The idea of blushing at Cato made my stomach twist. How on earth could I be attracted to such a horrible person. I would literally be facing him in a death match in less than 24 hours.
Once all 24 tributes were in the building we were told to line up in a line back stage. Me being the female tribute from district 1 meant my interview was the very first.
I straightened up as the interviewer, Caesar Flickerman was talking me up.
"Now let's see if Athena really does hold the attitude of her Grecian counterpart!" I hear him announce.
The capitol people clapped as I swallowed my fear and strutted on stage.
I felt my stomach drop when I saw how many people were here for me.
"Well look at our goddess!" Caesar clapped, gesturing to you. You smiled and then waved to the caption people.
"Now Athena, you volunteered for a girl in your district, correct?" Caesar asked.
I nodded, "Why yes Caesar, I did. Her name is Glimmer, and she's been my friend since I was a kid. And with Marvel being in the games I couldn't risk losing two of my best friends."
The capitol cooed at my answer.
"Ah yes, and Marvel, tell me about your relationship with him!" Caesar asked.
"Well, we've been best friends since we were eight!" I explain.
"Anything more?" He nudges.
"No never, we've always been strictly plantonic!" I laugh.
"Now, Athena, I understand that your brother was in the games a few years back, how has that impacted you?"
I feel every part of my body tense up, and I'm sure everyone else noticed it too.
"Well," I clear my throat, "He had made a promise to me, that he would fight and try and come home. I didn't leave the house during the games at all, and I watched his every move. He was a smart and tough tribute, it's a shame how he passed. His passing made me who I am today, a fighter. Except I don't trust anyone now, he showed me you can't trust anyone."
The crowd had mixed reactions. Gasps, cooes, silence, cheering, all of it.
"Why thank you Athena, I do believe however that our time is done for now." Caesar responds.
I stand up and give a courtesy.
"Give it up for the Capitol's goddess!" Caesar cheers as I leave the stage. He announces Marvel but I don't listen. A wave of fear and panic wave over me. Why would he ask about my dead brother in front of a million people?
I quickly tried to hide my feelings when I over hear part of Marvel's interview.
"Well ever since I was a little kid I'd watch these games, and I would see someone kill someone else, and I just thought, that's me!"
I felt the vomit rise in my throat. What was he doing? He saw how much these games have ruined peoples lives, ruined my life, and now he's telling everyone that when watching those games he saw himself? I storm off away from the screen.
Anger took over. All I saw was a bright red. My vision was blurry and red. I felt my fists tighten into balls and heard my heels loudly click against the tile.
When Marvel finished his interview I didn't care to find him. I watched Clobes's interview from one of the televisions scattered in the building.
"Well Im the best," she claims when Caesar compliments her knife wielding skills. "I could kill you clear across this stage."
I shudder. Her interview goes on, and finally it's Cato.
I expected him to pull some bullshit you it of his ass about how the hunger games were awesome. But he didn't.
Caesar announced him in and he sat and talked, not about the hunger games, but about a girl.
Cato's POV
"Why Cato, how are you feeling about the games?" He asked me.
"Well, it's my last year that I could even be in them, and I'm not too excited about them really."
"And why's that?"
The capitol shifted to the edge of their seats.
"I- well, there's this girl."
Caesar smiled, turning to the crowd, then turning back to me.
"Tell us about this girl!" He smiled widely.
"Well, she's beautiful. And she's bossy and sassy and is headstrong. When she knows what she wants or how she feels she isn't afraid to tell you."
The crowd cheered at my answer. I didn't care though, the only person who I hoped was watching and hearing me, was her.
"What else about this girl? Like, what makes you like her? What was the thing that made you fall for her?" Caesar asked, the crowd cheered.
"Well, she's cute when she's not trying to be. She likes the stars and has showed me them. I like how strong she is. She could take me out in a fight easily, with me trying." I laugh a little.
"And to answer your last question, I fell for her the second I saw her. She took me away with her beauty. And despite her rude attitude and cold exterior, I couldn't help but smile at her."
Caesar and the crowd cooed with awe's and other noises. Caesar leaned in for the last question.
"So are you gonna ask her out after the games? I mean cmon, what kind of a girl could say no to a victor?" He asked.
"Well, Caesar, it's not that easy." I sighed. He leaned in a tad more, confusion plastered on his face.
"And why's that?"
"Because, only one of us can win in that arena."
The crowd gasps and Caesar froze.
"Thank you for your time." I say before leaving the stage.
Caesar continued the interviews but now the world of Panem knew that the girl that I wanted was going to be my opponent soon.
I walked around aimlessly, hoping to bump into her. But I didn't. I went home, and tried to get some sleep, but couldn't.
Athena's POV
I stood dumbfounded at Cato's interview. I thought he was talking about a girl from 2 but he was talking about me. He had to have been.
I left back to the tribute center and paced around the living room. Marvel entered, just Marvel.
"Hey." He mumbled out.
Before realizing and without thinking I pushed Marvel up against the wall and started to punch him.
"WHAT IS WROMG WITH YOU?!" I wail.
He looked at me, confusion and fear in his eyes.
"So what everytime I panicked about the reaping you would hope to get picked?" I asked, tears building up in my eyes.
Marvel looked down at me. Tears forming in his eyes too.
"And wh- what about Ap-" I started to cry as I yelled, "What about Apollo?"
He broke his eye contact with me.
"Did you see yourself in that district 7 boy that MURDERED MY BROTHER?!" I screamed in his face. Tears streaming down my face, making my makeup run.
Marvel, now crying, looked back to me.
"Athena, that's not what I meant."
"Then, then, then tell me what you meant!" I screamed.
"I hate these games as much as you do Athena! I said what I said to survive. Those capitol people will like me and sponsor me now!" He yelled back.
Tears feel harder from my eyes, burning as they escaped.
I slapped Marvel, and instead of him yelling at me or continuing the argument he pulled me into a hug. The kind of hug that people give at funerals.
He held me, tightly, the same way he did when Apollo had passed. As he held me we slowly made our way to the floor. Sitting in each others arms, crying.
"I'm so sorry Athena, my strategy wasn't good." he whispered.
"What did I do?" I cried harshly.
To this day I blamed myself for Apollo's death. And me volunteering for Glimmer was like adding salt to a fresh open wound.
Marvel held me tight and close. He rubbed my back and ran his fingers through my hair.
"Athena, I love you. You're my best friend and I love you. I can't lose you. So I have to know, are you going the career pack?" He asked, a look of fear returning in his gaze.
I let out a sigh, and nod my head. "Yes, but only for you. Clove will kill me when no one is looking, and Cato..." I trail off.
Marvel didn't hear Cato's interview.
"If you die.." I choke up a bit, tears falling again. "If you die, I'm dropping the pack and fighting for myself."
Marvel lets out a saddened sigh. "Athena, if I die, you have to stay with the pack. Cato will protect you, and Clover will learn to trust you."
I release myself from Marvel's arms. And stand up, helping him up too. I hold my hand out to him, my hand closed with my pinky finger pointing outwards.
"Promise me Marvel, that you won't leave me too." Tears softly falling from my eyes.
He interlocks his finger with mine.
"I promise."
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wOah cato pulled a peeta
also caesar made you talk about apollo 😠
also you and marvel made up!
i lowkey cried making this chapter ngl