The Lost Chance

Chapter Three

[Cato's POV]

"Angel Heartnett,"

I watched as Angel limped up the stage. Her leg is bandaged, and her eyes are bloodshot.

"Wait, stop!" a blond girl that looks exactly like Angel screams from the crowd. It's her twin sister Aimee. "Can't you see she's injured?"

"I'm sorry, dear," our mayor, Prima, looks at her with curiosity, "I'm afraid that this girl here is already a volunteer. I believe she's a Career?"

"Yes, but - "

"Then I'm afraid we can't do anything about it," Prima turns to our escort Sharpee, "Call the tribute from the boys,"

Again, I watch as a brown-haired boy climbs slowly to the stage. A look of fear is present in his eyes, and I have to stop myself from laughing. How stupid.

If only they train for this, become Careers. Wait, he does train. But I just keep knocking him to the ground. What's his name? Cameron? Our District wouldn't win the Games this year. With a limping girl like that paired with Cameron, we wouldn't stand a chance, even if they're trained to fight.

"Angel, she'll die in there for sure," Aimee rocked back and forth as soon as we Careers head back to the training center, "She can't die, she can't, she can't,"

Tears stream down her face. How pathetic.

"If she knows she'll be our representative this year, then she should have known better than to injure herself," I said coldly. Weaklings like that kind of get to me.

"Cato, she didn't do that to herself!" Aimee flung herself at me and punched my chest, "Someone did that to her, but she wouldn't say who!"

I fling her away easily. "She actually let someone do that to her?" I laugh.

Sure, Angel had been linked to me once or twice or whatever. She literally throws herself at me every chance she gets. It's kind of disgusting.

"Cato, just go," Askew handed me my sword, as Aimee got to her feet and took her own, "You're going to cause trouble here,"

"Don't I always?" I whisper to him, then faced Aimee, "What, you want to fight? Bring it on, girl!"

"Angel loved you! That's how you repay her?"  she clenched her sword tighter, "You didn't even visit her in the Justice Building! She looked for you!"

Aimee tried to stab me, but I easily sidestepped. Another lunge, but I lunge back.

"No one told her to love me," I quickly disarm her, and take hold of her sword. "She's just pathetic. You're pathetic,"

I throw her sword away, as Aimee gets on her knees and cry even harder. We're Careers. Pain, fear and something of that sort isn't allowed.

I storm out of the training center, disgusted of what some of us have become. Cowards. Crybabies.

Suddenly, a flash of black catches my eye as it heads towards the wood.

"What the - ?" I follow it, and I could see it's a girl. "Hey wait!"

She turned around quickly, and when she saw me she ran faster.

But that glimpse was enough. It's the one who has deadly accuracy. The girl I've wanted to talk to. She's obviously younger than me, since we're not placed together.

"Wait up!" I shout after her, "Stop! Hey, wait!"

I suddenly slam into something that sends me sprawling. I get up and spit dirt out of my mouth. I look for her, and I see her just a few feet away.

"Hey, are you OK?" I approach her, and she tries to get up, but seems dazed.

"Apparently, I'm not," she touches her head, and a bump seems to be forming.

"I've seen you in the training center before," I sit beside her, and she scoots a bit farther away when I got too close, "You're the one with the knives, aren't you?"

"Yep," she opens her jacket, and I could see it's full of them, "But usually they describe me as the short loser,"

"Oh. So do you know me?"

"Yeah, you're Cato Obsidian. The pride of District Two ever since your brother Fausto won a few years back,"

"That's not fair,"

"Why not?" she casually brushes the dirt out of her camo pants. "What's not fair?"

"You know some facts about me, and the only thing I know about you is that you throw knives,"

"You want to know my name?"

I nod and give her my killer smile. She smiles back.

"I'm Clove. Clove Fuhrman,"

"OK, Fuhrman," I stand up and hold out my hand, "Just promise me one thing."

"And what's that one thing?" Clove stands up by herself, ignoring my hand.

"Don't be like the others,"