Our apartment is extravagant, as I expected it to be. I don't really get much of a chance to look around as Enobaria roughly shoves me onto the nearest couch.
"What the hell was that, Cato?" she demands, her gold teeth glinting dangerously in the light. I wonder if she got mad enough at me, would she rip my throat out, too? I decide I don't want to find out, so I went with the first answer that came to mind. I don't think she would really appreciate the truth in this situation.
"He looked at me funny," I reply haughtily, staring directly into her emerald green eyes. "I had to show him his place. Just because his stylist has some competency, it doesn't make him on par with the rest of us."
"Keep your emotions in check, you useless boy, before you lose all your sponsors. If they think you're nothing but brawn with no brains to go with it, they'll have bets on you to die first. Though, I suppose that won't be far from the truth," my mentor fumes, chucking a nearby pillow at my head that I swiftly dodge.
"Boys are so barbaric," Clove agrees, a small smile tugging at her lips as our mentor storms out of the room. She loves watching me get yelled at, despite the fact that she is probably the most disappointed that I didn't kill the loser. But of course, precious little Clove has to be the favorite over big, bad, Cato.
Whatever, I don't need any of them.
"Well, what's done is done. Just don't let it happen again, Cato, darling."
I cringe at Adara's pet name, smacking Clove upside the head as her wicked grin widens.
"Ow, Cato, what the fuck!" Clove screeches as she grabs a large pillow and tries to smother me with it.
Ripping the pillow out of her grasp, I wrap my hands around her tiny wrists and use my legs to lift her into the air, hoisting her up as high as I can to make her body parallel with my own.
"Hey, Clovey, you like bets. Wanna bet on how far I can throw you across the room?"
"PUT ME DOWN, CATO, OR I SWEAR I'LL…"
"What are you gonna do, Little One?" I scoff, adjusting my feet so she doesn't fall on me. Clove was small, but I didn't want to risk her falling knee first onto my groin. "Make faces at me until I die laughing? You don't really need to try very hard to do that, darling, considering how your face is already deformed."
"Maybe once the Games start," I continue, "I'll toss you like a cannonball across the Arena, and you can stab someone with one of your knives. That'd be pretty epic and original, we would be sure to get additional sponsors."
Not hearing a response, I look up and see her giving me one of her most terrifying scowls, the one that promises I will not like whatever revenge she concocts in her twisted little mind.
Between the look on her face and the image in my mind of me throwing her like a human spear at another tribute (preferably Puppy Boy), my body is overcome with laughter, and I accidently drop her onto the floor.
The look on her face is murderous, but fortunately, Enobaria decides now would be a good time to return back to her tributes. Not that I am scared of Clove, of course, but she definitely does not fight fair. I cross my legs as nonchalantly as I can, in order to protect my most prized possession in case of a surprise attack.
"Glad to see you didn't kill each other while I was gone," she remarks, giving me a pointed look. I stare back, unfazed.
"He's going to sleep with one eye open tonight," Clove grumbles, returning to her seat on the couch as far away from me as physically possible.
"Which is exactly why neither of you will be alone for your entire stay here," Enobaria snarls, glaring at both of us as she moves her gaze to a spot behind our couch.
My mentor sure was moody today. I wonder if I'd be murdered if I asked her if she was on her period. God girls are gross.
Turning around, I finally notice two people who have probably been standing there the whole time. They must be Avox, I think, remembering what I learned about them in our History of Panem class. An Avox was a person who had committed a crime, and as punishment, the Capitol cuts their tongue cut out and forces them into servitude. The idea sends shivers down my spine. I cannot imagine living the rest of my life without the ability to talk. I didn't want to even think about how deprived our world would be without my ability to speak. The poor, helpless masses would be lost.
The first Avox, and hardest to miss, is a large red haired boy who rivals me in size. I can see his muscles rippling under his white tunic, and I figure I will get stuck with him since he is a male and the other Avox is a girl. I can't wait to challenge him to a wrestling match. He looks like a decent opponent, more so than any of the other tributes, besides perhaps the District 11 boy.
The girl, however, catches my attention for a different reason besides her size. For a fleeting moment, I am filled with hope that my sister hasn't died and was just taken captive by the Capitol. The Avox girl has long black hair that flows down her back, stopping at her waist. Her light green eyes hold a mischievous glint, and I am struck speechless by just how much she looks like Citali. I shake my head, knowing this is not possible. I and the rest of Panem had watched hopelessly a few years ago as Citali was murdered on national TV.
"I do NOT need a babysitter, Enobaria!" Clove whines loudly, drawing my focus back to the matter at hand. "Cato is the one who can't control himself, why should I suffer, too?"
I glance behind us again to see how the Avox have reacted to Clove's complaints. It looks as if they have not even moved, but the boy's jaw looks a little tenser. However, out of the corner of my eye as I turn back around, the girl discreetly sticks her tongue out at Clove's back. An Avox with a tongue? That was unheard of, as far as I knew. Very interesting, I think, as I file that little note into my mind.
