Catoniss (#wattys2016)

Chapter 5

After I'm done releasing arrows, Cato walks up to me.
"Katniss, you truly are the girl on fire," he says.
"What do you want, Cato? It must be important because you called me by my real name and not by my District," I say.
"I want you to join the Careers."

"No, but thank you. I already have two alliances," I say.
"You will change your mind," he says.
"We'll see about that."
He walks away, grinning, he's up to something. Then Peeta walks up to me, followed by Rue.
"What did he want?" Peeta asks.
"Me join the Careers," I say. "He used my name though."

"Are you joining them?" Rue asks.
"No, it's not natural for an outline District girl to join the Careers," I say.
"They usually take 1, 2 and 4, any other District, you know they're going to kill you or use you," Peeta says.
"That's why I didn't join them," I say.
"You made the right choice," she says.

Did I? If we make it to the final six or five and it's just me, Peeta, Rue and the Careers, they'll hunt us down and kill us.
"But not being a Career is also bad," Rue says.
"We can win, other Districts have won before," I say.
"Like Johanna Mason from District 7 and Finnick O'dair from District 4 won when he was fourteen," Peeta says.

Finnick O'dair was the youngest ever to win the Hunger Games.
"Chaff from my District was tough," Rue says.
Chaff, I haven't seen his Games. But Haymitch didn't win because he was strong, he won because he was clever. And he had no allies near the end that he had to betray.

"If they can win, so can we," Peeta says.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐

During dinner, Haymitch brings up the Careers,
"Katniss, Brutus and Cashmere told me that their Tributes asked you to be their ally twice and you refused both times. Why did you refuse? It's not a smart move, sweetheart. You'll be first on their kill list if you don't join them. You can protect Peeta and Rue if you join them."

"They could kill me in my sleep," I say.
"They'll only kill you when it's the five of you and you could still win," he says.
I look at Peeta, I'm not going to ditch him and Rue if they don't think it's a good idea.
"Haymitch is right, you can protect us if you're with them. Rue said that joining the Careers would be good for all of us," Peeta says.

I guess I'm joining the Careers.