You Are My Mockingjay- Watty's Finalist 2013

"You Are My Mockingjay"

Clove was in a lot of pain from her broken arm that was now in a sling and her stomach throbbed more every step that she took.  She had hoped the medication would help but if she was still hurting it meant the medication was wearing off.  Cato takes his sunglasses off and attaches it to his shirt as he walks into the long grass "Clove?"  He finally yet barely of a whisper as he was just feet away.  

  Clove who once had her braid in, was now loosened and flowing down her shoulders.  In hearing his voice she cautiously turns as her right hand supported her left arm from underneath.  At first she was confused to see who it was but then she became surprised as she stopped squinting through her eyes.  Clove slightly opens her mouth a little and gets her feet supported from the ground.  "Cato?!  What, why are you here?"

  Cato continues to shuffle through the weeds to reach her as he held his head down ward.  "I've been looking for you, you weren't at the hospital or home.  That's when your mom told me you were here."  With no expression to give she turns away.  

  "I had to get away from everything."  She said turning away from him and tries to walk further on to her destination.  Cato slowly follows her from behind and just to see Clove struggling to walk made Cato hurt.

  "Do you remember this place?"  She says turning around beside the tree trying to avoid some sharp pains inside her where she took some short breaths.  

  Cato nods with a slight glance of it and gazes upon her.  "Are you okay?"  Cato finally admits in a concerned voice.  

  With the wind brushing through Cloves hair and lifting off her shoulders slightly she breaths in a with a bit of hesitation from both nerves and through the pain she was feeling.  "I'm okay just a little confused.  I don't remember too much of what happened."  She says as she looks into his eyes a bit.  "All I remember is my father took me to his house and I jabbed him with a knife.  But everything else after is blurry and I can't make sense of it."  She then lifted her up sharply and looked at him.    "And you, I remember now you came.  You stopped him didn't you?"  

  Cato draws in slowly into her as he now looked down to her.  "I had to stop him from hurting you."  Cato doesn't look away from her as he was about to confess something really important that could change everything between them.  

  "Clove, when I heard he took you I got scared."

  Clove dunks her head feeling as if she had disappointed him so she turns away.  "I'm sorry..that should have never happened."

  Cato stood there thinking that she was right but how he needed to add onto that.

  "How come you never told me you were still seeing him when you told me you weren't going to and plus why didn't you tell your mother?"  He says firmly.

Clove slightly looks at him from behind her shrugging her shoulders at him.  Clove turns around slowly seeing her friend so puzzled.  His eyes that she could see were pierced blue then ever and fixed on her as if he was in some lost trance.  "I wanted to tell you so many times but I figured you would be too busy to understand or want to listen."

Cato shook his head rapidly in disapproval of her choice in words.  For he didn't think that was a good excuse at all.  "Seriously you thought that?!  He pauses as he licks the bottom of his dry lip.

  "I can't believe you wouldn't tell me after all we've been through over the years,  I mean we've told each other everything."

  Cloves posture weakens as he slowly comes closer into her.  "Not only that but, but I don't know what I'd do if...if I lost you."  Cato was once again inches away from her as Clove tried desperately to hold back the tears that she had fought for so long.  But little by little they trickled down.  

"I know....!" She said ever so softly.

   "And then it occurred  to me that I never realized you cared for me so much that you would risk everything to let me have what I wanted.  Like for instance this whole year, I've seen you be there for everyone but yourself why is that?"  Clove shrugs her shoulders without looking at him.  

"And the mockingjay pin?  That meant so much to you to have why did you give it to me?"  Clove stood there knowing by now she couldn't lie anymore it was time to tell him everything she had really felt.  

  "Because it was my way in showing you that I care about you, your my best friend maybe more so then that Cato.  Your my rock, my anchor that holds me from falling.  But I saw that maybe it wasn't meant for me anymore I mean you know what they say.  Mockingjays are suppose to lead you somewhere but it never did for me.  I was trying to lead myself in a way I wanted it to but it hadn't so I had to pass it on and I wanted it to be you."

  Cato shakes his head in disapproval again.  "Clove don't you get it, it  did lead you somewhere."  Cloves looks surprised and slightly tilts back.  

"What...but, but how?"  

Cato smiles deeply.  "I've come to believe that mockingjays don't have to be seen just heard and by chance this is what happened.  Your the mockingjay Clove, you were called to everyone and full filled everyones hopes and that includes me."  Cato now draws his left hand gently touching her broken arm while his right hand grazes up to Cloves right cheek that trembled slightly.    "And now I have my mockingjay."  Clove suddenly lets a another tear stroll out and trickles down as Cato wipes it off.  "You Are My Mockingjay Clove, you always were."  Clove touches Cato's right arm grazing it up softly with her right.  

  "I don't know what to say."  

  Cato breaths in and slowly moves in forward and with barely of a whisper he spoke.  "Just be mine."  And as passionately and carefully as any love story would end he draws in and kisses her lips slightly with every breath.

The End