Skinny Love

4. Training Day

Clove's POV

April 9th, 2215

Two days... Two days after Cato Hadley's birthday. The entire District had a party to celebrate it in fact. The party went on like one of those Capitol parties that we all hear about. Straight through the night and on into the early morning hours of the following day. Everyone decided that it would be a good idea to give those of us with our names in the reaping bowl a day off. Isn't that ironic? Just over a month until the actual Reaping Day... A month until two of us are reaped and sent to the Capitol. One of the Career Districts decides to take a break from training all of a sudden just because of someone's eighteenth birthday. Big Deal. I doubt that they'll even do that for my birthday. If I get to live that long, that is...

I sighed to myself and pulled on some clothes to go to training. I don't even know when I came to feel so bitter towards the tall blonde. Maybe when it was the way that he came to be the one that is going to be the male tribute for the 74th Hunger Games. How can I even be so sure that I'm going to be picked for the Games? I'm positive that someone else is going to be picked. I just don't know who yet. If it's Ella... She won't be the one going into the Games. It'll be me and I'll be going in with Cato Hadley, who won't hesitate to come home alive if it came down to us. There's no chance that I would be coming home to my family. No chance that my death wouldn't impact Ella in the way that made her hesitant to throw the wedding until the following year or so.

"Clove! Let's go!" Fawn's voice echoed up the stairs as she walked inside of my house. I went straight downstairs and out of the door after shoving my feet into shoes. "The fuck is your problem today?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked over at the girl that was my best friend. I glared harshly at her and began to walk away. I need to keep myself focused now. I can't let her get to me. I need to focus on the way that I need to train to prepare myself for the chance of becoming reaped in the Games. I was coming to terms with the way that I could possibly become a tribute in the Games if Ella was reaped. I won't let her go into them. She has a life here. She's getting married soon and I don't want to take away from that. She won't even be able to survive because of training constantly with the bow and arrow. There will never be a chance for her to use that in the Arena. I doubt that they'll even put one in there.

"Hey!! I asked what the fuck your problem was today!!" Fawn ran after me and gripped my arm suddenly. I paused a moment before yanking my arm free and continuing to walk to the Training Center. I walked into the Training Center and tried to keep calm with her yelling after me. I noticed Cato staring at us from over by the swords. I couldn't stay calm with that.

"Touch me again and I won't hesitate to kick your ass," my voice was low and a huge warning to her. If she wanted to risk her safety, it was her decision and not mine.

I walked away from her and up the stairs to run a few laps on the track and workout a little bit. I'm not allowed to touch the knives until the afternoon. They don't want me completely destroying everything before other people are allowed to get a chance to train. I started out slowly with a jog and then moved to lengthen my strides. After a little bit I heard someone coming up behind me and then the footsteps were besides me.

I glanced over at the person and held back a laugh when I saw Cato Hadley running besides me. He kept his eyes ahead of him and I looked away from him to focus on my strides. I can't get the thought of Ella possibly being to one reaped out of my head. I don't want that at all, but I am settled on the idea that I'm going to make sure that I volunteer for her if it comes to that. I don't want her going into these Games. I want her to have a life with Daniel and be able to have kids. She's always talked about how she wanted to have kids at some point in her life.