Clove
Cato told me not to go. He told me that we didn't need anything. He told me that it wasn't worth it. He told me that Thresh is out there, and he wanted revenge on Rue's death. I didn't kill her. I told them not to kill her. Marvel did kill her, and he ended up dead.
I wanted to go though. I was curious what the Capitol wanted to give us. I wondered what we needed. My first thought was food. Maybe it's water. We need that to win. When Cato and I heard that two tributes could go home, we were so happy. He kissed me. We were dating before the games happened. We had to keep our relationship a secret because we didn't want our district to look at us as if we were weak.
I didn't want to go in the games. I trained for three years, but I still didn't want to go in them. I hate the games. I was reaped. Usually someone would volunteer for me, but no one did. Cato had to volunteer this year. Every year, District 2 pick a male has to volunteer. The plan was that Cato would go in the games this year then win. I would volunteer the next year then win. Events happened, and now Cato and I are in the games together.
I go to get the bag even though Cato told me no. I know Girl on Fire will be there, and I have to kill her. She will get in the way of me winning with Cato. She doesn't even love Lover Boy. Poor Lover Boy. He deserves better to be honest. He loved Girl on Fire, and she doesn't feel a thing back. Clove, stop it! Focus on your game! I remind myself.
I hide in the bushes. I see Foxface run by. She grabs her bag, and then takes off. She doesn't worry about the other bags. She just takes hers and goes. I don't think she's killed anyone. She hides. I think she can outsmart all of us. If she hides long enough, then she can survive. She can let everyone else do the dirty work, and then she doesn't have any blood on her hands. She's smart. She's here to survive. We all are.
I see Girl of Fire sprint over. I run towards her. I throw my knife at her, but she dodges. Dammit! She shoots her arrow at me. At my heart. I dodge enough so it won't hit my heart, but the arrow punctures my upper arm. Thankfully I throw with my right. I stop to pull the arrow out, and shake off the pain. I look up, and I see Girl on Fire at the table. She grabs the bag. I throw a second knife at her. It hits her right eyebrow. Blood gushes down her face. She staggers back. She shoots and arrow, but it goes in some other direction. I tackle Girl on Fire, sending her to the ground. I pin her to the ground with my knees.
I don't want to kill her. I have to though. I need to go back home with Cato. Cato is my only family left. I am his. We can't lose each other. Part of me wants to kill her when the cameras aren't looking. I don't want her sister to watch me murder her.
"Where's your boyfriend, District Twelve? Still hanging on?" I ask.
"He's out there now. Hunting Cato," she says. My heart rate quickens. Cato will win if he finds him, right? "Peeta!" she screams.
I punch her. I can't let Lover Boy come here. I need to kill her. I look up to make sure he isn't coming. No Lover Boy, I look back down at her.
"Liar," I say with a grin. "He's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut him. You've probably got him strapped up in some tree while you try to keep his heart going. What's in the pretty little backpack? The medicine for Lover Boy? Too bad he'll never get it."
I open my jacket. Girl on Fire sees my knives. I grab the one with a curved blade. "I promised Cato if he let me have you, I'd give the audience a good show." No. You promised him you wouldn't come here.
Girl on Fire starts to struggle underneath me.
"Forget it, District Twelve. We're going to kill you. Just like we did your pathetic little ally . . . what was her name? The one who hopped around in the trees? Rue? Well, first Rue, then you, and then I think we'll just let nature take care of Lover Boy. How does that sound?" I ask. "Now, where to start?"
I wipe the blood from her wound with my jacket sleeve. I look at her. I tilt my head side to side wondering if I should continue or not. Should I get up, and run off? Should I kill her? She I end her life with everyone watching. With everyone wanting her to win? She pulls me from my thoughts when she tries to bite me hand. I pull her hair in response. I force her back down. "I think . . ." I trail off. Thinking. "I think we'll start with your mouth."
I trace the outline of her mouth. She doesn't cry in pain. She's strong, I'd admit that. "Yes, I don't think you'll have much use for your lips anymore. Want to blow Lover Boy one last kiss?" I ask. She spits at me. She spit at me! "All right then. Let's get started."
I cut her lip once before I get pulled up. I see Thresh. He looks angry. He shakes me. I scream. I keep screaming. I kick, but it's no use. He flips me, and then flings me to the ground. He shouts at me, "What'd you do to that little girl? You kill her?"
I move back. I am scared of him. "No! No, it wasn't mean!" I scream.
"You said her name. I heard you. You kill her?" Thresh's expression changes to anger again. "You cut her up like up like you were going to do to this girl here?"
"No! No, I—" I look to see a stone in his hand. No, I can't die!
Cato
I woke up to Clove gone. I knew I should have stayed up to make sure she didn't go. I start looking for her. I really hope she didn't go. I she dies . . . Cato, stop thinking like that! She probably went hunting or something.
