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I woke up to the smell of Cato, the feeling of him holding me. And the sound of... cheering? I sat up, looked down at Cato's sleeping face. Then everything from the night before flashed before my eyes, and I immediately checked my hand for the ring, to make sure I hadn't just dreamed it all. It was too perfect to be reality.
I walked over to the window and peeked through the curtain.
It was absolutely gorgeous. The buildings were an array of technical colors, silver and blue and a metallic purple color. They stood at all different hights and some of the shapes I'm not sure even had names. And the people. They had on the most ridiculous clothing that I had ever seen, and their faces lit up when they saw mine. They clapped and screamed my name.
"Clove! Clove! Clove!" they said, trying to see me.
Some were yelling, "District Two! District Two!" and others seemed to be begging for Cato.
I walked over to him, and whispered in his ear.
"Cato, wake up. We're in the Capitol and everyone wants to see you!"
He stirred, and I pulled him by the arm out of bed, leading him to the window. This time I pulled the curtain all the way back and the applause became deafening, even inside the train.
We didn't do or say anything, just stared out into the crowd. We knew they were looking for bloodthirtsy killers from District Two, and that's what we were going to show them. In the parade, the interviews, and in the Games themselves. Some of them were definitely already sizing us up, placing bets.
We stood there, looking at the people until they ran out, and we began going through the heart of the city, where the building that they kept the tributes until the Games was.
I walked back to the bed, and Cato followed. I sat on the edge and he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked.
He stayed quiet for a while, still looking intently at the same spot on the ceiling.
"That we'll never be able to get married," he said, then swallowed hard.
I had tried not to think of that.
"Then why did you ask?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"I needed to know," he said plainly. "I needed to know that one day, if we didn't have these Games, we would be married."
"Yeah, well," I sighed. "We do have the Games."
"I know," he said, and broke his stare at the ceiling and looked at me.
"What are we going to do?" I asked. "There's no way we're both going to win."
He ran his hands through his hair- he only did that when he was frustrated.
"You have to win, Clove. You have to get through this. I don't know what I'd do if you died and I won. I wouldn't be winning at all, really. I'd be loosing you, loosing everything."
He pushed my hair back from my face, stroked my cheek with his thumb. I stood up, wanting to scream and throw my knives in anger.
"I don't want to win without you! It would be easier if I was the one to die. I don't know how I'd deal with life at home without you!"
Cato cupped my face with one hand and pulled me towards him with the other, crushing his lips on mine. He tangled his fingers in my hair and I did the same with his.
He pulled away, and said fiercely, "We don't have to think about this now. Let's just see how the Games play themselves out."
I nodded, and he got up.
"Can't have Mariana coming back here and seeing us in the same room," he said, and shut the door behind him.
I sighed, getting up and walking to the bathroom attached to my room. I took a quick shower and dressed into a simple shirt and jeans, then made my way out into the dining room for breakfast.
When I walked out of the hallway, Mariana, our escort, was sitting at the table with Cato and Enobaria. Enobaria was violently ripping at a roll with honey with her golden teeth, and Mariana was staring at her, eyes wide with terror.
They either didn't notice me or didn't feel that I needed awknowledgement, because not a word was said as I sat down at the table and began picking at my food.
"Well, the Tribute Parade is tonight," said Mariana, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. Nobody replied
Instead, Enobaria threw a knife. Straight at my head. Mariana gasped dramatically, I ducked, and picked up my own. I lodged it at her, giving her a look that could kill, my lips pursed, and my eyes narrowed. My knife missed her by less than an inch, as I had intended. She began chuckling.
"So, you are the Clove I've heard so much about," she said, her glittering smile mocking me.
"And you decided trying to kill me was the right way to find that out?" I said, my glare never wavering.
She laughed a bit more, then walked out.
Cato began laughing now.
"What the hell are you laughing at?" I demanded.
"Our mentor," he said, and got up to go back to his room, Mariana following him. She was muttering something, and all I got out of it was "barbarians this year."
Well, what did she expect?