FEBRUARY
Clove winced as she took another tumble onto the ground, "I know you can do better than this Clove." Cato said with a sigh, "Again." He said motioning for her to attack him.
"Cato if you floor me one more time, I'll crack a rib." She sighed.
"Then don't let me floor you." He argued, "Again." He said pulling her up onto her feet. "Don't let out too space, either." He said motioning towards her feet.
"Okay." she sighed, readying herself once more. In a surprising move, Cato went to attack Clove head on. She'd just managed to counter his attack in the nick of time, chopping him off my ankles. Something which sent him tumbling on the ground. A smile of relief made its way her way onto her face as she watched and heard Cato hit the matt with a thud. "Well done." He exclaimed, "Now counter this-"
"Wha-" Before Clove could even comprehend what was happening, she found herself being yanked onto the ground beside Cato, who was still on the floor. Clove collapsed right beside him, unable to prevent what would've been a fatal attack in a real fight. "You started off well." Cato said with a shrug from atop of her.
"But it still wasn't good enough." She said frustratedly. Shoving Cato off of her, before angrily rising onto her feet.
"Well there's no use in being bitchy about it." Cato said, growing increasingly angry with Clove. "Fix it."
"If I could, don't you think I would?." She snapped back.
"There's no use in being rude to me, Clove." He argued back, "I'm the one trying to help you." He continued.
"I know!" She exclaimed, frustratedly "I know." She said in a calmer tone that time. "It's just the games are less than six months away, and I don't seem to be improving."
"Damn, I thought you were Smart Clove." Cato sighed under his breath, shaking his head as he did so. A comment which took Clove by surprise, and offended her all in one go. " I guess you're not." He continued, only adding insult to injury. "You've gotten loads better, you may not see it but I do. And i'm sure Leon and Safiya see it too."
Clove paused, and momentarily pondered Cato's words. "Don't panic now." He continued, "We've got this."
•
APRIL
"Well your form has improved quite a bit." Clove said with a nod of approval, looking at the knife Cato had thrown, which had imbedded itself a few inches from the centre of the target.
"Quite a bit?" Cato asked in disbelief. "You've got to admit it, I'm almost as good as you, Clover."
"Okay," Clover said with an unconvincing eye roll. "Not too much now." She continued with a small chuckle.
"It's true." Cato said with a smirk of amusement.
"That's like me saying i'm a better swordsman than you are." Clove said, knowing that her comment would push his buttons.
"No one's a better swordsman than me." He said with a cocked eyebrow.
"And no one's a better knife-thrower than me." She said with an arrogant smile, picking her duffle bag up off the floor. "I didn't realise the time." She said glancing up at the wall clock
"Shit, neither did I." He said, glancing up at the same clock, that read ten thirty-seven pm. "Will your dad be mad?"
"No." Clove said simply, knowing damn well he'd be slouched in the sitting room chair, passed out drunk. "Will your mom?"
"No." He said with an absent shrug, "She knows I'm with you." He added casually. This was something that had caught Clove's attention quickly. "You want dropping off?" He asked nervously, as he shoved some of his disregarded clothes into his training bag.
Clove knew what her answer should've been, her and Cato had long become overly comfortable with one another, even friendly most of the time. It was something they were both aware of, but ultimately avoided discussing, as neither of them wanted to take accountability and right their wrong.The games were a mere three months away, if there was ever a time the pair needed put a stop to their brewing friendship, it was then. Clove knew it, Cato knew it. Still neither of them did a thing about it. "I'd appreciate it." She said after a while, knowing she'd yet again, made a mistake. Over the months, Cato and Clove's dynamic had become increasingly confusing. For not only themselves but those around them.
It had gotten to the point where the two began second guessing their ability to kill each other. Of course they'd never disclosed this to one other, and didn't plan on it. However, it had caused a lot of internal conflict for each of them. They were stuck in between a rock and a hard place, three months before they were due to go into the games. And each day that passed, made it all the more complicated.
•
JUNE
"Are you listening Cato?" A voice asked, cutting his train of thought. Cato looked up to find all three of his closest friends, eyeing him with eager looks on their faces.
"No." He said with a pause, "Sorry." He added.
"I asked if you felt ready for the games?" Romulus asked.
"Of course." Cato said unconvincingly, masking his growing concern with a cocky smirk. "I have trained my whole life for this, after all."
"You know what I'm not ready for?" Roman asked, filling in the silence that has been created. "To say goodbye to Clove."
"What do you mean?" Cato asked rather quickly, something which aroused suspicion in his friends.
"Well only one of you can come back." He said,
"And while I want it to be you, doesn't mean it won't suck to have to say goodbye to her. I've grown to like her a lot." He said with a shrug.
"You know what," Romulus said nodding his head, "I agree."
"Me too." Lysander said absentmindedly, "I know you say she's everything you hate Cato, but I enjoyed having her around."
But that's the thing, I don't hate her. I don't even know if i'll be able to kill her.
It dawned on Cato that all the time he'd spent around Clove hadn't done him any favour. They'd been paired together to maximise their potential, and in turn maximise District 2's chances of bringing home yet another Victor. It was probably due to the impending games, but Cato seemed to have had an epiphany that night. Leon's scheme had in fact not worked and had instead done the polar opposite. Cato found that he was now being throwing into the arena, with someone he'd learned and grown to get along with.
Killing her would now be a nearly impossible feat.
He could only do so much as hope that someone or something got to her first, so he wouldn't be forced to be the one to have to end her life.
"Yeah." He mumbled, in response to conversation that had ended minutes prior.
"Me too."
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a/n: a filler chapter here guys :) this is just so you can get a feel for what the dynamic between c & c is like at the moment.
feedback , opinions and constructive criticism always appreciated here. If you wish to, drop me a comment or a message and let me know what you think/feel so far.
As always, vote if you love me + my work :)
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