Chapter 11

I'm still alive

But I'm barely breathing

Just pray to a god that I don't believe in

'Cause I got time while she got freedom

-Breakeven (The Script)

Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, I love all of you guys too! This chapter is going to be in Cato's point of view, FYI. I know! FINALLY! And, Mrs. Katnip. Ludwig…haha, nice try. But still, it's nice to know that my story is…appreciated. Thanks guys! Enjoy!

I swallow a lump in my throat. Katniss…is going to see my family. I mean, my sisters are okay…but my brother. He might be younger than me, but he always had the favor of my parents. And yes…my parents. It's hard to believe they even love me. Katniss is finally going to see what I've been trying to hide from her. I would try to stop her, but I know my girl is headstrong. She will get whatever she wants.

I go back to my room and flop down onto the bed. What can I do? Just dash in there, and dash out? Pass out at the front door? Pretend I forgot my address? But basically everyone in District 2 knows where we live; on top of the cliff, with the grape vines hanging off of the porch. It's the white house that could probably hold five families. It's got too many rooms, and from the bottom of the hill you could still see it. It might as well be a beam of light from a lighthouse.

What am I going to tell her? I can't even tell myself…I don't wanna think about the years I've spent there, with my supposed parents. It just brings back so many bad memories…

I close my eyes. Suddenly, the soft capitol bed feels like hard concrete…concrete that's so familiar to me.

I'm fourteen again…a year that I wish I could just forget. Am I better off dead? I close my eyes and decide what I should live for. It's consisted of two things: Annie, and going to the field overlooking the sunset with Danny. I drag my feet out onto the doorstep. I got nothing, after what he did to me…my back hurts so bad. I am always thinking about this one word: why. I feel dead. I'll probably pay with my back for doing this…buuut…I just have to see Annie. Her soft lips and sweet face always seem to drag me to that field, where I know for sure she'll be waiting at. Her liquid brown eyes were so enticing to me…they were full of love that I never got from my so-called parents.

I run all the way there, even though my legs hurt so bad. I hop over the fence with some difficulty…but I don't see her. Instead, I see Danny. He's holding two swords in his hands, and then I understand.

My parents never loved me. They never bothered with me; they made me do the dirty work, gave me the things that no one else wanted. They never bothered to send me to training school. They always wanted me to leave me, to leave me on the streets to die. But District 2 protocol states that you can't get rid of any strong, healthy children, to ensure that we'd win the Games. So they couldn't leave me. I was the strongest…

I instead sought my training through my only true, male friend, Danny. Everyone made fun of me for being the saddest, for being the most rejected. But not Danny. Everyday, he'd run to me, saying that he wanted to play. Of course, I didn't know that playing meant sword fighting, with real swords. So when I snuck to the field, I was surprised to see him wield a sword. He was surprised I didn't bring one. He was even more shocked to find out…that I didn't even know how to hold one I was sure Danny would laugh at me, and push me down like so many other kids have done. Instead, he handed me the sword and taught me how to fight.

I came home that day…I was tired from Danny and his playing. He was almost too good for me, with all his fancy tricks from the training school. I wasn't angry anymore, whenever I thought about training and the Academy .I used to be, thinking it wasn't fair…how was it that everyone else got the upperhand…I felt so alone, so out of it. But for some reason, Annie and Danny have taken that anger away from me. But they haven't taken away my shell; my hard exterior that I've learned to keep up.

I silently sneak back into the house. I carefully make my way up to my only place on sanity and reserve—my tiny room. I tread my way up the stairs. When I hear the footsteps.

"Cato, what the hell were you doing? I saw you run off earlier. Don't lie to me you bastard!" God no, please no. It was my father. I close my eyes, and say what I've learned to say.

"Sorry, I promise I'll never do it again. I just wanted to go into to town. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause any trouble…" I say timidly. I became fearful that he'd find out about the secret training, and I became sacred because I knew what was going to follow…the beating. I became numb, the fear spreading throughout my limbs, making me stiffen up.

"You bitch! I know you're lying. Why are you such a pain in the ass? Can't you be like your brother or your sisters? Come here…" He takes me by the arm and forcefully drags me down the stairs. I can only follow, paralyzed with fear.

He grabs his belt. We go down another flight of stairs…down the basement. My brain starts to feel so sluggish and slow…I…

A soft hand touches my forearm. It starts to pat my cheek.

"Cato, wake up. Wake up Cato, we have to go."

I snap open my eyes. To my relief…it was the past. I don't have to live the horror. Katniss has saved me from it. I find myself covered in a sheen of fine sweat…I feel my hands tremble Thank you, Katniss.

I leap off of the bed and I suddenly wrap her in my arms. I plant a kiss on top of her head. I can feel her head snuggle deeper into my chest. Oh Katniss…you've always been so good to me. I slowly unwrap myself, not believing that I just nearly relived pain from my father's belt.

I silently go to the bathroom.

I'm going to see my parents. I'm going to confront them.