Scars Of Our Love | Cato Hadley X Male Reader | Vol. 1

13 ~ A Dangerous Game

My hands trace over the fabric that clung to my skin as I watch myself through the mirror. Serenity sat on a couch behind me, smiling as I stared in awe. "It's beautiful," I say.

She had done it again, my outfit was breathtaking. Everything from the buttoned top, embroidered with gold, to the shoes which glistened against the lights, looked rich and pristine. I feel my eyes fall, a unnerving paranoia seems to eat away at my stomach, leaving butterflies. The day passed by quickly. I was occupied practicing my interview skills so by the time I looked at what time it was I realized I had to prepare for the interviews.

This was going to be the first time I had ever talked to an audience of the Capitol, and I wasn't ready. These people were different in almost every way, so trying to appeal to them would be hard. I thought of playing the victim role but nobody would care for that, so I decided I would try and be as polite and innocent looking as I could. Make myself seem likable at least.

"No more beautiful than you," she says while standing up to match my height. She comes closer and runs her hands down the collar of my outfit. Smoothing any wrinkles and tucking things in. "Remember to be yourself. They'll Love you," she says reassuringly, almost as if she could sense my fear. "Thanks," I mutter, itching at a spot on my head.

"Ahh Ahh Ahh," she yells while pulling my hand down, "Careful, we don't want your crown coming out now." I immediately put my hands at my side, feeling a little embarrassed. My head shot up toward the speaker as a loud noise rang through the room. It was time for me to leave.

Serenity didn't speak another word, only guiding me out of the room with a look of both worry and hope. I was going to make her proud, I had to. For all, she has done.

As I step into the cold and nearly empty hallway I am met with bright fluorescent lights, the only thing that stood out was a guard on the other end. He waved me forward. I quickly looked behind me, nothing but a gray metal wall was there. I had no choice but to comply. My feet quickly step down the hallway, careful not to ruin the shoes.

The guard leads me to yet another hallway, only this time it wasn't empty. There was a crowd of people who didn't seem to notice as I slipped in. As I look around I notice a few familiar faces. Rue, Katniss, Peeta, Clove, and even Cato were all there. Everyone was dressed up, ready for their interviews.

Shortly after a few men dressed in black came to talk to us. They made us form a line in descending order of district and explained how everything would go down.

I didn't pay much attention, mostly because I was more concerned about what everyone else was wearing and how prepared they looked. The only thing I did get was that we would have about ten minutes of stage time depending on how interesting or boring we were. That should be enough for  me.

It started with Glimmer, the girl from District 1. I couldn't help but feel a bit weirded out by her interview, she seemed to be playing the role of the hot tribute, every time Caesar would talk she just looked him up and down with an odd look. He didn't seem bothered and would occasionally flirt with her, which made the audience laugh.

After hers, the others seemed to pass quicker with each one. I would watch for a bit but now and then I would steal glances at Cato, He wore a silver suit that fitted his muscular body nicely. I wished I could talk to him, but guards were staring us down and I didn't want to give them a reason to hurt me.

"You're up," said a man in black. Cato took a heavy breath before disappearing. My eyes trace up to the tv screen above me as he appears on it. "Well, hello there," Caesar says in a joyful tone while shaking Cato's hand. The crowd cheering slowly died down as they both took their seats.

"Well I can certainly tell the crowd loves you based on that applause," he says to Cato before turning toward the crowd, "Isn't that right folks." The cheers started up again, causing both of them to smile. To most people, Cato probably looked confident, like a beast just waiting to hunt its prey, but I could see more. He was scared, genuinely scared. Everything from the way he had walked on stage to the way his leg jitters up and down tells me what I needed to know.