~Katniss~
Brutus threw a raging fit when he saw the bruise on my cheek bone. I didn't want to use the solvent he gave me, that I still have, because I want to save it, and if I ever go into the games, I won't have any from sponsors, we are just so poor.
"Who did this to you!?" he shouted at me, circling me, inspecting me for any more injuries before the the Feast tonight. Normally I wouldn't be here, but when Brutus heard about a fight with me in it from Peacekeepers he demanded my presence.
"Crone sir." I said sharply as he poked at my bruise.
"Crone, I never liked that boy. That's why I didn't want to train him."
"It would've been worse if it weren't for-" but I stopped, not sure if I wanted to tell him that Cato broke up the fight.
"For who? Tell me!" he ordered.
"For Cato." I said surely. He stopped mid stride and looked at me suspiciously.
"You may go. I need to speak with Cato." he said, I nodded and walked out of the PTR to my room and found Luna and Clove Getting ready. Clove was wearing her white dress while I had picked out my gold one. Luna was wearing a black dress she had gotten when she was home for the Games. The girls wanted me to use the solve on my cheek but the bruise wouldn't be gone until after the Feast was over. So they settled for covering it with make up. You couldn't even tell it was ever there. Once we were all ready to go we walked down to the Feast and again received stares.
~Cato~
I was at home when I got a message from Brutus saying he wanted to speak with me in the PTR urgently. So I had to stop playing with Sessa and walk to the Academy before the Feast to see what the hell he wanted. When I got to the PTR he was standing there in the middle of the room with his arms crossed.
"What did you need to see me for?" I asked him.
"I was informed of a fight that happened after training hours yesterday that included Spitfire." he told me and I froze.
"What happened?"
"She had been hit in the face by Crone, and Spitfire said that things would have been worse if it weren't for you." he said looking at me, gauging my reaction.
"Which is true."
"What is the full story?" he demanded.
"Crone had asked her out and when she basically said no he said that she should've agreed because he got Reaped but was pushed out because someone volunteered. She slapped him, he tried to punch her but she dodged it. So he tried to tackle her but again she dodged him. But he managed to get her on the ground and he punched her. He was about to kick her but I stopped him." I explained to him. He nodded and started to pace.
"That's the whole story?" he asked.
"Yes."
"And you just happened to be there during this fight." he stated.
"I was passing by." I told him. He didn't need to know that I was eavesdropping. "What is going to happen to Crone sir?"
"Because it was after training hours nothing. Now go and get ready for the Feast tonight." I walked out of the PTR utterly confused. Why does it matter if they got in a fight? Why would Spitfire actually tell him? I guess I'll have to figure it out tonight when I see Spitfire.
After going home and getting ready for the Feast and going all the way back to the Academy, I was now standing and talking to Kairo and Brent again when Clove, Luna, and Spitfire make their way into the room. When I see Spitfire my jaw practically drops. She was wearing a short gold dress with gold heels and her hair down in natural waves. She looked hot, but it's not like I would tell her. I didn't see a trace of a bruise on her cheek. I guess she used the cream Brutus gave her. Eventually throughout the night she was alone getting a drink at the refreshments table. I walked over to her and stood next to her, not looking at her.
"Brutus told me you told him that I saved you yesterday." I mentioned. She stopped pouring the clear blue liquid into her glass and looked at me.
"I know." she said softly. "Thank you." she said even more softly I almost didn't hear her.
"You don't have the bruise anymore." I point out.
"Covered with make up." she replied and I glanced at her. She looked at me with a disbelieving look. "I'm not going to waste the salve on one little bruise this year."
"This year?" I asked curiously.
"This is the year my younger sibling gets entered into the Reaping." she said resting her hands on the table and leaning on them.
"You would volunteer for them if you had to." I realized. She looked from the table to up at me.
"You said it not me." she said before walking away from the table. Leaving her drink there next to my hand. I watched her as she walked away, looking distraught, towards Luna. The two of them sat down in some chairs as Luna tried to comfort her friend and roommate.
"What did you do to her?" Brutus asked walking up to me.
"Nothing I swear. We talked for a few seconds then she walked off." I defended.
"Then why is she upset?" He questioned.
"She's worried about her younger sibling, it's their first year in the Reaping. And that's when I realized that she'd volunteer for them if she had to." I told him.
"She told you?" he said sounding surprised.
"I figured it out."
"Hmm, that and probably since it's her birthday tomorrow." he said nonchalantly.
"What?" I asked him surprised.
