Hi there !
First of all, thanks for your reviews, once again ! :)
Thanks to Zara for helping me, I still have hard times writing correctly in English as it's not my first language. I hope I seem to get better at it though.
Notice one thing : I've changed my pen name. The other one was kinda old. The new one, as you can see, is AllenCampbell, refering to the novel I wrote, where Allen Campbell happen to be the main character.
Anyway, here is the 3rd chapter, enjoy !
Chapter III
Primrose did not wake Cato up, because she was busy cooking dinner with her mother. She asked her sister to do it instead.
- Hey, Katniss said as she was gently shaking him.
He moaned, slowly getting out of sleep. When he opened his eyes, he backed off at the sight of the girl.
- It's okay, she whispered. We're going to eat in like five minutes. Thought you would want to know, she added before leaving the room.
When he finally got up, he noticed the aroma in the air. He sniffed. What could it be ? It smelled familiar.
- Knock knock, said Peeta as he was entering the room. How are you feeling ?
Cato grinned.
- Much better.
The other boy sat in the chair where Prim' was a couple of hours ago.
- So, I heard you kind of prevented me from striking my head on the ground...
Peeta nodded.
- You're welcome. I'm sure you would have done the same for me.
The way Peeta was looking at him was awkward, once again.
- Does it smell like... ? Cato started to say.
- Chicken, confirmed the other boy.
He smiled.
- I haven't eaten chicken for years.
- Neither have I.
"Oh my... he thought. We have nothing to tell to each other, so we are talking about food. This is so awkward. " He looked at the other boy. "Actually, it is because we don't know each other at all. But he's so nice to me, though. How am I even supposed to seduce her girlfriend when I like him more than her ?"
- The dinner is ready ! said a voice from the kitchen, outside the room.
As Peeta was getting up and walking towards the door, Cato realized he just had thought that he liked him. "Yeah, sure, why wouldn't I like him ? We have been in the arena together. We shouldn't both be alive. I guess it had kind of built a bond between us... even though I don't feel like that with Katniss."
- You coming ? smiled Peeta, on the doorstep.
He nodded.
- Yeah, sure.
He followed him in the dining room, where Mrs. Everdeen, her two daughters and Peeta's brothers were waiting for him.
- Good evening, Mrs Everdeen, he said.
She didn't answer, nor smiled to him, but only nodded. Katniss gave her a nudge in the ribs.
- Good... good evening, Cato. Please, seat.
He looked for a seat to take. The only one left was between Mrs. Everdeen and Peeta's oldest brother. He awkwardly moved towards the chair.
As Peeta said, Katniss' mother and Primrose had cooked chicken. Even though no one talked to him during the dinner, Cato enjoyed every mouthful he took.
But still it was awkward. He was eating with the family of the two young he tried to kill several times. He remembered Peeta's words, in the train : "He's as damaged as us, Katniss. He's a victim, just like us." Peeta was right. All the anger he had since the beginning of the games was gone. No, not exactly. The games had changed him. The anger he had against innocent people was definitely gone.
He started cutting another piece of chicken. He was just mad against one person. Snow. That bastard took him his family.
As he was trying to hide his rage, he just kept cutting his chicken faster and faster, stronger and stronger, without realizing everyone was looking at him.
Katniss looked at Peeta. Cato's wince was worrisome.
- You okay ? she said.
The young man threw his fork down and stormed out of the house. He ran away, as fast as he could. Some peacekeepers were staring at him, as were District 12's inhabitants, but it didn't matter. They already had seen him passing out earlier, so how could it get worse ?
He stopped running when he reached the grid. He saw a sign saying "High voltage". As angry as he was, he thought he would better not keep on going.
- Are you lost ? said a voice behind him as he was trying to catch his breath.
He turned back. An old woman was gently looking at him from the top of stairs outside a house – probably hers.
- Who are you ?
She started descending the stairs.
- You can call me Greasy Sae.
