I wake up to my own gasp. I glance at the time and it's two o'clock in the morning. I've been waking up from time to time and it's been stressing me out. I should be getting as much sleep as I can for the Games. I growl a bit and threw away my comforter. I jump up and got my knives. I could use one last training. There's a big picture on the wall of the streets of the Capitol. I bring out one knife at a time and drive the knife out unto the painting. It pierced through the middle of a circular window of a skyscraper.

I've been throwing knives for the past hour and I've sabotaged the painting too much. My throat's scratchy and dry, so I decided to get a glass of water. I went on my tippy toes and sneaked outside of the room, making sure Carta or Enobaria won't catch me red-handed.

"What do you think you're doing, Clover?"

I jump upon hearing it and turn back with my knife up on my left hand. I squeeze it upon seeing Cato's deep blue eyes in the moonlight. He was sitting on the couch with his usual (and most of the time annoying) cocky smile. "Shit, Cato." I blurt out with fury. "What the hell are you doing this early?" I growled a little again and toss the knife near him. It lands on one of the throw pillows. "Hey, hey, hey! stop!" He panics. I walk to the kitchen and search for something to drink. I got a glass of milk. "Seriously?" He says from the couch. I sit on the other couch across him and puts down the glass. "What?" I say clueless. He chuckles and I throw him a pillow. "That isn't badass at all." He teases as he stands up. He walks back with a flask from which I think is alcohol. "This is badass," He says as he sits beside me. "Drink up." I stare at him blankly. "What?" I blurt out. "Never! Those stuff are deadlier than Calliope's seduction strategies." He laughs and I couldn't help but to laugh as well. "Come on," He says. "At least try. Come on, be a real badass for just now."

"Oh really, Cato? I'm not badass?" I shove him and grab the flask. "Watch me."

So, I basically swallowed the whole thing quick enough to make my head pound with pain. "Are you okay?" Cato teases with a lot of chuckles. I hit him in the arm. "Ugh, you did this!" I accused. I throw myself unto a pile of throw pillows. Another awkward silence bewildered us for a couple of minutes. "Okay, you're badass," He jokes and we laugh. "I remember when you first came to training. You were so innocent and I never knew you'd be a 'killer' with knives." I scowl and punch him on his arm again. "So did you, you know," I retort. "You looked like you were nothing but a good little momma's boy." I stick my tongue out and lay back down again. "the Games changed us," He says under his breath. "The Capitol changed us."

"Cato, you know we're not supposed to say things like that," I tell. "This is what we're meant to do." I sit up and analyze his face. He was frowning at the glass of milk I never got to drink. "I don't think that's what I'm meant to do." He whispers.

You don't think that's what you're meant to do? I figured. Are you hearing yourself, Cato?

"How did you say so?" I ask eagerly. His blue eyes glows under the moonlight. He looks at me and smiles a little. "It was because of this girl," He explains. Glimmer? Okay, I hate her, but there's a possibility. It can be Calliope (ew) too. It's impossible to be me. We've been training together and the kind of relationship we first had, have been because of the Games. He's with the sword and I'm with the knives. That's how it has always been… before we kissed. He looks at me smiling and I looked at him quizzically. "What?" I cluelessly ask. He grins at me. "There was this girl," He starts. "Everyone in my district loves her and knows her. Her family would always host this soiree and she performs."

I swallow hard and stare at him blankly. Don't do this. It's the Games tomorrow. Please. I thought. "The first time we met," He continues. "I fell blank and I was really amazed to see how much skill she had with knives. Some people say she was born to do it… but I don't think so. She also had this great talent in music. Just like her mother. That time, when she sang the song her mother sang back in the days, it blew me away. She blew me away. I realized, some people are made to be like this by people. And not born to do this."

That was me. I was the one he was talking about. When I sang one of the songs my mother was most famous for. "She changed me," He added. "You changed me, Clove." I bolted up and looked at him. "Cato. This shouldn't be. We've been trained all our lives for this. This is all that we can ever be. We can't change what's meant for all of us to do. We don't have that power to go against it. Don't give everything you've ever trained for just for this."

"And do you really think I'd give up all we've had just for the Games?" He defends. "Come on, Clove. You're all that I ever wanted. We can both get out if this. You and I. We can do it. I promi-"

"No, don't promise, Cato!" I blurt out. I feel tears running down to my freckled cheeks. "It's impossible. Sooner or later we'll have to grow up and face the fact that one of us will either be dead or get out alive. And for now, I'm not holding up to whatever I've had before the Games. Whatever we've had." I bolt out and shut the door of my room.