I am not one those people who wake up from bad dream sitting up straight, gasping for breath and covered in sweat.
No.
I open my eyes, laying on bed, heart beating fast with tears streaming down my face. I don't mind the fact that I am not screaming my lungs out and trashing on bed. But when you are not creating ruckus, no one wakes up and comforts you. No one comes.
So you lay in bedroom, wide awake in early morning hours even though you slept just a few hours because of certain blonde career.
I sighed, bored out of my mind and decided to check our district's floor, if someone is awake.
Of course, no one was.
Thankfully breakfast was already prepared, so I grabbed croissants and tea and went to sit on a sofa to watch some more Games.
I tried to remember the basics of surviving from observing tributes. Find a tree, climb it, find a cave get in it, find stream, get water…and try not to die.
Before we left for the training, Elma instructed us to keep to the survival stations. Darby was being his usual moody self and Francine was trying to make him talk.
Time passed quicker than I expected and I found myself on the way to the elevator to get to the center. Thankfully the elevator was empty, so I leaned causally on the wall with Morris opposite of me making faces at me. We both had training clothes on, with our District's number on out arm.
Elevator dinged on the sixth floor and two tributes walked in. Smile froze on my face, when one of those tributes was that ginger haired creep whom I learned is called Vale Hughs.
Morris immediately went next to me, creating a barrier between us. Vale had his eyes set on me, his blank stare haunting me. My shoulders tensed and hands balled into fist in a natural reaction.
"It's fine Cor. I'm here." Morris reassured me. I sent him a small smile but his words didn't help me.
The elevator's door opened once more. I looked up and saw number 2 shining in red on the small screen.
My hearth soared in hope, that Cato will join us and maybe help me feel safer.
But instead of him, a small dark haired girl walked in. Her eyes scanned the room, before the door closed again.
I noticed that Vale's gaze wasn't on me anymore, but on her. She sensed his stare and turned her head to look at him too.
"Are you mental or something?" she sneered at him.
He just grinned at her and continued staring.
The door opened and I got the first glimpse of the training hall. I walked fast to the circle that formed in front of the balcony. We stood on our predetermined spots. I noticed that Peeta and Katniss still weren't here but Cato was already there, so I waved at him without getting any response.
"Ass." I grumbled.
"That guy from six is fucking retarded. I can't wait to get my hands on him in the arena." Said the small girl to Cato when she got on her spot.
"We will see about that Clove. I have some unfinished business with him too." Cato crossed his arms and glared at Vale's head.
I smirked slightly knowing that Vale's life won't be easy in the arena.
Atala told us basic instructions after District 12 tributes arrived. I saw Careers getting jumpy wanting to get their hands on weapons and show off.
She let us go and I headed to Peeta with Mo.
"Hey." I greeted him.
"Hi guys."
"Where is Katniss?" He pointed at the snares station where I saw her looking at the expert. I rather didn't ask why she went there alone.
"Where are you heading?" I asked him.
"I actually don't know yet."
"How about camouflage station?" I suggested and both boys agreed.
Peeta was amazing at it. He painted his forearm up to elbow in such way, that it blended with the tree's bark. When he showed us how he easily blended with the tree, we looked with Morris at each other and then at our creations consisting of swirls of colors and dark pools of brown in some places.
"Crap." I laughed. "I think we know who is the expert here."
"I think I'm going to climb on some ropes, okay?"Morris suddenly said and walked away. I looked where he was heading and saw that a cute girl was climbing the ropes too. I put two and two together.
"Someone has a crush."I sang.
"What a lucky guy in unlucky place." Commented Peeta dryly.
Someone has a bad mood.
"Hey, what's going on?" Peeta sat next to me on a chair and sighed heavily.
"Katniss hates me." He confessed in a broken voice.
"Why would you think that?" I asked surprised, thinking how I was able to screw up my painting.
"She barely talks to me." I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes at him. This is Peeta to you. All sensitive and mushy gushy.
