Clato: Fire Meets Gasoline {A Hunger Games Story}

chapter four

*CLOVE'S POV*

I walk out of the room after the brief chat with Brutus and Enobaria. The next room down is a relatively big sitting area with a few sofas and a tv. Next to the couches is a huge table filled with food.

I walk over to the table and admire all of the Capitol food. Sure, being from District Two, we are fed better than most, but this is on a whole new level.

"Hey". Someone says from behind me. I turn on my heel and come face to face with Cato. Well, more like face to chest. He is considerably taller than me.

"Hi". I respond before my eyes slide back down to the table, trying to decipher what looks the nicest. It's not that i'm disinterested in what Cato has to say, but there are more important things in this world than making temporary friends.

"I'm Cato". He tells me, sitting on one of the sofas. I pick up one of the many types of cupcake, before leaning on the table and locking eyes with him. "Clove".

"So...you volunteered..." He says slowly. I wait a few seconds to see if he'll add anything else, but he says nothing.
"Yeah, I guess I did," I shrug, "Why shouldn't I?"

He sighs, leaning back on the sofa. "There's no way you are 18 like most volunteers".
"I'm 15, but that doesn't matter. I'm skilled enough to go into the arena". I conclude, turning around to look out of the window.
"I don't doubt that you are". He says from behind me, followed by silence. I smile, sitting on one of the sofas and looking out the window. Finally he's finished with the whole friend-making thing.

"What's your weapon of choice?" He asks after a few minutes. I sigh, turning my head to look at him. "Knives. I throw knives". He nods at my answer. "That's something id love to see". I narrow my eyes at him, trying to figure out if he's being sarcastic or genuine. Based off of his face alone, he seems to be genuine.
"Trust me, you will. I plan to intimidate every tribute at training".

He laughs. "God, you will be racking in sponsors, Clove".
I offer a small smile in response. "Well, that's the plan".

He says nothing more, a smile on his face. I immediately let mine drop as I look at him. Was that some kind of ploy? To befriend the competition in order to secure the top spot? I stand up from the sofa, an untrusting look on my face. "I think that's enough friendly chit chat". I say before gliding out of the room.

***

After an hour or so of being on the train, Enobaria pulls me from my room into the tv room. The anthem of Panem plays on the screen before cutting to the District One reaping. It shows the clip about the Dark Days before the District One escort takes up the whole screen.

She walks over to the bowl and draws a name, but almost immediately a girl volunteers, just as predicted. I watch as she struts up to the stage, literally struts, her blonde hair flowing down her back. She smiles at the cameras and says her name is Glimmer. Glimmer is the third member of the career pack.

The escort draws the boys name but, once again as I predicted, another boy from the District also volunteers who says his name is Marvel.

Next, I watch the girl from Two's name get drawn and then myself volunteer. I congratulate myself in my head because I came across very fierce and beautiful at the same time. That should gain me some sponsors.

Next, we see the boys name be drawn and Cato stepping out an volunteering. It seems like he took a different approach to the Career face when he emerged from the crowd. Instead of smirking up a storm, like myself, he looked bored, which will probably intimidate the other Tributes just as much. I smile as I watch us shake hands, this time both of us smirking for the cameras. Our District can't show any weakness.

*Cato's POV*
I watch as the blonde girl from One volunteers for the reaped girl. She steps onto the stage and says her name is Glimmer in a sing-song voice. Then a boy named Marvel volunteers in place of whoever was reaped. He grins and Glimmer flashes the cameras a lovely white smile.

There is no denying that Glimmer is gorgeous but, I guess you could say i'm more into brunettes. Speaking of beautiful brunettes, I watch as Clove volunteers, the 15 year olds parting for her as she glides by. She has the perfect balance of sophistication and fierceness, something that the Capitol people will love.

I glance at Clove as she watches the screen. I don't know what to make of her comment before she left the room earlier. "I think that's enough friendly chit chat". I frown at her before turning back to look at the screen.

I then watch as I free myself of the crowds. My face doesn't portray the Career facade, I look more bored than anything. If you look really closely, there is a tiny frown on my face for the first few seconds, but you'd have to really be focusing to notice that.

I glance at Clove on the screen and immediately see that she hadn't even noticed me until Allegra told us to shake hands. Based off of the direction her eyes were facing, its safe to assume she was looking at Adler Branson.
I sigh at my situation. I'm sacrificing myself so that the girl I love can live out her life with some other guy. How ironic.