"Sixteen years old." he said but stopped when he saw my face. "What you thought she was younger than you?" he asked.
"No I actually thought she was maybe older." I told him.
"What made you think that?" he said chuckling.
"She seems more mature than other sixteen year old girls here."
"Or maybe she's had to grow up faster than other kids her age." he suggested before walking away. I watched as the bell for dinner rang and Spitfire walked to sit next to Brutus. Clove sat in front of her with Kairo and Enobaria at her sides. The only seat left was next to Spitfire. This is going to be awkward. I took my place and saw that for dinner, it was fish with garlic rolls and a form of pasta. Spitfire was unnaturally quiet and Enobaria seemed to notice.
"You seem rather quiet Spitfire. Is everything alright?" she asked and Spitfire looked up at her and nodded.
"Oh Spitfire, a package will be arriving for you tomorrow." Brutus informed her. She looked up at him in surprise. "Don't tell me you forgot what tomorrow is?"
"No I remember." she said quietly.
"And that's why it's coming." he told her with a small smile on his face. She barely returned it before turning back to her food.
"What is going on?" Kairo asked.
"Never you mind." Brutus said to him a little coldly. I looked back and forth from Brutus to Spitfire and found nothing suspicious, it must be for her birthday. I don't remember anything about her birthday last year. Wait, that's right, she wasn't here this time last year. She came here a few months after the Hunger Games ended. And it's only been less than a month. Everybody continued on with their dinner and conversations while Spitfire just kept quiet. Clove and I noticed that something was wrong. I have no idea if Clove knew about Spitfire's little sibling this year but if she doesn't I'm not going to tell her. Spitfire who seemed to just be pushing her food around her plate, looked at Brutus with a hopeful look.
"May I be excused?" she asked and he nodded. She stood and walked out of the room quickly. Luna noticed her hasty exit and took off after her, as did Clove without being excused. Enobaria, Brutus, and Kairo looked at me expectantly.
"What?" I asked them.
"You're excused too." Brutus asked. I nodded, stood up and followed the two girls after their friend. I followed them all the way back to Spitfire's and Luna's room, the three of them talking with the door open.
"Spitfire she'll be okay." Clove told her. I stood, leaning against the wall next to the door, listening to them but not making myself known.
"I know that but she's my sister. I can't help but worry. I took care of her when my mother couldn't." Spitfire said sounding close to tears. "We always had this tradition that she and my friends did on anybodies birthday, and this is the first year that we can't do it. And my sister and I, we always did something to remember our father and I would never let her do it alone. I don't know if my friends will take her or not but I feel like I've let her and everybody at home down." she said sounding like she was crying now.
"But you haven't!" Luna said sympathetically. "They all believe in you. You're here for them. How is that letting them down?"
"Because I'm not home! I'm not home taking care of them like I should be."
"But once you get out of here, you'll be home for them. And who knows you might not go into the Hunger Games, then you can do anything for them for the rest of you life." Luna said.
"And if you do go in the Games, being here will give you a better chance of winning." Clove said, seeing the bright side in the bad part.
"I know but I-" she started but was interrupted by Luna.
"What brought this on?"
"Yesterday when Cato saved me from Crone." she said glumly.
"Huh?" Clove and Luna said together. The same question was going through my mind as well. Huh?
"Back home I did the taking care of, only once after my dad died was I ever really taken care of because my mom tuned out. It made me feel weak and I hate that feeling." she said. I made her feel weak? Defenseless? Wait she didn't say anything about defenseless. Her dad died, that's what she meant back in District One, when things had changed between her parents, her father had died, but how?
"But that happens every once in a while. And just because Cato saved you doesn't mean that you're weak." Luna suggested.
"Especially when the guy cares about you. He didn't have to save you but he did. On some level he cares about you." Clove said. What the hell?
"I would've been fine on my own. And I doubt that he cares about me. He probably just wants me in my best condition so he can beat me up himself." Spitfire said. No I wouldn't, I thought to myself.
"I have to go, it's almost curfew. But this discussion is not over." Clove pointed out and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She froze in her tracks when she saw me standing in the hallway. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked me.
"I heard that she's worried about her sister, and that her dad died. And that I made her feel weak by saving her from being assaulted by Crone." I told her strangely calm. She looked at me shocked and upset.
"You listened in the whole time! It was a private conversation!" she complained still sounding mad.
"It's not like I learned what her name is or where she's from. And I'm sorry I made her feel weak." I said out loud. Apologizing felt weird, I'm not sure I like it, especially to Clove. Speaking of Clove she looked at me with pure and utter shock written on her face, taken aback by my apology.
