"Cato, you awake?" I whisper over to Cato. It's night on our first day and Marvel, 3, and us are supposed to be asleep. Glimmer and Peeta are out on the other side of the Cornucopia keeping guard, like anyone would come attack us.
"Yeah," he whispers back and then nods his head over to the back of the Cornucopia. We've built a wall out of some boxes, which there isn't really a real purpose for. I crawl over there and meet Cato on the other side of the wall.
"I don't want to talk about the games, anything else, I don't care," I tell him. I'm certainly not homesick, that's not it. I just feel bad about the way our relationship went during training, which could've been a lot better. I need to get rid of this feeling I didn't live up to it when I die or get out of this arena. I'm going to kill it now.
"Well, then. Are we still a thing?" He responds. I try not to laugh at that.
"If you want to be," I answer him. He closes the space between us, cupping my face with his hands and pulling me into him. I deepen it and wrap my arms around his neck. We are meant to be together, I know this now. I was stupid for ignoring it. It's perfect now, almost as good as when a knife is in my hand ready to be thrown for the kill. Everything, the stars, destiny, whatever, has been trying to show me this but I've just ignored it. But I'm taking it now. We break apart after a while, but I'm not fulfilled yet. I don't know what to say, I know everything about him, indirectly, but still.
"I love you, Clove," he says first. I'm thankful that he filled the awkward silence but then it dawns on me what he just said. Can I say it back? I know what Kayla would think, jump on the opportunity, but I don't want to jump. I want to verify it. Can I? Yes, I really think so. Kayla told me that if you couldn't imagine living without the other dead, that's love.
"I love you too," I say, wholeheartedly. Who would've expected this to happen, to me, now of all times? Apparently, I don't have a heart, neither does Cato. Well, I just proved them all wrong.
"We should go back to the front," Cato says. I agree. I leave from behind the boxes and lean up against the wall so I can sleep. I hear Glimmer and Peeta come back, Cato and Marvel leave. I think I get a little bit of rest before I'm woken up by Marvel to take watch. I kick 3 in the foot, waking him up startled.
"C'mon." We leave the Cornucopia and take watch. It really is pointless.
"You can sleep if you want. Promise I won't kill you," I offer to 3. I really won't, I'm not kidding this time. He doesn't take my offer though. Oh well.
"Hey, what's your name, kid?" I ask him, trying again.
"Ian," he responds. For being sixteen, he sure is quiet and not very built yet. Maybe that's the way average 3 people look. They do spend all day staring into a computer. I do respect their brains though. They could be used for the worst things if they ever wanted to. I remember watching Beetee. He was one of the smartest people to ever play. Maybe if Ian was like that I wouldn't be letting him sleep.
The sun rises in the morning and we gather for a meeting as Ian runs off into the pile to grab us food.
"What's the plan?" I ask Cato, deciding to act like nothing happened. He's still our leader.
"I think it's about time we ask Peeta about fire girl," he suggests. We all turn to look at him as he steps out of the Cornucopia, holding onto the side. He rubs his eyes and then turns and looks at us. Ian comes up behind me and hands me a sack of something.
"Thanks," I say mindlessly, still looking at Peeta. We are about to get a lot of work done. Or most important, I get a lot of work done.
"Can I?" I ask Cato.
"Why can't we all?" He counters. He just needs a little bit of help sometimes on the mental side of the games.
"He'll be intimidated if we all ask him stuff," I explain myself. He nods.
"Sure, but take someone else with you in case he does something stupid."
"Glimmer?" I offer.
"Yeah, I'll help," she replies.
"Great. Cato and I can go hunting and 3, well, what do you want to do?" Marvel pulls the rest of the options out.
"You're asking him?" Cato says.
"Yeah, we'll let him pick. You can guard or you can go hunt." They all look at me since I just stuck up for him and then to Ian to see his decision.
"I'll hunt," he says quietly.
"Good, you're coming with us. After breakfast, you can pick your weapon," Marvel slaps him on the back, I think jokingly.
"Well, let's get on with it," Cato says as we head over to gather around Glimmer, who is ready with breakfast. Peeta moves in with us and we all sit quietly, anxiously preparing for the day.