Chapter 2:
The peacekeepers and Tami escort me to the train we will be using to get to the Capitol. Tami shows me my room. It's awfully big considering it's just for this short train ride. I slip out of my reaping clothes and change quickly into a green t-shirt and tight, black pants. I tie my hair in a knot and leave my room without taking my clothes off the floor. The avoxes can take care of that.
I go and look for Cato, not because I want to tell him that I like him, ugh I can barely admit that to myself, but just to see him and to talk about strategies for the games. We aren't exactly friends. It's hard to have friends when you're training all the time and becoming a ruthless killer, the only reason I'm friends with Sophie is because we met when we were little and we were in training together. But I still feel like I and Cato are more than just stranger. Not stranger, not friends. It's complicated I guess.
I sit down at the dinner table and look at the food. We don't starve in District 2, we're too close and important to the Capitol but we don't usually get fancy food like the one that's here in front of me. Cato sits next to me and Tami on the other side. We haven't met our mentors yet, and all I know is that my mentor will be Enobaria, a woman who got famous for ripping a person's throat out, and Cato's mentor will be Brutus.
When I sit there eating and ignoring the blabber from Tami I realize one thing. The shame. The shame if I would lose the games. I've trained my whole teenager life for the games and I can't just lose. Sorry Cato, I think, but I have to win these games.
Everybody sits down on the couch in front of the television after dinner. They will show us the reapings from the other districts. It starts with district one. This year no one volunteers. It's weird because almost every year someone volunteers in the career districts. This year some dumb blonde girl named Glimmer was reaped and not-so-much muscular boy named Marvel. They look weak. Next was our reaping. I can see the rage in mines and Catos' eyes. We look strong and prepared. Next, in district three, some weak, little kids were reaped. I bet they will be killed in the Cornucopia bloodbath. They look so scared. In district four the girl, whose name is Ula, looks strong. Unlike the boy who's small and skinny. I actually don't care about next districts. Until district twelve shows up. A girl volunteers for her sister. Oh how brave. Then the boy was reaped. He was very surprised and shocked and no wonder, he's now realizing that he'll be dead in a few weeks. Then the program ends and the television is turned off.
I stand up and go to my room. I sit down on my bed and just stare at the wall in front of me. Then someone bursts into my room.
"Why did you volunteer, Clove!" Shouted Cato.
"Please stop shouting, okay? I can do whatever I want!" I say.
"You do realize that one of us will be dead, don't you?" He says and his voice cracks a little in the end.
"I do know that. And I'm sorry but I want to win these games. I need to win these games."
"You really think you can win? Would you really kill me?"
"Yes I do. And if I have to I will kill you."
"I don't believe you." he say and comes closer to me. "Don't pretend that there's nothing going on here between us."
"Oh please. I don't have to pretend. There's nothing going on between us, we're barely even friends."
"Well we'll see." He comes even closer to me so we're breathing the same air and he kisses me. I'm too surprised to break away. Why is he kissing me? I come to my senses and pull away, stepping a few steps back.
"Don't ever do this again!" I shout at him, my voice shaking a little. I hope he doesn't notice.
"Clove we both know we can't pretend anymore. I'm not going to be some lovesick puppy but you know I can't kill you and you can't kill me."
"Well we'll just have to avoid each other in the arena then," I say coldly.
Then Tami walks in and tells us that Enobaria and Brutus are waiting for us.
We leave the room to find them and avoid each others' eyes. In the hallway I can't stop wondering why he did that. I silently scold myself for thinking about Cato. I'm not a girly girl. I don't care about boys. I've spent more than half my life training for the games and I'm not letting that go to waist. I don't care about Cato, I'm going to win these games.
We walk to the dining room where we see Enobaria and Brutus sitting and talking. When we take a few steps they finally notice us and stop talking and focus entirely on us.
"We need to come up with a strategy," is the first thing Enobaria says.
"What kind of strategy?" I ask and sit down. Cato sits on the other end of the table and is careful not to look at me.
"Well obviously we don't know yet. But we need to make sure that this year's victor will be from district two," says Brutus and grins.
"I think you have to form and all alliance with district one and the girl from four," says Enobaria biting her thumbnail.
"And then they die and one of us wins," says Cato, smiling. It nauseates me thinking how casually they talk about the fact that only one of us will come back. Of course it's the truth but it feels wrong how easy it is for them to discuss it.
"Is that all?" I ask sounding bored.
"We'll get into details after the opening ceremony," says Enobaria and she and Brutus stand up and leave the room leaving us Cato alone. I hurry away when I see that Cato opens his mouth to say something. I can't deal with the drama. He's gonna die and I'm gonna win these games and the sooner he realizes that, the better.
A/N:
Hi guys! So this is Chapter 2! We hope you like it! Anyway thank you for reviews! It means a lot for us!
7 reviews - next chapter!
xoxo Lucy and Ragga :)