Victory - Cato Hadley

chapter one

I wake up to just another day at my district. School and training. I thought when I would finally be able to win these games, all of this shit would be over but I was wrong. Still the same old bullshit. 

I dress myself in some black jeans and a black hoodie. Just casual. There's no one to impress anyway. I've already won. 
I walk down the stairs and greet my mom. She's wearing a light blue dress and some white shoes. Her brown long hair is tied up in a high bun. 

"Good morning" she greets me.
"Morning" I say and take a seat at the table. She has already set up the table with breakfast. Normally my dad does it, but after his death my mom and I had to take over. He used to be a peacekeeper in our district but that's another story. After his death two years ago, everything changed. My little brother Altan just got thirteen a week ago. He has the same chocolate-brown hair my mom and I have. He's very desperate to compete in the hunger games sometime too and "be like me". When I said that, I almost vomited. What they tell us here is not the truth. I realized, once my district partner was dead. I didn't know him that good. He was eighteen. Elias was his name. He had been one of the popular kids in school. Everyone knew him around here and everyone thought he was going to win. Even my mother. Everyone was rooting for him, while I was just the annoying side character that was going to die anyway. But not with me.

"Enobaria was just here. She told me about your first training session today after school" my mom says with a smile on her face. Ever since I won, she's been awfully happy with me. She couldn't stand me before. I had always been the disgrace of the family for not wanting to compete. But after I won, my whole family has been bragging about me non-stop.

I just nod and put some jam on my bread. 
"Aren't you happy?" she asks.
"Yes. Yes, I am" I lie and force a smile on my face. 
"Good morning" my brother says with a smile and sits down next to me.
"Are you ready for school?" I ask.
"Of course. Are you?" he asks with a grin and I nod.

My brother is one of the only people I genuinly enjoy being around. He has never judged me for my opinion and has always been more like a best friend to me. He is the most hardworking person I know. 

"Will you help me with fighting today?" he asks stuffing a slice of bread inside his mouth.
"Of course" 
"Oh, we'll get some visitors tonight. I invited the Hadley family over for dinner"
"Why?" my brother and I both ask at the same time. We both don't really like them. The older one Cato, he's just a year older than me and very popular. The younger one Cole, is the same age as my brother. He's just as worse as Cato is. The same arrogant and ignorant people. 
"Because he's probably going to be picked for this year's games. They want to talk to you about it"
"And what if I don't want to talk to them about it? Cato and his brother are idiots. I could care less"
"Attitude Athena. We are going to be nice to them, and besides won't you be a mentor this year?"
"Yeah. I have to" I say and look at my plate. Can't imagine seeing them die on TV after seeing what they have to go through. Don't get me wrong, I've always watched the hunger games, or more I was forced so. But after I've been in there myself, I know what it's like. It's probably going to be harder to see it myself. 

Suddenly, a knock is heard at my door. My brother jumps up and runs to the door.
"Good morning" I hear behind me. I turn around to see Dolion there, my best friend.
I've known Dolion since first grade. We bumped into eachother at our first training session. I had been scared of the other kids and he helped me to get through with it. He has taught me basically everything I know. He's the only reason I'm still alive. If it hadn't been for him and his skills. I would've never been able to kill the district one tribute. He was massive. Tall, blonde guy with too big of an ego. He had underestemated me and before he could realize, I had killed him with my sword. Not that I'm proud of it, but it's what I was taught to do.