Chapter 2
In this chapter, you'll find out a lot more about both Cato and Valeriana's past, and about their names. Names in Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games do mean something, and I spent a lot of time researching names in The Hunger Games, and found that a majority of District Two citizens have Ancient Roman names. Now, without further ado:
Cato lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling of the Academy. 'The roof,' He thought. 'Why the roof? She loved the roof.' He shook his head. 'Why? That's the important question.' Each time he blinked, another tear rolled down his cheek. 'Why? What happened? What changed?' She was so strong. That's what her name meant. Strong. He remembered her introducing herself to him.
"My name is Valeriana Boudicca." She had stuck her small hand out to him, staring straight into Cato's blue eyes, which had smiled at her name.
"Strong Victory." He smirked. A typical District 2 name.
The small girl had glared up at him defiantly. "That's right. And what is your name, may I ask?" She eyed the tall blonde. Never before had she met someone her age so confident.
Cato lifted his chin and squared his shoulders. "Cato. Cato Adalbern."
Now it was Valeriana's turn to smirk. Wise Noble Bear?" She laughed aloud.
Despite the small girl making fun of his name, he smiled. 'I like her laugh.' Cato thought.
The two 10 year olds stared at each other. Valeriana smiled. "Let's be friends, Cato."
Cato thought for a moment. 'Friends? Were those allowed at the Academy?'
Valeriana squinted at the blonde. "We are allowed to have friends, you know."
"Yeah, I know," Cato lied, miffed that she seemed to be able to read his mind. "Okay. Friends. Strength, victory, wisdom and nobility." He smiled.
"A strong friendship." Valeriana grinned back at him.
A strong friendship it was, indeed. For 7 years, the two Careers formed a close bond that had yet to be broken. Like most friendships between a boy and a girl, both Cato and Valeriana began to develop romantic feelings toward one another, however, both were also too afraid to say anything about it, due to a fear of ruining their friendship.
However hard their life at the Academy was, they always knew that no matter what, Cato would be there for Valeriana and Valeriana, for Cato. "Have the strength to be wise, and through nobility, achieve victory." That became their mantra. During a hard day of training, or a tough run, they would repeat it to each other. The words filled them with strength.
"Cato,"
The voice snapped him out of the past. Cato turned around to see Valeriana looking at him, with a worried expression.
"Are you okay?"
Cato just stared at her. 'She's so beautiful.' Even though she had grown taller, Cato still towered over her, and Valeriana still seemed tiny to him.
Valeriana sighed and stepped towards Cato, hesitating, in the fear that he would run away from her again. "Cato," she started. "I know seeing me may come as a bit of a shock to you,"
"A shock?" Cato asked sharply. "No. It's more like a brick wall just hit me head on. I though you were dead." He said harshly.
Valeriana flinched at the tone of his voice. "Can we please go up to the roof? I can explain everything, but you know I think better up there." She pleaded.
Cato stalked past her. "Fine." He said, punching the elevator button angrily. "But don't go throwing yourself off again, or was that all a little joke too?" He snarled.
Valeriana sighed, entering the elevator cautiously. "Is that what they told you?" She shook her head. "I have a lot of explaining to do." She muttered to herself, but Cato heard her.
He snorted. "No kidding."
Once they reached the roof, Valeriana walked over to one of the benches near the side and patted the area next to her. "Sit." She said, looking at Cato.
Pausing for a moment, Cato walked slowly over to the bench and sat down, as far away from Valeriana as possible.
Valeriana took a deep breath and stared at the Capitol skyline. "You know I've never liked the Hunger Games. How I've never liked the way our District has an upper hand every year."
Cato nodded silently.
"Well, our last year at the Academy, I decided to do something." She paused, looking down at her hands.
Cato noticed a ring on her right index finger that read 'fortis victoria nobilitatis sapientia'.His demeanor softened slightly.
