Chapter 4
More about Cato's life than anything else. I know, I know, not exactly super interesting but I have writers block and I really wanted to update sooo yeah.
Cato's POV
I headed down each hallway attempting to find my way up to the TV room, and as always, Clove. I really need to start remembering the way to things... A shiver ripples through my body as I remember the dream I had earlier. It was still a clear memory, every terrifying second of it. Even my childhood nightmares of a monster in my closet had no comparison to the fear I had felt seeing Clove's tear filled face. I shake my head vigorously as if the memory would just fall out and onto the hard ground. The thought of her being anything less then happy leaves an anxious monster in my stomach. I need to see her. I need to know she's ok. The monster roared again.My anxiety level begins to rise as the dream creeps into my head once again. I was running now, no, I was sprinting. It seemed as if the second my burst of adrenaline had hit, I instantly became fully aware of where I was. I know where she is and how to get there. Down the hall, upstairs, third door to the left. I let my feet take full control, my speed achieving this task in no more than 2 minutes.
I burst through the door, panting as my eyes scanned the room for her. Without a doubt she was there, sitting quietly on the couch next to Peeta. Her big brown eyes were looking up at me, as were every other pair of eyes in the room. I sure know how to make an entrance. I look down, ignoring them as I make my way over to the couch. I sit down on the other side of Clove as Peeta gets up and becomes suddenly interested in the game of Monopoly some of the patients were playing on the other side of the room. I think I scare him, either that or he hates my fucking guts. I concentrate back on Clove who seems to be staring at me, an adorable smile plastered on her face,"Hey there Mr Giant." Her tone was different from the shaky and terrified Clove I witnessed this morning. Instead it was light and happy again, instantly making the monster ease within me. My body loosens and relaxes as I realise that my dream, was infact just a dream. She is fine. So why does it feel like there is something still hurting her? I couldn't her but smile back, "Hey there Short stuff." I held back my laughter as her eyebrows creased into a frown. "I'm not that short, you're just unnaturally tall." Feisty Clove is back. This time I held no laughter back as it rumbles through me. "Alright, I better shut up before you beat me up right?" I manage to ask through each breath of laughter. She had rolled her eyes, a playful smile played on her lips, "Yes you should. You have no idea how much damage I can do with these bad boys." She held up her scrawny arms, which were barley noticeable against the baggy sleeve of her sweater. Another booming laugh ripples through me, this time she had joined in too. The sweet sound of her laughter tires my monster, overwhelming me with genuine happiness.
We had spent the entire day on that couch, and I don't regret a second of it. It seemed as if we had talked for hours about anything and everything, stopping occasionally to continue our friendly banter. I could listen to her voice all day and never be sick of it. I had even told her about my life back home, "It wasn't too bad. I lived with my mum, step dad and baby sisters, Rose who's 5 and Ivy who turns 3 next Friday." She smiles at the way I talk about them, holding on to my every word.She is the only person I would ever tell. "I remember trying to explain to them that I was going to be away for a bit. Ivy didn't stop crying for 3 days straight and Rose clung to me day and nigh refusing to let go. They even tried pouting, they know it's my only weakness." I chuckle at the memory and how easily that had my wrapped around their tiny fingers, but deep down, my heart began to ache. People think I'm an ass hole. But if only they saw me around my baby sisters, they would think otherwise. "Do they look like you?" The curiosity in her voiced sounded so innocent. "Yeah. They both have my eyes and Ivy has our blonde hair. Rose's hair is bitter darker, more brownish, she gets it from her dad. And they both have dimples," I was so lost in my description of the girls I hadn't even notice Clove moving a pillow to side of my thigh. She layed down, her beautiful eyes staring up at mine. It was the first time I had truly looked into her eyes. Yes, they were brown but it was only till now that I had noticed the hazel sparks around her pupil. God she seemed more and more perfect by the second. "Tell me more about them?," she asks rhetorically, knowing that I would anyway. "Well they're my only siblings. When my mum was with my dad," I had spat out the last word, Clove had picked up on that too as a she raised an eyebrow. I ignored her look went on, "She had me when she was 17, I was kinda a mistake aha. But she grew up, got remarried and realised that she wanted a girl. That's when Rose-y came along. She was happy and then 2 years later she was pregnant again with Ivy. Kinda funny how 2 of 3 kids were an accident." I laugh and she smiled at my humour but stayed quiet, hoping I would go on. "I was 12 when Rosie came along. I had no experience with babies so I wasn't use to the whole crying, pooping, vomiting thing. And the teething! God I hated when Rosie was teething and now Ivy is going through it too. The amount of scars I have on my shoulders from those girls biting me is ridiculous!" Clove had burst out laughing as I gripped onto my shoulder for emphasis, " But they've grown on me a lot. They're the reason I agreed to even come here." I look down at her, all humour washing away. She could sense the mood change too as she sat up reaching for my hand. I smile lightly at her, normally I would burst of joy at the feel of her warm hand around mine, but I was far too gone in the thought of Rosie and Ivy. I continued on, refusing to leave out a single detail, "My mum and Jack had asked me 'what if I got too angry and couldn't control it?' 'What if one of the girls were there and something accidental happened to them?' It really got me. I couldn't risk it, my very own baby sisters..." I shake the thought out of my head, just like I did with dream. I felt her small hands give a light squeeze reassuring me. "You wouldn't hurt them, I know you wouldn't," She did her best to snap me out of my depression, and it worked, but I still knew it could have been a possibility and that's not something you can easily forget. If I ever hurt them, I would never forgive myself, nor would Jack or my mother.