CLOVE'S POV

It's in the early hours of the morning. The sky in the capitol looks just as it did in District 2; the mornings walking to the training center, sometimes racing. It seems a lifetime ago that we were training at home. I look over to the sleeping body next to me. Sigh. Nothing will be like this ever again. Tomorrow we are in the arena. Surreal really. Leaning over, I place a gentle kiss on his cheek. He moves a tiny bit in his sleep. One of us will be dead. I guess the odds have gone to shit for the two of us. I stand up and crack my back by stretching. I take a deep breath, deciding to take a shower. I lock the door. When I step into the shower my eyes feel sore, and that's when the tears begin. Cato and I will never be together, and after last night; I don't know how I am to watch him die.

Watch him die.

Twenty-three of you will be dead.

One of you will be alive.

Life sucks, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. After my shower I enter my room to find it empty. No big deal. There's a knock on the door.

"Give me a minute!" The door opens slightly though and the blonde slips in. As if a response, I straighten myself up. My face grows hard.

"What do you want?" I spit my words at her.

Her voice is soft. "I see the way he looks at you. He loves you, despite the fact we went two nights in a row-" the girl recovers from her sidetrack and adjusts her voice that was becoming bitterly harsh. "I hate you as much as you hate me. Cashmere and Brutus both know. We are an alliance." I laugh at her.

"Alliance, until we kill each other. Let's face it." I'm inches from her face right now.

"I'll kill you the moment I have the chance. I am stronger, more fierce, more deadly." Her eyes look like they are burning with fire. She spits back. Leaning into my ear she says;

"No wonder he never pushed me away. I'll always be more likeable." I snarl.

"Get out." She smiles with evil and leaves. Once our mission is carried out, I can kill her. Quickly I dress and find everyone already assembled in our living space. All of us are in our track suits.

"Finally training day means we can work with our tributes alone. So as an alliance we will train for an hour, and then we will split up by district." Cashmere says

Brutus adds. "Remember, there is only one victor. When the alliance is over, it's a free for all. Tonight you are not allowed to roam. You're stylists will be waiting for you- it's interview tonight. Earn sponsors, they could save you... So this is the last time you will be together before the arena." He turns on the television to past footage of games.

Cashmere has the floor now. "There will be a cornucopia in the middle tomorrow. Go for it. The four of you are strong, you can eliminate the most niave players there. It will be a blood bath, but trust me- once the clock hits zero- you are fighting for your life. Don't forget that. You'll be willing to do whatever it takes to survive the day." The television clicks off and the elevator doors open. The six of us board, Glimmer is on the other side of Cato whose eyes are glued to me.

CATO'S POV

When I wake up I don't know where I am. I hear the shower and realize this isn't my room. It's Clove's. Sitting up in bed I can't help a grin. We had sex last night. Damn good sex. The clock says seven thirty. I should probably shower too. I debate knocking on her bathroom door, but decide it's just best I don't. Clove may be strong, but she's only as strong as you let her be. I don't need to deal with her freaking out at me this early in the morning for whatever reason she might want too. I bump into Brutus, I'm shirtless and leaving Clove's room at an early hour. He shakes his head and stares into my eyes.

"We can't pull a star-crossed lovers card. You know that. There is one victor Cato. One."

I nod in a response. What am I supposed to do? Argue? He's a mentor- my mentor, he won for a reason. After my shower I come out to the living area; Marvel and Cashmere are there. Glimmer comes strolling in a few minutes after with a bitter expression. Cashmere starts telling us how to interview. We have to be cocky is basically what it boils down too. Cocky- but only enough to get a sponsor's attention. Clove comes in and smiles at me. It's the first time since we have been here that she hasn't given me a vicious look. I grin back. Cashmere and Brutus begin to tell us about how today will work, but my attention is on her. That is until the television is turned on. Cashmere tells us about how the first minutes of the games will be. A cornucopia will be in the middle; full of weapons. Those that are dumb will run right into their deaths. The television flips off, the elevator arrives. Glimmer walks beside me and stands there for the ride. She wants my attention, but my eyes are still on Clove. I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. All I do know is that I shouldn't be here right now. Neither of us should. We could have has it all back home, but no. We volunteered. Once of us to die. That thought leaves a lump in my throat. The doors open to the training center that is empty. The training center is ours. For the first half hour, Cashmere and Brutus should us the ways we should split up. Glimmer needs to go with either me or Clove- she's good at long distance kills, but Clove and I can handle ourselves in hand to hand. Whoever doesn't go with Glimmer is to be with Marvel. He's the same case. He is the best with a spear, but that isn't going to help if someone's hands are trying to snap his neck. The four of us work out senarios if one is getting attacked, how to kill the child. Brutus shows me the easiest way to snap a neck- I get to do it to the dummies. After that we split up. District 1 and District 2. It's the first time we are spoken of as just District 2 and not "the careers" or "the alliance".