"Cato! Stop!" I yell as he spins me around high in the air as I he holds me in his huge arms. He laughs as people watch us walk down the district. What a sight we must be. Cato Hadley, the most popular boy in district two hanging out with Clove Kentwell, the not so popular girl.
"Almost there, if you injured as you said you can't walk" he teased. I regret my words, only half an hour ago while with Cato and his friend's Leeken and Alkina by the training sight I told them I injured my ankle so I couldn't go rock climbing.
"Cato, Cato, Cato! Oh my god! Stop, agh!" I screamed as he ran down towards the indoor training centre while I was flung over his shoulder.
"Fine, I'll leave you here, and I'll go train for the games" he said putting me down, finally I felt like I wasn't going to throw up. The games, all he wanted to do is compete in them, especially this year, the 74th annual hunger games.
"Don't do the games" I say leaning into him, and his arms wrap around me, I just await his words now.
"Clove, I'm doing the games, you know it means a lot to me" he says, but I think it's means more to his father.
"Cato, please" I ask and he kisses my forehead. He knows I don't want him to go into the games. I'm sick of it. Watching children kill one another just for a silly crown.
"Hey, are you doubting my skills?" he ask and I nod my head fast looking towards the ground.
"I promise that I'll go into the games and win and come home to you" I know he promises me but I don't think I can let him take a risk.
"Hadley, Hanging out with the little kids and acting like one won't make you a great peacekeeper like I" Cato and I turn around to see Duncan Hargig standing proudly in his uniform. He's the youngest peacekeeper and the most respected one. He has always taken a hated approach to me. When people ask me why we don't get on I tell them "I'm just too cute for him to handle in this district" but the truth is, we use to be friends, best friends.
When I was four and he was eight we were closer than a family would be, and then it all changed in his back garden. His mother was pregnant with twin, a boy and a girl and Hargig couldn't wait to be a brother. Unfortunately his mom had a problem of always being silent and nobody could tell when she was around. I was practising my knifes skills when it happened. Duncan was playing with a knife but he couldn't throw them at all. I went to throw it at the fence, I turned by back trying to show off when I hit his mother, right in the head, and that how people say she never misses. Duncan never forgive me and I was too young to be prosecuted. But as punishment my family and I was sent to live at the other side of the town.
"And you think you're a great definition of a great peacekeeper, please" I say looking at him, Cato arm wraps around me and brings me closer to his hip bone.
"Listen Hargig, I don't want to be a great peacekeeper, I will be an amazing peacekeeper" Cato says strongly.
"So confidant, I doubt you will be able to stand up to your own words" Hargig's words are spit full and wants to trigger Cato's temper so he will act out on anger and Hargig will have every right to arrest him,
"Cato be the worst peacekeeper ever and I'll still love you" I say and he kisses me, I look at Hargig who is ready to fight back but he leaves.
" So you love me huh?" Cato says.
Two days later. Reaping day.
"You look good" Hargig says as he circles me, I can feel the tears place in my eyes. He looks me in the eyes before fixing the collar of my red dress. I still regret letting him in, even do I thought dad was back from the shop.
"So what will you say when a girl's name is called, and they ask for volunteers?" Hargig says sitting on by clean bed.
"I volunteer" I say letting one tear go down my cheek. How could I not volunteer, he threatened my whole family, and Cato's.
"Good, now will you live in the hunger games?" he ask me leaning towards me, I shake my head.
"No, I will get close to the end… and then I will die" I say letting a tear fall down my cheek. If I live everyone I love dies.
"Well you do have other skills besides using knifes" he says leaving my room through the window. My fear turns to anger and I want to chase after him, but do what? I have no weapons with me and he has a gun. He has to be stopped, the games has to be stopped.
"Clove, Clove! Mommy want you now" my little sister says running into my room. I brush away the tears and smile.
"Tell her I'll be there in a minute pumpkin, I want to fix my dress" I say playing with the buttons. I sit on my bed, ready to kill Hargig, anger has never taken over me like this before, Cato would be proud. Cato. He was going to volunteer as well today too.
"Welcome all, and happy hunger games too!" Keshena says clapping widely. I look around at the children of my district, kids I will never see again. I finale see Cato across from me beside his friends, ready to go. Keshena does the speech and talks how much the capitol loves our district. Then she goes over the pull a name out of the glass ball. It's Fessha Brin, she's only eleven and has great sword skills and is really fast. Fessha goes up and Keshena ask for volunteers. I scream I volunteer and I hear another voice say it too. I look to my left and see Landa Smikens, a seventeen years old girl with long blond hair and glass green eyes. I march my way up towards Keshena when I can feel something grab my arm, I turn around to see Landa giving me a smile, it's a nice smile, and she means no harm. She always wanted to go into the games, and this is her last chance.
"Clove, let me" she says, but I don't see her face, I see Hargig's and he's wicked smile. I push her away and walk up towards her, Landa lunges towards me, pulling me back. I swing around and push her away, I punch at her and dig my nails against her, she bleeding her left cheek has claw marks in it, her leg is badly hurt and two peacekeepers carry her away. The whole district is watching me, a rare face or two has shocked emotions on them, while other smile. They think another person to do them proud, to win the games. How wrong they are. I'm ushered to the microphone on stage and Keshena smiles.
"Well, I believe we have a fighter here, what's your name darling?" she says proudly.
"Clove Kentwell" I say looking for my father, he would be disappointed in me, not for fighting with Landa but for volunteering, while my mother must be gleaming, overwhelmed by it all, and I can't imagine what my little sisters are going through as their older sister just signed up to die.
"Well Clove, you will do this district well won't you?" she says patting my shoulder. I put my playing face on and smile.
"You bet it" I say and the crowd smile and clap, and Keshena joins them. She then goes to the boys bowl and before she pulls out a name. I hear his voice.
"I volunteer" Cato yells and a gasp come from the crowd, not because they are surprised he would volunteer, but against me.
"Another volunteer, my-my, this district is getting interesting each year." Keshena says and Cato walks up, just as Keshena greets Cato by stretching out her hand, he brushes pass her and goes to me, he hugs me and the crowd goes silent. There's no sound but the beat of our hearts as the microphone displays it.
"And this must be Cato Hadley" she says aloud, wow, even Keshena who lives in the out skirts of the city knew of our love…
"Let the games begin, and may the odds be ever in your favour..." Keshena says unsure about the end of the sentence. Yes, the games begin, as I hug Cato tighter.