Preacher's Daughter: A Modern Clato Fanfic

Chapter 13

Cato walked up the sidewalk to the front of the school, leather jacket over his shoulders and backpack slung across them as well. His blue eyes scanned the school grounds from behind his aviators, finding himself looking for one specific person. When he caught sight of her, he immediately steered his course to her. "Sevina!" he called out, causing her head to snap up and over to him. 

"What do you want, Hadley? And why, might I add, are we addressing one another by last names now?' Clove responded as he got closer to her. Cato gave the raven haired girl a smug grin, and thought she probably couldn't see it, he cast her a wink. Sliding his sunglasses from his eyes and fixing them to hang from his shirt, he reached her. 

Clove had her back resting upon the bark of the oak tree, arms folded across her chest. Cato tossed his bag on the grass by hers, not caring about if she wanted him there or not. "I just wanted to have a chat," Cato said, leaning against the tree himself. Clove let out a snort, rolling her eyes. 

"Oh, so you don't want to have a steamy make out session?" she mocked him, raising her eyebrows. "Because, you know, I think you're really, really hot." Cato could hear the sarcasm laced with her tone. He chuckled, glancing out into the parking lot. "Sounds perfect. Meet me in the janitor's closet first period?" 

"I hope you know I was joking," Clove stated, causing him to turn back toward her. "I actually think that you're a disgusting pig." Cato grinned. "You know you think I'm attractive." The blush on her cheeks gave Cato the answer he needed. "See," he pointed out, "Just say it, Sevina. You think I'm good looking." 

"I would never believe such a thing," Clove hissed, reaching down to grab her bag, hoisting it onto her shoulders. "I don't like you, Cato. It's as simple as that." 

"Okay," Cato sighed, "that hurt." He places a hand over his heart, pretending to be wounded. Clove let out a small laugh, not able to prevent it from escaping her lips. "Anyway," Cato decided to change the subject. "Are you auditioning for Juliet? I was thinking about doing it, but I still haven't made the decision yet." 

"What? About playing Juliet?" 

"Ha ha, very funny, Clove. I was thinking about going out for Romeo, like Ms. Trinket said." 

"I don't know about it," came Clove's reply. 

"What, your daddy doesn't want his precious daughter in a play with the town's worst citizen?" Clove glanced down to her feet, biting her bottom lip. Cato actually burst out laughing at this. "You have got to be joking!" he exclaimed. "He really said that to you?" 

"Well, yeah..." Clove mumbled. "And no offense to you or anything, but he thinks that you're a bad influence. He only said I could be Juliet if you weren't Romeo." 

"So, what you're saying is, if I don't audition, you will. And if I do, you won't." 

Clove thought about this for a moment. "I want to audition. But I don't want some mediocre Romeo. I mean, no one in that classroom knew what the play really meant compared to you and me. I don't know. I guess what I'm saying is that while I don't like you, I think we could do this together." 

Cato slung an arm around her shoulders, much to her distaste. "Get off," she demanded, but he wouldn't budge. "You do realize that we'd have to kiss, like a lot." Clove narrowed her eyes. "And you're pointing this out because?" 

"Maybe we should practice. Like, right now for instance." Clove wormed her way out of his grasp and started sprinting across the grass. "In your dreams, Romeo!" she called over her shoulder, unable to keep a smirk from spreading across her lips. 

Cato rolled his blue eyes at her. He could feel himself becoming attached to her already. And he didn't know what to feel about it. 

***

Clove sat up in her bedroom, her copy of Romeo and Juliet laying on her bed. Her mother and father were out of the house and up at the school to discuss what kind of things the English department was teaching. Her father was still very upset about the school's choice for the play. 

Clove flipped through the pages, letting out a small sigh. She really wanted to be Juliet, but yet at the same time, she didn't want to go against her father's wishes. "What am I going to do?" she asked herself, and jumped up when she heard a response. 

"I say go for it. It's not like anyone is holding you back." Clove gasped, and then after regaining her composure, glared at the figure standing in her doorway. "How'd you even get in my house?" 

Cato made his way over to her bed, sitting down next to her. "One of the window's in the living room was open," he shrugged. Clove rolled her brown eyes at him for the umpteenth time. "You know I could call the police on you." 

"But you're not going to," Cato said smugly, and Clove hated the fact that he was right. "What do you even want, Cato?" Clove asked him. 

"I want to know why you're considering not trying out for Juliet." 

"I already told you, it's because my father doesn't want me to." 

"Just look at me for a second." Clove glanced up at him, and her eyes locked with his. "Now, I want you to start reciting lines from the play. If you feel awkward, then fine. Don't audition. But if you feel like this could work. then you and I are both auditioning. No questions asked." 

Clove let out a sigh, but followed his request. And when she felt the butterflies in her stomach relax, she knew that was what she was meant to be doing at that moment. As she read lines from the balcony scene, and when the blonde boy in front of her returned them, she didn't feel awkward at all. She loved every second of it. 

***

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!