Yay for another update! See, I promised they would be posted faster now! Thank you guys so much for the sweet reviews and comments. I promise I take your opinions into heavy consideration when I'm writing more chapters, so let me know what you think/want . Anyways, here is chapter 4! Enjoy!
My thoughts are cloudy and I can feel every heartbeat in my temples when I'm finally pulled into consciousness by a hard prod to the cheek. I barely have time to register my surroundings before I'm assaulted again.
"Cato, you massive ass. Wake up," a voice hisses in my ear. I groan and attempt to roll over when I realize there is something heavy and warm laying across my chest. "You were supposed to meet us half an hour ago. Get up NOW."
My eyes finally open to see Katniss Everdeen scowling down at me. She rolls her eyes and stomps out the door, grumbling and telling me to hurry. I turn to the elaborate wall clock to see that it reads 12:34, and realization washes over me. I forgot I was supposed to meet everyone on the roof at midnight. I knew better than to drink, especially on the first night. How could I have been so careless? I try to remember the last few hours of my night, but my memories begin to become fuzzy around the third liquor bottle being opened. I try to remember if I made it to dinner, hoping I had somehow managed to eat something in my drunken stupor to lessen the severity of the hangover that is throbbing in my brain and sloshing in my stomach.
Abruptly, the weight on my chest moves, and my heart stops. I close my eyes praying that I won't open them to find her asleep in my bed, praying against all hope that she might have said no to the advances I most likely made in my foolish, intoxicated state. But I know its Athena; I don't even need to look. The way her leg is comfortably wrapped over mine, how her hand rests between her head and my chest, even the way she breathes is so achingly familiar I can almost convince myself it's a dream. I can't count the number of times we've woken up this. I take a selfish second to relish in the moment, in the way she fits perfectly into my side and how she frowns unconsciously in her sleep when I unlink our hands. For such a lethal person, she radiates innocence when she sleeps.
There is a part of me that wants to wake her up, explain everything, and tackle this head on together, but I know I can't. It is not my plan to share and not worth the danger that the knowledge would put her in. So I stand, pulling on a sweatshirt and shoes, and pick her up as gently as possible. She's always been a heavy sleeper; I just hope that hasn't changed. As I step out into the hallway with her, I find Peeta and Katniss standing by the elevators waiting. His eyebrows rise in question to the girl asleep in my arms. Katniss does not look surprised but angry.
"Stop looking at me that way and open her door. She can't wake up in my bed. Especially not alone."
When the elevator doors close and we begin our assent to the roof, the silence is suffocating. I can feel anger and hatred radiating off of Katniss, and I guiltily realize that I didn't even stay sober long enough to watch the reapings to see who of their loved ones were chosen to be put to death. An uncomfortable knot forms in my stomach when I think about her innocent, angelic little sister. I have no doubt that she was reaped yesterday morning. Peeta, who is usually the epitome of composure, looks just as uncomfortable as he does angry. The air in the elevator feels combustible, and I am relieved when they open into the cool night air.
"Took you long enough, princess. Did you get enough beauty sleep? You're starting to rival Finnick," Johanna jibes, earning an eye roll from Finnick who is lounging lazily on the ledge of the building. Haymitch stands off to the side, arms crossed and surly as usual.
"Missed you, too, Jo," I say, fighting the urge to throw up. Why hadn't I stopped for medicine? A tall, lean boy who I don't recognize and hadn't previously noticed steps into the light with a look of impatience on his face. I am startled at the resemblance he shares with Katniss. They are undoubtedly related.
"Could we get this thing underway now? We've been here nearly an hour now," he barks. Finnick sits up in distaste and stalks closer toward the group.
"Excuse me, but who the hell are you?" His voice is light but firm.
"This is Gale Hawthorne, male tribute from District 12," Peeta says calmly, but the look of resentment Gale shoots toward him does not go unnoticed. Katniss takes a defensive step in Gale's direction.
"A tribute? What the hell, Everdeen?" I shout as my anger overrides my sickness. "What happened to 'the less they know, the better'? We agreed not to get them involved! We agreed-"
"Is that why your tribute was in your bed, Porcius? Do not lecture me about what I can and can't do with my tribute! At least I'm not sleeping with mine!" She yells and tries to hit me, only to be stopped by Peeta wrapping his arms around her waist. My jaw clenches without my permission as everyone's fall on me.
"Cato's not that stupid," Johanna looks to me for affirmation. My throat has never felt so dry.
"It's complicated," I manage, but my voice cracks. I hear Haymitch let out a low whistle and Finnick curses under his breath.
As I look around the group of faces, I'm surprised when I find the only ones not angry with me are Gale and Peeta. They look sympathetic. Peeta's arms tighten slightly around Katniss and I realize that it isn't sympathy but empathy. So who has Gale lost to the games?
"Can we just focus on what we came here for, for now?" Gale asks finally.
"Right. So here's our situation," Finnick steps forward. "We figure we can have them... er, you?" He throws a sideways glance at Gale. "…out by the fourth or fifth day at the latest. It'll be up to you guys to get what you need and get in position. Gale knows what to do with that. So basically, our job is to make sure our tributes are allies and together at the right time."
"Obviously, I'll be with Prim. Who else will be our main priorities?" Gale asks. I appreciate his straight foreword, no nonsense attitude. I know Athena will, too. My concern in convincing her to abandon the traditional career group she has been raised to depend on is slightly lessened.
"My tributes are bloodbath material," Johanna quips nonchalantly. Peeta looks stunned. "What? This isn't my first rodeo, Lover boy. I'm being realistic here."
"Well then, there's my brother. Tide is a fighter. He's far from heartless, but he's calculating and smart. He won't join an alliance he's not confident in. No offense, Hawthorne, but you're not enough alone," Finnick says. I'm shocked. I had no idea he had a younger brother. I realize this was probably on purpose. He had protected Tide like I tried to protect Athena, by pretending they didn't exist.
"Finnick is right, Gale," Katniss says staring off into the distance. "You're good, but not enough to pull away from the appeal of the career pack."
"So we break the pack apart. We make the alliance too strong for him to turn down. He turned down an alliance with Gale and Athena, he'd be crazy," I muse. Everyone stares at me in shock.
Haymitch is the first to speak, "Are you trying to say you intend to save this girl, son?"
"Finnick saved Annie," I state simply before realizing my mistake. Finnick's perpetual smile falters a little before growing wider. Johanna rolls her eyes, and I see Haymitch mimic her. Katniss stares, eyes wide. Peeta's mouth forms a ghost of a smile. Gale looks mildly confused and it occurs to me that he does not understand the very serious comparison I have just made. I have just admitted the level of my feelings and the lengths I am willing to go to to bring her back with one analogy.
"Great," Haymitch groans. "More lovesick teenagers. This keeps getting better and better."
Finnick claps me on the back, "Here I was thinking you were a heartless ass. Turns out, you're an ass with feelings!"
"Enough," Katniss rises and heads toward the elevators. "Meet back here in two nights, after the first day of training, and report about alliance progress. And Cato," she grins over her shoulder. "In the future, please do not make me come fetch you. Especially if you plan to continue having company."
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xoxo