"You're sorry?" she asked.
"Yeah I'm sorry." I said before walking away but she ran after me.
"What is going on?" she asked trailing behind me.
"I don't know!" I shouted. "One second she gets on my nerves but then I see something different in her that I can't ignore. On the Tour we were at each others throats for most of it. But then I get back and we don't talk at all. And when I saw Crone hit her yesterday, I couldn't help myself, I had to stop him. I don't know what is going on with me. I can't like her because it goes against everything I've known."
"You're letting The Hunger Games get in the way of what you feel!?" she yelled at me is shock.
"So what if I am?" I challenged her, starting to get annoyed with her antics.
"Nothing. I guess Spitfire was right." she said walking past me and shoving my shoulder in the process.
"What are you talking about?" I asked her.
"You really are a Career." she said without one look at me. And stormed away out of the Academy.
~Katniss~
The next day had cheered me up a little bit. After getting a package from my family and friends back home brought a smile to me face. I had received cheese buns from Peeta, my favorite, a braided bracelet from Madge, goat cheese from Prim, and what Gale called a "lucky rabbit's foot", along with letters from all of them, including my mother. All of them telling me that they are doing okay and they miss me. Gale said that he had some trouble getting food for all of them but is getting as much as he can. I don't wear the bracelet from Madge during training hours, it looks too much like home and would raise questions. So I wear it after hours and when I sleep, to make up for lost time.
Over the next few months I don't talk or even look at Cato. Not after what Clove told me about him listening to our conversation outside the door. He knows now that my dad died, that this year will be my sisters first year in the Reaping. He knows now, but he doesn't need to know anything more. So I don't talk to him. And neither does Clove or Luna. I avoid him as much as possible.
~Cato~
Months. That's how long it's been since Clove has talked to me. Since Spitfire has talked to me, or even looked at me. Her attitude has gotten better since that night at the Feast. There have been other Feasts since the of course but we haven't talked at all. And she always sat with her other friends Luna, Havo, Damon, and Clove. Crone hasn't said anything to her either. I haven't seen him around her at all actually. Today was just one week away from the final Feast before the 74th Hunger Games. And I was given a message to meet Brutus in one of the private meeting rooms. I had trained long and hard, mostly taking my anger out from not having any contact with Spitfire or Clove, I lost my best friend because of the Academy and what they had drilled into me. So as a Peacekeeper leads me to a meeting room, I wouldn't be surprised if they ask me to volunteer this year. When I walk into the meeting room I see Brutus, Enobaria, Clove, and Spitfire? What is she doing here? They can't make her volunteer, she isn't from here. She what is the point of having her here?
"Cato! It's about time you got here." Brutus said gesturing to a empty seat next to Clove. On her other side was Spitfire who didn't even glance in my direction. She really is blocking me out.
"What did you want to talk about?" I asked as I took my seat.
"The committee has decided that because of how well you have been training, they think that you three would work well together as Careers in The Hunger Games." Enobaria informed the three of us.
"Why am I here though? It's not like you're going to know if I volunteer until you watch the recaps." Spitfire said to the two Trainers.
"True." Brutus agrees.
"Again, why am I here?"
"Just to prove to you that the committee thinks that you have progressed greatly. They think you have potential to win the Games." Enobaria said and I snorted. If I go in I'm going to be the one that wins. "With close competition." Enobaria finished looking between Clove and I causing me to smirk. I saw Spitfire roll her eyes, sigh, and stand up.
"Well since I'm not really needed here, may I go back to my room so I can pack to go home?" she asked and Brutus nodded, allowing her to leave. The rest of us were silent for a few moments after she left.
"If she volunteers, she's in the Career Pack. And you will protect her." Brutus told us sternly, Enobaria nodded in agreement. Clove nodded but it looked like she had something on her mind.
"Do you really think she'll volunteer though? Even though she doesn't have to?" Clove asked, her voice sounding timid and nervous, completely unlike her. Brutus sighed and looked towards the door that Spitfire just walked out of.
"Only if she has to."
AN:
Hey Readers!
Well it had to happen and we are coming up on the end of this story. I am writing a sequel. I just have to make a few finishing touches on it before I start posting it. Thank you so much to everybody who has reviewed and followed this story from the beginning. It really means a lot. There is one more chapter to this before it ends and then in a couple months I will start posting the sequel.
Thanks again!
The Hungry Mockingjay