Blood-Lust (A Clato Fan-Fic)

Chapter 4: Observations

CATOS POV

After lunch I got up and led my group out of the lunch room, all the while keeping an eye on Cloves clique that consisted of half of the wealthiest and lethal in the district. The other half was in my group. How I had never noticed her before I have no idea. In her group I noticed Artemis a tall blonde girl in my class. She was the twin sister of my friend Apollo so he would know about her.

"Hey Apollo whose that girl your sisters hanging out with?" I asked gesturing to their table

"Oh Scarlet?" He said nodding his head towards the short haired blond girl.

"No, no. The one with Long hair." I corrected

"Oh! That's Clove Fuller. She's a year younger than us. Her fathers a supervisor and she's related to Canyon- he's her brother. Remember that one guy who didn't get picked the year Gregory was chosen.

That's right. Gregory was my older brother and him an Canyon Fuller had a long going rivalry in training-they were both skilled i guess- and when the time came it was my brother who got chosen to volunteer not Canyon. I always wondered if Canyon would have won the games were he chosen, because my brother was obviously too weak to win. We never talk about my brother anymore.

"Canyon Fuller? Yeah I guess I can kinda see the resemblance" I lied. I haven't really seen Canyon much but from what I remember he's big with black hair. But of course that was when I was small so who knows how big he actually is.

"Yeah. I wonder if they have the same luck too. Cloves training for the games Also"

"What?! Her? She's tiny!"

"Yeah I know that's what I said but Artemis says she's good at throwing knives or something like that" he replied preoccupied by Jaylee Smiths exposed cleavage.

No matter how good she was how could the trainers ever consider her? She's small and tiny. She would embarrass district 2. She's not what a career tribute should look like.

"Well... She better be pretty good" I replied

The rest of my classes went by in a blur. I didn't think anymore about the Clove chick. I was just anxious for training after school. When the bell rang I collected my training bad and headed to the training center. I was halfway to the center when I saw MY training rival Landon dressed in the same blue training uniform as i was. Landon was a big guy, almost as big as me, but he was no where near as skilled. Kind if like the rivalry between my brother and and Canyon Fuller he wants my spot in the next games.. Well it's not really my spot yet but why deny the inevitable. While I glared at him taking in his size and build, I noticed he was carrying two bags instead of one. Only then did I noticed a small chick walking next to him wearing a uniform similar to ours except with tight fitting shorts which were mandatory for the girls. She must've heard me behind them because she turned to look at me with big brown eyes. It was Clove Fuller. I must've not recognized her because she had her hair up in a high ponytail but there was no question that she recognized me. And how couldn't she? With my trademark blond hair and blue eyes, not to mention my devilish good looks-

"What do you want Talbot?!" Landon yelled across the space between us

"Your girl." I replied back. Of course I was joking. I don't fight over girls-they fight over me. but i would say and do anything to piss him off.

We were outside the training center by now and Landon put down Cloves bag and turned to glare at me.

"You better stay away from her Talbot! And anything els that's mine."

I just laughed. Did he honestly think he could threaten me? Cato Talbot? And from the grimace on Cloves face it didn't seem like she was exactly "his" to begin with.

We both turned to watch as Clove calmly collected her bag and walked into the training center. Landon turned on his heels and followed her.

Well. I've made my decision. Since Landon wants Clove I was gonna do everything I could to take her away from him.

I made my way into the training center and walked over to we're my trainer- Gavin, my trainig partner-Ashton and I usually met. Unlike school I was never late so I usually got here before my trainer Gavin did but to my surprise I wasn't left waiting today. Ashton on the other hand was a no show. Good. I hate when people waste my time.

"Alright Cato. What do you do if don't have your sword?" Gavin asked

"Beat them into a bloody pulp with my bear hands. Haha!"

Gavin just sighed, "Well, yes. But You have to be prepared to make due with different weapons"

"I do Gav. I'm good with spears."

"That's not what I meant. I meant weapons you're not comfortable with"

Oh I know where this was going. Gavin was always bugging me about learning everything wasting my time of stuff I won't use. Like balance. Really? When it came down to me and some District 1 guy what was I gonna do? The crane? I wasn't in the mood to argue though.

"Get to the point Gav what do you want?"

"You're gonna work on your knife throwing today"

"Ha! Are you planning to challenge me any time soon?" I asked. My knife throwing skills weren't great but I tended to be cocky about everything.

He ignore my jibes and seem preoccupied "Do you know where Ashton is at?" He asked

In the training center usually you were partnered up with someone of the opposite gender- to help us learn different techniques or something- well just my luck I get the flakiest partner ever. Ashton Reeves- a tall, blond girl my year - had a habit of actually showing up to train when she wasn't busy being a hoe. I was glad she didn't show a lot though she was hot, but she was a distraction.

"How should I know? She's probably out being a slut like usual" I said

"Hmm. You're probably right."

I made my way to the knife throwing station. There was already a group there. A boy with black hair a year younger than me noticed me and shuffled a bit further away from me. His partner however walked straight passed me and, taking a handful of knives, took a stance in the middle of a few targets. It wasn't her graceful stride that told me who she was but her cocky attitude. It was Clove. Well. Lets just see how good she is. There was a beeping noise, A timer started and what I thought were stationary targets began to move and quickly. Clove expertly threw the knives and drove them deep into the center of every one in under 20 seconds. I stood there flabbergasted from what I had just witnessed. Apollo was right she was good. Really good.

"Hey Cato. Gavin said I'd find you at this station." I turned to see my fashionably late training partner approaching me. Her hair was a mess so there was no question what she had just been doing.

I looked back at Clove then again to Ashton. I got an idea. It would get me one step closer to being more lethal and pissing off Landon

It was time to request a new training partner.