I kept staring at myself in my reflection in the water. I was crouched at the lake, disgusted with my matted hair and dirty face. I scrubbed it repeatedly until my skin turned red. My hair lay on my shoulders, tangled and oily.

Bleugh. I turned my head away, unable to look at myself any longer. I know that I can't expect that I'll be stunning all the time, ready to steal the show. But right now I look like a sad excuse for a gril. Laced up boots appeared in my peripheral vision. Just by the size of them I could tell that they belonged to a girl.

Clove.

After yesterday's fiasco, we didn't talk. We were avoiding each other, trying not to make any eye contact. I didn't have a problem with that. For the rest of the evening, I stayed next to Cato, eating sweets and chocolate. That boy can eat a lot, let me tell you. And in the morning she wasn't even at the camp, having dissappeared in the forest looking for unfortunate souls.

And now she's next to me. Oh ou.

"Ehm.. Hi."I said and cleared my throat. She looked at me with a calculating eyes and crouched next to me without saying a word, her knives peaking from her belt. She had them always with her.

"How is it going?" God, what did I just say? Blush started creeping up on my cheeks from embarrassment, my eyes darting form one stone to another, trying to find some safe neutral point to look at.

"I was wondering if we have some shampoos at the cam-"

"I'm not going to apologize for what I have said yesterday." She cut me off curtly. I looked at her startled, surprised at her speaking up. She was looking straight in front of her.

"But I could have say it less harshly." She admitted and sneaked a glance at me. I had a small smile on my face, happy that our silent argument is being solved.

"Don't look so damn smug. I'm not apologizing." She said quickly with a small frown on her lips.

"I'm not smug. I'm just gla-"

"But I'm not backing away from what I have said. It still stands. It's the truth, whether you like it or not. You may not realize what it is that we found ourselves in. You got Cato, who doesn't let you face any form of danger. Hunting for the others. He is protecting you, even though you may not realize it. But just remember that there still is just one winner." She said and looked at me, her eyes searchingfor any weaknesses.

I nodded,lacking words for a proper answer. My fingers reached to the water, blurring my image.

"You actually do look gross." She commented suddenly. "A shampoo you say?" She asked. I looked at her happily, my gut telling my that our spat is over. The invisible tension in the air disappeared.

"That would be great." I said and stood up, tugging her along with me.

When we got to the giant pile of supplies, a problem arose before our eyes. A big tall problem. That the supplies are too freaking high and they're all mashed up together.

"I told Cato that it was a stupid idea to put them like this in one place. But did he listen? Of course no." I muttered unhappily, staring at the boxes. Clove was circling the pile looking for any clue where these kind of things could be hidden, with no luck for now.

"Did someone mention my name?" Said a voice right into my left ear.

"Oh yes I did." I replied.

"Saying only the truth right?"

I turned around to peak at him though my lashes.

"You can bet I did. Telling the whole world how..." I made a pause, turning around to face him fully. He smirked a bit, the right corner of his mouth curling upwards.

".. stupid you were for putting the supplies in one place." I finished, looking back at that huge pile, my hair smacking him in the face.

"And what's the problem with that. They look perfectly fine the way they are." He tried to reason, crossing his arms over his chest. Ahh, typical male. Never wrong. Perfect all the time.

"Found anything?" I asked Clove when she returned. She sighed and scowled at Cato.

"I'm not sure. Maybe. One box looks like it could be what we need." She pondered on the thought.

"Where is it?" I asked curiously. Her eyes went to the pile, travelling higher and higher, nearly to the very top.

"Near the top." She said, confirming my assumptions. "Who'll go and get them?" I asked hoping that it won't be me.

"Well if I rememeber correctly, Cato mentioned something about you being flexible and it's quite wobbly and unstable there." Oh God. It looks like I will have to go for it.

I sighed unhappily, nodding my head.

"Wait. You want to got up there? No way." Catp finally caught up at what was going on.