I remember when I first meet Clove. She was twelve I was thirteen. She was training for the first time—well, with the district. She went to the knives. I expected her not to be good. I expected her to not be able to throw them. I was wrong. She hit each knife dead in the center. Later that day, I walked to her. We became friends for two years. Last year we started dating.
When Clove's name was reaped, a part of me died. I wanted—needed—someone to volunteer for her. I was forced to go in because that what District Two does. Force people to volunteer. No one volunteered for her. I volunteered, and we went to the games together.
We knew we had to keep our relationship secret from the other tributes. We both knew they would use how we felt for each other as a weakness. I would die for Clove, and Clove would die for me. That's why I pitied Lover Boy. He made the stupid choice to tell everyone about his feelings.
Clove and I agreed that we would be allies. We wouldn't kill each other. We agreed that when it came down to the final two, we would come up with something.
The night before the games started, we were together. Clove slept with me. We didn't have sex; we just slept. I held her close to me. I didn't want her to leave. When morning came, we kissed for the last time.
When the announcement was made that two people from the same district could win, Clove and I were both overjoyed. I kissed her. I didn't care if the viewers saw. I kissed her. She kissed me back. We both missed us. We both missed kissing each other. We missed saying "I love you" to each other.
When they announced that there would be a feast, I told Clove it wasn't worth it. I had a feeling that something was going to happen. Clove fought me about it. She said that it might be food or water. I was tempted. Maybe I should have agreed to go instead of her.
"Cato!" Clove's scream pulls me out of my thoughts. "Cato!"
"Clove!" I scream back. I know she's at the feast. Why Clove? Why would you go there when I told you not to?
I sprint to the feast. I get closer. Who could have killed her? Lover Boy? No, he is too hurt. Girl on Fire? Maybe. Foxface? She doesn't kill. She hides. She's the smartest of all of us. Who else is left?
Thresh. No. I run faster to the feast. I have to save her. I can't lose her. Clove means everything to me. She's all I got back/
I see Clove's body on the ground. Thresh runs off, so does Girl on Fire. "Clove!" I hear my voice. I hear pain in it. Please don't be dead. I get to her body, and I kneel down to her. I grip my spear.
"Clover, stay with me." I tell her.
Clove's eyes water. "C-C-Cato."
"It's okay. It's going to be okay."
Clove's chest moves up and down rapidly. She's trying to stay alive.
"I'm . . . I'm . . . s-s-sorry."
"It's okay." I sit on the ground. I gently move Clove's head in my lap. She winces.
"I . . . I . . . love you," Clove says. Tears fall down her cheeks.
"I love you too," I say. My eyes water. "Don't leave me Clover."
"I'm sorry."
I bend over, and kiss Clove's lips. Clove whimpers. I pull away. I rest my forehead on hers.
"C-C-Cato, g . . . g . . . good . . . bye."
"Goodbye, Clover." Tears fall freely down my cheeks. I don't care what they say about me crying.
Clove's eyes go in a daze. Her eyes become lifeless. I hear her cannon go off. I squeeze my eyes shut. Memories of Clove and me come to my mind.
"Cato?" Clove said.
"Yes?" Clover was wearing her training clothes. She had her knife in her hand. At this time, I liked Clove.
"I . . . um . . . need to tell you something."
I looked at Clove. "Clover, is everything alright?"
"Depends."
"On?"
"What you would think after."
"What is it?"
Clove played with her knife. She was distracting herself.
"Clover, what do you need to tell me?"
"Cato, I like you!"
I starred at Clove.
"I really, really like you. And I know that you don't feel the same!"
I went in a trance. Clove likes me?I thought.
Clove got up. She turned around. I grabbed her arm, and spun her around. She looked up at me with a mix of emotions.
"Clover," I move a piece of hair from her face, "I like you too."
I then kissed her. She kissed me back.
I wipe my eyes from the memory. Clove . . . why did you leave me? I take a deep breath. I am sick of these games. These games ruin innocent people—kids. I was forced to volunteer in the games. If I didn't, then they would think I was rebelling. Clove was reaped, and no one volunteered. They did this on purpose. They told no one to volunteer for Clove. They put her name in more times than needed. I am tired of watching children kill each other.
The odds are never in our favors. My mother was in the hunger games, and she was a victor. She couldn't deal with the guilt. She killed herself when I was six years old. The games never have a winner. We are all just trying to survive. To live, but we still die. We all die a little in the games. When you win, a part of you is never the same. You can get filled with guilt, go crazy, or become vicious. No one ever wins the games; we are get survivors of the games.
I look down at Clove, who is still in my lap. I close her eyes. I move her head back to the ground. I kiss her forehead, and I stand up. I grab my spear, and I run off. I am going to find Thresh, and I am going to kill him.