You Are My Mockingjay- Watty's Finalist 2013

First Basketball Game

A week later Cato started to condition with Peeta and Marvel for their first game that would begin the following week.  From practices and weight training that was all that was on the boys agenda.  Clove hardly got to see them let alone Katniss for the only time they saw the other was in school.  "Are you coming to the game on Friday?"  Peeta said to Katniss and Clove who were working on a paper.  

"I'm not sure, my mom wants me to watch Prim plus I have a load of homework."  Katniss quickly turning quickly to Peeta.  Clove who was listening in to the conversation but just turns her head back to her paper.  

"What about you Clove, are you coming?"  Peeta moves his head more out to see Clove from the far left.  "Yeah I think so I mean I don't have anything else exciting to do."  

 Marvel who sits from behind Clove stands up in his chair.  "If you guys do come we'll all go hang out afterwards, you know maybe get something at District's Plate?"

 "Shhhhhh!"  Said Effie who was watching from afar.  

 Marvel quickly sat back down and everyone goes back working on their papers.  Clove slowly puts her pen into her paper and writes carefully and gracefully as if she was a professional writer.  She loved the true factor of what a writer brought.  How one simple page can be at first nothing just plain lines until it's filled with mystery, hope, desire, fear and even a guide.  For all that mattered was the connection of the person's thoughts and for them to guide their pen.  

 "I hope you come it wouldn't be the same"  Said Cato who moved in closer to Cloves ear.  

 Quickly she turns to her friend with a sly smile.  "Okay, okay I'll do what I can."

The night of the game Clove was to meet Katniss at the basketball gym but her mother told her she had to finish her load of laundry before she could leave.  It was just 15 minutes till game time and Clove threw her clean clothes in her basket and sat it on her bed.  "Mom I'll see you later."  Clove shouts departing from her room by rushing down stairs to get to the game.

By the time she got to the school and inside the gym she had just made it to the game within five minutes to spare.  Crowds were filling everywhere from down on the courts to the bleachers.  Clove clings onto her yellow sweater that rested on her arms searching for Cato's number "2."  It was pretty crowded in the the gym for not only was it the first home game but they were playing Panem's Trackerjackers who we're very competitive with Capitol High.  Clove felt like a wreck who hardly had time to get herself ready for the game.  Hair was flying out of place with her pony tail, no make up but a bit of gloss and she still had her jeans and light blue t-shirt on from that day.

Cato who was huddled in with the team having a quick pep talk just happened to see Clove come in and wave at her.  Clove smiles big and waves back and tries to find a seat.  Just as she found one in the very middle of the front row she walks towards it until she makes a sudden halt.  For out of no where Glimmer comes in with her two friends and takes over the seat that Clove was about to take.  Clove looks at them spellbound, but as far as Glimmer was concerned she looked like she could hardly care and laughed along with her friends.  When Glimmer realized she was being looked at she looks up.  "Oh were you going sit here?"  She said a bit sarcastically.  Ravenna looked at Clove with almost a death grip telling her through her eyes to just get lost.  Clove was about to say that she was if it wasn't for the push she got from behind her of some students.  

"Um, no I'm just, no you can have it."  Forcefully Clove marches away stomping onto four bleachers up from Glimmer.  Clove slides in between two girls who both were dressed up as the schools colors of blue and gold.  One girl had their hair into two pig tails with blue ribbons and the other had her hair down with a bright gold headband on.  Clove always wondered why people were so into the school spirit.  For her it just didn't make sense if you dressed up.  

Clove glumly stares in the distance of the basketball courts.  "Clove, Clove!"   Said a voice from a distance.  It was Katniss who was at the bottom of the courts rushing to sit beside her.  "Oh hey I'm over here."  She shouts waving at her.  

"I'm so sorry I'm late, I had to bring Prim with me my mom just couldn't watch her."  Prim was just over eleven who had the same eyes like her sister except Prim's was blue then brown.  As well as her hair which was long blonde.  Prim looked more like their mother and Katniss took the genes of her father.  

"No it's okay I just got here myself."  Clove pushes herself to one side to let them in.  Prim carried a book with her as she sat.  For that girl could read 24/7 if you let her.  "What book are you reading?"  Clove said to Prim as she opens the book.  

"It's called Lost Treasures  it's a sequel to Possessions, I'm a sucker for romance novels."  Clove nods and gives a small smile to Katniss.  "That's my little duck!"  She said as she rubs her sister's head as she already seemed consumed in.  Just then the girls slightly jump as the game began to start.  Cato was point guard while for he had great ability to pull out long shots from far distance, Peeta stood as a power forward for he could squeeze through any tight spaces.  Yet Marvel was a little bit of both so his position was a center.  The game started out to be slow at first, both teams were consistent in making points after point from the other.  And it didn't take long for the team mates to figure out that Peeta who was pretty short could make some shocking shots. Because by half time the score was tight of 48 to 42 Panem.  From the looks that Clove could see she saw exhaustion from the boys who looked to be out of breath.  For just where she stood she could see sweat glistening down the boy's necks and back.

"Go Cato!!!"  Said some girls from down below.  "We love you!"  Said the very same girls and as annoying as it sounded they wouldn't stop.  It got so loud that Cato actually had to stop listening to his coach and look at the girls and wave at them to stop.  

"Who are those annoying girls?"  Said Katniss as she tried to browse down at the bleachers.  

Before Katniss had said anything Clove blurts out in a non motive way.  "One of them Is Glimmer Hills, you know that new girl who's in our Lit class?"  Prim who hadn't looked up at all since she got to the game looks up and scans Glimmer.  

"Oh really?"  Katniss stands up into curiosity.  Clove could hardly look at her and decides to get a drink at the snack bar that stood near the boys.  

"I'm going to get some water, do you want anything?"  She said as she turns around.  

"Yeah can you give me a gatorade, any color is fine!"  Clove reaches two dollars that Katniss gives her and closes it into her palm.  "Sure thing, Prim you want anything?"  But Prim shakes her head without looking at her and continues to read.  Slowly Clove steps down the steps to reach the courts flooring.  While coming down she notices Glimmer approaching Cato once they finished their little pep talk.  A serious look drew upon Clove and eyed at them.  

 "Look at you, your all sweaty."  Glimmer says as she playfully touches Cato's left arm as if she liked to touch his sweat.  

"Cato, Cato come on."  Said Peeta who tried pulling his friends arm to sit down for the remainder of the break.  Clove tries not to make eye contact with the two as she pulled beside them.  

And with a few strong pulls Peeta got Cato's attention to fall back.  "I gotta get back."  He says to Glimmer who stands there waving gleefully.  

"A water and a blue gatorade please."  Clove said as she reached the snack bar.  Walking back Clove continued to not make eye contact and act as if nothing was bothering her.