CHAPTER FOUR

Cato joined Clove on the stage and she tried to avoid looking at him. Great. My ex-boyfriend is my fellow tribute. Then Clove's eyes lit up when she started thinking about what that truly meant. I could kill him. He could be gone forever. Out of my life. Clove dared herself to look at Cato. She saw that he was already looking at her. He gave her a little wave and Clove gave Cato a villainous smile. He had no idea what she had in store for him.

"Thank you everyone for participating in the Reaping! Make sure to tune in to the Games on television." Candola did her closing statement and walked off the stage. Everyone clapped and started filing out of the town square.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Cato seemed to be asking the air in front of him. Clove decided to try to earn Cato's trust so he wouldn't suspect her plot of killing him.

"I guess we follow Candola." Clove didn't wait for Cato to respond and she started walking in the direction Candola went.

Cato went behind Clove and grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Clove demanded as she turned around to face Cato. She tried to sound harsh but as soon as she made eye contact with him, her voice turned soft. She didn't even pull her arm away from his hand.

Cato was standing about two feet away from Clove, his face even closer, ducking down to her level. "Hey, Clove."

That was all he said to her. And yet, Clove could already feel her heart pounding at the sound of him speaking her name. His eyes are so blue. She shook the thoughts out of her head and finally pulled her arm away from Cato.

"Hey," she said back, while brushing herself off. "Is there a point to this conversation or are you trying to make me swoon?" Clove broke eye contact and focused on the microphone stand.

"Uh, there's no hard feelings between us, right Clove?" Cato looked like a lost little boy, seeking Clove's guidance. She softened and responded, "Of course, not. The past is the past. Especially now." She didn't really mean those words, but she had to work her angle starting now to gain Cato's trust.

Cato smiled at Clove. "Thanks. I feel the same way." They stopped their conversation and went backstage.

As soon as Clove opened the curtain, they were bombarded by cheering and applause. All of the past winning tributes from District 2 were sitting in an area behind the stage. Clove immediately started scanning the crowd for her boyfriend, Menelaus. She finally spotted him, but before she could run to him, two other past winners came up to her and Cato.

"You must be this year's tributes," trilled a female with bright red hair. She hugged Clove and Clove noticed that this woman smelled heavily of strawberries. "I'm Scarlet, and I'm going to be your mentor, Clove." Scarlet gave her a warm smile and hugged her again. This woman sure is peppy. Scarlet was slightly taller than Clove, her being 5'3''. She had a slinky black dress on and was very tan. Her hair was long and wavy and she had bright brown eyes.

Scarlet led Clove away so they could talk about strategies. "It's never too early to think about what you're going to do in the arena."

Clove finally recalled which Games Scarlet was from. She was picked for the 68th Games when she was 18, so that made her 24 now. Clove remembered watching her play when she was nine. She underestimated Scarlet then. She could remember when Scarlet turned from seeming like a scared little girl to a dangerous threat.

It was the third night in the Games. Only eight people had been lost so far. The camera was locked on Scarlet, on the impasse situation she was in. She was noticeably trembling and the knife in her hand was shaking vigorously.

"Wassamatta, Scarlet? Can't stand to lose your lover?" Pip from District 4 was holding Scarlet's best friend and fellow District member, Jago, in a choke hold. He was losing air fast and Scarlet hadn't killed anyone yet in the Games. She could and would kill Pip for her best friend's life, if she didn't have an arrow aimed at her head. Jess from District 8 was standing ten feet away, behind Scarlet, and she was very skilled at using a bow and arrows.

"Go ahead, princess. Make your move. It's you, or your boyfriend here," Jess spoke venomously. Other tributes were starting to crowd around the scene. Scarlet was starting to go into fight-or-flight mode and she still wasn't sure what her body was going to do. She looked around at all the people gathered around. They were all staring at her, waiting for her first move. She was sure that's what everyone back in their homes were doing. Scarlet was starting to question why she even accepted participating in the Games in the first place. She wasn't a career. But her name was drawn, and she decided last-minute that she wanted to represent District 2 in the 68th Hunger Games.

"No, Jess. It's both of us." Scarlet said, finally deciding on what she was going to do. It was risky, but she had to do something. Scarlet side-stepped to the left so she was in front of Pip.

Jess laughed at pulled the arrow back, tightening the bow-string. "I'm afraid that's the wrong choice, sweetheart." She released the arrow.

Scarlet was able to duck in time. Everyone held their breath to see what would happen next. The arrow was sailing straight for Pip. He didn't react quickly enough, though, and was pierced right in his eye. He let go of Jago and fell to the ground, dead.

Jess ran for Pip, screaming and crying. Right as she ran past Scarlet, she raised her knife and slit Jess' throat. She gave Scarlet a pained look as she collapsed. Jess shortly after died from the wound Scarlet gave her.

After that, all the other tributes stayed away from Scarlet, and her precious Jago. Almost to the end of Scarlet's Games, there were three tributes left. Her, Jago, and the girl from District 1. The girl killed Jago so Scarlet killed her, thus, making her the victor.

"Real quick, Scarlet. If you don't mind, can I please see my boyfriend, Menelaus?" He was all Clove could think about at the moment, and she needed to apologize to him.

"Oh, sure. I guess we still have plenty of time to talk strategy." Scarlet motioned for Menelaus to join them, then she went off to talk to the other past victors.

Clove immediately hugged Menelaus, something she had never really done.

"Woah, I guess you missed me." Menelaus squeezed Clove and then set her down.

"I'm so sorry, Menelaus." Clove looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Sorry for what?"

"Sorry for making everything about me lately." Clove kicked a nearby pebble and focused on it.

Menelaus tweaked her nose, causing her to look back at him. "I don't mind, Clove. Really. I love talking about you."

Clove laughed and kissed her boyfriend.

"And you don't have to worry about anything else. Scarlet's a great mentor," Menelaus said when they were done smooching.

"I know, she is one of my favorite victors." Clove glanced over at Cato and saw him deep in conversation with whom Clove could only assume was his mentor.

Menelaus saw where Clove was looking. "And don't worry about Cato, either. You could totally take him."

Clove sighed dramatically. "I suppose I don't have anything else in the world to worry about then, do I?"

Menelaus picked Clove up and gave her another hug. "I can't wait until we're known as, 'the victor couple'," she said dreamily.

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