"And why not?" I protested. "I need to wash myself. I look like an otter." I complained, flinging my hair in front of his face.

"First of all, you look just fine to me." I raised my eyebrow at his statement, though I was pleased on the inside that he didn't seem to find anything wrong with the way I look. "And second, what does an otter have to do with it?" He asked with an incredolous expression on his face. He clearly wasn't joking when he said when he didn't have any experience with girls. Not as if a comparison of the way I look to an otter would make any sense.

"I need it. Where is it again Clove?" She pointed her finger to a grey box among million other grey boxes. Well, she'll have to point me to the right one when I'll get there.

I breathed out and marched right to the pile just when a pair of arms curled around my waist, taking me away.

"What do you think you are doing?" I huffed angrily when Cato put me downs, few meters away from the supplies.

"Are you stupid?" He shouted at me angrily, his hands gripping my biceps. What was he talking about. He saw my confusion and told me: "There are mines around there you idiot. Aren't you thinking?"

Oh. I forgot.

"I'm sorry." I whispered ashamed at my stupidity. I helped Jeremy to put them in the place and now I got right into them. Cato shook his head at me and went away angrily. I bit my lip unsure about what to do next.

"I wasn't wrong when I said that you were silly sometimes." Said Clove after a while. What's with the people form Dristrict 1 and their need have always the truth no matter how wrong it is? Few second later, she showed me the right spots where to jump.

When I was near the top, Clove pinpointed me exactly which container she meant. I grabbed it, my feet wobbly, and pulled it out form the pile. I threw it back at her, trying as far as possible to not to hit the mines. She garbbed it mid-air, setting it carefully on the ground. She opened it to check it contents and after a while gave me thumbs up. We got what we wanted.

"And now to get down." I mumbled to myself, risking a glance down. It is no way unbeliebably high, but even half a meter above the ground makes me nervous. 2 meters is just enough to set me over the edge.

And it did. My head spinned, my kneess weakened and I felt ready to die. I grabbed the boxes closest to me, avoiding a sack of apples and clung to them desperately. There is no way I'm going to climb down.

"Oh ou.. No. Oh God. This is not good. I'm too high. Too damn high for a person like me. That's it. This is the end. I'm going to die here. I'll dry out and birds will eat my eyes out. Dear God. What have I ever done to you?" I paused in my rant to secure my foor in a more stable place. In the process I looked down again and my life flashed in front of my eyes. Climbing up isn't that much of a problem, because you don't have to look down. You only look to see what's in front of you.

"Urgghhhh.." A pathetic noise escaped my lips, followed by few more resembling the first one. My knuckles were white and my knees were shaking just because I knew I was that high.

"What are you doing there?" Asked Clove from down below.

I didn't turn around to look at her, just answered though clenched teeth, "Dying right now. Are you concerned for my well being?" I asked sarcatically.

"Well come down. We don't have a whole day for this." She said impatiently. I could hear her rummaging though the container, pulling some stuff out.

"Believe me that I would love to come down."

"Are you afraid of heights?" She asked laughing.

"I'm not their biggest fan if you didn't notice." I comemmted dryly, wind blowing hair in my face. I slowly tilted my head lower, trying to get down. I let my right foot go a bit lower, looking for any kind of a surface. The boxes were positioned in the worst way possible, their sides too long. I retracted my leg and put it back in it's previous place after not finding anything to stand on.

"What's going around here?" A new voice was added in our conversation.

Marvle. That's what I need right now.

I could imagine Clove gesturing her hand to me and rolling her eyes. Marvel started laughing hysterically, high-pitched giggles coming from him. I couldn't help myself but to allow a smile slip on my lips. I angled my head so that I would see him. He caught me looking at him, so I stuck my tongue out. He snickered and dramatically wiped tears from his eyes. Just then my left foot slipped a bit and I wavered in my unstable position on the top of the supplies. My eyes widened comically and I had to made grimace because Marvel started laughing again.

