Thank you guys once again for the reviews! And thank you so much for everyone who favourited my story! You guys are totally awesome.

So this one is definitely longer than the last one. Sorry it might get a little tedious but the story will move from the next chapter!

Oh and there's a lot more talking :)

Clove walked around plucking her knives from the dummies.

It seemed as though the training centre had an infinite supply of dummies as they continuously kept rolling in and out of the room. Unlike Cato's swords or Sera's javelins, knife throwing didn't necessarily make the dummies completely unusable, so Clove had ten dummies to herself. Of course, she could slash at them and cut them open if she wanted to, but as much as that was enjoyable, Clove figured that could wait until she threw a few more knives into them.

She glanced to her right. Cato was whirling a sword around and stabbing it continuously into a dummy. He was frustrated that the training was so pathetic, and overall furious with how Taron had taken him down so easily. He had no time to react, which was extremely rare for Cato, but what was more, he wasn't able to fight back.

Cato was, without doubt, the strongest trainee out of everyone at this centre. He was powerful, vicious, held no mercy, and he was proud. He had pride in his power, so being taken down so easily, was something that his pride did not easily forgive.

Clove looked at him with contempt. How entertaining it was, to watch the strongest trainee get taken down in two seconds.

'Having fun there, Clove?'

She turned to the sound of her name. Sera was standing with her arms crossed, with an entertained expression on her face. No doubt that she had enjoyed every bit of what had just happened.

'What do you want?' Clove replied coldly before turning back to her knives.

They knew each other for sure, but they had never been on friendly terms and Clove didn't recall ever being called by her name.

As if this reaction was expected, Sera just smiled.

'Just here to chat.'

Clove snorted.

'Cut the bullshit. You and I both know we don't like each other, so I'll ask you again. What do you want?' Her last word was forceful as she sent a two knives sailing through the air. They pierced the forehead and the heart of the dummy perfectly, and Clove smiled.

Sera let her gaze follow the knives before she replied.

'Well, that's a way to be blunt. Alright then. I have a suggestion,' she smiled sweetly. It would have been the kind of smile that made her fans crazy. But it was the sort of smile that Clove hated her for. She felt like she was looking at a beautiful person with a blood covered knife hiding behind her back.

'And what could that possibly be?' she asked. Sera's smile broadened.

'Seeing as you want to train with your knives, and I want to train with my javelins, I thought we should have,' she paused. 'A little session,' another pause. 'Properly.'

Clove narrowed her eyes. 'And you're planning to accomplish this how? I'm sure you're not stupid enough to have heard what Taron said, and think we could train here and now.'

'Please. I was planning after hours at the training centre. God, who do you think I am?' Sera asked.

A dumb bitch. That's for sure, Clove thought but didn't say it out loud.

'Look, Sera,' Clove kept the nastiness in her voice, even though she hesitated slightly before saying Sera's name. It sounded unnatural, even to Clove's own ears. Sera obviously picked up this hesitation as she raised her eyebrows amusingly. That was another thing Clove disliked about this girl. She found anything that made people uncomfortable, thoroughly amusing.

'As much as I would like to throw knives at your pretty face, I would rather value my volunteering chance,' she sneered. 'Taron's already given me enough shit for a day, and I don't think I want to get on his bad side and lose this chance, because, in case you didn't know, I'm the closest to that chance at the moment.'

Sera's expression changed at the mention of volunteering. It was like applying a drop of black to a white surface. Her face immediately turned into a scowl.

'You're pathetic and stupid. One little warning from the Head Mentor and you're backing off from you're chance of real training?' she spat.

Clove twirled the knife in her hand twice, before pointing the blade at Sera's neck.

'No. The pathetic one is the dick behind me who got thrown down in two seconds,' obviously listening to the whole conversation, Cato snapped his head up at the mention of him, and glared so fiercely at Clove it would have made anybody else tremble in fear. She didn't react. 'And the stupid one is you. Taron's not a fucking dumbass. He's the Head Mentor for a reason. You're obviously not the first person to think of that stupid fucking plan, so he's obviously there to stop people like you doing stupid things like that,' she spat it so acidly Sera nearly cringed back. But her pride stopped her.

She gritted her teeth and tried to say something but before she could, Taron's voice rose from the entrance.

'Back to your groups guys! The real training starts now!'

Clove Lockwood and Cato Thorman had known each other their entire life. However, they had never acknowledged each other and had hardly talked. Though, they knew each other well, and were certainly aware of each other's skills and what they were capable of.

Although Clove didn't remember, and Cato most likely didn't remember either, the first time they met was when she was two and Cato was four. Both of them were from wealthy families and had received training pretty much since they were born, so many people had cast the spotlight on them since they first touched their weapons. They were called child prodigies, and everyone was so sure that they would be the ones to go into the Hunger Games and win.

And both Clove and Cato believed that too.

Which was why, for Clove (and probably Cato who was eavesdropping) Sera's suggestion was extremely tempting. Clove had had enough of this 'training' bullshit and wanted to have the thrill and excitement of getting to actually hurt someone. Killing someone was probably not such a good idea, though she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't get carried away after hurting someone like she could. But again, there would be plenty of time for that in the arena.

