I knew it was going to be a horrible day, mostly due to the fact that I woke up to someone screeching in an annoying voice about something. My dream like state wanted me to believe it was my mother yelling about Cato spending the night again. But the more awake part of my brain told me that wasn't true. We were curled up together but it wasn't his or my own bed. Which meant as much as I was hoping yesterday was a dream it wasn't. And that person was still screeching.

"Cato, make it stop." I mumbled pushing my face deeper into his neck. Shit. Shit. Fucking shit. Cato is still in my room. Shit. I quickly sit up pushing him off my bed.

He wakes up on impact. "What the fuck, Val!" I point to Atila who is still yelling her head off in the doorway. "Shit… Hi there," He waves a little bit a small half smile on his face, like a kid who just got caught with their hand in a cookie jar.

This makes me start laughing which she doesn't seem to appreciate very much. "You think this is funny! It's been less then 24 hours and the two of you are already doing lord knows what in the same bed! You're lucky that they aren't filming you on the train! What kind of children is district two sending to us, honestly? You probably just met yesterday. It's disgusting-"

I put my hand up like a child would in school and cut her rant short, "Um actually, we're dating. Have been for almost three years…"

That was probably the wrong thing to say because her eyes lit up like I just told her she won the games, "Oh this is wonderful! I can use this! You'll be showered with sponsors!" she walked out of the room still ranting about the "tribute couple".

"You should have just told her you were pregnant too. Really give her something to work with." Cato mumbles, flopping back onto my bed on his stomach. "We're gunna look weak."

I scoff, crawling over him, and off the bed. "No, we're gunna look like a force to be reckoned with."

He gives me a look and an eye roll, "They're gunna expect one of us to mess up though. Be blinded by love or some sappy shit like that."

"That would be you then babe. I'm not the one with anger management problems."

Cato laughs, rolling onto his back, "Coming from the girl who was throwing butter knives at me yesterday." Okay so maybe he does have a point… "That's what I thought." He smirks the arrogant little smirk he always uses when he thinks he won an argument.

I glare and quickly pull the pillow out from under his head and whacking him in the face with it. "Stop being an asshole."

"Stop throwing pointy things at me when you're mad."

"Stop doing stupid shit that makes me mad then." I retort with my hands on my hips and a satisfied smile on my face.

He rolls his eyes again knowing I wasn't going let him win this one. "Whatever." he drags out the "er" and I could feel him watch me while I pulled my pajamas off.

"Can I help you?" I laugh as I button my jeans.

He motions for me to come over to him as he sits up. I give him a 'what-the-hell-are-you-planning-on-doing' look causing him to laugh at me, "Just come here." So I do and for a second all he did was stare at me, his eyes raking over my bra and jean clad body, but then he put his hand right above the top of my jeans, on my bare stomach.

Seeing this was enough to bring me to tears. And for the second time in 12 hours I desperately wanted someone to tell me this was all some fucking twisted dream I was having. As the sob threatened to escape my mouth, I backed up and turned away from him. I quickly threw on a shirt and began bracing myself on the dresser, trying to calm down.

"We need to talk about this, babe. Without yelling and throwing things at each other, it's not like we have a lot of time…" he said softly coming up behind me wrapping his arms around the same spot he was just touching.

I shake my head, "I don't want to."

"You have no choice. I made mine." he said so seriously at first I didn't think he was the one who said it. Cato was always joking or being arrogant or anything that wasn't serious. I think im going to be sick. All I could do was shake my head again.

Cato went to say something but the door opened and Atila was there again. "Come on you too! We have a lot to discuss!" She grabbed Cato's arm and he let her pull him out of the room.

20 minutes later the five of us were all sitting at the dining car table surrounded by a ridiculous amount of food.

"This is just so wonderful. The two of you are going to be the only thing people can talk about-"

Brutus cuts her off, "No. Don't say a word about your relationship to anyone. All you need is one person to see it as a weakness and that will spread like wildfire." Cato casts me a told you so look and I roll my eyes. "You're Careers. You two are the strongest looking district. The sponsors will come without exposing your personal life as a gimmick."