"Relax, sweetie," Enobaria purrs, moving to sit on the arm rest of the couch next to Clove. "It's also for your protection. Now you can sleep peacefully and not have to worry that one of the other tributes are going to sneak into the apartment and kill you as revenge for Cato's very public emotional breakdown. We know how barbaric the outlying districts can be."
Clove lets out a very undignified snort at our mentor's statement and continues to bitch about how there was no way a 10 year old could protect her.
I make an impulsive decision at that moment as I see the Avox girl opening her mouth to retort. Her partner discreetly gives her a little shove, followed by a warning look to keep her comments to herself.
"I'll take the girl, then. Clove, you can have the boy if you are so worried about your own safety."
Enobaria raises one of her delicately drawn eyebrows at me.
"Isn't she a little young for you, Cato?"
I curl my lip at her, showing my obvious disgust at her insinuation.
"I want to be pampered before the Games start, as I rightfully deserve. I'm sure a girl knows more about that kind of stuff than a guy."
"Traditionally, male tributes are paired with male Avox and…" Adara, who has been mostly silent, begins.
"Screw tradition," Clove butts in, "She is of no use to me, so Cato can have her. In fact, he can have them both. Happy fucking birthday, Cato."
Without waiting for a response, Clove storms towards her quarters with the male Avox reluctantly following. I feel kind of bad for the kid, having to deal with Clove and her moodiness. But, whatever, not my problem.
I sneer at Enobaria, before getting up, rejoicing in her vicious glare. She may favor Clove, but I am not one to mess with.
'Cato wins again', I mentally cheer, nodding at the dark haired Avox as I make my way to my bedroom. I hear her following me, and I wait until she enters my room before I close the door behind us.
Making my way to the large, plush bed, I plop down and face the girl.
"Why do you still have a tongue?" I demand, ignoring the typical rules in dealing with Avox. You are only supposed to give them orders. They are not there for small talk, since obviously, most cannot even talk back.
I reason that since she is not a typical Avox, typical rules will not apply to her. Besides, I am not one for following orders anyway. They are beneath me.
I chuckle as the previously defiant girl blushes and looks frantically around her. I briefly wonder if she is trying to figure out how to escape, but then I realize she is probably worried we will be overheard.
"Come here," I order, putting her more at ease as since she is used to being ordered around. I scoot up to the headboard, giving her space to sit on the edge of the bed. I vaguely notice how it's nice to lay in a bed that fits my entire frame, with plenty of room left over. Too bad it's only for a week.
"Why do you have a tongue?" I ask again, this time more gently.
"My father sent me here as punishment," she whispers, twirling a lock of hair nervously around her finger.
I raise an eyebrow. I've never heard of a parent giving their child to the Capitol willingly, unless it was to participate in the Games. Though, even then they really didn't have much of a choice so I wasn't sure if that counted.
"We're from District 3," she continues, as she moves closer to me in an attempt to speak as quietly as possible. "They really don't care as much about the Games there as they do in Districts 1 and 2, but I couldn't wait to be old enough to volunteer. I trained as hard as I could when I wasn't in school, and one day I challenged an older girl to a fight because she kept teasing one of my friends. She knew I had been training for the games whenever I could, but she wouldn't turn down a challenge from a girl half her size. Imagine what her friends would say, ya know? We agreed to fight after school, but she jumped me at lunch…"
The girl trails off, seemingly embarrassed, but I can see the pride in her eyes. I have a feeling the other girl in the fight didn't get off as easily as she had anticipated.
"What'd you do?" I inquire, curious as to what this little girl could have done to end up kicked out of her own District by her parents.
"I stabbed her, obviously!" she blurts, staring at the wall with a small smile on her face, most likely lost in the memory of the event.
"Oh?" I reply, not completely sure I believe her.
"I keep a knife in my boot at all times," she huffs, "Like Johanna Mason did in her Games. Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm helpless, ya know."
Johanna Mason was a District 7 tribute a few years back who pretended to be a weakling so the other tributes left her alone. As the Games were coming to an end, she proved to be a sly and vicious killer, most proficient with an ax. However, she got her last kill with a knife that she had stolen from a dead Career tribute and had hidden in her boot for almost the entire week the Games went on.
"Did she die?" I ask, wondering if this little girl had already killed more people than I had.
"Sadly, no," she sighs, "Someone pulled me off her before I could finish. But my dad made a deal with the Capitol that I would serve them until I was 18, so I would never be able to participate in the Games. President Snow let me keep my tongue because he liked my attitude."
I nod, not overly surprised. She wasn't really a threat to the Capitol, just a little girl who wanted to bring glory to her District. I could respect that, but I can't help chuckling at how Clove would have loved this girl. They might as well have been twins, though the Avox seemed more tolerable than my spoiled counterpart.