"Come on, cupcake. I know you love her, but you have to realize that she knows you just about two days .You should know better. From what you have told me, Katniss doesn't open up to people easily. So why do you think she would change this knowing that she will have to fight in arena for her life in few days."
"I know." Peeta said unconvincingly.
"Well you don't sound like it." I reasoned.
"Besides, I am sure that she will warm up to you." I reassured him. Peeta smiled a little and took my hand. He grabbed a few paintbrushes and colors.
"What are you doing?"
"Painting butterflies. And wash that hideous thing that you painted earlier. It is freaking me out and upsetting my inner artist." I snorted, my did it anyway.
"You know Peeta, you should really look into the mirror. You are blonde, blue-eyed boy that is strong enough to lift a house. Your personality shines so bright that it blinds me from time to time. You are funny, smart, charming, polite and just amazing. You can even paint and bake." I said after few minutes.
"And you are sexy. What more could a girl want?"I butted. Peeta laughed loudly at my comment and continued painting on my hand. I looked in the direction of ropes and saw Morris and that girl talking to each other hanging upside down.
Katniss was still at the snares station tying knots.
Careers were loudly smashing dummies and hitting bulls-eyes with pointy and sharp things.
Don't you just love them.
It was time for lunch. Peeta and me were the last ones to leave the hall, because he had to finish his painting. It was beautiful. I had butterflies and different flower scattered all over my arm, with few flowers on my temple. We both looked silly but Peeta even worse than me with his tree bark and mine unsuccessful attempts of painting turtle and elephant on his arms after I persuaded him, that I can actually paint.
We entered dining room and searched for Katniss and Morris. Thankfully, we found them sitting together at a table with that small girl that Morris was talking to.
I sat next to him and Peeta slid into a seat next to Katniss. I sent him an encouraging smile, but Katniss was glaring at me. I smiled at her too, but I was met with a cold stare.
Someone is jealous.
"Got a nice girlfriend Mo." I whispered into his ear. He turned red at my comment but refused to look at me.
He remained silent.
"No denying she is your partner in crime?"
He looked at me, cheeks a vibrant red color. "No she isn't."
I just gave him thumbs up and ordered pancakes when waiter appeared at our table.
Unknowingly to me, a pair of blue eyes was following my every move.
I was leaning on a railing watching Capitol once again in the evening. I ventured here alone, secretly hoping that Cato would come here as well. If It weren't for the games, it would be honestly fun here. My best friend is here, MoMo has taking liking to Rue, girl tribute of District 11,whom he met at the ropes and a certain big blonde captured my attention.
I heard as someone opened the door. A smile tugged on my lips.
He came.
Part of me wanted to slap myself for stupidity. Developing crush on the biggest threat in the Games is surely not the best guide on how to stay alive in the arena. But there is just something about him that makes me feel better.
I though, and I still do, that I am awkward around boys. Saying stupid things in inappropriate moments, being unable to flirt. I somehow can't make my inner feminine side to shine through when I am with boys.
Awkward and weird works for me just fine in this area..
My forehead wrinkled. I thought that Cato came on the roof.
So why isn't he bothering me yet?
I turned around and gasp left my lips.
Vale stood there, staring at me.
I never thought that someone just standing and staring would creep me out. But it is the way he does it, that sends chills down my spine. His long arms are hanging down, face without expression and those pits of black looking at me.
"Hey." I said trying to hide how nervous he makes me.
He didn't answer. I would have gotten angry at him or make fun him like I do of Cato, but Vale isn't one to toy with.
"I think I will rather go." I clutched the blanket in my hands, pulling it closer around me. I left two bowls of ice cream the way they were. I had other things on mind now.
I took care not to walk next to him, putting distance between us. My steps quickened when I got near him. He pivoted on spot when I passed him. One would think I will feel safer walking away from him, but it only made me feel more anxious, because I couldn't see his movements.
A hand grasped my arm, halting my movements. My eyes widened.
This is not good. I thought.
