The Willow Tree || A Clato fanfic||

Chapter 1 - Cato

I woke up in my comfy bed. My hand automatically reached out, looking for my football. It wasn't there. Oh, right. Mom must have confiscated it. She alwalys does on the first and last day of school. Don't ask me why she does. She just does.

Finally, I am graduating. Only downside is, there's some kind of dance party coming up a few days after graduating. Everyone has to come, date or not. No same genders are allowed, or we'll be kicked out of the party before we can say 'hey'.

We aren't allowed to ask out dates yet. After graduation. And, since Principal Jackson, she's a woman, announced it about 2 seconds before the bell went, no one had a chance.

I need a date. I can't believe what an idiot I'll look if someone popular at school like me won't show up with a partner. I don't reckon any of the girls, not really. Okay, so there are a few, very few girls who actually pull my attention. If only District 2 was attending, I'd barely have one, but no. Unfortunately, everyone in Panem will go to the same primary, middle, and high school.

Anyway, so the girls, or actually there are just two girls I really fancy, the other two or three just pull my attention. So, one of them is from District 12, she's second on my list. She's not popular, but a lot of boys like her. Her name is quite odd too, but still, I fancy Katniss Everdeen.

And the other girl, Number 1 on my list, I'm not sure if she even knows I exist. Katniss notices me because I'm popular and she isn't. Not that it changes my opinion on her. But this one... I don't know. She's even more popular than me. Yes, everyone in the whole school knows her, almost every boy have a crush on her or at least admire her. If I ask her out, even after the moment we get to school, some other popular boy might have nabbed her already. And she's champion in our school of ice skating, she's really pretty too, and... and... all right, she's quite cheeky but that's mainly why I like her... yes, her name is Clove Kentwell. She also is from District 2.

I drag myself out of bed. We are allowed to ask during graduation, though. The original rules say no, but so many kids cheated over the years, trying to get the most popular kid in school to go with them that kind-hearted Principal Jackson said we could ask during graduation. I had to ask Clove the moment I entered school. If I didn't, there and then, I had zero chances of ever getting her as my date.

Clove always got to school early with a couple of friends in their cars. Clove's family is rich, she has about three cars, all that can hold about 10 people plus the driver. They're the same ones, but different colors. One's golden-white, one pure sky blue, and the other light violet. She doesn't like having three, she usually uses her golden one, and lends her others for free to whoever needs to.

Clove is popular, but the main pack of her crowd are 5 people, the ones she goes to school with everyday. Isobel, Jessica, Rosemary, and Annabelle. They take turns driving eachother. I've been watching them, and I know for a fact today is Clove's day.

I also need a date because if I don't, this pretty girl named Glimmer Belcourt will ask me out. She's pretty, yeah, but rude and nasty. Her mother is vice principal, so she always gets to school early. And somehow I can't turn down a girl who asks me out. I don't know why.

So, I get dressed in my graduation uniform and head off for school in my van, hoping Clove could accept me as her date.