"So…" she begins, staring at me intently. "What's the deal with you and the District 12 kid?"
"I don't know what you mean," I contend, not sure how much I could trust this girl just yet.
"Cato, oh my gosh, the other Avox have never been so scandalized!" she laughs gleefully, startling me in the change in her demeanor.
I watch silently as she gets off the bed to stand in front of one of the many mirrors. "Some say you like her, the District 12 girl, I mean, not the weirdo from your District. Others think you're just a violent murderer who didn't like being outshone by a baker's son from the loser District. I heard someone else say they think you're gay and were pissed because the boy didn't return your affections. There hasn't been this much excitement since many of them got stuck here."
She turns away from her reflection to stare back at me with her wide, green eyes.
"And what do you think?" I prompt, genuinely interested in this girl's opinion, though I know she'll tell me without me asking. Girls can never keep their thoughts to themselves in my extensive experience.
"Lavinia and I think you like the girl, yep we sure do!" she smiles radiantly, jumping up and down in excitement. "It's really so romantic, Cato! The brutal, monstrous boy from District 2 and the calm, mysterious girl from District 12 who took the place in the Games for her little sister. It's better than any of those romance novels my sister used to make me read."
I just stare at her, stunned.
My God, when had my love life (or lack thereof) become the highlight of teenage girls' gossip?
"What do you Avox do, write each other letters and pass them off as you see each other?" I question, in an attempt to buy myself some extra time in figuring out my next move.
"No, stupid," she replies, rolling her eyes in feigned annoyance. "We have these pager things where we can type messages to one another as a group or just to one other person. The Capitol can monitor all messages of course, but I think they realized we needed a way to entertain ourselves that wouldn't cause them any trouble…plus I'm sure they also hoped someone would be stupid enough to talk about something illegal, like some crime they witnessed or talks of rebellion."
I nod, distracted by my own thoughts. There was an opportunity here, I could sense it, but I just can't seem to figure out what exactly it is.
"Just don't tell anyone, we're supposed to keep them on the down low. Are you going to answer my question now?"
"You and that other girl got it pretty spot on, I'd say." I decide to go with honesty. Little girls can always sense a lie, especially when it came from a guy. Citali was a prime example of that fact. I could never get away with anything, even trying to pretend that I didn't know what she got for her birthday present. It was like she had a sixth sense when someone was trying to be coy with her.
She whoops in joy and then scampers back onto my bed. Crossing her legs at the end of the bed, I can tell I have her undivided attention.
"So! What's the plan of action, Cato, darling?" She mimics Adara's voice so perfectly, I need to take a second to gather my bearings before I can answer her question.
"Uh, yeah, that's a good question, Little One," I stammer, opting for Clove's usual nickname since I don't actually know the name of the little girl in front of me.
"Well, obviously, Cato, since I am clearly more intelligent, I have a few ideas for you," she giggles, probably anxious to start talking plans with her little Avox buddies. Ugh, when I thought of myself becoming a famous celebrity, it was not in the world of Capitol servants.
"First and foremost, do not call me a name that you use with your little witch of a partner. Secondly, the name is Leyla, but don't call me by my first name too often outside of this room. It'll make everyone suspicious, since I am technically not supposed to interact with you in this sort of way."
I nod my head in understanding and anxiously wait for my new partner in crime to continue. I feel absolutely, totally, and irrefutably pathetic for taking girl advice from a pre-teen, but I struck out once on my own, so I can't afford to mess up again. I need all the help I can get, and I'm betting she won't say anything to anyone else. Hopefully.
She stares at me expectantly, and I have no idea what she's waiting for.
"Continue, brat," I encourage, thinking maybe she isn't used to be treated so nicely. Or she lost her train of thought. I don't even pretend to know what goes on in their heads, because girls are fucking weird. And confusing.
She blinks at me. And then she blinks again. And then she bursts out into uncontrollable laughter.
"Oh my god, you have no idea how to get her to like you, do you?" Leyla wheezes, giving me a sympathetic pat on my knee. "You truly do need my help…"
I scowl darkly at her, waiting for her to compose herself once more. She doesn't even flinch.
Two girls have laughed at me in the past 3 hours. I can't even intimidate a lowly Capitol servant. I already failed once at killing the stupid District 12 boy. I still have no idea how to win Katniss's affections. My life is seriously fucking pathetic at this point.
I vaguely wonder if I should just head back home and tell them I had a change of heart. The stupid 13 year old who was Reaped can come and spend a week with Clove before getting himself killed Day 1 in the Arena. He seemed kind of pissed when I took his spot, so I'm sure he'll be okay with the trade.
"Don't worry, Cato-Kitten, Leyla is here to save the day. How do you feel about a little rendezvous on the roof with your precious, Katniss?"
A/N: Read and Review! All your support has made me even more inspired to write (and to write often). Thank you for all your comments/suggestions/and just overall love, you guys are the best!
How do you like Cato's partner in crime so far?