Clato: Fire Meets Gasoline {A Hunger Games Story}

chapter sixteen

The next morning is awkward. The mood between Cato and I is heavy and weird, following that strange fight at dinner last night. I'm still not entirely sure what it was we were fighting about if i'm honest.

On the elevator ride down to the training centre, Allegra babbles on about drama between the Escorts, and for once i'm thankful for her talkative ways. It means that there won't be an awkward silence between Cato and I.

We eventually make it down and Allegra walks away after dropping us off. I just sigh as I watch her leave, before heading for the door. I don't say a word to Cato, pushing open the door to the training centre.

When I walk in, most of the tributes are doing their own things. A few are at the survival stations while others, most, are at the weapons. Without a glance in Cato's direction, I take off for my knives.

I'm disappointed to find there is a line in front of me to use the knives. I stand at the back with my arms crossed, a glare on my face.
I watch as the District Six girl steps up, listening intently to the instructor, before taking up a knife throwing stance.

Wrong. That's just wrong. She throws the knife and it falls to the floor. Even before she let go of the knife, I knew that would happen. Her stance was terrible.

I laugh at the look on her face as she walks behind me, rejoining the queue and awaiting her turn again. She glances in my direction before quickly averting her eyes.

Next the boy from Eight has a go. The knife at least hits the dummy this time, but only in the leg. He steps down and joins the back of the queue. Then the person directly in front of me steps up, the girl from Seven. She throws it and it hits the dummy in the foot. She then joins the back of the line.

These people are all hopeless. I'll show them what a master looks like. I smirk, stepping up for my go, picking up four knives and admiring them. The instructor begins speaking, but I only ignore her, hitting the button to start the challenge.

One of the targets lights up and I hurl a knife at it right away, straight into the heart. Then another lights up and just as quickly, I throw a second knife into the head. The third hits right between the eyes, and the fourth literally decapitates one of the dummies. As in, the head falls straight to the floor.

I smile at what I just did, before turning round to face the three tributes standing in line behind me. All three of their mouths hang open. I smirk at each of them before walking away from the station.

I walk down the rows of stations until finding exactly who I had been looking for.
"Hey Clove!" Marvel yells at me as I walk over to him. I flash him a smile as I reach the spear station. "Marvel" I greet, sliding my fingertips across one of the spears sitting on the rack.

"You want me to teach you?" He asks.
"Yeah, that would be great". I reply, smiling.
He takes me by the arm and stands me in front of the dummy, which is very far away from where we are standing.

"Move your right leg back and keep your left leg stable on the ground. If you lose balance even slightly, your aim will be off," He tells me and I do exactly as he says, "Now, lean your entire body back with the spear in your right hand and then let go as you lift your body again. Got it?" He asks and I nod, positioning myself.

He stands behind me, holding onto my arm which has the spear in it. We go through all the steps with him holding that arm the entire time. I throw the spear and it hits the dummy in the heart. Sure, that's mainly because of him since he was controlling my arm, but still.

"Good! Now you try on your own". He takes a few steps back, giving me space to attempt my very first spear throw. I go through each of the steps and let go. It whizzes through the air and hits the dummy in the shoulder.

"Clove, that was amazing for your first time!" He exclaims. Mostly due to the excitement I feel, I launch myself into his arms, giving him a hug. "Thank you Marvel!" I exclaim and he laughs.

Over Marvel's shoulder, I spot Cato. Watching me. The smile immediately disappears from my lips as he glares at me, before walking away.