AN: Okay so a lot of you are going to think "Whoa two chapters in a row! Awesome!" well let me just tell you that there is a good reason for this. Today, as it turns out, is my birthday. Yay for me. But I wanted to be on the giving side rather than the receiving side when it comes to gifts. So here is my gift to you. I hope you enjoy.
~ The Hungry Mockingjay
~Katniss~
The next few days after what happened at the Feast I have stayed clear of Cato, if we were walking in the same hallway, I made sure I was on the opposite side of it away from him. I hardly look at him, only if he is in my peripheral vision. I have no contact with him what so ever by orders of Brutus. The day after the Feast I trained just as hard as I did when Cato had kissed me, trying to work out my frustrations. When I came to training today though, four days after the Feast, Brutus said he wanted to meet me in a conference room with him and Enobaria. What could this be about? A Peacekeeper found me this morning and showed me to the conference room where Enobaria and Brutus sitting at a large round table.
"Spitfire, come sit." Brutus said gesturing to the seat next to him. I followed his request and sat by his side at the table.
"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked him trying not to sounds nervous.
"You know how I said if there is a District 2 winner in the Games this year that I might want to take you?" he said and I nodded, remembering the conversation. "Well I want to turn that into a definite yes." he said with a proud but serious smile.
"Really? But why me?" I asked surprised.
"Your skills have grown a lot in the time that you've been here, and they are only going to grow more. Enobaria and I can bring our two top students. She is bringing Clove and Kairo and I am bringing you and Cato."
"But only if District Two wins." Enobaria added in.
"That's great but what about my District? When I show up there with you they are all going to know me and want to talk to me, my friends and my family, my sister will especially want to." I said.
"Well Brutus and I thought about that and how about while you're in District 12 you get "sick" or something where you can go out to see people?" Enobaria offered.
"But won't Cato, Clove, and Kairo get suspicious that I get sick at that specific District?" I asked.
"That's true." Brutus said. "Cato will figure something out."
"What if you get sick in Eleven and Twelve?" the only woman in the room suggested to me and I thought for a while.
"What if I start feeling sick when we're in Ten and its so bad that I can't go out with the rest of you and I'm sick for the rest of the tour? That would be three Districts that I'd be "sick" in instead of one."
"That's good, and maybe you can start feeling some early symptoms in other Districts. They'll try and say that you should come back here because you're sick but we'll say that there is no way to get you back here once we've left." Brutus says in a rush.
"Yeah and with the way you've befriended Clove she'll get worried and want you to stay here to get better. So I think it sounds like a plan am I correct?" Enobaria concludes and I agree.
"Well now that that's settled we should get training." Brutus said and we all got up and walked out the door and into the hallway where Enobaria went to the TR to train her students while Brutus lead me to the Private Outdoor Training Area. When we got there he lead me to the center and stuck his hands out.
"What would you like to do first?" he asked and I looked around until my eyes landed on the rack with bows and arrows. I smiled and pointed to them and he raised an eyebrow.
"A Bow and Arrow? Okay let's go give it a shot. No pun intended." he said as we walked over to them. I picked up a bow, testing it's weight in my hand. The familiarity of one in my hand was relieving and peaceful. I picked up an arrow and strung it, taking aim, and letting it fly towards a target thirty feet away. It hit the third inner ring. I gasped at the fact that I missed the center and stared at it. "Well you aren't horrible." he said about to continue before I stopped him.
"Wait let me try again." I said and he nodded putting his hand on his chin while I grabbed another bow and took aim again, this time when I let go it hit the center and I smiled proudly.
"Beginner's luck." he said grabbing another arrow and handed it to me. "Do it again." he ordered and I complied. Arrow after arrow I hit that target with a bulls eye every time until I ran out of arrows to shoot. When I turned to Brutus he smiled at me impressed.
"So that's how you got here." he said and stepped towards me. "How do you know how to do that?" he questioned.
"Back home my father and I hunted for food in the woods, he taught me how to shoot and hunt. And after he died I had to do it by myself." I explained.
"And the Peacekeeper's never got suspicious that you could shoot so well in the evaluation?" he questioned further.
"I actually sold them some of the game I hunted." I said timidly and he barked out a laugh.
"The ones who are supposed to maintain the law help break it. Shows what this world is coming to. So since you can shoot, let's work on distance." he said and set up different targets and dummies all around me at different lengths away from me, some ten feet, some forty, some sixty, and some as far away as one hundred and fifty feet away from me. I can shoot every target in the center up to one hundred feet so far, so we spent the rest of the time practicing anything farther than that. When we were finished he dismissed me for lunch and told me to meet him back here for our training session tonight, and with a curt nod I left the room and went to the cafeteria. It's a longer walk so when I finally get there Clove and Luna are already making their way to the table. I go and grab my food and as I walk to meet them I see Damon, Crone, and Havo sitting with them.
