Chapter 3

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I'm sixteen now, and Cato and I are planning on volunteering for the games. Our instructors think we are ready, and my parents just want me to enter regardless of whether I can win or not. Cato taught me how to fight, and I taught him how to throw knives. I think we have a good chance of winning, I'm excited, but I'm not looking forward to having to kill Cato. I guess that's the downside of entering with your best friend. Every day after training, Cato and I would buy something to eat from the market and sit out in the woods and talk. I had brought out a target and some weapons. I always sat on the lower branches of one of the trees while instructing Cato on how to throw the knives, and laughing at his failed attempts. Later we would eat dinner, Cato leaning on the trunk since he was never particularly skilled at climbing trees. Today is the day of the reaping, which means I have a few peaceful hours at the training center. I hear the door open, and see Cato walking in with two swords and some food. 

"Hi Clover, I brought some of the food mom made, I thought we could have a little feast before all the chaos starts." He says as he sets down the swords and hands me a cookie and some warm bread. 

"Hey, tell your mom I say thanks." I reply as I bite into the bread 

"Will do, happy hungers games and all," he says in a horrible Capitol accent.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor," I finish in an equally horrible accent, I finish my half of the food, and pick up one of the swords. I head over to the dummies, and go over everything we learned yesterday. He sat and watched as I drove the sword into the dummy, giving some feedback here and there.

"How was that?" I ask, turning around to face him,

"Pretty good just remember, don't halfheartedly stab it, use your full bodyweight, even if it doesn't do much." He said smiling slightly, eventually we got tired so we started walking back to my house. We're passing the Nut, which used to store weapons for the Capitol, but now is mainly all different shops, there are four paths, one to enter the Nut, one to enter the Victor's Village where Cato lives, one that leads to the school and other houses, and lastly the street my house is on. I start to say goodbye but Cato interrupts,

"Clove" He says softly

"Yeah?" I reply, it's out of character for him to be so quiet, he hesitates a little before continuing,

"I just wanted to say good luck, with the reaping and all." He says, it doesn't really sound sincere I mean I can't really be mad at him for that, willingly or not we're both about to volunteer to be sent to a place where one of us will inevitably die. All I can hope for is that we aren't the last remaining tributes.

"Oh, thanks you too, I guess I'll see you shortly." I reply, there was a feeling of awkwardness it was out of place and I didn't like it. He smiles before heading to one of the shops, and I turn to continue home to get ready. I see my house, and open the door, my parents must be out, I take a nice bath and work on what I want to wear. I have to dress up, but I can't wear something restrictive. I settle on a red dress, black pants, and combat boots I put my hair into a braid and hide some small knives in my boots. I hear the first bell, and start to make my way towards the Townsquare and after being pricked on the finger for the documents by some lady, I head to the 16-year-old section. The district 2 escort Silvia walks onto the stage in an obnoxious yellow dress covered in glitter and ruffles, complete with yellow heels and a mop of yellow curls piled on top of her head.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 74th annual Hunger Games where I will draw one courageous young man and woman for the honor of competing for district 2. But before I do, here is a clip brought to you from the Capitol!" I roll my eyes as she begins to play the same video they show every year that basically says we should be grateful and the Capitol has the right to punish us.

"I just love that." Silvia sighs as she walks over to the pool of names. I'm sure she does, too bad we can't kill the escorts, that would be way more enjoyable. A bunch of weirdly dressed blobs of color running around the arena begging not to be killed in their stupid accent. I chuckle quietly, resulting in a few stares from the girls around me. 

"Like usual, ladies first." She moves her hand around the bowl a few times before slowly selecting a slip of paper. 

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