The Interviews.

I meet Glimmer on the roof to discuss strategies. So the girl isn't as bad as i originally thought. She suggested we meet up here. She said she spent last night here with Thresh trying (unsuccessfully) to recruit him. I knew he would never join us. He's too proud. "He doesn't think i'm that bad, but he thinks that you and Cato are positively psychopathic" Glimmer says. "Maybe he's right" i reply. "I think its all an act, I think you have more heart that you let on and your terrified of showing it because it might make you look weak (I hate how she can read me so easily but I really only have heart for Cato so maybe she's not as good as she thinks she is although I don't let her think so). I don't have to worry about that since everyone thinks I'm an idiot anyway, I'm not as smart as you of course, Cato tells me your some genius or something. I am smarter than i look though." She says. "I know what it feels like to be underestimated i tell her. People constantly think I'm weak because of my size. You can imagine their surprise when i overpower them in 60 seconds flat. It's an advantage actually. people don't expect you to be nearly as strong or as skilled as you are so they don't try so hard. They think your gonna be easy to take down so they tend to let their guard down and make more mistakes". "So whats the deal with you and Cato?" she asks me. "Nothing I reply. We trained together and we were always at the top of the leader board at our academy". "So there is an academy? We always heard rumors but I never though they were true".She looks astonished. "yeah, you live at the academy and train for 10 years and in your tenth year you compete in the honour trials. The girls go first then the boys and the last girl and boy left standing gets to represent our district in the games. It's also a good chance for us to get used to killing people, although most of us have already killed before. I was meant to go next year since i'm only a 9th year but our girl who was selected this year failed to volunteer. I don't blame her though because not many would stand a chance against Cato" I know her true motives though I think wondering if Craven had killed silver yet. "It's nothing like that in our district. Glimmer continues. Each person is trained individually. I was trained by my mother. When we think where ready we sign up and compete at the local fight club against others who want to do this and the winner gets to volunteer. I've never killed before though. Its just a fight club not some crazy fight to the death honour competition like what you've got going on".I'm shocked at what i've just heard. I always assumed all the career districts used the same kind of system we did, although, looking at the other careers this year I had begun to think differently. There is no way district 4 could be trained like us and still be as pathetic as they are. Glimmer definitely isn't what I thought she was. She sure is much smarter than I originally thought. However it was a mistake for her to tall me as much as she did. I will never underestimate her now.

I meet Cato back in the suite. He's sitting at the dining table eating with Brutus and Enobria. So our mentors decided to show up tonight. "Sit down" Enobira commands. "I'm ok" I reply not really feeling like joining in on their district 2 reunion. "Where discussing the interviews Clove" Cato joins in. I reluctantly saunter over to the table and join them. I pick at a black cherry as Scarlett starts to rattle on about the importance of the interviews. "Clove will have no trouble tomorrow Enobira says. She's naturally intimidating and thats the angle we will be going for this year". I'm surprised that Enobira is talking like this. I think she was giving me a compliment but I cant be sure. All those times she beat me to the ground telling me I was worthless and she secretly doesn't hate me as much as she pretends to. "Who have you chosen as allies" Brutus asks. District 1 and the district 3 boy, Cato pipes up. He thinks he can restart the mines and that we can use them to our advantage". "If he can do it he will be valuable says Enobira, otherwise kill him if it turns out he's lying". Enobira smiles slyly at me and flashes her gold fangs. She won the 62nd hunger games after she ripped another tributes throat out with her teeth. This was her signature move so as a result she had her fangs immortalized by having them capped to a sharp point and then having them dipped in gold making them a very effective weapon. Enobria isn't my favorite person in the world. She has trained me on numerous occasions and due to her complete lack of human emotions has proved to be a cold hard bitch. "Are we done here" I ask bored and sick of looking at either of our mentors. "Go and get some sleep dear" trills Scarlett. I ignore her and instead make my way to the roof.

Cato arrives on the roof five minutes after me carrying a hot cup of something and an armful of blankets. "It's sweet tea" he says handing it to me. "Thanks" I reply. He drapes a purple blanket around my shoulders and sits next to me. He pulls me closer and whispers in my ear "i'm not going to let anyone hurt you". That was what I was afraid of I think. If he's busy protecting me he wont even try to win. "Promise me something Cato" I say. "Depends" he replies. "You have to swear that if I don't win you will" I beg. "I wont promise that" he says developing a brooding look in his eyes. I knew he wouldn't which means that I have to force him to promise. I have to make sure he will win. Just how I do that is the real question here. "I knew there was something between you two" Glimmer steps out from behind a pillar. She must have been here this whole time i think. Cato quickly withdraws his arm from around me. "I could see from day one that you two had some connection I just never thought it would be romantic. How are you going to make this work" she quizzes. "Suddenly I can't take it anymore. Everyone continually analysing me and asking me what i'm going to do. I have no idea what i'm going to do. Right now I just want to get away from the perky blonde who already knows far to much about me. She's smart and I can already see it in her eyes as her brain ticks over thinking of a way to use this information to her advantage. I know that iv'e lost him now. Glimmer will try everything to use him against me. For the second time in 3 days I feel my eyes well up with tears. I hate being so fragile and emotional. This is not who I am . I throw the blanket of off me and storm past her. I press the close button on the lift before either of them can follow me.

