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Cato's POV
I wake up, dark shadows under my eyes. Three days in a row I've woken to Clove screaming at four in the morning, with nightmares about her mother. Every night I've had to comfort and stay with her until dawn before she'll drift back to sleep.
Today is the day of the funeral. Clove insisted that I didn't come, she could handle it, but I know better.
It's already 9am, two hours before we have to leave. I open my walk in wardrobe and stand before what feels like thousands of suits that the Capitol had put in here for me, before picking the plainest black one in there - the one that attracts the least amount of attention. Normally Clove is up by now, but that's only if she hasn't been roaming the house all night.
I'm not prepared to take any crap from her today. She is a trained killer, she needs to learn how to handle herself, even in these circumstances; no, especially in these circumstances.
I push her bedroom door open to see her huddled under the covers, her breathing deep. The only thing surfacing above the sheet is her hair spread over the pillow. I let out a light chuckle.
"Clove, get up." I say quite gently. No response. Okay, firmer this time. "Clove. The funeral is in two hours. Get. Up."
"No." I hear her muffled voice say.
Having no patience, I walk up to the bed and pull the covers away from her. My mouth gapes open unintentionally as she is huddled topless, only underwear shielding her body, a huge look of rage on her face.
"Cato!" She screams. I don't reply, trying to avert my gaze but my eyes seem fixed. Oops. "Turn around!" For once I do as I'm told, swivelling round to face the wall. I can't help but burst out laughing. "Oh thanks Cato, was it really that bad a sight? Actually, don't answer that."
"No, it was quite a pleasant sight actually." I hear a rustle as she zips up her jeans. "I was just laughing at the look of despair you pulled."
She sighs. "Okay, you can look now." I turn around to a bright red Clove, looking at me bitterly.
"Come on, I'm a man. You can't blame me." I say with a smirk.
She sighs again, before looking at my suit. Her face suddenly drops with the realisation of what today is.
Clove's POV
We walk to the town hall slowly, my breathing getting faster with each step. I put my hand out and grab Cato's tightly for comfort, he shoots me a confused look and then squeezes my hand tightly in reassurance. My eyes scan the road, a huge crowd of people dressed in black walk forward slowly, respectfully, to say goodbye to my mother. She was a very loved woman, not like most of the emotionless bitches that District 2 held.
As we arrive at the church a ton of people walk up to me, sympathy sweeps their faces as they shake my hand, all mumbling "I'm so sorry for your loss." Or something along those lines. I just want to tell them to shut up, scream at them and tell them they aren't invited, only I can say goodbye to my mother, not a load of random people I've never met.
"Are you sure you want me to come in with you?" Cato asks, looking around awkwardly as people point out that we're holding hands.
"Yes I'm sure." I reply firmly through gritted teeth.
"Clove!" I whip round to the source of the voice to see bright red hair bobbing as a figure runs to me from the distance. I narrow my eyes and realise it's my best friend whom I haven't seen in months due to her being home-ridden with pneumonia, as she got closer I saw the colour back in her face, her smile wide and her arms outstretched. She is wearing a bright floral dress, definitely not the usual funeral outfit, but that's how Eve is, bright and happy.
"Eve!" I brace myself as she jumps into my arms, people giving us dirty looks for being so cheerful at a funeral. "They wouldn't let me see you, they said you were contagious, I tried, I really did!" I mumble into her shoulder.
"God I've missed you so much. It's sad that we have to be reunited you know, like this." She says sadly.
Cato stands behind us, biting his nails awkwardly. "Um, this is Cato, he's letting me live with him for the moment."
Her face flickers slightly. "Hi." She says bluntly. She turns back to me. "You should've asked to stay with me."
"I couldn't see you." I reply quietly, guiltily.
Cato coughs slightly. "Everyone is going in now, we probably should."
I nod slowly. I had been putting off this moment for hours, suddenly I feel sick, even though I haven't eaten anything all morning.
When we get into the hall the three of us walk slowly to the front row, the crowd looking at us intently. We get to our seats, right in front of the coffin and a lump rises in my throat. I sit between Cato and Eve, holding both of their hands so tightly I feel my knuckles may burst.
The service starts and everyone begins singing a hymn. I keep my mouth firmly closed. My mother has never sang this, probably never even heard it. Her funeral is meant to be a representative of her, but no one except me knows my mother truly. I stare at the coffin, my eyes focusing and unfocusing.
Suddenly I hear the back doors swing open, people pausing their singing for a moment before restarting. I turn around to see my father staggering down the aisle, obviously extremely intoxicated. He gets to the front row.
"Get out of my way!" He shouts, well, slurs, at Cato. Uh oh. "I want to sit next to my daughter!" I prepare myself to have to stop Cato punching him square in the face, but all he does is raise his eyebrows and move over, his teeth gritted under a false smile.
He mutters through the whole ceremony, cursing and also pointing out the fact that these hymns and prayers have nothing to do with my mother.
Eventually the service draws to an end, I hold my breath as the coffin moves. It goes painfully slowly and begins to go through a curtain. The Capitol anthem plays in the background but I block that out, my only clear thought is that she's gone. Forever. The only person who truly understood me is dead. She's about to be burnt.
I feel a tear roll down my cheek but it doesn't even matter, I don't care. Eve squeezes my hand tightly. I look over to see her whole face damp, streams and streams of tears running down. Eve and my mother were close when I was younger, my mother used to refer to her as her 'second daughter'.
The curtains close and the funeral is over. Leaving every trace of my mother behind.
Everyone begins to leave, I hear sniffs of fake crying, everyone pretending to be full of sorrow for a woman they hardly knew. I remain sitting with Cato, Eve and my father. Eve rests her head on my shoulder, her whole body shaking with sobs. Genuine ones. Eventually I stand up, Cato and Eve doing so straight after. I turn around to walk out before I break down in front of them all.
"You need to move to District 1 with me. You can't stay here." My father's voice echos as he remains sitting, turned away from me.
"No. I'm staying here. You can't just come here whenever you like and tell me what you're going to do with me."
He stares at me in disgust. "You are my daughter and you will do as I say!" He shouts. "This is all your fault in the first place and you will not defy me!"
"Excuse me?" I spit.
He gets up and walks over to me slowly, adjusting his tie for good measure. "Your mother, my wife, is dead because of you." He slurs, his voice venomous.
"Dont you dare." I shout. "Don't you dare say that to me! You haven't been here for pretty much my whole life! Sixteen years you haven't been here-" I am silenced by a hard slap by my father. I look at him, shocked. Cato comes bustling out from behind me, his face contorted with rage. "Cato don't!"
Too late. Cato punches him hard in the stomach, making him double-over. He then proceeds to also hit him round the jaw with such an effort that I hear his jaw crunch under Cato's fists.
"We're leaving." Cato says firmly. "You don't need this waste of space."
I don't object, not when Cato is in a mood like this. We rush out of the hall, followed closely by Eve, who does her best to comfort me.
Suddenly I scream, I can barely feel myself do it, it continues as Cato and Eve try to calm me down but I can't. I fall to my knees, my head in my hands. My whole body aches and my head is pounding, longing for my mother.
Longing for something to keep me sane.
I hope you liked it! Please tell me what you thought of Clove's father and also Eve! I'm interested, it was a very emotional chapter, I hope I did it right and didn't make Clove seem weak or anything because that is certainly what I DIDN'T want to do.
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