Chapter 9
CATO one year later
When I wake up I hear birds singing loudly .I throw my pillow over my head to try and block out the noise.
Uhhgg. The capitol really should not have released them into the wild.
I decide to get up and head to the training center, I'll have to be there soon anyway. I head to the bathroom to take a shower. The capitol installed one of their ridiculously complicated showers.
After all these years I still press the wrong button, causing the water to jet out into my face. After about ten minutes I manage to actually make out alive, and clean. As I get out of the shower a small robotic arm shoves a tooth brush into my mouth. God I hate this thing. I think. I just decide to go with it because if you try to move it'll cut your mouth, I learned that the hard way.
After I'm dressed and ready I head out to the Academy.
When I get to the training center everyone is already there.
I see Clove standing awkwardly next to Glimmer
"Hey Cato, how was your night?" Glimmer asks me in what I can only assume is her 'sexy' voice.
"Fine." I answer. I think back to last night. Clove started crying and I was all depressed because my parents don't love me. But, Clove decided that she didn't want to work for me any more. But, she still wants to hang out and eat dinner with me. Like a date. I think.
I turn to face a nervous looking Clove. "Hey Clove."
I say. She smile slightly and looks down at the floor. Glimmer looks annoyed, as if I cared. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Just then our new trainer calls us to the center of the training room. I don't want to know what happened to Maxwell.
"Ok, as you know the Games are coming up in two weeks, and I wanted to let you know we have picked the tributes that will volunteer." He explains. "Caterina and James." He says. There's a scattered applause.
I knew that they weren't going to pick me, they youngest tributes they ever chose to volunteer were sixteen.
Two more years. I think.
"Alright everyone, I have a change of plans for today, I'm going to divide you all into individual groups." He says. Clove continues to look down at the ground. "Glimmer, Willow, Anita, . . . and Clove you all will work with swords and knifes." Cloves head shoots strait up. She gives a small smile. "Now get going!" He says while shooing them off. He assigns the other groups as the group of girls walk away.
Clove POV
As we approach the knife and sword table I keep getting an uncomfortable feeling from Glimmer. Who names their kid Glimmer anyway? And who the hell does she think she is asking Cato about how his night was? Whoa calm down Clove. I tell myself. It's not like Cato's my boyfriend.
My face grows dark at the thought. No, he's not my boyfriend. I wish he was. He was so sweet last night. I sigh and try to push the thought from my mind.
When we reach the knife section I reach out to take a knife, but a hand shoots out and takes it from me. Glimmer.
Uhhh, my god! She better not try to take a knife from me again or she will regret it. "Too slow Clovey?" She asks me. "My name is Clove not 'Clovey'." I say through gritted teeth. She rolls her eyes.
"Whatever." She says.
I reach out and take another knife slowly while looking at Glimmer the whole time.
She's smirking at me. Time to set her strait.
I lock eyes with Glimmer and send my knife flying at my target. I don't even bother to look. Only when she gasps slightly do I turn my head.
A perfect bulls eye, as expected. "Oh, and in case you haven't figured it out, I never miss." I say, my voice it thick with truth.
"Good to know." She says, with fear in her voice. "Crazy bitch," She mutters under her breath. One of the other girls clears her throat. I turn to face her.
"Let's get started, shall we?"
We practice for another fifteen minutes in silence. Till Glimmer breaks it.
"Isn't Cato really hot?" She giggles to one of the girls. Guess we can agree on one thing Glimmer. Just stay away from him. I think
"I think I'm going to invite him to my party tonight," She muses. " I know he'll say yes, he keeps looking over here."
I turn to look towards Cato's group and sure enough, he's looking over here. When we meet eyes he looks away. How could he?
Why would he like Glimmer? I mean sure she's pretty, but there's nothing behind her face! Nothing!
I've interacted with her for less than half an hour and I already hate her. Maybe she's just saying that to get under my skin.
Yeah, that's it. But then I watch Glimmer saunter over to Cato, swaying her hips the whole time. I bet he'll say yes. I bet he doesn't even care that we hang out every night.
Cato POV
I break eye contact with Clove and go back to throwing spears. Great, now she know I was watching her. Wait, I wasn't watching her I was observing her skills. Yeah, that's it. I was just observing her practice.
"Hay Cato, hows practice going?" I turn to see Glimmer standing behind me. Perfect until you got here. I think.
"Fine." I say as I turn to face her. She places a hand on my shoulder and I have to use all my will power not to shrug it off.
"So Cato, I'm having a party tonight at my place and I was wondering if you would like to come?" She asks me sweetly.
Hell no.
