Clove's Story

Chapter Two

I sit by myself at the long wooden table. Leona, Lisia and Millian are all in the bar car next door. Cato is on the other side of the room. He faces the window, looking out the forest. The food on his plate is untouched. The sun is setting, and the light casts odd shadows.

Cato has never been this quiet.

I pick at the food spread on the table while looking at Cato. He is oblivious to my gaze, his brow furrowed as he looks out of the glass. There is a burst of laughter next door, and Cato leans back in his seat.

"What is it?" I ask.

He looks at me for the first time since we got on the train. "What's what?"

"You're upset. Why?"

He shrugs, then shakes his head. "I'm not upset." I pick up my plate and set it down on the coffee table at his feet before taking a seat next to him.

"Cato," I say. "We've known each other since we were kids. I think I know when you're upset. What is it that's bothering you?"

He glares at me, a look that would be enough to scare anyone who didn't know him out of the room.

"It's nothing, Clove."

In a bold move, I grab his hand and grip it tight. "Look, Cato," I say. "I know you like to be confident, and act like you don't have a care in the world, but something is bothering you. You've been acting weird all day, and I want to know why."

My eyes search his, but he doesn't give anything away.

"Please Cato!" I say. "It's scaring me. You're never like this!"

He gets up, and walks off. I'm far too stunned to follow, and I don't trust myself to stay calm if I go after him. And if Cato is truly upset, then the last thing he needs to do is be angry. Cato terrifies everyone when he is in a rage. Even his sister, Eustacia, doesn't go anywhere near his room when he's angry.

There is another burst of laughter from the bar car, and Leona stumbles into the room. Her make-up is smudged and her hair is wild.

"Where's Cato?" she asks, her voice slightly slurred.

"In his room," I say. "I wouldn't go in."

She giggles. "Did he eat anything?"

My brow furrows.  Leona really is drunk. "No," I say. "I'm not hungry either."

I stand up, and Leona stumbles back into the bar car, slamming the door behind her. I pass through the different cars until I reach the one where Cato and I have our bedrooms. I put my ear to the door, which is considerably thinner than the wall in the Justice Building. Several smashing noises come from inside the room. Cato is probably breaking all the ornaments.

I shake my head, and open the door to my room, which is to the left of Cato's. From here, even without having to try, I can hear the smashing. For a little while I try to ignore it, but then comes the thumping. Sometimes I can comfort Cato, and sometimes I can't. I'm not really in the mood to be yelled at, but I should calm him down before he destroys half the train.

I come to Cato's door, and try knocking. He tells me to go away, thinking that I am Lisia. I knock again, and he thinks I'm Millian, so after telling me to go away, I receive every bit of colourful profanity that District Two has to offer.

"Cato," I call through the door. "It's me. Clove."

He's silent. I take this as a good sign, and walk into the room. Immediately, I almost step on shattered glass. Cato's room is a mess.

The floor is littered with broken glass and china, and clothes are sprawled over the mess. The wooden chest is lying on its side, and the bed is a mess of blankets. Sitting on the floor, Cato's silhouette is illuminated by the dark blue light coming from the window behind him. Carefully, I pick my away across the floor towards him. He has his head in his hands, and when he looks up at me, I can see that his eyes are red. He's been crying.