"Laugh all you want. I wonder what you'll tell Cato when I'll die here." I said loudly, trying to handle the situation but unsuccessfully.

Muscles in my whole body started to cramp and I new it was just a matter of time untill I'll have to move somehow, what could end up in me falling. I knew that I could fall without any life threatening injuries, but setting the mines off is probably quite hazardeous.

"What are you still doing here?"

Meh. Cato just arrived.

"We have a small problem here.." Started Clove and Marvel started laughing again. Idiot. I peeked behing the box in my view and saw Cato standing there with his hands of his hips, bored.

Now it's the time. "Hey Honey! Long time no see. That's what they say, right?" I joked, only half of my head visible.

Cato's eyes snapped to me and his mouth opened a bit. "What are you doing there?" He asked.

"What does it look like?" I asked a bit irritated. "Soaking in the sun, what do you think?" Seriously, what's with everyone asking what I'm doing here. Does it look like I climb high up just to see the world in my free time?

Cato walked around the pile, standing next Clove with Marvel. "Well come down." He stated as it it was obvious.

I rolled my eyes. "If I could, I have have done it already."

"She scared of heights." Said Marvel still grinning. Thankfully Jeremy was quite far away. I couldn't handle another pair of eyes. Whp cares about the whole Panem seeing me too.

"Heights? What heights? That pile is not much taller than me." Cato said mockingly.

"Well if I was a giant just like you, it wouldn't have been a problem." I commmented dryly.

"You're not going down are you." Cato stated rather than asked. I shook my head, clenching my fist to get rid of the cramps.

With a defeated sigh, I could hear someone moving, then hopping and jumping around. I furrowed my eyebrows at their actions.

"Let go and I'll catch you." Cato's voice came from below. I widened my eyes at the prospect of falling backwards.

"HELL NO!" I bellowed, trerrified even more. "My dad used to play this game with me and it took him one month of constant trying to make me let go. Like hell I'm going to do it with you, here and now." I protested. I despised the idea of doing it. With my dad I knew that he would catch me, yet it took him so long. I think that Cato would try to catch me too though. If he wouldn't, we would blow up.

"Come down already. I'll catch you." Promised Cato.

"I told you I can't. I am already emotionally attached to this place."

"Cory..." Threatened Cato. Wow, it's been quite a long time since he said my name.

"Cato.." I mimicked.

He sighed. "Look, I promise I'll catch you. Just let go. I'm right behind you." His voice grew softer and more tender, coaxing me in. I closed my eyes and hung my head defeatedly. There was no other option just to do what he said.

I turned my head a bit, looking into his blue eyes. "Promise?"

"Promise." He said slowly and held out his arms. I readied myself, closing my eyes for a second, then openening them slowly. I breathed out and jumped backwards.

I thought it would take about half an hour to get down, but nearly the second I jumped, I was in Cato's arms. I didn't even feel the wind rushing beneath me, it was over that fast. I opened my eyes, having found his immediately.

"Thank you." I said. He just smiled and walked with me in his arms to the outer ring of the pile in safe distance from the mines. He then set me down on m feet.

"Hey guys. How is it going down here?" I said to Clove and Marvel. Clove just smiled and shook her head and Marvel started laughing silently.

Then I started jumping up and down, shaking my legs and arms. "And what are you doing now?" Asked Cato with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Getting rid of bad feels and vibe." I said and continued shaking my limbs. There was a tingling senation in my bones and I wanted to get rid of it.

I was up to my knees in water, getting used to the temperature. The sun was shining, so I wasn't freezing cold. Clove was already in water up to her neck, her hair wet and sliced back. I had this powder in my hair, that was supposed to make it normal. It was some substitution for a shampoo. I just had to rinse it off and dry my hair.

"Jump in, don't just stand there or you'll never get in with that speed." She said to me.

"Aren't there any flesh eating fishes?" I asked alarmed when something brushed my ankle.

"No." She said flatly.

