ERMAGERD thank you to all my LOVELY SUPER AWESOMETASTIC WONDERFUL fans who sent me a message with their support for my grandma. You have no idea how nice that is :)

Chapter 8

In The Still of The Lights

"Wake up!" Sam bounced on the edge of my bed.

"Five more minutes." I pleaded, pulling a pillow over my face.

"No, you have to get up nooowww!" She tore the blankets off my body and I shivered.

"Damn you" I growled as she stared back at me with a big grin.

"Chop Chop! Time to get downstairs! We have breakfast!" she called as she left the room. I sighed to myself. Today was the victors tour. No matter how long I had tried to avoid Cato, I would always have to be with him again for something with the Capitol. I guess that's how it was always going to be, but part of myself disagreed. I didn't have to pretend like I liked Cato for the Capitol, I think that I did t because part of me wished we were back together. But I didn't believe myself when I thought it. And even if I did, I wasn't going to tell Cato. He was cocky enough.

I ambled down the stairs in my sports bra and shorts, all too cold to be wearing in a cold house like this. I had draped a blanket around my shoulders, but when I saw Cato sitting at the bar stool, even the blanket wasn't enough to stop me from feeling exposed. I pulled it tighter around my body.

"Hello" he smirked.

"Yeah, uh, hi" It was the first time I had seen him since he kissed me (two days ago). Sam just stood at the counter, eyeing both of us.

"I didn't know you could avoid a boy for so long" he looked away and focused back on his food, chuckling to himself. I just ignored him and picked up an apple.

"Ready to go?" I asked Sam.

"Might wanna put on some clothes sweetie" Cato smiled, shaking his head. I bared my teeth. Don't call me sweety. I thought.

"Your prep teams will be here in anytime" Sam announced, glancing at the clock.

"Wait, both prep teams are coming here?" I demanded.

"They wanted to see you leave the house together. For publicity" Sam wouldn't look me in the eye.

Luckily, the prep teams came through the door, sparing me from hurting Sam. Some of them carried large boxes of what I guessed was makeup and others carried several hangers occupied by clothes. Cato clapped his hands together. "Let's go people" he led them off into the living room.

"Uh, yeah, follow me" I said, still a bit dazed as they followed me up the stairs and into my bedroom. I sat on the bed and let them go to work. When they were finished, I was wearing a long sleeved black dress and patterned black tights. It definatley wasn't going to be enough to keep me warm outside. I had a white flower fastened into my hair and natural makeup. Flo, my stylist, stepped back as I twirled.

"Perfect" she smiled, putting her hands on my shoulders. "You look perfect." she handed me a pair of white heeled booties.

"Thanks" I smiled. It was nice for someone to call me perfect. Last time I heard that was when Cato- oh nevermind.

I walked slowly down the stairs and when I finally reached the bottom, I noticed Cato was staring. When he saw me looking, he averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, pretending he had never been staring in the first place. I proped myself against the banister as I pulled the shoes on that were going to give me the biggest blister I would ever have. The I noticed Brutus and Enobaria barging through the door.

"You are five minutes late!" Enobaria growled, mostly at me.

"Not my fault" I walked past her. I could tell her face was turning red.

"Where is your stylist!? I need a word" she demanded. I turned around to look at her when I reached the door.

"I thought you were the one who said we were late" I raised an eyebrow. She looked at me, her jaw dropped, and then the corners of her mouth turned up.

"Fine, lets go" she tried to hide the fact that she was smiling.

"Alright, Capitol photographers are outside already so, uh" Brutus pulled Cato towards me awkwardly, lacing our fingers together. "Try and get along"

I opened the door and was smacked int he face first by then cold, secondly by the abrupt flashes of lights from the cameras.

"Clove, Cato over here!"

"Over here"

"Smile for the camera!" they all said. To avoid from freezing to death, I had to snuggled up closer to Cato, which I partially didn't mind. And he didn't seem to either, seeing as he put his arm around my shoulder. We walked through the crowds and we were at the train platform when someone said.

"Can we get a kiss for the camera!?" I looked up at Cato and he just winked at me. He placed a finger under my chin and lifted my face to his. His lips were warm pressed against mine and he licked my lower lip before sliding his tongue into my mouth. It's just for show. I told myself, but no matter how many times I told myself it would never be just for show. I still loved him.

He picked me up and twirled me in a circle and when my feet finally touched the ground again, he broke away. I could see his blue eyes soften, the way the did before the games when he saw me, and I could feel a pang in my heart. I reached up on my tip toes so I could reach his ear.

"I still love you" I whispered. It was out of sure impulse. I didn't mean for me to say it in front of all the cameras, it's not like they heard me though. His eyes sparkled and I could see happy tears pricking at his eyes. He couldn't cry in front of the camera! So I just kissed him again.

REVIEWS WOULD BE O-MAZING