"I already have plans with Clove." I tell her while smiling.
Glimmer pouts and bats her eyelashes at me.
"We both know you rather be at my party than with her." She says seductively.
"Clove is my friend, and I rather be with her than with you." I tell her angrily.
She sighs dramatically. "Oh well, next time then." And before I can respond she turns around and heads back to her group. I roll my eyes and go back to throwing spears.
Clove's POV
Shes saying something to him and she places her hand on his shoulder.
He smiles at her and says something. You know what?
If Cato wants to go out with Glimmer, that's fine. It'll just prove that he doesn't even care about me.
Why would he Clove? I ask myself.
I mean yeah, we've been friends for a while now, and I care about him a lot, but it doesn't mean he cares about me. No one does. I have no one. I frown, but quickly compose myself when Glimmer comes back.
"He said he already has plans, but he said he'll come next time for sure!" She giggles. The brief wave of happiness I felt when she said Cato told her he already had plans leaves me as quickly as it came. Next time for sure? Are you kidding me?
I sniffle, but I don't cry.
I think back to last year when Cato comforted me while I was crying. I hate it that he saw me break.
Because I never cry. Well, If I cry hysterically for no reason in the comfort of my own home, that's my business.
I sigh and go back to destroying dummies with a sword. I pretend the dummies are Glimmer the whole time.
At the end of the day, just before Cato and me are suppose to practice, I think about what I will say to him. Will I act like nothing happened? He doesn't even know I'm upset. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.
I smile.
I know exactly how to show him how upset I am. I walk over to the knife table and select a dagger.
I walk to the center of the training room and wait for Cato. I hear the door open and I look down, gripping the dagger tightly.
"Hay Clove!" He says cheerfully. "Ready for practice?" He asks me.
I look up at his smiling face. When he sees the anger in my eyes he looses his smile. "What's wrong Clover?" He says in a softer, sweeter tone. He knows I love that nick name.
But I stare him down. I walk over to him, the dagger raised.
He looks shocked. He backs up with a confused expression on his face. He walks backwards till he eventually trips of a mat and lands on his backside. He just sits there and looks up at me. Having no idea why I am so absolutely raged.
I push him back so his lying down and straddle his waist.
He make a small whimpering noise and I know it's not out of fear. I smirk down at him.
He stares at me in shock as I put the dagger to his neck. "Glimmer needs to learn to leave you alone, and she will." I tell him. "huh?" He says, clearly confused.
I move the dagger to his jaw and slowly trace his features. I move the knife along his cheek, and trace his perfect nose and lips.
I bring the knife down to the side of his neck, making sure to pick a spot the will be visible to everyone, and begin to carve my name into his skin.
I focus on the blade, not cutting too deep to do any life threatening injuries, but deep enough to leave a obvious scar. He does not try to push me away, which I'm thankful for because if he did I would force myself to stop.
I make sure my writing is perfect. Oh how I will enjoy the look on Glimmer's face when she sees this.
I finish the curve of my 'e' and sit up. Blood drips from his neck and is beginning to stain his trainers uniform. I throw the dagger across the room and burst out in tears. Great. That's two days in a row now.
Why did I do that to him? To prove a point to Glimmer? What the fuck is wrong with me?
Cato's arms wrap around me and pull me to his chest.
"N-no." I say as I try to push him off me.
I can't even look at him. Glimmer's right. I am a crazy bitch.
"Clover?" He asks sweetly, just a hint of pain in his voice.
"Why are you so upset?" He whispers in my ear.
His gentleness makes me cry harder. Why won't he push me off him or take out his sword to end me? If I was anyone else I would already be dead.
"I'm s-s-sorry." I say as I cry harder into his shirt.
"Shhhh." "It's alright Clover, it doesn't hurt that much." He says softly. "I have a high endurance for pain." He whispers. I think back to yesterday when I told him the opposite. That I had a low endurance for pain when I was stabbed.
He gently pulls me off his waist and plops me down next to him. He sits next to me for a second before he gets up suddenly. "I'll be right back, do. not. move." He says sternly. I nod helplessly and try to control my sobbing.
Why am I such a bad person? I curl into a tight ball and squeeze my eyes shut trying to stop the tears from flowing, it's no use.
Cato's POV
God my neck is killing me. Why did she attack my like that? The weird part is that I'm not even mad at her. I walk over to the head trainers office. When I get there the lights are out. He must have already when home. I grab the door knob and pray it's unlocked.
It is.
I turn on the light and open his desk draws till I find a bandage and some antiseptic. I pour a little bit of antiseptic of the bandage and put it to my neck.
