Chapter 2:
It was close to midday when the careers decided to take a break by the lake after a very eventful killing spree. Each career had claimed their own victim and the sound of four cannon shots filled the arena.
Marvel and Glimmer were asleep under some trees leaving Clove and Cato sitting together by the lake soaking with their bare feet in the coolness of the water. Clove glared at Glimmer while she slept peacefully. Cato furrowed his eye brows at his partner following her gaze towards the district 1 girl.
Cato gave a nudge to Clove, "So you gonna tell me whats going on between with you?" he asked. Clove threw a small pebble into the lake watching it skip across it's surface. "Nothing to tell really it's just you know girl stuff." Clove lied. Cato laid back onto the green grass with his arms folded underneath his head. "Girl stuff" he repeated. Clove just nodded her head hoping he would leave it at that and drop the topic.
"Bullshit it's just girl stuff." the boy said. Cato stared Clove in the eyes he always knew when the girl was closing herself off to him. "Come on Clove we used to tell each other everything talk to me." he pleaded . Clove didn't know what to say to her friend he was only trying to help her but she knew he wouldn't understand what was truly going on in her heart. But it was simple really she was in love with Katniss. Katniss the girl on fire the girl that sets her own heart on fire, the girl that Cato wants to kill so badly, and then there was Glimmer who was trying to destroy what happiness she had finally found.
Clove turned to face Cato. "Have you ever fallen in love with someone in the wrong place at the wrong time?" she asked him. Cato appeared to be deeply thinking over Clove's question. "No, never a career doesn't have time for those kind of things you know that." "To me it is pointless trying to find love especially when you have a destiny like ours within the hunger games." said Cato. "You don't know if you will die or live long enough to probably enjoy that love anyways." "But I don't think you should be worrying so much because I mean we are going to win this game you and me together." Clove swallowed hard looking down thinking what's the use in winning when the person you are in love with has to die. The knife girl pondered over Cato's words he was right but her ever growing love for Katniss despite where they are now, and what may happen later on wasn't enough to make her let that love for Katniss go. Clove could not even imagine winning the games without Katniss she didn't want to win if the girl she loved dearly had to die. But Clove knew Cato was determined to win and he wasn't about to let a silly thing like love stop him from winning the hunger games.
"And just who the hell are you even in love with anyways?" demanded Cato after further realizing what Clove had asked him. Clove could have sworn she saw a glint of hope in his blue eyes as he looked at her intently "Is there someone back home that you like or is it someone here in the arena?" Clove froze up a little there was no way in hell she would ever find the courage to tell him the truth. The knife girl just shrugged her shoulders at the boy, "That's a secret for your sake and mine's you want hopefully ever find out." Cato narrowed his blue eyes at her, "You wanna bet?" he dared. "Hey Glimmer!" The blonde-headed girl woke up hearing her name called. She sat up yawning and saw Cato waving her over.
Clove cursed underneath her breath wishing it would rain spikes on her and end her life now. Glimmer jogged over to Clove and Cato smiling. The district 2 girl felt sick watching her with that smile plastered on her face. "Whats up?" Glimmer asked. Cato looked back at Clove giving her a smile before he turned to Glimmer. "Now I know you two for what ever reason are on edge with each other right now, but you wouldn't by any chance know who Clove is in love with do you?" asked Cato.
Clove went cold and pale in the face she could feel it, now was Glimmer's chance to tell Cato everything if she wanted to. The district 2 girl was to scared to look Glimmer in the eyes and so she stared at the ground waiting for all hell to break lose. Glimmer stood there twirling one of her braids around her finger with her hand on her hips thinking. "Well I have noticed our little Clove giving Marvel a few extra glances lately." said Glimmer. Clove finally looked at the Glimmer she should be thankful that the girl didn't tell Cato the truth but then she remembered that the district 1 girl had her by a string like a puppet.
Cato sat on the ground looking confused at Clove then he turned his confusion to Marvel who was still asleep snoring loudly with a spear laid across his chest. "Glimmer are fucking serious?" "Clove, really Marvel of all people." Cato sat up refusing to believe what Glimmer had said. Clove blushed hard under Cato's scrutiny gaze on her. "Well I'm waiting." said Cato impatiently. Clove noticed a look of hurt written across the boy's face.
Clove took a deep breath refusing to look Cato in the eyes. "It's true what Glimmer said all of it I just didn't know how to tell you sooner." Clove said softly. Cato was turning red and looked like he would explode any second now. Clove kept her hand on a knife under her sleeve in case the boy was going to do something he would soon regret. Glimmer stood behind Cato still wearing a big smile on her face, and all Clove wanted to do was cut it off literally.
Cato finally stood up and yelled loudly every vein in his body popped out . He pushed Glimmer out of his way and stomped over to Marvel kicking the boy in the stomach and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. Marvel who had just woken up didn't know what was going on and that he was being pawned in a love triangle that now thanks to Glimmer was a lot worst then it was before. Clove knew that Cato felt something for her but she never accepted his feelings and for a few years she always wondered why. But now that she found herself in love with Katniss who was a girl Clove finally understood why she never thought of Cato in a romantic way.
