Lethal Lovers - Cato Hadley

chapter nine

I wake up with strong arms wrapped around me. I go to get up but he pulls me even closer.
"No, don't" he grunts into my neck.
"Cato, we have no choice. Get up" I say in the softest way possible.
I turn around so we're facing eachother. He smiles at me and puts a strand of my hair behind my ear.
"I love you" he says.
"I love you too"

"Cato, there's something I have to tell you" I say.
"Sure. What's wrong?" he asks.
"It's about Dolion" I say, and he rolls his eyes. Cato is completely aware that Dolion doesn't like him. 
"What did he say again?" Cato asks annoyed.
"He said that I deserve better than you and such stuff but the thing that's really thrown me out of line was that he told me he loved me" I say, and Cato's eyes grow wide. He he chuckles agressivly before he sits up.
"I knew he would pull a stunt like that," Cato says laughing. It's not a happy laugh though. He seems extremely angry.
"What did you respond?" he asks now serious. I try to predict any reaction he could possibly give me but his face has no emotion or expression. He just looks at me blankly.
"He came the day before Snow announced the Quarter Quell and that we have to go back to the arena. He told me something that I deserve better than you. I obviously said that that's not true but he wasn't listening to me. All of a sudden he then just kissed me. I was shocked and pulled away but he held my wrist tight. He said that he loved me and that he wanted to be with me but I said no. He got furious and left" I say looking at my hands, nervously picking my nails. 
"I can't believe him," Cato says. He then looks at me before he puts an arm around me and pulls me closer. I rest my head on his chest and he places a kiss on my temple. "I'm sorry that this happend to you"

...

"You're going to rock this" Velvette says. She has just finished putting my hair half up-half down for the Quarter Quell.
"I'm going to miss you Vel" I say, almost starting to cry. Maybe it's the hormones or maybe I'm just emotional right now. I have no clue actually.
"Don't cry Athena. The hormones?" she asks, and I nod wiping my tears away.
"You can do it, I know you can. Just try to stay alive please. They need you" she says. 
I go to say something to her but a voice announces we have a minute left before we need to be in the tubes. 
"What do you mean by they need you?" I ask her.
"You know" she says smiling before shoving me into towards the tube. 
I look at her closely one last time. Her blonde hair is in a high bun and to my surprise today she's wearing black. Normally she doesnt because she thinks it's too sad. I guess today is one of these sad days. 
"Oh, before I forget" she says and hands me a necklace. It's golden and has a ring on it. Now i know what she's been talking about. She's in on the whole thing with Haymitch, Plutarch and Katniss. 
"Your mother gave me the ring when I asked about something golden. She said it belonged to your father once and that she wanted you to have it" Velvette says with a smile, and puts the necklace on me. It's very simple golden ring. As I take a closer look at it, the name "Aquene" is engraved on it. 
"Thank you" I say smiling.
She hugs me tight before I step into the tube. A glass door closes between us and I start rising up. I wave at her before it turns black around me. 

My head is empty right now. This could be my last days on earth. My last days alive. I need to find Cato. I can't die without finding him in here. It would kill him. 
Suddenly a bright light is dazzeling me. I put my arms up to keep the sun from blinging me as a salty smell fills my nose. I look around to see myself surrounded with water. I guess it's saltwater by the smell. I've never seen or been in saltwater though. How could I? I'm from district two after all. 
The countdown starts making me aware of the sitation again. I look around to see if I can see Cato somewhere but I don't. He must be on the other side then. Next to me is the female morphling. By the look on her face I can tell that she doesn't want to fight. To my other side is Johanna what makes me calm down a little. 

10..

9...

8...

7...