𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔯 ℭ𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔡 - Clove and Cato/Clato

IX

I heard a gentle knock at the door. My eyes slowly fluttered open. The sun was shining through the window-like screen. It was timed so the sun would rise and set like reality. Why not just use a real window?

"Come in," I addressed the knock. I expected to see a stocky blonde boy burst through, but I saw a pale-faced, colorful, frilly woman.

"Good morning dear!" Apple smiled at me. "Big day ahead of us! Better begin getting ready!" She clapped for me to hurry out of bed. I lazily shuffled out of bed and headed to the shower. Apple closed the door behind me.

As the water poured over my body, I recalled the events from last night. I shuddered and clutched my arms around my body. I am so ferociously fucked. Cato knew I was weak. He saw the whole thing. A wave of anxiety flooded over me as I pictured Cato Hadley being the one to stab a sword right through me. I felt my heart quicken as I paralleled my death to that of my sisters.

The water slowly came to a halt, and I stepped out, half-expecting to see Cato there like he was on the train, but I was met with emptiness. On my bed was a matching uniform. It was labeled with my district number. I threw it on and braided my hair so that it fell behind my back. Then, I took a deep breath and exhaled before opening my door and making my way to the dining area.

"Morning!" Enobaria smiled at me, her teeth seeming sharper than my knives. Brutus nodded to greet me. They were all already sitting, but not eating.

"We were waiting for you," Apple smiled, then gesturing for us to eat once I sat down.

Cato's eyes met mine, but I quickly looked at anything else. I wasn't sure if he did the same. Apple began talking about mindless nonsense that nobody was paying attention to. We were practically eating in silence until Enobaria cleared her throat.

"What's with you two?" She eyed Cato and me.

"Nothing," I responded immediately, almost too quickly.

She nodded but made it obvious that she was disbelieving. Does this woman ever just mind her business? "Remember, you two are a unit, so whatever is going on between you two, suck it up for training," she advised harshly.

"Right," Brutus continued. "Show your skills and make it known that you came here to kill. Even pick a fight if you have to. Anything to assert dominance."

"They're not dogs," Enobaria scoffed.

Brutus rolled his eyes. "They sure act like it," he mumbled, causing Enobaria to practically spit out her food in laughter. I looked over at Cato; his eyes were already on me. Brutus and Enobaria continued to laugh at each other while Cato and I stayed silent.

"Now, now," Apple tried settling the table down.

"Sorry," Enobaria snickered holding her hands up, still unable to stop laughing.

Apple looked completely unamused. "Don't mind them," she said to Cato and me.

I scoffed. "It's really not that funny," I stated sternly interrupting their laughs.

This caused the two mentors to stop their schoolgirl giggles and look at me.

Enobaria grabbed her drink and sipped it, then placed it back onto the table. "You're right," she said with a shrug. "Sorry, kid. We've just been where you are before."

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Apple gesturing them, trying to be subtle. It seemed like she was trying to shush them or something. I looked back at Cato, who looked at me, signaling with his eyes that he saw it, too. When I gazed back at Apple, she smiled to me, trying not to be conspicuous. I looked back at my mentors, who were looking anywhere but at me and Cato. The capitol was hiding something.