- Cato ! yelled someone's voice behind the house.
The old woman quickly turned. Peeta was running towards them.
- Leave me alone !
- No, I won't ! refused the other boy.
Peeta stopped running since he was only a few meters away from him.
- I said, leave me alone, Peeta. I don't want you to be here ! I don't want ANY OF YOU to be here !
- Well, this is too bad, because I'm not leaving.
Cato was going mad.
- All of this is your fault ! You're the reason why I'm here ! I should be dead !
- What the hell are you talking about ? Peeta answered while frowning. You're not making any sense !
Cato bit his lip.
- The... the Capitol...
He could feel the tears coming. He felt on his knees and started cowering. He did not see Peeta coming closer.
- The Capitol... they took my...
- Your shoulder, I know, the other boy said, as he was shyly putting his hand on his other shoulder.
Cato felt his heart beating faster and faster. He almost had said that the Capitol was keeping his parents prisoners. He couldn't tell Peeta : that was way too risky. He looked up to see him, but the other boy was looking elsewhere.
- We'd better hurry, some Peacekeepers are looking in our direction. It's going to be okay, Cato, I'm here.
- I made way too much soup. You can have some if you want, Greasy Sae said with a grin.
Peeta helped Cato to lift up slowly. He put off his hand and gently tapped him on his back.
- Stay with Sae. I'm going to look for Katniss and the others, they must be worried.
- I bet they're not.
- Don't say that. If I was still looking for you out there, I would be worried.
Cato awkwardly stared at Peeta, before eventually smiling at him.
- Thank you, Peeta.
The other boy smiled at him, then turned back and moved towards Katniss' home. Cato started following the old lady into her house.
- That smells good, he said once he entered in.
- I told you I made too much soup. Sit, I'll go get it.
He obeyed and sat in front of the wooden table. The woman walked into the kitchen, and quickly returned with a bowl of soup. He nodded to thank her before taking a sip. She sat in front of him.
- May I ask you a question ? he said.
- Of course you can, young man, she smiled.
- Why don't you hate me, like everyone else ?
- Aww, sweetie. People don't hate you. They fear you.
He frowned.
- What do you mean ?
- You almost killed Katniss and Peeta. And they tried to kill you back. People are scared that you might try again.
- Why would I try to kill them again ? The games are over. I already regret having fought in the arena.
Sae shrugged.
- They can't forget, she said.
- Then, why aren't you afraid of me too ?
- I've seen so many tributes in my life who regretted what happened in the arena. The games destroyed their life, even if they were as young as you are now. I don't want other lives to be wrecked by the Capitol.
He smiled.
- Thank you, Greasy Sae. You're the only one.
- Oh, no, I don't think so. That is a good friend you have here.
- Who ? Peeta ?
She nodded.
- Oh, no, no. We are not friends.
- Right, right. I guess you still see him and Katniss as your enemies when they seem to actually care about you.
Surprised, the boy didn't answer anything.
- You're a very brave young man, Cato. I hope you know that, she added with a grin.
Someone knocked at the door. Greasy Sae stood up and opened it.
- Look who's here ! Katniss, I'm so glad to see you.
- Good evening, Greasy Sae, said the girl's voice on the doorstep. We're here to...
- I know why you're here. Come on in.
Cato looked at the two teenagers entering the house.
- There you are, Katniss said at his sight. We were so worried when you left the house. Luckily, Peeta found you first – Prim and I were looking for you too.
- I'm sorry for ruining the dinner with your family, he said. I didn't mean to bother you, that's the last thing I'd ever want after... you know.
- Yeah, she answered.
She smiled, looked at Peeta, then looked back at him with a smile.
- Yeah, we know.
Okay, I just realized I represented Greasy Sae as a cockblocker. Forgive me for that. I really liked her in the books (here in France, her name is Sae Boui-boui, which I think sounds awesome) so I wanted her to be nice and caring, even if she was the only one in the District besides Katniss and Peeta.