An hour later I hear a knock on my door. "Go away" I snap. "Clover, he pleads, let me in". Once again I wipe away my tears and unlock the door for him. He pulls me into a big bear hug almost crushing the life out of me. "I have a plan, he tells me. Don't be mad but I kissed Glimmer". "What!" I scream pushing him away. I consider cutting his head of with the silver tray sitting on the table next to us, but then I see his face and my better judgement tells me to hear him out. "At least let me explain before you attack me" he pleads. "You have 5 minutes" I say giving him my best death stare. "I think iv'e successfully convinced her that you and I are just friends and its her i'm really interested in. I can tell she likes me and if we pretend where in a relationship it will cause her to lose sponsors. Think about it Clover, the majority of her fans are love struck teenage boys and once they see her cosying up to me they will lose interest in her. Besides it will keep her off our back. I might be able to gain sponsors from this too. Some will see me as a bad boy playboy and others will see me a a caring guy. Either way its a win win situation". He finishes with a hopeful look on his face. "Look I didn't plan it its just that it was the only thing I could think of in the moment and you ran off so fast". "Fine, I respond. It actually seems like a half decent plan to me, but do you think you will be able to pull of this big act? You do realize your going to have to pretend to like her at all times". "I can do it he assures me, as long as your comfortable with it". "As long as its me you come home to and as long as you don't sleep with her or else I will go Enobira style on you and bite off your unmentionables". " wouldn't dream of it, you know i'm doing this for us" he says. "I know, and I have to add that it was an unexpected stroke of genius on you part" I say as I lean up and kiss him gently on the lips. He pulls me down onto the bed and plants me with kisses everywhere. I cant believe that we only have two more nights of this. In three days we will be in the arena and I will have to pretend to be ok with Cato touching and kissing Glimmer while he has to pretend to be in a relationship with her. I make the most of the time we have left and roll myself on top of him and return the kisses and more.

The next morning I wake up to a searing pain on my back. Cato is still sleeping so I sneak into the bathroom to see long scratches down my back. Great I think, these wont be healed by the time where in the arena and what if Glimmer sees them. I take a long hot shower and go to have breakfast. I wonder what Scarlett has planned for the interviews. She tells me that after breakfast I will meet my stylist Eloise. Cato joins us at the table and runs his hand over the scratches on my back. There covered with a shirt but he knows their there. "I'm sorry" he leans in and whispers in my ear. I give him an annoyed look and carry on with my breakfast. I'm not worried about the pain. I can deal with pain but its the possible speculation I might get from anyone who sees it that bothers me. "I'm going to pretend to be in a relationship with Glimmer" Cato announces to Scarlett and our mentors. He explains the plan in detail before letting them speak. "I think its a brilliant idea" Enobria says. Brutus nods in agreement. It looks like everyone agrees. Our mentors are happy that it will cover up our relationship too.

I meet Eloise at the remake centre so she can style me into ice queen perfection. She pulls out a flowing orange chiffon dress that is in no way intimidating. "Why are you putting me in this thing I question you know our angle is fear and strength?" "I know, she replies, but it wont hurt for you to gain some male attention. I will make your eyes dark and I will pull your hair back so you still look frighting but the dress will make you look womanly at the same time. Remember our beautiful yet deadly angle, I haven't forgotten that yet". When she's done I am the epitome of beautiful yet deadly. The orange dress looks like wisps of flames flicking around my ankles (take that girl on fire I think) and my eyes are every bit as frightening as Eloise promised. They are rimmed with thick black and grey. My hair is pulled sharply of my face and draws all the more attention to my eyes. I meet Cato in the hall and he is dressed smartly in a navy blue suit. He looks clean and polished. Nothing like the rough, sweaty, dirty boy I know from back home. "Don't let Glimmer see you looking at me like that" I tease. He smiles and we carry on down the hall to the interview room. Cato stands by Glimmer and flirts with her. Nudging her with his elbow and smiling at her. I pretend to be friendly with them both and Glimmer looks satisfied that we are just friends. The poor girl has obviously got it bad for Cato and has no idea that he's playing with her.

I don't pay much attention to the interviews. Glimmer hints to the crowd that she has met a special someone, Marvel boasts that he will win and that he thinks he is the strongest tribute in the competition but as he glances our way his voice become shaky and he suddenly doesn't seem so sure of himself. I play the mysterious card and tell everyone the usual. That i'm going to win, that i'm the strongest, the highest skilled. I even believe myself. When Cato goes on he doesn't even looks at me . He tells the crowd that he will win and the usual. When asked if he has a special someone back home he shakes his head and says that he met a pretty blonde that he likes but he doesn't know where its gonna go yet. So he's pretending to be a playboy I realize. The cameras focus on Glimmer backstage as she giggles and covers her mouth to hide her smile. The crowd goes wild. It turns out that Katniss's dress has flames around the bottom too (although hers are real ones) as she twirls around playing out the girl on fire theme once again. I really cant wait to rip her throat out I think to myself. The real shock is when her district partner Peeta announces to the crowd that he is in love with Katniss. She seems just as shocked as the rest of the crowd as the cameras focus on her. This is really going to be an interesting year I think to myself. There have been so many unexpected turns that I am hopeful the game makers will go easy on us and not feel the need to introduce any unwelcome surprises into the arena.