"And what about some water plants?" I added.

"Just get in, there isn't anything like that." She said and dived in.

I stood there with white hair, a T-shirt and a panties. I refused to bath just in my underwear. I knew that Clove was right but I was resisiting till I could.

I sighed, defeated, made two steps and then dived into the water. The first imminent shock went through my body and when I broke the surface, I took in few deep breaths to make the blood flow though my veins. I stood up, shirt clinging to my body. I bend forward and strated washing my hair, trying to get rid of the white powder. It dissapperaed in the water, leaving no trace of it.

I should have expected it. I really should. It's nothing new and it happnes all the time. And I like it too. So why I was oonce again surprised when a pair of amrs appeared around me?

"Is it just me or is is hot in here?" Asked Cato with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows when he turnes me around to face him. I was waist deep down in water but he was just to his hips. Than Goodness that he had a shirt on. I don't know how I would survive if he didn't.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with an amused smile on my face.

"I was bored.. " He said whining, making a sad face.

"Oh poor Cato... That is so sad." I said mockingly and moved to get away from him. He quickly pulled my closer. Damn those fast reactions. I slipped from his grasp, diving under water, a few strokes of my arms taking me away from him. When I resurfaced, I found his face quickly. He was turning around in his spot, his eyes searchin gthe water. Once he found me, he scowled and crossed his arms across his chest. That action made me aware of the fact, that the red shirt he had on was clining to his body. I gulped dryly and reached my feet down to touch the surface and steady myself.

Just when water came to my chin and I didn't feel the familiar surface of slippery stones and mud, I panicked.

Ever since the flood I was scared of deep water. Flashes of muddy brown water carying crops and carts, taking small huts and houses with it appeared in my mind. I don't remember it very vividly, but fear of dark deep water stayed in me.

My foot shot forward and I tried to stay as close to the surface as possible. My eyes widened and I swam as fast as possible to Cato. When I got to him, it was this time me who threw arms around him and hugged him with all my might. I wrapped my legs around his waist and clung to him.

"First heights, now deep water?" He asked ligh-hearthedly, but held me to him. I buried my face in his neck, sun warming my back.

I was on the shore, wrenching water out of my hair, having put on a clean clothes. Just then a canoon boomed through the arena. I froze in place, bringing my arms to my sides. I looked up, waiting to see a name appear in the sky, terrified of seeing Peeta's face. Just then I remembered that I'll see who died in the evening, not now during day.

The arms that I am so familiar with sneaked around my waist, bringing me closer to Cato's chest. I welcomed the embrance, leaning into him. His chin rested on my shoulder and I closed my eyes.

"How about a chocolate?" He whispered teasingly into my ear. That boy certainly knows what works with me. I smiled nad nodded, grabbing his hand, taking the chance to try to forget where we are. He is my protector. An umbrella in storm, a shelter in blizzard, a shadow in heat. He, is everything I need.

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Disclaimer: Blah, blah.. I don't own anything. Just for anyone concerned, this disclaimer applies to every other chapter that will follow, since I'm too lazy to write this on every other chapter.

Thanks to everyone who followed and/or favorited anything: Tomoyo Hanizaki, WhisperedxNothingsx, hopeful101, Jenren, 7darkangel7.

Tomoyo Hanizaki: Thank you :~)

Tess: Hiii! Thank you soo much. Most of the time I'm afraid that I don't describe it very well and that my writing is too different from others. So thank you :).

I can now for sure say that I have fallen into the trap called Tumblr. It's freaking amazing. So I was wondering that you could post your tumblr link if you have one and then I could post mine or I would follow or write you. I thought it would be nice. I'm now working, so I have a lot less free time than I would have wanted, but I can say that it pretty much just makes me want to write more. Today's chapter is kind of an filler once again. But next chapter will have more action and I'll finally change something as I wanted from the start. Since then it will be a whole lot different than the books and the movie.

Thanks for reading.

Klaudia