The final night.
It's the last night together before we have to go into the arena. Our training scores were released today. Cato and I both received a 10. Disappointing since I was going for an 11 but it will have to only so much I can show them when i'm perfect at everything. I guess they get bored of watching district 2 tributes going through the motions and mastering every station every year. It pays to have something different. Katniss Everdeen got an 11 which is just another reason for me to slit her throat as soon as we get into the arena. I don't like being showed up and that bloody girl on fire seems to be doing it a lot lately. I don't know why she insists on getting under my skin at every chance she gets but she hasn't made things easy for herself. As of today, with that training score, she will be on everyones hit list and i'm not about to feel sorry for her, she brought it on herself.
Cato and I are forced to be apart as Glimmer wants him to go onto the roof with her. We both know that if he said no it would raise suspicions. Still, I hate being in his room alone with nothing to do except think about what they are doing up there. I decide to go for a walk . Where not allowed in the training centre with out supervision and we are not allowed weapons in our rooms. I always throw knives to calm me down. Maybe the reason i'm always on edge here is because I cant do that. I sneak down to the training centre and pick the lock on the door. I turn on the lights to see a shadow sitting cross legged on the tarmac. It's Marvel and I think he's crying. I shouldn't judge since I have done my fair share of crying since I got here but I am so angry about Cato and Glimmer up on that roof that I don't care. "If you don't prove your worth keeping around we might chose to dispose of you sooner than we planned" I hiss behind him. Marvel jumps and spins around. His expression is a mixture of fear, embarrassment and sadness. Not an ounce of defiance or courage (which is what I had been expecting). Where was that cocky know it all from training. The one who had pinched my bum and almost lost his life for it. "If your going to kill me can you just do it now, i'm sick of living in constant fear of you and that monster and and its just not worth it if she loves him is it?" I don't know what he's talking about at first but then I click. So Marvel really does have a thing for the leggy blonde. To bad for him she's not pretending about her feeling for Cato (or so I think). "Did you know each other outside of the games?" I ask him. "I admired her from afar, she never looked at me twice except for when I won my match in fight club. That night was the best night of my life. Glimmer always had a thing for the strongest guy and that was always Dean. He was supposed to win the matches and join her this year but he broke his back in a fight and he hasn't been strong enough to fight since. He's in a wheel chair now. She dumped him as soon as he couldn't fight anymore. When I won that match I became the strongest guy and suddenly she was interested in me. I didn't even think about what I was going to do when we got here. She made it perfectly clear that we were a temporary thing. Then she saw Cato. Its funny though because I always thought he liked you the way he looked at you and always came to your defence". Wow Marvel was more pathetic than I thought he was to genuinely love a girl like Glimmer. At least he would be easy to control and I did feel sorry for him. Glimmer screwed around with guys to get her way. She didn't hide it and she seemed to be proud of it. It made me sick. "I think you should focus on the games Marvel. Glimmer wants you distracted so you will be easy to trick and kill. If you win you will find a million Glimmers to replace her".
I leave him at the risk of sounding too soft and walk over to the knife throwing station. I throw a few at the targets not even thinking about it but hitting the bulls eye each time. Marvel watches me with the fascination of a curious 4 year old. "How do you do that?" he quizzes. "I don't know, iv'e been doing it since before I can remember. Its second nature to me". He gets up and attempts to throw a few. He only manages to hit the dummy once and even then its far of the bulls eye. He watches me as I throw a few more and tries to copy. "I don't think you should try learning something completely new, we are going into the arena tomorrow". He shrugs, wipes his eyes and leaves. I don't think he was trying to learn to throw knives, I realize, he was just lonely. At least i'm alone now I think. Maybe I should have said something a bit more comforting but I am in no mood to play friends with Marvel. I don't do friends. The only person other than Cato who I have shared stuff with was Glimmer. I shudder at the thought. I cant believe I was so stupid to share those things with her. They weren't my deepest darkest secrets but still I shared more than I should have.
