~Cato~
There are some thing I can't help. Like right now I can't help but wonder how Spitfire is doing. All through morning training session Brutus wasn't there so I don't know if she's okay to train or if he is with her in the medic's office. So now sitting through lunch with Kairo and Clove waiting to see if Spitfire or Luna make an appearance.
"Where are they?" Clove complained slamming her fists down on the table.
"Don't look at me, I'm not friends with either of them."
"Then why are you here?" I bit back at Kairo.
"Why are you here?" he questioned.
"What are you talking about?" I retorted.
"On the train you called her scum and hardly talked to her after that. You said yourself that you two weren't really friends. So why are you here freaking out about her?" he challenged and I glared at him. Hes right, why am I here if I don't care about her. So to answer his questions I stood up, threw my food away and walked out of the room. As I exited the door I heard voices down the hall. I hid around the corner and peered around to see Spitfire and Luna walking down the hallway laughing.
"Are you sure you can go in there? I mean what if there's questions?" Luna asked her.
"Luna just relax. I feel fine and if anybody asks, the medic gave me some good medication this morning." Spitfire replied and the two of them walked into the cafeteria. Anger ran through me. Was she faking it? Was she lying? I had to get my answers. I stalked to find Brutus and found him in the Trainer's Lounge where all of the Trainers were eating their lunch or having drinks.
"Brutus we need to talk." I demanded like a spoiled brat. He glared at me and walked out of the room, grabbing the collar of my shirt despite the surprised looks from the other Trainers and dragged me out of the Lounge.
"What is your problem?" he roared.
"Was Spitfire faking being sick?" I questioned. His face remain cold and unfazed.
"Why would you think that?" he questioned with a suspicious tone in his voice.
"I heard her talking to Luna. Luna asked if she was okay to go into the cafeteria and what would happen if there were questions. Spitfire said she was fine and if people asked, the medic gave her good medicine. It almost sounds like she lied about ever being ill. So I want to know if she was."
"Why don't you ask her?"
"Like she would tell me." I countered.
"Well you saw her throw up on the train. You can't fake that." he said.
"But there is stuff in the Capitol that can make you throw up so you can eat more food and feasts. You could've given her that." I replied back, hoping to catch him in a lie.
"We didn't have any medical supplies, why would we pick bringing that Capitol concoction over any supplies that would've helped Spitfire? So no we didn't have any of that on the Train. Now I suggest you get back to your training, you just might need it." he threatened. I glared and stormed away from him. She could've been faking it the entire time. But she did throw up, so how could you fake that. There are ways but I don't think she would be one to attempt them. I suppose I could talk to her since the Games are over. But we aren't exactly friends. Her sickness was progressive, so it's possible that she really was sick, but then again it could also mean that she's a really good actress. After throwing swords for a few minutes I noticed Brutus walking into the the TR.
"What are you doing here?" I questioned him. "Shouldn't you be training Spitfire?"
"She's running laps right now. Remember? When I'm not with her she runs laps, swims, or lifts weights? I thought you'd have figured that out when she first came here. Or did you forget?" I taunted and I glared.
"Whatever just train me." he sat there and gave me tips on throwing swords, spears, and knives. Then he took me over to the rock climbing wall. I was strong but I won't lie when I say the harder stuff is well just that, hard. Getting closer to top of the wall, the rocks were smaller to grab, and more brittle. Which means they couldn't hold my weight. After a rock crumbled under my hand I fell a good fifteen to twenty feet down, landing onto the cushioned yet hard mats on the ground. I groaned lightly as I stood up and looked at Brutus's glare.
"Really you fell?" he questioned.
"Yeah I fell. My muscle weighs more than any fat that is even on my body. And I don't have any. You have me bulking up so much that I can't climb too high without breaking something." I complained to him.
"Spitfire can climb it." he challenged.
"Excuse me?" I retorted.
"She can climb it."
"Because she's skinny and has barely any muscle. Of course she can climb it."
"She benches seventy five. Which is a hell of a lot more than she did when she first got here. If I were you I'd be getting some tips from her." he taunted again and walked away to coach another Trainee. So I did just that, I stalked off to find Spitfire and demand answers. I found her outside taking a drink of water after running laps, she looked like she was getting ready to go change for her session with our Trainer. So I briskly walked up to her and asked her my questions.
"How are you able to scale the rock wall?" I said loudly and she looked at me shocked.
"How do you know I can do that?" she questioned back.
"Brutus told me, how can you do it?"
"I don't think about it." she said simply bending down and grabbing her towel off of the bench,
"Huh?"