I like him.

"It would make things more entertaining though!" Atila said cause the rest of us to stare at her like she had five heads.

"Like I said, we're not using this as a gimmick. Keep it to yourselves; don't do any couple-y things in public and you'll pass for the strong vicious careers that everyone is expecting." Brutus says and the tone in his voice makes me know this is the last time it'll be discussed.

Enobaria leans forward "But I am dying to know what made you volunteer against her." she says looking across the table at Cato.

He gives her a glare that would make anyone else cringe, and in the most vicious voice I have ever heard him use he says "That's none of your business."

She puts her hands up in defense. "Just asking a question. Don't get all worked up over it."

"Anyway," Brutus says giving his counterpart a glare, "Are you fast runners?"

We share a look and then Cato nods, "We weren't ranked 1st for nothing."

An almost evil smile makes its way to Brutus' face, "Good. Then here is what you're going to do the second you're allowed to step off the platform…"

I heard the crowd when we arrived before I saw it. They were all cheering for us as loud as they could.

"You two ready to make a great first impression?" Atila asks as we make it out of the tunnel. She pushes us to the window and we start waving and smiling. We are good Careers.

They all looked ridiculous. I thought Atila wore some crazy outfits (I have seen her in four in the last 24 hours) but I was nothing compared to the people outside the platform of the train.

Everything was happening in a blur. One minute we were in the train, the next some sort of car, and then some huge building where they separate me and Cato because they were going to get us ready for the parade. I was kind of excited for the parade our district always looked like some kinds of warriors.

What I wasn't expecting was getting every hair on my body waxed off, pulled on, and plucked. I didn't know something meant to make you look beautiful, could make you be this uncomfortable. By the time they took me to meet my stylist my skin felt like it was on fire.

The door opens and a woman with the longest, pinkest hair I have ever seen walks into the room. "You know, they told me you were pretty but I didn't think you'd be this beautiful. You have the loveliest bone structure. Oh, sorry! Im Fari your stylist."

"Thank you, I'm Valina." I smile at her. She seems to be nice enough.

"Oh honey I know. Well there is no time to waste. Let's get you beautiful for the parade," with that three other people, one man and two women, came in and got right to work.

I cant even being to tell you how long it took them to get my outfit together. Once it was fully on me it looked like the simplest thing but really it wasn't. I looked like a Gladiator. The thing on my neck was bothering me, but at least I talked them out of the stupid winged hat they wanted to put on me and got a golden crown looking thing that sat along my forehead instead. My make up was all gold and glitter in a semi simple design to add to my "toughness". Yes. Glitter is tough now.

The highlight of this whole thing was walking to the hallway and seeing Cato in a very similar costume but with pants. But he had the stupid winged hat on. The laugh that left my mouth was quickly met with his glare, so I managed to get it down to a giggle. That went on for the 15 minutes we walked to the entrance hall and waited for the parade to start. By the time we made it to the entrance he was really annoyed with me but I can't help it. He just looked so stupid.

Although not as bad as the boy we met from District one, Marvel. He looked about ready to kill himself and was shit talking his outfit with Cato. ("its not the color, it's the damn fur. What do they think I am, a ferocious bunny?" Marvel is a funny guy.) I took the moment to look around at the other tributes. The only person who I could see giving us trouble was the very large black boy I remember seeing was from 11. And then there she was.

Katniss Everdeen.

The first volunteer tribute from 12. She didn't look like much, neither did her partner, but my mother always says don't judge a book by its cover and I had a feeling in my stomach she wasn't going to make this easy for us.

"This year looks like its going to be easy." The girl from one, Glimmer, said to me doing the same thing I was.

"Almost too easy." I reply glancing at Cato and Marvel again, trying to stop the laughter.