Cato dragged poor Marvel over to the lakeside by Glimmer and Clove his grip on the boy's shirt tight as ever. "So Clove this is who you want then!" Cato yelled, he then looked Marvel in the eyes with a deep hatred "And you feel the fucking same way about her don't you string bean?" Marvel was to scared to answer back or to ask what was going on he looked back and forth between Clove and Cato then at Glimmer. But Glimmer was backing further away from the other three careers not wanting to become even more apart of the situation.
The angry district 1 boy then lifted Marvel into the air tossing him in the lake with a loud splash. Glimmer covered her mouth in shock as she watched her partner fly through the air and then disappeared underneath the water.
Clove turned to see Cato marching over to her and leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Enjoy the love while you can because when our alliance with them has run dry your little boy toy is dead." And at that moment despite hating Marvel she truly felt sorry for him. Cato then shot Glimmer a death glare as he stalked off into the distance away from them to be alone.
Glimmer casually walked over to Clove who was still sitting down on the ground, as Marvel resurfaced from the lake and was making his way back to land pissed off. When Glimmer reached Clove she said, "At least Cato doesn't know about your girlfriend and she's safe for another day." Clove couldn't believe what she was hearing from the blonde-headed girl. "So you would rather have your own partner suffer the wrath of Cato then Katniss?" Clove asked. Glimmer looked back at Marvel who was now trying to shake all the water out of his clothes, and then at Cato but the angry boy was out of sight. "Yeah...um I didn't expect Cato to blow up like that I guess he must feel something for you then." Glimmer shrugged. Clove shook her head at the dumb girl, "You didn't expect him to blow up like that this is Cato we are talking about here you fucking idiot." "In what way were you expecting him to act, cool or something with the whole thing?" asked Clove. "And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that he has feelings for me." said Clove quietly. "But of course you don't feel the same way about him you would rather have your face buried in between the fire girl's legs." Glimmer taunted. But before Clove could do anything to the district 1 girl her partner finally made it over to them.
"What the hell was that all about!" Marvel demanded as he faced Clove and Glimmer still dripping wet. "Oh you didn't know me and you are an item now." Clove said darkly while watching Glimmer smirking at her. Marvel looked at Glimmer for an explanation but she just shrugged at him. "We are a fucking what!" yelled Marvel. The spear throwing boy was now growing berserk he started stomping his foot and cursing out loud. "How the shit did this happen is that why Cato is mad at me?" asked Marvel. Clove looked to Glimmer expecting her to tell the boy it was her fault that Cato was furious with Marvel.
Glimmer rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh. "Clove could you give me and Marvel some privacy please?" asked Glimmer sweetly as she batted her long eye lashes at the girl. Clove walked off with her arms cross hoping to find Cato somewhere and try to try and calm him down. But the district 2 girl wanted now more than ever to end Glimmer's life, and when that time comes Clove was sure to make it long and slow but eventful for the audience's of the Capitol to enjoy all the same. Smirking at the thought Clove disappeared into the trees spotting Cato sitting on the ground rocking back and forth and muttering to himself. Clove let out a heavy sigh, she had no choice but to play along with pretending to be in love with Marvel for Katniss's sake at least and her's as well. Clove looked around her into the forest knowing Katniss was somewhere close by watching her back like she said she would.
When Glimmer was sure that Clove was far away enough from them she turned to Marvel. She smiled at him but he wasn't smiling back at her as water ran quickly down his angry face. "Well Glimmer tell me what the fuck is going on." he demanded. "I have a plan Marvel that I know will ensure our chances of winning the games, you just need to pretend to be in love with Clove long enough for it to all pull through." said Glimmer. Marvel thought about it for a minute then finally smiled back at Glimmer, "Will it be worth me getting my ass kicked by Cato for a while?" Glimmer nodded her head yes smirking at her partner. "Then I'm all down for it." said Marvel rubbing his cold hands together with anticipation. "I want to see them all fall." the spear boy added looking in the direction where Clove and Cato were sitting. "Me to but we need to be patient for the time being, and I already have little Clovey wrapped around my fingers." Glimmer said with a chuckle. "You have some dirt on the little sadistic witch then?" asked Marvel his eyes growing wide. "That I do and I'm waiting for that perfect moment when I have her back against the wall to use it to our advantage." explained Glimmer. "Oh shit you have to tell me what you have on Clove." Marvel said jumping up and down. Glimmer smiled at him more then willing to tell the boy all about Clove's secret love with Katniss.
Katniss who sat in a tree eating dried beef was unknowing becoming apart of something big and sinister. She watched the whole scene with the careers but she couldn't get close enough without being seen to hear them. But the girl on fire just ignored the whole thing figuring they were arguing over something petty and stupid. Though they all looked upset expect for Glimmer noted Katniss who seemed to smirk and laugh at every opportunity given to her. Katniss wondered what was up with Clove because even from the distance in-between them she could tell her girl was upset.
The day was starting to grow late and cold and Katniss saw the careers moving further on. Katniss gathered her belongings ready to follow them to where ever they were going. The fire girl's eyes grew dark as she watched Glimmer picking up the bow and arrows that she so desperately needed, and Katniss wondered if it were possible if Clove could steal them for her. Katniss decided to ask Clove about it later on tonight when they could finally talk alone together.
Making her way through the forest the darkening sky alighted with holograms projected from the Capitol's hover crafts showing the many faces of victims that fell today. Katniss looked on for a moment then continued on her way no she cared about was shown on the holograms so she completely forgot about it all as tried to keep the careers in her sights.