"I don't think about it. When you don't think about it you do better. At least for me." she explained.
"Really?" I asked her to clarify.
"Nope, I'm just a lot lighter than you." she said before walking off. I gaped at her. Did she really just make me look stupid? Yeah, she did. Glaring at her retreating figure, I called after her one last time.
"Hey!" I called to her, she turned around to face me as I got closer and closer to her, still glaring. "On the train, were you faking being sick?" I asked her. There was a glint of something in her eyes but it was gone as quick as it came.
"What makes you think that?" she asked suspiciously, an eyebrow raised.
"I heard you talking to Luna in the hallway. It sounded a little fishy and got me curious." I told her and she glared back at me.
"You were spying on me now?" she started and I looked at her in question. "God you're such a Career, using doing everything you can to make sure you get all of the information you need. What's next? Going through my room?"
"Only if there's anything in there that'll tell me if you were lying." I confirmed and as soon as I said it, I wish I hadn't.
"You just proved my point of how much of a Career you are. You know what? I'm happy I'm nothing like you because if I was I might actually be friends with you and I can't understand why I would be." she said finally before storming off and never looking back. I sighed in frustration and stalked back into the building after her. To yell in her face about her assumption of us being friends. She was way off about that. She and I would never be friends. There is no possible way. When I finally got back into the building, I couldn't find her. She probably took so many turns and snuck back outside for her private training with Brutus. So I went and did one of the few things that'll relieve any stress I have. Lift weights.
~Katniss~
"Argh!" I shouted as I swung a heavy sword at a dummy. It still isn't my best skill but it's not my worst either.
"What's wrong?" Brutus asked walking closer to me with his arms crossed. "You are trying extra hard again." he commented.
"He's so infuriating!" I complained.
"Let me guess. Cato?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes!" I shouted in response. "He came up to me while I was running and demanded how I was able to climb the rock wall without falling. And he said you told him about it!"
"Its a skill of no importance." he replied and he was right. Rock climbing isn't that important when you really think about it. I sighed, slumped my shoulders and sat down on the mats to take a small break.
"You're right. And sorry for complaining." I said looking down at my feet.
"Normally I would think you'd save this for Clove and Luna." he concluded but continued. "Why aren't you?" he asked curiously.
"Do not take this the wrong way but," I started, took a deep breath, and let it out before continuing. "you're the closest thing I've had to a father since my dad died." I finished, staring at the ground, afraid to look up at him.
"Well, uh, I'm sure he'd be proud of you right now." he said coughing nervously. I looked up at him confused and annoyed by the comment.
"How? I'm training to kill people."
"You said when you first came here that even if you don't go into the Hunger Games your skills will improved enough to help keep your family and friends alive. He'd be proud of that." Brutus argued and I sighed, admitting defeat.
"You're right." I said.
"Excuse me?" he said, pretending like he didn't hear me.
"I said you're right! He would be proud of me for wanting to take care of my family so much that I would come here."
"Now with that in mind," he started, grabbing a trident and holding it out for me to take. "let's try a new skill." he said and I looked at him.
"A trident?" I asked perplexed.
"Yes, it's a skill we haven't touched yet." he said. I took it and listened to him coach me on the proper techniques on how to use and throw a trident. I had to start off with smaller ones before I got to the heavier ones. Hours later I was only on the next trident up. But I was getting better. When he let me leave he told me not to worry about Cato. And when I asked why, he said that I have his permission to hit the boy if I need to. When I got back to my room I saw Luna had just walked through it.
"Hey I just got back, how was training?" she asked and I shrugged.
"Same old same old. Hey do you want to walk around the district til curfew?" I asked her and she nodded.
"Sure but maybe we should change out of these clothes. We're all sweaty and what would the guys around town think of us?" she asked dramatically making me laugh. She changed into black pants with a dark blue long sleeve shirt while I was in brown pants with a dark green tank top. As we walked out of the Academy, our shoes clunking on the hard floor, we talked about what we think this year will bring us. It wasn't until we were finally outside when Luna brought up the topic of Cato.
"He was so over dramatic last year, trying to figure you out, then giving up, then kissing you. He was so hot and cold." she complained.
"I don't think that'll happen much this year." I replied to her.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"We argued a couple of time during the Victory Tour, then we argued again earlier today. I don't think we'll have to deal with him much this year." I told her. She was about to say something but we bumped into what felt like a brick wall, it was when I looked up that I saw I had bumped into Crone and Luna walked into Havo.
"Hey guys." she said instead.
"Hey, how's it going?" Havo asked.