"Hey guys." I say with a smile as I sit between Luna and Crone with Clove, Havo, and Damon across the table from me.
"Hey yourself." Luna said back.
"What took you so long to get here?" Damon asked.
"Brutus has me training in the POTR." I said after taking a sip of my water.
"About time. It's only two months til the Games." Luna said.
"Speaking of the games, Enobaria told me some interesting news." Clove said with a knowing smile on her face and I knew exactly what she was talking about.
"What?" Crone asked looking from her to me.
"Spitfire gets to come on the Victory Tour." Clove said in a sing song voice.
"Only if District Two wins this year." I remind her.
"Which we probably will." she retorted.
"But Spitfire, that's great. Do you know how many students would kill to go on the tour?" Crone asked and I rolled my eyes.
"No but remind me to sleep with a knife under my pillow until I leave to go home." I said sarcastically and they all laughed.
"Hey maybe we'll finally get to figure out where you're from on this tour." Clove said with a smirk.
"How? Havo asked curiously.
"Because anybody she knows is gonna want to talk to her duh." Clove said in a matter-of-fact tone and he rolled his eyes. As they bantered back and forth I just kept silent, not wanting anything to slip about the plan to keep me hidden when we are in District Twelve.
~Cato~
Ever since the Feast Spitfire has been staying away from me as much as possible and I know Brutus told her to do it. It's all because of what I had said to her a few nights ago. I don't even know why I said it, my anger just took over me. After seeing Crone kiss her cheek and her do nothing about it, I just couldn't control it anymore and I snapped. But now, sitting here with Kairo during lunch, and seeing Clove, Luna, Havo, Damon, Crone, and Spitfire sitting at one table talking and laughing as if they were at a regular school, I question what their status here really is. Does Crone have a thing for her? It's pretty obvious. But does she return those feelings for him? I can't exactly tell. She keeps her home and name such a secret, I'm sure she can a handle on her emotions as well. But how good is that handle.
"So Enobaria told me something you might want to ask Brutus about." Kairo said before taking a bite of his chicken and I looked at him confused.
"What is it?" I questioned in annoyance but he shook his head.
"She said not to tell you, but you just have to wait for Brutus to tell you after lunch." he said keeping his eyes on his food, avoiding my cold glare at his loyalty to his teacher. After a while of glaring and him not looking up I turned my gaze to Spitfire table, watching her and her friends laughing at something Crone had said.
"What does he see in her anyway?" I asked vaguely causing Kairo to look up at me.
"Who? Crone and Spitfire?" he said following my gaze. "Well she is pretty, seems strong judging by the muscles she's gotten since being here, and maybe, like you, he sees her as a mystery he just wants to figure out." he theorizes and I grunt in response.
"She isn't that pretty."
"You're kidding me right?" he asks sarcastically surprised. "You did see the same girl I did at the Feast right? Her in that dress she wore was hot." he said and I let out a low growl and he shut right up.
"You know what just forget it. I'm going back to training." I replied standing up with my half eaten tray of food.
"Don't forget to talk to Brutus." he shouts as I walk away. After throwing away my food I stride out of the cafeteria passing Spitfire table, trying to get her attention but it doesn't work, she just ignores me. I look forward glaring and walk to the TR and straight to the swords, swinging at every dummy in sight.
"What's got you so pissed again?" a voice calls from behind me and I turn to find Brutus leaning against the doorway.
"Spitfire just keeps pissing me off." I reply, swinging at another dummy, decapitating it.
"I told you two to stay away from each other." he warned walking over to me.
"And we are but it's just the little things that annoy me."
"Like what?" he asked.
"Like how she so suddenly gives her attention to a guy who barely knows her, her happy laugh is getting annoying, she the stupid way she crinkles her nose when she smiles, and the fact that nobody knows anything about her!" I ramble and he just stands there nodding.
"As compared to her giving her attention to you who hardly knows her either?" he challenged and I gave him a hard glare. "Well you need to get over these little things that annoy you because you're gonna have to put up with them eventually." he informs me and I look at him confused.
"What are you talking about?" I ask him and he sighs.
"If District Two wins this year-" he starts but I interrupt.
"Don't say it." I know what he is going to say and I don't want him to say it. Why does he have to do this to me?
"Spitfire is coming on the Victory Tour with you, Clove, and Kairo." he continues and I yell out in rage.