He didn't pull me closer to him. It was him who neared to me.
I saw as his other hand moving in the air to touch me. I shut my eyes, afraid of what he was going to do. When nothing happened, I noticed that his hand was hovering above my shoulder.
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."Growled all too familiar voice.
Feeling of being protected washed over me and I shrugged Vale's hand from my shoulder. I turned around and saw that Cato has hand wrapped around Vale's throat in iron grip.
Vale made few choking noises, but Cato just smirked, tightened his grasp, with dark cold eyes watching his failing attempts to breath.
His muscles barely strained squeezing his neck.
"She is mine." Vale smirked despite the situation.
"Not if I will get her first." Vale managed to choke out. My heartbeat quickened watching Cato's eyes flash with something dark and predatory.
"Cato, let him go."I said in small voice, before he could do something rash and stupid. His eyes flickered to me and stayed trained at me.
"It will just create problems if you hurt him." I tried to reason with him, but I wasn't sure if common sense had any significance here with outraged Cato.
"Please."
His grasp lingered and I seriously thought he will kill him. My mind began producing explanations as to why boy tribute from 6 is laying dead on the roof, when Cato let go of Vale unexpectedly that he fell down on the floor. He cradled neck in his hands and ran away. Cato was looking on the spot where he fell, still mad, clenching his giant fists.
Relief washed over me and my shoulders relaxed. I knew that I still had big problem at hands, and that was mad Cato, but I felt no more in danger.
I touched his arm softly, looking up in his face. I opened mouth to tell him something, but the same hand that was grasping Vale's throat few seconds ago, was now gripping mine painfully. He slammed me into a wall that was not far behind me. I grasped his hand with my own trying to push it away, but he wouldn't budge.
He loomed over me with a crazed glint in his eyes.
Screaming for help would be useless. No one would hear me.
"Tell me.. why shouldn't I kill you now and save you from painful death in arena?"
Seriously, what the hell? Minute ago, he told Vale that I was his, whatever that meant, and now he wants to kill me?
Come one, Cory. Think.
But what should I say so he will not choke me to death?
"Because you ice-cream will melt." I blurted.
…
Smart move, Coreen. Really smooth.
..
Cato's eyes lost their dangerous glint, but he didn't let me go. He seemed to be deciding whether to choke me to death or to let me go. I silently hoped for the latter.
"Why do you have to be so fucking confusing?"He grumbled, but let me go.
"And you think that you are not?" I asked, slumped against the wall, rubbing my neck, blanket sliding to ground.
"Where is that ice-cream?" Of course. Leave it to him to ask about food.
I walked to the bench, took both bowls in hands and sat down. I passed him the blue bowl and started eating mine ice cream.
He sat beside me, his large body taking up most of space. I shivered when a strong gust of wind blew across the roof and looked longingly on abandoned blanket. But I was too lazy to retrieve it.
Suddenly, Cato's arm picked me up and placed me in his lap, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"And that I am confusing." I said angrily and looked in his face, but he was staring straight ahead, his beautiful blue eyes watching Capitol lights.
"You big blonde chicken." I mumbled and ran my fingers through his blonde hair still ruffled from earlier. His looked at me, surprise written on his face. I blushed and hid my face in the crook of his neck, leaning on his strong chest.
Cato buried his nose in my hair, inhaling my scent, pulling me possessively to him.
Oh, to hell with it.
We both are confusing . But I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Dislaimer: I own nothing from Hunger Games.
Another chapter is up. And I am still sick. I have full nose and I'm coughing nonstop. My dad, whenever he is room with me, tells me to stop coughing because it is irking him. So I try not to cough, going red in face while writing another chapter.
I am very glad that there is quite a few of you, who weren't put off by boring first chapter (maybe even the second one) and continued reading. But it could be even better, if you would review. I am a bit insecure about posting these chapters, because my vocabulary is limited and this is my first story ever that I published. So it would be great to hear from you, what you think of it.
Thanks for reading. Lia