Clato : I'll fight for you

6

The outside of the house is entirely identical mine except the number one. Brutus arrives at the same time as me and knocks on the door awkwardly. All the camera people seem to have congregated behind us now. Eager to catch their victors attend the birthday. Cato mum opens the door holding Leo on her hip and flashes a massive smile.

"Come in, come in" she says inviting us two inside the house

Which also results in half a dozen camera also entering. She leads us into the dining room. They've already organised all of their winnings. I see no boxes anywhere, and if she cooked she must've got the food out. Cato and Aurora are already sitting at the table next to eachother. Leo leaps out of Luna's arms and sits next to his brother as well. Enobaria comes through just after us. I sit opposite Aurora and Enobaria sits opposite Cato meaning Brutus is opposite Leo.

Cato and I smile at each other sneakily. Miss Hadley comes in carrying two plates at a time. I had been so excited about seeing Cato I had completely forgot about the dinner part. And in front of a ton of cameras. And it's a birthday, there's bound to be cake. My face falls and I catch Cato's eye
I can do this, for him
I'll just have to work out hard tommorw. To prove to myself I'm still in control. All the plates are placed and Luna sat down at the table too.

Everyone makes small talk about the new houses as they eat and I notice Brutus and Enobaria doing the most intricate fork swap. Enobaria would pick up meat on her fork and Brutus would pick up the veg and then they'd raise it and then somehow end up with each other's. They do it so sneakily. I look around to see if anybody else has realised. I can't believe it. They're getting away with it!

I eat the meal slowly. Engaging in the convosation. Luna asks me what I'm doing to my house, she's heard trucks pulling up all day. I tell her that I've been re-decorating, and tell them about my visit into town. Miss Hadley laughs and says

"Oh that's what's in your hair then!"

I laugh with the rest of the table and run a hand through my hair.

I tell them about how I got a pool because I loved the fact that in the games when it was too hot you could just slide in and cool down. This leads to a whole line of questions from Brutus, like how am I getting a pool if I don't know how to swim. I tell him I learn. Then he goes on about how I'm going to drown and he'll just laugh because he told me so. I tell him I'll watch Annie Cresta's game, she only won because she could swim good so I just need to copy her.

We change the subject to how they never taught us how to swim and that they should have a pool in the academy. But then again they'd be nobody to teach it. Maybe if I can teach myself I can pay for a pool in the academy and teach the tributes each year. But being a mentor must be exhausting. I think about how much we've already put Enobaria and Brutus through. I don't know if I could do that.

I notice everybody else had finished their meal

"This was great but I can't eat anymore" I say

Though I could I definitely could. Miss Hadley clears all the plates with Cato's help. She insists he sits down but he helps anyway. We sit in scilence for a while whilst they're clearing up.

"I need to go to the bathroom" I announce standing up

I know I don't .but I needed an excuse to get to Cato.

I walk into the first floor bathroom and wait till I hear footsteps in the hall. I come out quickly wanting to catch Cato without the cameras. He sees me and looks around for cameras. When he sees none he opens his arms and I immediately go into them wrapping my own arms around his torso. Meet me at my house after everything's settled I whisper. I feel his head nod up and down on my shoulder.