When everyone's gone I collapse on the couch. My face aches from having to smile so much. I can't believe that I've only got 3 weeks of freedom left. 3 weeks. It almost feels like a death sentence. In some ways I wish that it was. I'm sure I'd look forward to that more.
Cato sits down beside me.
"Hey." He says softly and I turn away from him. "Clove. What's up?" I hold back a laugh. What does he thinks up. I hear him growl at my silence. He stands up.
"I'm going to make dinner." he says and walks away. I scoff and lean back and put my head in my hands. When did it all get so complicated? I look around and remember that this is the room that I sat in yesterday when I had to watch...that. I feel tears prick my eyes as I recall my crying sister. I shake my head and stand up abruptly. I walk around until I eventually walk into the kitchen, about an hour later.
"There you are. I couldn't find you anywhere." I shrug and sit down. I fiddle with my tea mostly and don't eat much. Cato seems to notice that somethin's off. He makes the wise decision of not confronting me about it.
In the morning Cato shakes me awake.
"Clove. The train arrives in an hour!" Cato says urgently.
"That's nice." I mumble, not listening to him.
"Clover." I don't say anything. He sighs and rips off the duvet.
"Hey." I squeal.
"Come on Clover. Get ready, I already packed for you." I mentally roll my eyes and groggily get up. I shower and get changed into the green pinafore. When I next see Cato it's when there's 2 peacekeepers at the door. I look at him nervously. Last time a peacekeeper came knocking on my was when Dad was drunk and had got into a fight. I still have a small scar on my thigh from that night. Cato smiles at me reassuringly.
"It's time to go babe." He calls and takes my hand, intertwining our fingers. I realise that he wants me to act infront of them so I let him lead me out of the house, the peacekeepers carrying our luggage. They're obviously here to protect the newest victor. Whatever. When we get to the train lots of people are gathered around. Cato laughs and waves but I just avoid peoples looks of disappointment. I was suppposed to be a career. And careers don't love. I used to be feared but I'm seen as pathetic now. My lifes completley changed in the course of a few days. We board the train and are told that'll take 2 hours to get to our destination. The Capitol.
I go to the bedroom and sit on the bed. Instead of the click of the door shutting, I hear footsteps and know that it's Cato.
"What do you want?"I spit and he chuckles.
"You're the little charmer, aren't you Clover." I glare at him and he gives me an equaly hard one.
"Now listen, Clover." He snarls "You are going to do what I say. Understood?" I nod slightly and he smirks in satisfactory. "You will pretend to be in love with me. You will act along and not give it away. You will say that we've been secretly dating for 3 years, I asked you out after I'd seen your knife skills, we've been on a total of 436 dates, I proposed to you when you visited me in the Justice hall, your sister was the only one who knew we were dating and you can't wait to be married and have kids." I harden my glare.
"I don't want to pretend all those things. Especially having kids. Children are brats." Cato laughs at me again.
"Well you have to Clover, OK? You don't get a say and you will give me a child." I pale slightly at the thought. "I get to decide when, so I'd behave." He says and I huff and fold my arms.
"So here's what's happening. We'll get there tonight and then tomorrow we'll be preped and interviewed together. Then the next day we'll be interviewed seperatley so that Ceaser can find out more. Next is a photoshoot, then we attend a feast and on our last full day a ball."
I look at him.
"How do you even remember that?" I ask and he laughs again. It must be a nervous habit.