"I formed a group. It was a group of Careers that were all around the same age, who, each year, would corrupt the whole concept of "Career Districts" in the first place." She shook her head. "I got caught. I wasn't careful enough and got carried away. They took me to the Capitol, and I guess told you all that I had jumped ship." she chuckled softly. "When I got here, I was taken to see President Snow." Her face twisted up in disgust, as if saying the name left a bad taste in her mouth. "He made a deal with me. Either I would participate in the games and die a 'hero's death', or he would kill my family and force me to watch, and then kill me." she sighed. "I end up dead either way, but at least my family won't; considering the path I've chosen."
Cato felt angry. Angry at the Capitol. Angry at Panem. Angry at Snow. But most of all, he felt anger at himself. For letting himself believe that Valeriana wasn't strong enough, and for letting himself become just another player in their Games.
"Cato," Valeriana looked at him closely. "Breathe. Calm down, okay. I've accepted my fate."
Cato stood up abruptly and walked towards the roof exit.
Valeriana ran after him. "Cato! What are you doing? Wh-Where are you going?"
"I'm going to give Snow a piece of my mind." Cato said briskly, not turning to look at her.
Valeriana blocked the door way, the top of her head barely up to his chest. "No. You can't. He told me that if I told anyone about our deal, me and my family would be killed on the spot. Please." She begged. Brown eyes met blue and they both came to an understanding. "Brutus and Enobaria both know and they're already trying to come up with a plan." She paused. "I think I started something, Cato. They've been talking to other mentors. I think they're going to try and break us out of the arena."
Cato paused. That was not what he expected. "Break us out?" he asked. "How do they plan on doing that?"
Valeriana ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know, Cato." She said. "But you can't tell anybody about this. Especially not the tributes from District 1." She gave him a meaningful look.
Cato sighed. "I know." He pulled Valeriana into a hug. "Sorry for freaking out," He breathed in her scent. Vanilla and cinnamon. "I can't lose you again Leia." Cato murmured.
Valeriana sighed and buried her face into Cato's strong chest. "You won't. Don't worry. I'm here now."
The two District 2 tributes stayed up on the roof for a little while longer, looking out over the city and catching up. Cato discovered, much to his surprise, that Valeriana had continued to train here in the Training Center ever since she made the deal with Snow.
"It's been better than I thought it would be," She admitted. "I expected to be living in a basement until he chose a year for me."
Cato sat for a moment. "He knew." He said quietly.
"What?" Valeriana looked up at him.
"He knew I was supposed to volunteer this year. He knew that we were close at the Academy." Cato looked down at Valeriana. "Leia, did you really think that he put you and I in the same Games on accident?"
Valeriana sighed and twisted her ring. "No," she admitted. "I knew. I didn't want to believe it, so I thought that if I didn't say it, it wouldn't be true." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."
Cato wiped the tear from her chin. "No." He said firmly. "This is not your fault." He smiled at her. "We are going to make a change. A good one, and it's all because of you."
Valeriana sniffed. "You always know how to make me feel better, Cato." She stood up and stretched. We should probably get back to the loft. Enobaria and Brutus will be worried." She extended her hand to Cato.
Cato took her hand, stood up, and they walked, hands clasped still, to the roof exit.
"I like your ring." He remarked, as they stood in the elevator.
Valeriana glanced down and slid it off her finger. "Enobaria had it made for me when I first got here. To remind me of what and who I was fighting for." She handed it to Cato, who examined it more closely.
"Strength, victory, wisdom and nobility." He smiled as he read the engraving allowed in English. He handed it back to her, after trying to fit it on every one of his fingers, without success.
Valeriana laughed, and it bounced off the elevator walls, still clear as day. "I think the had a bracelet made for you." She said. "You know how each tribute gets a token? To bring into the arena?"
Cato nodded in understanding.
"You can wear the bracelet, and I'll have the ring." She smiled. "We'll be a team."
Cato took her hand again. "We've always been a team."
"Where the hell have you two been?" Brutus yelled angrily, as Cato and Valeriana walked back into the loft. "We've been looking high and low for you!"
"Well," Valeriana remarked. "You didn't look high enough."
Cato snorted.
"And what is that supposed to mean, little miss smart ass?" Brutus asked.