Cato glared at me again, "If you don't stop laughing at me I swear I won't feel bad for punching you."

I fake gasped, causing both from one to laugh. "Do it. I dare you. I'll hit you right back." I put my fists up and start taking fake swings at him. He just rolled his eyes and went back to talking to Marvel about an alliance. Jeeze. Let us get a foot in the door yeah?

"Have you two known each other long?" She asks while checking Cato out from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, a little over 6 years."

She hmms, "Are you guys close?"

"As close as they get." I answer back. These short replies are what Brutus told us to do. Apparently we gravitate to each other too much to act like we just met. He said to tell everyone we are childhood friends. It should talk away any suspicion that we are lying.

She looks at me with a smirk on her face, "He's cute. Does he have a girl back home?"

"Yeah, they've been together for a while." I reply trying to keep calm and not rip her face off for looking at my boyfriend like he was a toy for her to play with.

She sighs, "Damn, this could have been a few interesting weeks if you know what I mean." she winks at me and I have to hold back from hitting her as hard as I can. That bitch has another thing coming if she thinks she can have him. He fought too hard for me to let her worm her whore ways into our relationship. If she wasn't a Career she'd probably be the first one i knocked out of the game... Okay so maybe Cato was right. I do have anger issues. But so does he. We were like a match made in hell.

A voice over the intercom tells us to get on our chariots and be ready to smile. The screams from the crowd were loud as out chariot hit the opening. These people were sick. Now I know my district is full of the biggest supporters for the Capitol but that doesn't mean we all are. I think they do what they think is right, but that doesn't mean it's for a greater good. I have been training to be a killer my whole life. How is that for the greater good?

"Val?" Cato asks keeping the smile on his face waving forcing me to realize I wasn't. "You good?"

I nod and laugh, "You look ridiculous."

"I hate you sometimes."

"Oh, just smile and wave."

I know this is going slow in some ways and fast in others but i want to build up their relationship for you before i...
well you'll see. i have lots of plans for this story. you're gunna love it.
And Jackass Malicious Killer Cato is about to come out. He has his reasons but be ready for it.

Val and Cato are probably my favorite couple i have ever written.

Oblivious to the Obvious: Words cant even. GAH I love love love your Common Sense story. This is just sdnasdbf'asjldbfarbtglj surreal. Thank you a million times over. Like shit. I am like fan girl-ing right now. bsdjbajdfbsgjkbas'fbldfjg hahahahha. Your update was wonderful btw! Im glad you started the sequel.

Google Girl11: Thank you for pointing out i hadn't mentioned the other tributes. Ive been too wrapped up in my Val/Cato world i forgot they existed. Haha. hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for the compliment on my writing. Most days i hate the way i write. But i get what you mean about the direction I'm headed in. ill try to keep it as real as i can and i hope this chapter showed that a bit for you, but bont worry i have plans to shake things up. ;)

LBOE: I cant even describe the timing your review had. I was in a shitty mood and it just made things better for me. :) so i really appreciate it. If i start to write like shit let me know. please, that generally happens to me after people have fed my ego a bit. lol

Diary of a Pep: Cato is a bit of an idiot but as things go on i hope you start to see why he is so okay with his choices. and come on, the boys obviously in love. and as my favorite Disney movie says "people do crazy things when they're in love" if you know what movie that is we can be friends. But ANYWAYYY Val is probably my favorite character i have ever written. She is a bit of a bitch but knows how to keep the asshole she is dating in line so they work well at least i hope it looks that way. and if 2 made you get emotional i cant wait til the end. it is now my goal to make you cry lol

I Love Cato and Prim: You were my first lovely reviewer and that means a lot to me. Like GAHHH i cant even being to say thank you enough. I wish you had an account so that i could like pm you how much i love you. :) but if you thought chapter 1 had a crazy ending wait til shit hits the fan. youre probably gunna hate me by then...

Does anyone know that song this is based off yet? I mean the lyrics are the chapter titles...