"WHY? What has she done to make her one of your top students?" I question, shouting almost at the top of my lungs causing other people in the room to stare at us. Or at me really.
"You don't know what she can do. I know what got her here and she's been through a lot. More than you can imagine. And if and when we are on Tour you two are to get along otherwise I will find a way to send one of you back here." he threatens and I just stare, or more like glare, at the floor.
"Fine, maybe then I can find out where the bitch is from." I huff out. I expect him to come back with a harsh comment or something but he just stays quiet for a few moments before sighing again and gesturing to the Bows and Arrows.
"Go shoot some Arrows, you're not that strong with those." he says and I walk over and take aim at the targets. Shooting arrow after arrow and not once hitting the center. Seriously, who would use one of theses things? I think to myself. What happens when you run out of arrows? At least with a Sword or Spear you can't lose it. What are you supposed to do when a Bow but no Arrows, hit people with it? Yeah, it'll probably break upon impact. Who ever chooses these as their weapon of choice is an idiot.
~Katniss~
That night after training I was sitting in my room with Luna talking about going home to see our families in two months, having to watch the games again and watching someone we know being sent to their deaths.
"I don't know what would happen if someone I care about is sent into the Hunger Games I don't know what I'd do." Luna says and I nod.
"I know, next year is Prim's first Reaping and if she gets reaped I would definitely volunteer for her." I said and she looks at me shocked.
"Really, you'd risk your life for her?" she asked in awe and I nodded.
"Hell yes I would. She means everything to-" I couldn't finish my sentence because there was a sudden pounding on our dorm room door. "Did you invite someone over?" I asked her and she shook her head no.
"No, it's only an hour til curfew." she said and the pounding came again only much harder.
"Relax I'm coming!" I shout as I walked to the door, opening it, and finding a fuming Cato standing there in the hallway. "What do you want?" I ask coldly.
"You not going on the Victory Tour." he said jabbing a finger at me and I scoffed.
"Well it's not exactly my choice is it?" I asked sarcastically and he shoved me into the room and walking in after me.
"But it's your fault that you're here in the first place!" he shouted, continuously walking to me as I backed up until the back of my knees came into contact with my bed and I sat on it. "If you hadn't been so good at what ever it is you do, you wouldn't be here and you wouldn't be going on the Victory Tour if District 2 wins." he said.
"Look I know you don't like me being here but get over it because I'm here for a reason, besides wanting to kill innocent children." I said and he shoved me back on the bed forcefully and sat on me, his pelvis pressing into mine as he straddled my hips.
"I will not get over it!" he shouted. "And why are you here in the first place when you shouldn't be!" he said pinning me down to my bed, his hands holding my wrists by my head so I couldn't punch him.
"None of your business! Now get off me!" I shouted back at him.
"Not until you tell me why you're here to begin with." he said and I spit in his face. He let go of one of my wrist to wipe his face and looked back at me with a harder and colder glare than he came with. "You are going to regret that you ever did that Spitfire. Now I am not leaving until I get my answers." he says in a menacing voice. "And if you spit in my face I again I swear I'll-" but he doesn't get to finish his threat, because I did the one thing he said not to do. Spit in his face again. This time after he wiped his face again, he raised his fist back and punched me. A throbbing pain came to my right eye and I yelped in pain. He got off of me and I sat up.
"Cato get out of here before I call the Peacekeepers." Luna threatened and he growled.
"Next time I'll do more than just punch you." he said before walking out the door. As soon as the door shut behind him Luna came to my side.
"Are you okay? How bad does it hurt?" she questioned in a rush.
"I'm fine and it hurts like a bitch. Where is that cream that Brutus gave me?" I asked and she got it from the cupboard of the desk.
"Are you sure you wanna waste it on this one little bruise and not for Hand-To-Hand training?" she asked as I opened the jar and took some on my finger.
"If Brutus sees this bruise he'll immediately go at Cato." I said applying it to my eye feeling instant relief.
"But isn't that what he deserves?" she asked.
"He also probably won't let either of us go on the Victory Tour." I told her closing the jar and putting it back in the desk cupboard.
"And would that be so bad?"
"If he kicks us off the tour I'm stuck here training with him. But if I go on the tour there won't be any time for him to beat me up or something like that because we'll have to keep up appearances so we don't make the Victor look bad." I said in a rush, pausing to catch my breath. "Trust me we won't have time to be at each others throats." I said and she sighed.
"Can't argue with that. Just be careful that Brutus doesn't find out cause then he'll be even more pissed that you didn't tell him." she warned and I nodded.
"Hopefully Cato won't say anything." I said sitting down on the bed.