"We were on the roof." Cato interjected. He knew Brutus loved Valeriana, but still didn't want him insulting her.
"The roof!" Brutus exclaimed. "Of course, Barry! Why didn't you think of that! You know her better than I do!"
Enobaria came into the living area and sat down. "That's because I wasn't looking, Brutus." She said. "I knew they would be okay. You should have known that too!" She smiled at the two tributes. "Come sit, you two! The recap of the reapings are going to be on in a moment!" She exclaimed.
Cato and Valeriana made their way over to the couch. Cato flopped onto the couch and stretched out. "Sorry, looks like there's no room for you, Leia." He grinned at her.
Valeriana smiled sweetly back at him. That's okay, I'll just go sit with dear Uncle Brutus."
Cato looked over at Brutus and saw him sitting in a love seat. He groaned. "Fine, I guess I can move my feet."
Valeriana grinned and plopped down on the couch, curling up to Cato's chest. "Good boy." She said.
Enobaria and Brutus exchanged a glance. "So I guess you two worked everything out?" Brutus questioned.
"Did you show him your ring?" Enobaria asked. That was to ask if she had informed him about everything.
"Yes," Valeriana replied. "I did. He likes it and is wondering when he'll get his bracelet."
Enobaria nodded in understanding. "We'll have it made as soon as possible. You'll get it after the tribute parade tomorrow, so you'll have it for the interviews."
The Reaping Recaps came on, and the legendary Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith commenting began.
"What do you think of this year's tributes Caesar? Like to make any bets yet?" Claudius asked Caesar, jokingly.
"Well, Claudius, there has been quite a bit of speculation over District 2's mystery female tribute. She must be intriguing for the Capitol itself to choose her!" Caesar exclaimed.
Valeriana shifted uncomfortably.
Cato snorted.
"What?" Valeriana asked.
"I thought the same thing," "before I knew that it was you, of course." He added, smirking.
Valeriana playfully punched his chest like a pillow, before settling back onto it again. "Whatever." She remarked. "You know I've always been better than you."
Cato opened his mouth, ready to shoot something back at her, when a pillow hit him in the side of the head.
"Shh!" Enobaria glared at the two tributes. "It's imperative that you watch this!"
Both Cato and Valeriana rolled their eyes, but focused their attention back to the big screen.
"If we were making bets right now," Claudius was saying. "I would bet on the male triubute of District 2. What was his name?"
"Cato." Caesar remarked. "It means 'Wise'."
Cato smirked.
"Ah," Claudius replied. "District 2 is certainly clever with their names."
"You have no idea." Valeriana remarked quietly.
Both Cato and Valeriana zoned out until they reached District 11.
"Holy shit, that guy's huge." Valeriana exclaimed.
Cato looked irked. "Not as huge as me." He said, even though he knew he was wrong. The guy was monstrous. Clearly, the 6'6" eighteen year old was a force to be reckoned with.
Valeriana had to keep herself from exclaiming in outrage the unfairness of the games when the female tribute of District 11 was reaped. "She's so small." Was all she remarked.
"I like her." Valeriana said, as the District 12 girl volunteered. "Katniss? Weird name. Isn't that a plant or something?" She asked.
"Yeah." Cato replied. "We are not allying with a District 12 weakling." He stated.
"Hey," Valeriana said lightly. We haven't even seen what anyone can do yet. Can't make any decisions based on reapings."
Cato sighed. "Yeah, you're right."
The two tributes looked around the living area to find that both Brutus and Enobaria had fallen asleep. They shrugged and headed to Cato's room, turning the lights and the television off as they left.
Once in Cato's bedrooom, Valeriana pulled off the dress she'd been wearing, threw it onto the floor, and crawled into the bed in just her underwear. Cato pulled his shirt off and discarded his pants, however, unlike Valeriana, he neatly folded his clothes and placed them on the dresser. Flipping off the light, he climbed into the bed beside Valeriana, who was already fast asleep, and wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled into his body and the two friends fell into a dreamless sleep, for the first time in two years.
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