I feel instant relief. I wipe the blood that dripped down to my collar bone and get a little bit of the stain out from my trainers uniform. As I put back the antiseptic, another bottle catches my attention.
Sleep syrup.
I smile. Clove needs to calm down because when I left her in the training room she was a mess. I realize this was the second time I've seen her cry. And I wish I hadn't. She looked so helpless, so small. Almost like she had given up.
I grab the bottle and head back to Clove.
A mirror hangs on the door and I turn my neck to the side to see what exactly she did.
My jaw drops.
She carved her name in my skin. That's gonna leave a mark. Maybe she wanted it that way . . .
When I get there shes sobbing harder and is curled in a tight ball. I bend down to her.
"Clover." I whisper to her. I know she loves it when I call her that. She looks at me, then the bottle.
"I want you to take this so you'll calm down." I say gently. She sobs harder and nods her head.
I unscrew the bottle and pour the liquid into the cap.
"Open your mouth." I say.
She obeys and takes the syrup. Her sobs quite down significantly in and a matter of seconds. After about a minute her eyes droop and she collapses onto the mat.
I need to take her home. Only problem is I don't know where she lives.
I'll just take her to my house.
I leave Clove once more and head back to the office.
When I get there I screw the cap back on the bottle of sleep syrup and put it back in the draw like nothing happened.
I head back into the training room to find Clove passes out on the mat.
I bend down and scoop her up in my arm and walk out of the training room.
I hope this doesn't look suspicious. I think.
Who am I kidding? I'm carrying a unconscious girl in my arms of course this looks suspicious.
I look down at Clove. She looks calm and her features are relaxed.
Looking at her now I would have never thought that she could hurt a fly. But I have the burning feeling on my neck to remind me that she's just as deadly as me. Maybe more.
"Cato?"
Oh shit.
"Uhh, hay Ivo." I say. "Why are you carrying a girl that looks dead?" Ivo says slowly.
I roll my eyes. "Relax dude, she's not dead." I say. "You never answered my question." he says suspiciously.
"It's a long story, basically she stabbed me and then I gave her sleep syrup." I say.
"Whoa, hold up, she weighs like two pounds, why didn't you just push her off you?" He asks. "Uhhhhhh, I don't know." I say. I feel my face go red. "Where did she stab you?" Ivo says sounding like he can't wait to tell all of our friends that a girlactually hurt me.
I turn my neck to the side to show him what happened.
His jaw drops. "No fucking way man!" He says with a laugh. "You're gonna have that for the rest of your life." He says while smiling.
"Yeah I know, listen I got to get her back to my house, see you Monday, ok?" I tell him. "yeah, and have a very nice weekend." He says with a laugh as he turns down his street.
I will never hear the end of this. I think.
I turn onto the road that leads to Victor's Village and tighten my grip on Clove. Yesterday she though I would drop her. She doesn't realize that I don't want to let go.
I walk up the path to my house and thank myself for not putting the key under the mat, but in my pocket instead. I take the key out and unlock the door with a little bit of difficulty. Once I'm inside I close the door and lock it. My key falls to the ground with a small 'clink'. Great. I'll just get it later.
I carry her down the hall to the stairs. I pull the door open and begin walking up the steps quickly.
I guess walking up stairs made of glass could be scary if you think it'll break. I've never seen her so afraid as she was yesterday. I think.
Once I reach the top of the stairs I waste no time getting to my room. I shift Clove to my shoulder so I can open my door. I walk in and go strait to my bed. I lay her down gently and pull of her shoes and socks and throw them in the corner of my room. I cover her with the sheet and bed spread and place a light kiss on her forehead.
Now what?
I look over to the clock. 6:42.
I guess I'll just take a shower and and get ready for bed. I know it's way to early, but what else am I going to do?
I grab my pajamas from my dresser and head over to the bathroom on the other side of my room.
I undress and turn on the shower, stepping under its hot mist.
Ok, do I press the blue button or the red? I wing it and press green. A blob of pink stuff lands on my head. Guess that's the shampoo button. I think. I should really get these things labeled. I turn my neck to the side and let the water get where Clove cut me. I take my hand and wash away the little bit of dried blood that's left. I see another button that I never used. It's a peach color and is in the corner of the shower. I hesitantly press it.
The water stops flowing and soap flows out hitting my neck exactly where Clove cut me. Ow that stings. I press the peach button again but it doesn't stop. It comes out faster. This is why I hate this shower. I think. I press the blue button and soap slowly stops flowing and hot water takes it's place. I rinse the soap off and my hair and turn off the water.
