In District Two volunteering is an honorable thing, to other districts a death sentence. To Cato volunteering is an opportunity, an opportunity to give his family a better life and an opportunity to meet the girl he has been thinking of since he saw her games. Katniss Everdeen.
It wasn't as if his world had stopped moving when he saw her, he was simply enthralled and till this day he hasn't stopped being that way towards her. He had tried making himself forget the impossible girl, one that haunted his dreams, with others. Other girls who were beautiful and adored him but they were never her.
He has broken some hearts but as much as they may have tried they didn't even damage his because it was locked away hoping for something he could never have.
He kept thinking that way until one day it changed.
He had figured it out. Train, become the best, volunteer, win the games and meet her. It also helped make his decision when he got older and realized the struggles his family went through just to get him to school, training and food on the table.
If he won none of them would ever wish for anything in their lives and his little brother wouldn't have to train.
He gets up early the day of the reaping to get ready for the day. The day that will change his life forever.
His mother is crying and holding onto him for dear life.
"Mom, calm down okay. I'm coming back, I swear."
"I know, I know." She wipes away her tears and kisses me on the cheek.
I then turn to my father who gives me a hug and pats my back. "You can do this. I believe in you Cato."
"Thanks dad."
I finally turn to my little brother who is two years younger than me and has tears pooling at his eyes. I pull him into a hug.
"Don't cry okay. I'm going to win. I know it and you know it and when I come back you can be the architect you always wanted to be. You won't have to train anymore and I'll have enough money to send you to one of those preppy schools you love so much."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome kid. Now chin up will ya?"
"We'll miss you while you're there."
"I know. I'll miss you guys too."
Our district escort is finishing babbling on about the Games when I come to myself again.
"Now to pick these years tributes, first the boys."
She moves her hand around the bowl a bit before picking a random slip.
"Demiro Whale"
"I volunteer!"
"Come on up darling! What's your name?"
"Cato. Cato Grant."
"Very well. Now for the girls."
"Clove Williams"
"I volunteer!"
I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief, I couldn't be in the games with my best friend.
"Come on up! What's your name?"
"Syrina Peterson."
"Well there it is the volunteers for these year's Hunger Games!"
"Please you two shake hands."
We go and she gives me a menacing look. Something tells me that when the time comes, I won't be very sad to watch her leave.
"Very well. Now let's go children we wouldn't want to be late for your goodbyes."
I'm led to a room where I wait for a total of two minutes before Clove barges in.
"That bitch!"
"Clove calm down. I'm glad she did it." She had been pacing the room but has soon as I said that she stopped and glared at me.
"You're glad? Now who will have your back in the games?"
"Myself. If you'd gone I would have lost you and you're my best friend. I can't lose you okay?"
She's looking at me with conflicting eyes and before she can start to argue again I pull her in for a hug.
"You have to come back okay?"
"Of course I will. Couldn't leave you all alone now could I?"
She nods into my chest and lets go when peacekeepers come to take me away.
The train ride to the Capitol wasn't very long, I kept most to myself and was usually in my room watching the reaping of the other districts, I only found the district 11 guy intimidating but besides him there was really no competition. The district 1 pair would be my allies, they didn't seem like much but they'll probably be good fighters.
Hopefully these years Games will be over within the week.
I look out of my bedroom window and I can see the Capitol people all lined up just to get a glimpse of these years tributes so I wave and send the occasional wink to random girls there.
The train comes to a halt as I'm making my way out of the bedroom where I nearly run into our escort.
"Oh Cato! There you are! We have to go, your prep team are already waiting for you inside."
Prepping was hard. They cut my hair, ripped some hair off me and put me in make-up. I can't believe I just said I'm wearing make-up. I guess it'll pay off when I have sponsors but I still think it's a bit much.
They dressed me in a roman gladiator type of armor that I gotta say looks pretty damn good on me, it's made of silver yet it's painted gold and from what they told me I look rather dashing with it.
They lead me to the place we are suppose to enter and I see Syrina waiting there. She too is dressed in a gladiator outfit which suits her pretty well with her long light-brown hair and green eyes that the armor seems to bring out.
"Get in."
I turn my head to see our stylists practically pushing us to stand there. Must be time.
"Now you two are going to wave at the crowd and give small threatening yet approaching smiles."
God, they're all over the place. They made good outfits but they're terrible in anything else. Must be new.
I'll just do my usual smirk that leaves all the girls back home fanning for me. If I want to win this I have to start doing things for myself.
There is one thing that keeps bugging me and that as usual is Katniss Everdeen. In the chariot rides they usually show the districts chariots then they show the victors of the previous years who are watching from a wing next to the President.
I wonder if she'll be there.
"You're next!"
A roar of applause hits me like a slap in the face. It's deafening from how loudly they're screaming and soon enough what they're screaming is my name.
Cato, Cato, Cato.
My name in all of their lips while I only want it to be on Katniss'. I forget the crown momentarily and look in the wing next to the President. I can see Finnick Odair, Johanna Mason and right there in between those two stands Katniss Everdeen, The Girl On Fire.
I stare at her for a moment when she's chatting with her fellow victors but when she stops talking she looks at me. Not District 1 or her own district but me. In that moment I feel grand because after all these years looking at her, from a tv screen but still, she is looking at me.
All the way through the President's speech I can't look away and apparently neither can she.
A/N: Hey guys! Here is the official first chapter of Serendipity. I just want to say that the lateness in updating this fic is because I'm more focused on my main ff The Division. I can't promise very regular updates but at least from week to week I'll surely update unless something comes up.
The next chapter should be withind this week and please tell me what you think of the ff in the reviews!
Read&Review lovelies!