt me. I wonder what he means.
My Sixteenth Birthday
Sam's neck needs breaking. I was still in the middle of my zombie-like state when my birthday came. Sam cheated on me with some blonde girl. I hope Cato doesn't find out about this - I don't want him in trouble.
It's getting close to the Games. Cato celebrated my birthday with me. We're both single now, deciding that relationships should take a back seat. Training was more important.
It's getting hard to keep up with this. Perhaps I should take a break with this diary writing business. A few years. See how things turn out.
The diary stopped, slowly the ink blossomed into large, eerily blue blossoms as tears dripped onto the faded yellow pages.
"My poor little girl." Lara broke into small sobs. Clove Lenna and Cato Ashlar had died in the games. On Clove's birthday. Everyone saw as Cato wept for Clove. How Lara wished that she could tell her daughter that Cato loved her. Very much. The obvious affection for Cato which Clove had had just brought more tears to Lara, Clove's mother's eyes. As she sobbed, Lara imagined how her daughter would react. "Now, mama, you should move on. Life is not too short to dwell on deaths." That's what she would say. That's what she would say with a chiding tone but a slightly smirking face.
Brightening a little, Lara took the fountain pen in the diary and started writing.
My Seventeenth Birthday
I spent it with Cato by my side and it's the happiest birthday I could ever wish for.