Just as I'm stepping out a small robotic arm shoves a tooth brush in my mouth. I should duck next time. I think. I remember when I was about seven or eight and my parents took me to the dentist in the capitol. It was a large white room with about five different stations. The dentist numbed my mouth and inserted a bunch of wires and brackets on my teeth. He left for about an hour and when he came back and removed the metal stuff, my teeth had become perfectly strait. If Clove's parents were alive and were victors, I would have assumed she had the same thing done. Giving the fact that her teeth look unnaturally strait and white. Well, actually it's the other way around. I'm the one who's teeth got straitened by that wack job from the capitol . I think.
I rinse my mouth and dry off. I put on my blue plaid draw string pajama bottoms. I don't even bother to put a shirt on.
I go though my bathroom cabinets till I find a small jar of antiseptic cream. I open the jar and rub the cream on my neck. It feels cold and it calms the burning. I screw the cap back on and leave in on the counter. I dry my hair quickly and walk out of my bathroom to find Clove on the floor.
My eye brows furrow. I walk over to her and bend down and pick her up. She mumbles something incomprehensible and her eye lids flutter slightly. I lay her back down and walk around to the other side of the bed. I grab the T.V remote on my night stand as I slide in.
I look over to Clove. The syrup is starting to wear off. I'll watch a couple of shows and then head over to the guest room. At least Clove will be comfortable. It is a king bed after all.
I flick on the T.V and see Caesar Flickerman doing an interview with my parents. "How are things in district two?" Caesar questions.
"Oh just wonderful!" My mother says happily.
"And how is your new clothing line doing, I hear you're working form home?" Asks Caesar.
Clothing line?
" Yes, and it's going fabulous, we're already getting thousands of orders!" My mother says happily.
"You have a son, correct?" Says Caesar.
" Yes, his name is Cato." Says my father. "Now tell me, your son Cato trains for the Games?" Asks Caesar.
"Oh yes, we could not be more proud of him." Gushes my mother.
"Bullshit." I mumble.
"Do you see him as a champion?" Caesar questions.
"Of course!" My father says while smiling towards the crowd.
I've had enough of this.
I change the channel and settle on one of those real life murder shows.
It happens to take place in district two.
This should be interesting. It shows the inside of a run down looking house that looks like it belongs in the most rural part of district 12, not 2. Fresh blood is splattered on the walks and two thick trails of blood lead to the door, almost like someone was being dragged. Blood covers the kitchen floor and bloody hand prints litter the walls and counter tops. The camera focuses on a single drop of blood the falls to the ground in slow motion.
This is really sick. I mean yeah, I train to kill people every day but I'm not going to waste my time torturing someone to death. Just snap their neck and get it over with.
The show goes on to say it can't reveal the victims or the killer due to privacy protection and that the owner of the home has no idea that the camera crews is even there.
I feel my eyes beginning to droop and I turn off the T.V and throw the remote on my night stand.
I'll just close my eyes for a minute or two.
CLOVE POV
My father leans over me with a wicked smile on his face. "Oh Clove, I think you need to be punished."
He says. I try to move but I'm frozen. He pulls out a knife and dangles it over my face.
"Stop!" It's Cato's voice and he comes running toward me.
I try to speak but I can't.
Just when Cato reaches me my father turn around and stabs him in the stomach.
"Clove." My name falls from his lips with pain.
"Clove, why won't you help me?" He pleads.
I try to move again but I can't.
My father brings the knife down on his shoulder blade.
"CLOVE!"He screams out in pain.
"Why won't you help me?" He says, his voice desperate.
My father pulls the knife back and drives it through his heart.
His eyes widen and he collapses on the floor.
I try to scream, but it comes out as silence.
"It's your fault Clove." He says.
And with that he pulls the knife back and plunges it deep into my heart.
My eyes flash open.
I look around. Where the hell am I?
I turn my head and see Cato sleeping soundly on the opposite side of the bed.
Cato? What happened? Why am I in his bed?
Right now I don't care because that was the scariest thing I have ever seen and I have witnessed the murder of both my parents.
It was so real. I don't want to admit it but that nightmare was worst then when my father killed my mother.
Suddenly I'm overwhelmed with the fear that something will happen to Cato.
Without even thinking I crawl over to where he's sleeping and snuggle down next to him. He mumbles something in his sleep and rolls over and wraps his arms around me. "Clover." He mutters. I close my eyes and focus on the feeling of security I get whenever I'm close to him.
Oh snap! Was that juicy or what? I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written! I want to thank all my reviewers for being awesome. And for those of you that read and don't review, don't worry. I love you too. ;) (how ever I would love you more if you did review) you can expect the next chapter next Monday the latest. Xxxxx Review!