With every knife I throw my temper rises. I feel my face flushed and I am clenching the knives to the point where my knuckles are turning white. I have to stop thinking of them up on that roof. If I keep thinking of them together i'm going to hurt someone. I take a deep breath and focus my thoughts on strategies I could use in the games to keep Cato alive. Im suddenly aware of a sharp pain in my hand. I look down to see that I had been clutching the wrong end of one of the knives. The blade is firmly embedded in my palm and a puddle of blood has formed on the ground where my hand hangs down with a small trickle of blood running down my fingertips. Shit, I am going to have a hard time explaining this to people it think. I let go of the knife and let it drop. The sound of the knife clanging to the ground is a stark contrast to the deafening silence in the training centre. The blood streams out of my palm. Now iv'e done it. I look around for something to stop the blood flow and find Marvel standing behind me. He has his shirt in his outstretched hand offering it to me. "Thanks" I say and take the shirt. I wrap it around my hand and wince at the pain. He gives me a look as if he thinks i'm crazy. "I thought you were supposed to be an expert at those things" he says pointing at the bloody knife on the ground. "I am I snap, I was just a bit distracted". "I can tell. You going to tell me whats got you so distracted then" he asks. "No" I reply wrapping the shirt tightly around my hand. I turn to walk away and see Marvel picking up the knife and wiping it on his pants. "What are you doing" I ask. "Cleaning up your mess so some capitol person doesn't notice" he replies. I cant believe Marvel is being smarter than me right now. I get a bottle of water and a towel from a side room and clean with him. "I'll get rid of this" he says taking the bloody towel and walking off. I take one last look at the room before I leave. What the hell just happened I think. Marvel was actually nice to me. Maybe he's not the tool I first thought him to be. I walk out to the elevator and see him waiting. He looks so sad I almost feel sorry for him. He must really love Glimmer I think. We ride up to our floors in silence. He stares at his shoes until we reach his floor. He's on the first floor of suites so he gets of first. Marvel baffles me sometimes. He can be so cocky and arrogant one minute, scared and timid another then sad and genuine the next. I think I am actually beginning to pity him.
In the suite I go to the bathroom to deal with my hand. I unwrap Marvels blood stained shirt and wash off the blood. I realize that my hand is going to need stitches. How the hell am I going to explain this one. I find Brutus in the living room and think i have the best chance with him. "Brutus" I quiz. He's sitting on the couch sipping a whisky with his legs crossed like some capitol ponce. I had an accident and I think I need stitches" I say. He sees me holding my hand and walks over. He grabs my hand and inspects the damage. "I'll call the doctor but you had better come up with a good excuse for that before he gets here". He walks away and leaves me to think. When the doctor arrives I tell him I was having a mid night snack and cut my hand on a knife. A half decent excuse I think and it seems to have worked. He doesn't use stitches as I thought he would but instead uses a thick yellow gel and literally glues up the cut. He then bandages my hand and leaves with out saying a word. Brutus comes up behind me and puts his hands on my shoulders. I shudder at his touch. "I payed him not to say anything he says. No one believed your pathetic story so it was a good thing I did, and I know you were in the training centre by the way". I watch him as he walks over to his chair and sits down. Now, he exclaims, you can do something for me". "What" I ask hesitantly dreading his reply. "One kiss, he answers, from the most beautiful girl in district 2. The girl who only gives herself to one boy. The ultimate, unattainable prize". I know that if I don't he will run back and tell everyone. I swallow hard and reluctantly walk over to him. He stands to meet me and pulls me in with a hand on my waist. I put a hand on his cheek and lean up meeting his lips. Brutus is handsome and hundreds of girls back home would kill to be in my position, literally but hate him right now more than I hate anyone. When its over he brings his hand down to tilt my chin upwards so I meet his gaze. "Don't forget that if you make it out of this i'm here and i'm waiting" he says and then walks away. I shiver at the thought of what just happened and run to Cato's room. I fling myself onto his bed and bury my head in his pillow, feeling myself crying yet again.
I wake up sometime later to Cato lying beside me and stroking me hand. For the first time ever I didn't notice him enter the room. He finally managed to sneak up on me I think. "What happened to your hand" he asks furrowing his brow. "Nothing, just an accident I reply and roll over. "Brutus made me kiss him, I blurt, I went down to the training centre and he said if I didn't he would tell everyone". Cato tightens his grip on my hand. I pull away as shooting pains run up my arm. "Sorry" he quickly stammers when he realizes he's hurt me. "Just another person to add to our list when one of us gets out of here" I reply brushing off the fact that he hurt me. I roll back over and rest my head on his chest. He smells of apples and I remember that he was with Glimmer. "Clover" he starts before I cut him off. "Don't, I beg. Lets just be quiet and savor our last free moments together" I say as I hold him. I feel him nod against my head and I drift of to sleep as we hold each other.
