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Clove's POV
How did I end up here? I thought as I sat on the rooftop of the training center, playing with my ring. It was the night before the Games. Even Careers get nervous, and I was a nervous wreck. I felt like crying. I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. I wanted to escape this horrible world that I was living in and enter some other, peaceful world.
"Clove," he said, walking up from behind me.
"Hey Cato," I replied.
"Are you nervous?" he asked, sitting down next to me.
"Yeah," I replied.
After a long moment of silence he asked, "Why did you volunteer?"
Careers were supposed to wait until they were eighteen to volunteer; I was sixteen. That was two years younger than I was supposed to be. That was why everyone was surprised when I shouted those two famous words. That was why this was the first time Cato has talked to me since the Reaping. That was why I hated myself.
"I don't know," I said, a tear dribbling down my cheek.
He hugged me, but that just made it worse. After what seemed like a lifetime he pulled away from me. As he looked at me his eyes started to tear up.
"I was supposed to win," he said as he wiped away his tears.
"You can still win," I told him.
"Not with you in the Games. I can't win when you're dead. If you're dead, I lose," he said.
"Cato-," he stopped me with a kiss.
We had kissed before, but this was nothing like that. This was filled with pain, loss, and regret. His strong arms wrapped around me and for once in my life I felt safe. With Cato's arms wrapped around me, I finally felt safe. I treasured this kiss, fully aware that it could be our last. I don't know how long had gone by before he finally pulled away. I didn't care.
"Cato…" I couldn't think of what to say.
"What?" he asked me.
"We were supposed to be together… forever," I said, twisting my ring around my finger. My diamond ring.