She was craving for blood. She wanted to pierce something or cut something open and hear the agonizing screams that rip through the air as she cut of layer by layer of skin.

She wanted to be in the Games so badly.

But, she thought, thinking back to the day that made her hate her mother so much. Not just for myself and my District.

The voice of Taron interrupted her thoughts.

'As you all know, we have a ranking for the trainees who are the closest to getting the volunteering chance for the Reaping. This is judged mostly on how much strength and skill you have, as well as being able to think sensibly and rationally. No matter how strong you are, if you're a dumbass, you won't be getting the chance,' he said. Sniggers were heard throughout the room, which Taron ignored completely.

'Of course,' he continued. 'There won't be people like that in this room, as we've specially picked you guys from all the training centers around the District, but there is always the top of the top.'

A few murmurs resounded in the room as Clove knit her eyebrows together. She saw Sera put on a confused expression and Cato looked slightly puzzled.

Where was he going with this?

'I believe it is still the first day but judging from how things have gone today, and how you guys were judged back at your old training centers, we already have a ranking set, just to get you guys competitive with each other,' Taron smiled, and the trainees broke out into excited voices.

Clove smirked. At last something that was worth the wait. She would be, without doubt, one of the top people on the ranking. Judging from how Taron had said it, the ranking would probably change throughout the next month until the reaping, if the other trainees were able to surpass the top trainees.

Which was highly unlikely of course.

'Well, then!' Taron shouted over the buzzing voices of the trainees and opened up a piece of paper. 'I'm only introducing the top three so you guys can have a idea of how good you need to be! So, as tradition, ladies first.' There were a few snickers after hearing the familiar words that were always spoken at the reaping.

'The third on the ranking is Kamilia Satton!'

There was murmuring among the applause as Kamilia, a girl with black hair and hazel eyes smiled slightly. She was eighteen which automatically made her a strong smart fighter. She was extremely skilled with finding the pressure points in human bodies. Letting her near you would be the worst decision you make of your life, as she could take you down with two jabs of the fingers.

She didn't seem too upset that she was third although she didn't seem overly happy. There was no doubt she would've liked to be higher, as it was her last year of reaping, but maybe she didn't expect to be that high up, or maybe because she knew she would be able to surpass the other top two in the next month.

Taron continued.

'In second place, is… Ah, not surpsrising, Sera Luhman!'

There was a loud applause this time. Probably from all of her fans around the centre and from some of the mentors too. She had always been a favourite. People sent her glances (that weren't all happy) as she smiled and waved. But Clove could see that her expression was slightly tight. She expected to be first, and was not happy.

Clove smirked again as she looked expectantly at Taron. The noise in the centre had died down significantly, as Taron rustled the piece of paper.

'The first shouldn't come as much of a surprise I suppose,' he sighed. 'As your top ranker in the female list, is Clove Lockwood!'

Clove couldn't hide her grin as an even louder round of applause broke out and people sent her an equal amount of filthy looks as happy looks.

It was to be expected. Even though everyone here knew how good Clove's knife-throwing skills were, it didn't mean they exactly admired her for it. Let alone like her for it. If you knew her personality, it would make people dislike her more.

Clove didn't mind that at all. She didn't exactly like people that much herself, so it didn't bother her at all.

It didn't matter anyway, because she was at the top of the list.

She was going to get into the Hunger Games. The feeling was exhilarating.

'This isn't a surprise either, as the first on the male list is Cato Thorman!'

Clove's face snapped up to the voice of Taron and she heard Cato's woop and the loudest sound of cheering and applause.

Unlike Clove, Cato was more liked. Even though he was ruthless, vicious, and bloodlust like Clove, it didn't change the fact that he was admired strongly. He had the hugest grin on his face that just made Clove roll her eyes.

Taron had to shout over the voice of everyone even louder than before as he shouted out his last words.

'These are your top six trainees folks! I know you're all capable of beating them if you wanted to! So I expect this ranking to change over the next four weeks! If not, the volunteers will be Cato and Clove!'

Clove smiled as she let this reality sink into the other trainees.

Oh, no one was going to beat her. Nobody had been able to ever beat Clove since she was five. She was already on a different level to everyone else and she was absolutely confident that she would be the one volunteering for the Games in four more weeks.

She looked over at Cato who had the exact same expression. It was filled with satisfaction and triumph. The announcing of the ranking pretty much already told everyone who was going to win, and who was going to get to kill.

Clove and Cato smirked at the same time.

Everybody including themselves knew that nobody would be able to beat them and it would be Clove Lockwood and Cato Thorman that would be seen in the next Hunger Games that were happening in two more months.

And they were right.

Thanks for reading! The next chapter will actually move further at last! And there will be a lot more Clato interaction ;) (Hopefully anyway)

By the way, Sera's just your typical bitchy character so I don't think she will come out much after this... meh. Maybe she might. I dunno.

Once again thank you for the reviews and keep them coming! I actually get so excited when I see that I've got reviews! :D

P.S I just re-read the Hunger Games and all I could think about was Clato Clato Clato Clato Clato. I think I need to read something else soon.

P.P.S I'll be having school so the next chapter might come later! Sorry!