Time Has Brought Your Heart To Me (Clato)

Chapter 5 "Family"

Cato’s PoV

I wake up and change into my plaid shirt and jeans after my shower. It was my first Reaping, I wasn’t nervous because I knew someone would volunteer for me. I wasn’t ready to enter, not without Clove. My mum walks in and shakes her head at me.

“What?” I question. She doesn’t answer; instead she grabs gel and start pulling my hair back. I look in the mirror and give a death stare towards my mum.

“I look so weird.” I complain.

“You’ll thank me later. Bet Clove will like you.” She teases.

“Oops. We’d better get going in five minutes. See you downstairs.” She walks off. I walk over to my window to see what Clove is doing. She was tying her hair up into a neat French braid. This was the first time I’ve seen her wearing a dress. I glance at the time and run downstairs.

***

I walk into the place where the Reaping was commencing. My family split away from me, besides my sister. I see Clove who was wondering around, trailing her dad and pregnant mum. Her eyes lit up when she sees me. She waves with a huge grin and does a fast-paced walk towards me.

“Good luck, Winter.” She says with a glowing expression.

“Thanks Clove. Take care of my little brother while I’m gone okay?” She replies while patting my head.

“Come on, we’ve got to go to our age groups now.” Winter says while dragging me by the arm.

“Bye Clover.” I wave. She slaps me hard on the arm and then hugs me. Weird.

“Bye Cato.” She says while walking back to her family.

My sister kisses me on the forehead and I look into her blue eyes filled with hope and tears. She lines up and tells me to line up as well.

“Cato Hadley.” I say my name impatiently as they pierce my finger then place it on the paper. They scan it and I walk quickly towards my age group. A lady walks on stage in a fluffy pink outfit with her hair tied in a tight bun at the top of her head.

“Hi my name is Delphi.” She announces with pride. She keeps blabbing on and plays a short video, which I’m sure everyone has memorised by now.

“As usual, ladies first.” She strides over to the giant glass bowl on the right and pulls out a name.

“Iris Elphinstone.” She announces. I look around and a girl, about fourteen years old, walks out devastated. I had never seen her in training before.

“I volunteer!” The faint voice of my sister screams out.

“Goodie! Looks like we have a volunteer!” Delphi claps alone. Winter walks out with her fingers making a rhythm on her thighs to ease the nerves.

***

The Reaping ends and everyone clears away. I go to see my sister one last time. Tears start pouring out, Clove was right, although I’d never admit it, what if I did lose her? I wrap my arms around my sister’s waist and cry.

“Look, I’m coming back. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.” She reassures. I let go of her and she bids her goodbyes to our parents. The Peacekeepers come in and drag us out of the building. Clove waits for me outside without her parents.

“Where are your mum and dad?” I ask, confused.

“Something happened to my mum so dad had to rush her to hospital.”

“So what’s going to happen with you?”

“They’ll be gone for a while so…I have to stay with you.”

Clove’s PoV

Cato’s mum overhears our conversation and interrupts, “You can stay in Cato’s room.” I feel myself blushing and we go back to his house. I climb through the window to my room, so I can get my stuff. I throw my belongings over and switch on the television.

“Are you okay, Cato? You look a bit sick.” I ask.

“I’m just worried about Winter.” He answers sadly.

“You said so yourself, she’ll be fine.” I say while setting up my blanket and pillow on the floor. I put the pillow on my lap.

“Lay here, we can watch her now.”

He puts his head on the pillow and I play with his gelled hair. After hours of watching TV, I look at the starless sky and lie on the same pillow Cato has his head on. He was already asleep; I listen to his faint snoring for a few minutes then fall asleep myself.

***A few days later***

I groan as I wake up, hearing a giant knock on the door.

“Who’s that?” Cato asks while rubbing his eyes.

“I don’t know.” I answer while combing my hair with my fingers. Cato helps me up and we walk downstairs, we hear a loud chattering but something we didn’t expect, a baby crying. I gasp and Cato looks at me quickly.

“I have a brother!” I scream out and hug Cato tightly.

I bolt downstairs holding Cato’s arm along with me.

“Clove, this is Blade.” My dad introduces. I look at him and he instantly beams at the sight of me. His sparkly dark green eyes were adorable.

“He’s so cute.” The words slip out of my mouth. “Do all our names have something to do with knives?”

My parents’ chuckle at what I said.

Cato looks at him and smiles while Blade gurgles.

“You should go get your things.” My mum says and I nod.

“Come on.” I run upstairs and Cato helps me pack.

“It was fun staying here, tell me how Winter goes, okay?” I say while wrapping my arms around him. He nods silently and I walk downstairs.

***2 weeks later***

Cato’s PoV

I sit in front of the TV, curled up in a ball. My sister was still alive and in the finale. There was just one problem, she was in the finale with a guy she fell in love with. The cameras were all over them in the arena. I need Clove; she was the only one who could comfort me at the moment. I open my window and call out her name. She was lying on her bed with headphones on. She turns her head and sees me. Clove takes off her headphones and runs to the windows. She pulls it up and says, “What did you want me for?”

“It’s the finale and Winter’s in it.” I reply urgently.

“I’ve got to see this.” She says while carefully climbing out the window. I grab hold of her while she makes her way into my room. We run and sit in front of the TV. You could easily see Winter had no intention of hurting this guy but he did. He was going to betray her, you could tell by the look on his face. I couldn’t do anything about it. I watch in suspense as they hug each other.

“I can’t watch.” Clove trembles while closing her eyes tightly and clutching her arm. I also shut my eyes and shield from the screen. I hear a terrifying scream and the sound of a cannon.