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Cato, my friend

Part 5

My father and I sat around the television to watch the opening ceremonies of the Hunger Games. Cato had left a few days ago and today he and Clove would parade down the Capitol promenade. Cato would be second to walk after the district one couple. As the tributes started walking I immediately spotted Cato and Clove coming out of their carriage. My eyes immediately fixed on him, he was wearing a dark leather robe with a blood red Shaw that pooled around his feet, it had a sheen to it that belayed a terrible strength. It seemed simple but if anyone knew Cato well, they knew that, that outfit spoke volumes about him.

Tributes filed out two by two but I kept my eyes fixed on Cato, but as the last of the tributes came into the parade the crowd started cheering even louder. "Wow, look at them." My dads statement drew me from Cato to the tributes from district 12. They were on fire, literally on fire! The news cameras flocked around them completely ignoring the other tributes. "Katniss Everdeen?" I thought to myself. My eyes widened as I kept watching her, the news reporters were calling her, The Girl on Fire, but when I looked in those eyes and the way she balled her fist in her partners hand I couldn't help but think of her as, Katniss Everdeen, The One who will Burn the World.

Eventually the cameras panned back out to show all the tributes, and I could see Cato fuming from being ignored, and Clove seemed none too happy herself. I couldn't help but laugh at Cato's childishness, he had always been like this, whenever someone received more attention or praise than him he always became extremely angry. After the opening ceremonies their would be the interviews, all the tributes would be able to speak to the Capitols biggest TV personality. I wanted to see what Cato would say, I wanted to see what Cato he would present to the world, and see if my friend, my Cato would survive even past the interviews.

Luckily for me I didn't have to wait long for the interviews to start, first was a boy named Marvel. He was tall and strong like Cato but lacked his killer instinct, but his calmness betrayed a hidden intellect, I knew Cato would have trouble dealing with him later. Next was a girl named Glimmer, she too would be a handful for Cato. As I watched them, even Clove, I started making a mental list of all their traits and compared them to Cato's, I wondered how they would fair against him and vice versa. Finally Cato strolled onto Caesar Flickerman's stage wearing a black leather suit that made him look especially dangerous, like he was the worlds smoothest and deadliest Hit-man.

When Cato sat down Caesar started with his questions, who are you? Tell us about yourself? What was the reaping like? All questions Cato answered in a direct yet composed way. Cato would occasionally smirk like a snake when answering a question, and look into the audience with his head turned. This all gave the idea of an incredibly strong confident man, and I'll admit, for just the briefest of moments I had no doubts that Cato could win the entire Hunger Games. "Tell me Cato, you saved a boy your age from the reaping, and I hear you're very close friends with him," Caesar said smiling. Cato seemed shocked that Caesar knew of our friendship, even I was, but it seemed that Caesar could get the dirt on just about anyone.

"Well..." Cato said in a half chuckle, "His names Errol, just a good friend." Caesar seemed somewhat satisfied with the answer, but continued anyway. "So, did you say anything to him?" Caesar asked again. Cato looked at his hands folded in his lap. He moved his head up and looked straight into the camera in front of him, and for a moment if felt like he was looking just at me, not the whole Capitol or Panem, but just me. He laughed again as he said aloud. "The Champion, never dies." Caesar immediately started laughing and clapping and the audience started cheering for Cato.

"Wow, Cato really did make them take notice." My dad said from the couch. I looked at Cato still smiling from the applause and love he was receiving. "Yes, he certainly did." I said turning off the TV.