Clove and Will. Of all the people who could have volunteered, Clove was the most courageous. Of all the names that were in the ball, Will's was in there once.
The odds are definitely not in my favour today.
Clove and I can't live without each other. I was thinking of not volunteering and being known as the coward, just so she could win and come back to me. If I went in with her, it means one of us, or both of us, would die. But, now, Will was called. I can't let my brother go. I have to volunteer, protect Clove and make sure she comes home to Will. It's what I have to do. I know that if I have a chance of winning, I have to be strong and intimidating. It's not hard with the way I look but my instructor says I have to act it, feel it.
A flash of brown brings me back to my senses and I see Will climbing the steps to the stage. At first, I don't know what to do, so I push through the crowd, easily knocking over people, even some peacekeepers. I lunge forward, my hand raised.
"I volunteer!" I shout, or at least what I thought was a shout because I don't think anyone heard me. "I volunteer as tribute!" I shout again and almost every single head is turned in my direction. The only person not looking at me is Will. He is staring straight ahead, trying to suppress tears I notice forming over his bright blue eyes. I glance over at Clove and she is looking at me with hurt in her eyes. But there are no tears. She has always been strong, especially when she needed to be. Like, now, for example. There is complete silence. Everyone knows about Clove and I. Everyone knows Will is my brother. I assume they feel sorry for me, for my situation.
"It looks like we have another volunteer!" Lyra says, sounding like she's actually surprised. It happens every year. Just another two children volunteering for a fight to the death. She ushers Will off of the stage and he walks back into the crowd, not looking at me. Yet, I notice a single tear falling to the ground. "Come, come!" She says to me, gesturing for me to go on stage. I walk forward, the sea of people making a path for me. I stand tall, like I want to be there, striding up the steps. Lyra quickly pushes me to the middle of the stage so I'm standing just a couple of yards away from Clove.
"What's your name?" Lyra asks me in her exaggerated Capitol accent.
"Cato. Cato Hadley."
"I bet my buttons that was your little brother, no?"
"Yes." I reply. I'm not really in the mood to answer in full sentences and, to be honest, I don't really want to waste my breath talking to Capitol trash. She seems to sense my hatred because she stands in between Clove and I but more towards Clove. She takes a step towards the microphone and every head in the crowd is in her direction.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's have a round of applause for this year's tributes, Clove Kentwell and Cato Hadley!" She beams, and to my surprise, not one person claps. I'm grateful for this. Usually, a lot of people are in the spirit for the Hunger Games. This silence, it says to me, We do not agree. We do not condone. All of this is wrong. I didn't think anyone cared about us but they can see the tragedy, the brutality of what is happening. This means a lot me and I imagine it must make the Capitol furious. Even this little action, this refusal, it shows rebellion. I know it, Clove knows it, the whole of District Two must know it but we don't care. Not anymore. It's gone on too long, too many innocent lives lost. Lyra must also know it, obviously, because she quickly ushers us into the Justice Building. Here we will say goodbye to the ones we love. I know I won't survive now. I know I must save Clove.
I remember when we met. From the age of 8, we start training. On my first day of school, I walked to the academy by myself because my parents started work in the early hours of the morning. I looked at the ground, kicking rubble on the streets, my hands shoved into my pockets. I ignored all of my surroundings. I was only thinking of what would happen when I got there. When I reached the path leading down to the building, a noise came from behind me and I froze. I whipped my head around to see who was there. I couldn't see anyone at first, there were too many trees and bushes. I thought I'd take my chances and start acting like a career now.
"Who's there? Come out." I said loudly, trying to be bold. In the corner of my eye, I saw a black silhouette moving slowly from behind a tree. The girl was wearing black joggers and a black hoodie, matched with black boots. Her hair and eyes were the same dark, glossy colour. She looked like shadow and it would have been intimidating but the leaves and twigs wedged in her hair made it hard to take her seriously. I started laughing and she looked at me, puzzled. Now I knew she was expecting me to be scared of her.
"What? What is it?" She snapped and narrowed her eyes at me. I strolled over and pulled the leaves from her hair, showing them to her with a smile. "Oh." She whispered. "Well, that didn't work. Anyway, I'm Clove." She started walking down the path, leaving me behind but I quickly caught up.
"I'm Cato. I'm new." I said examining her tight cheekbones and long brown eyelashes. She looked at me with one eyebrow raised.
"You don't say?" She replied sarcastically. I opened my mouth to speak but she continued. "Seeing as I've never seen you in training or around the district at all, I kind of figured it out. I saw you making your way through town towards here and knew that you were new." She said, like it was completely obvious.
"Oh, well, um, what was all that about back there?" She made me nervous and I didn't know why. She wasn't shy, but I was. I liked her. I liked the way she made me feel. She sighed.
"Every time I see a newbie, I plan to attack. The trainer says it helps the both of us. The newbie becomes braver and I become scarier. To be honest, I don't think it works. I think he just tells me to do it to make fools out of us. Like a little inside joke between all of the trainers. I wasn't really going to do anything to you; I was just going to get you to tell the trainer my plan worked." She explained and all the time she was speaking, I was concentrating on her soft, plump lips. She seemed to talk forever. She was chatty, really chatty. But I kind of like it. She turned her head towards me, probably expecting a response.
"Erm, okay. I'll tell him." I said. Her eyes were piercing through me and made me even more nervous than I already was. My cheeks flushed and I looked at the ground.
"Okay. Thanks. If you're having trouble fitting in, you could always come to me." She offered as we came up to the building.
"Thank you." I whispered and looked up to face her but she was already gone.
I wanted to be with her again. We'd only just met but I needed to be with her. It almost hurt when I wasn't with her. And now, I am going to be without her all over again. Only this time, it's permanent.