"Okay I guess." Luna said, seeming to have this conversation between the two of them.
"Spitfire can I talk to you for a second?" Crone asked me and I nodded. We walked a few feet away from the other two to talk in private. "So how was the tour?" he asked.
"I was sick for most of it. Is that all you wanted to talk about?" I asked him.
"No, I was wondering if you'd maybe want to go on a date or something?" he asked and I gaped at him.
"A date?" I clarified.
"Yeah."
"I don't know Crone." I said not really sure what to think.
"Oh come on." he said sounding a little annoyed. "I got reaped this year and if it weren't for the other guy volunteering I would have gone into the games. I need something good to happen." he practically complained.
"Wait, back up. You think that just because you got reaped and didn't go into the games, which is apparently a bad thing for you, that I should go on a date with you?" I asked appalled.
"Um yeah." he said making it sound like it was the simplest thing in the world.
"Well too bad or you. I'm not going to go out with a guy with that kind of attitude." I said.
"I'm the one with an attitude? You're turning down one of the hottest guys at the Academy and doing it in a bitchy way. How am I the one with the attitude?" he questioned and then I did something I never thought I would do to somebody. I slapped him. He clutched his cheek that now contained a red hand print and gave me a death glare. He tried taking deep breaths to try and calm himself but it didn't work. He lowered his hand and balled it into a fist. On the outside I was angry but on the inside I was shaking with fear.
~Cato~
That was unexpected. Was the first thing that came to my mind. It was after training hours and I was walking home after a day full of anger. But that is when I heard two voice that I recognized immediately.
"So how was the tour?" I heard Crone say, I ducked behind a large garbage can and peered around it to see the conversation.
"I was sick for most of it. Is that all you wanted to talk about?" Spitfire asked him.
"No, I was wondering if you'd maybe want to go on a date or something?" he asked. What the hell? A date? He's asking her on a date? I thought to myself. I watched as she gaped at him in surprise. That's my girl. Wait, my girl? She's not mine. Why would I want her to be. Am I jealous? No, I can't be, why would I be jealous of Crone?
"A date?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know Crone." she said hesitantly, seeming nervous. Maybe she doesn't have much experience with guys, would make sense since she never responded to my flirting.
"Oh come on." he said sounding a little annoyed. "I got reaped this year and if it weren't for the other guy volunteering I would have gone into the games. I need something good to happen." he complained. I always knew he was a jerk, well I am too.
"Wait, back up. You think that just because you got reaped and didn't go into the games, which is apparently a bad thing for you, that I should go on a date with you?" she asked sounding disgusted. Again, even though she isn't mine, that's my girl. Wait, if she thinks not going into the Games because of someone volunteering for you is a bad thing, then it must be a good thing in her District. Well that narrows it down to nine other Districts.
"Um yeah." he said making it sound so simple.
"Well too bad or you. I'm not going to go out with a guy with that kind of attitude." she retorted.
"I'm the one with an attitude? You're turning down one of the hottest guys at the Academy and doing it in a bitchy way. How am I the one with the attitude?" he asked her and she slapped him. Damn, she hit him hard because his face is really red. He looked mad, really mad. His hands were balled into fists as he glared at her.
"That was a big mistake." he threatened. I could tell she was scared but she hid it well. In one quick motion he pulled his arm back and threw it at her, but she saw it coming and ducked just in time. He got more enraged and lunged for her, when she jumped out of the way again he swung his leg out and tripped her. Once she fell he stood quickly and threw a punch on her cheek. Once he finally laid a hand on her, my body moved of its own accord and shoved him away from her.
"What the hell? Where did you come from?" Crone asked from the ground.
"Far enough to see you break the rules. No fighting outside of the Academy." I spit at him. I decided to play dumb and start up a conversation. "Now what is going on here?"
"She hit me so I gave her what she deserved." he said, I turned away from him to see Spitfire and get her side of the story, even though I already knew. But she was gone. She was sprinting back to the Academy, away from here. I stared after her until I heard a scoff behind me.
"So that's what's going on." Crone said standing up smirking.
"What are you talking about?" I questioned turning back to him.
"You like her, that's why you stepped in. To protect her." he taunted, circling me.
"You don't know anything." I retorted, never taking my eyes off of him.
"No you don't like her. You love her." he said finally and now it's my turn to throw a punch. My hand landed on the side of his head, knocking him out cold, and sending him falling to the ground. Silently I stormed to my house, up the stairs, and to my door. Where I screamed profanities at myself. Maybe he's right. No he's wrong. I can't love Spitfire, or even like her. It goes against everything I have learned over the years. Everything.