Bad Boy Better Run (Clato)

Chapter Nine: Jealousy Ain't a Two-Way Street

Cato chuckled at my complete discomfort to him suggesting that I might be a lesbian. He nodded in response, seemingly distracted by something. And that's when I saw her. Glimmer, I mean. She was approaching Cato, swaying her hips as she did so, with her chest sticking out. In my opinion, she looked like an idiot, but apparently, Cato was pretty fond of the little performance.

"Hey, Cato, " she purred. "Long time no see. Help me with archery?"

Scowling, I contained my most sarcastic comments. She made me want to throw up and stab myself in my ears with plastic forks. If that was even possible. Honestly, it had been what, two-three hours since she'd seen him and it was already "long time no see"? Desperate much? And since when should she even need help with archery. I'm pretty sure she was going on and on about how "fabulous" she was with a bow the night of the Tribute Parade, to Marvel or Cato. Maybe both.

Cato smirked. "Oh yeah? But I thought you were already great at archery, babe?"

Ew, he has a pet name for her.

Glimmer tilted her head down a fraction of an inch, stood on the balls of her feet and twirled a strand of hair around her dumb finger. She batted her eyelashes at him. "But I need help with pulling the bow back. I'm not used to these bows. They're a lot heavier."

I scoffed. "Then get a different one, idiot."

Glimmer's head snapped towards me and if looks could kill, I'd be killed, resurrected, and killed again. "There are no more, other people are using them."

"Um, no, I can see more on the rack over the-"

"Anyway Cato, " she chirped, turning her attention back to my District Partner. "Would you please help me?"

He grinned, either amused with the situation or the fact that he'd get to be in close quarters once again with Glimmer. "Sure thing."

Glimmer giggled and eagerly grabbed him by the hand and began dragging him off to the archery station, giving me a proud smirk while doing so. I stood there watching them walk off with my hands in fists by my sides, before going back to the knife station, completely forgetting to go back to Marvel.

A few hours later, I was drenched in sweat from working so hard, and I'm pretty sure I didn't smell too great, either. I'd practiced with knives, attempted with swords, and beaten a few opponents at the hand-to-hand combat station. Despite being all sweaty and extremely tired, it felt good to push myself to new extremes.

I'd pushed myself even harder after lunch had ended, because both Glimmer and Marvel had butted their way into sitting with Cato and me, saying how it was "tradition" that allies sit together.

I thought it was stupid.

Of course, it was a total lie, too. Glimmer only wanted to sit with Cato, and Marvel wanted to do what Glimmer wanted just to please her. Yeah, I saw the longing looks he gave Glimmer when she was throwing herself all over Cato. Poor bloke doesn't know she's not worth it.

Snapping myself out of my thoughts, I realized that I was one of the last people in the room. It was me, the boy from Three, the girl from Ten, and the boy from Four. I wrinkled my nose in disgust; I didn't want to be here with just these people.

A few minutes later, I arrived at District Two's "apartment" and was unpleasantly surprised to see that both Glimmer and Marvel were there, conversing with Cato. Glimmer and Cato were occupying one of the sofas, and Marvel was looking left out in one of the chairs. Enobaria and Belinda were nowhere to be found.

"Um, what's going on?" I questioned, pushing some of my sweat-drenched hair out of my face.

All three of them turned to look at me, and all three of them looked slightly appalled at my rather repulsive appearance. Hey - no one said success looked hot. You've gotta work hard for what you want - and in this case, I want the title of Victor.