Harmless

My Name is Clove

Breathe in and out.  Release the blade on the exhale.  Let go with on finger at a time.  The knife lands in the dead center of the bullseye.  Perfect.  Everything is perfect.  Within a month I will finally be able to volunteer for the Hunger Games and finally be able to have earned my place in my family.  

I go to put my knives back when I see someone walk into the training center, he is new.  He stands at about 6'2 and is almost pure muscle.  His blonde hair is spiked up and he is trying to look fierce.  I wonder if he actually has what it takes to make it here in the training center.  I shouldn't under estimate him like people do to me.  Just because I am only 5'5 and have a petite stature they think that I don't have what it takes, but time and time again I prove them wrong.  

"Clove!"  I hear my trainer call me. "Yes, Jack?"  I reply.  "Come meet our newest member to our training center."  Jack commands.  I walk over to Jack and put my hand out to shake the new kid's.  " I'm Clove, nice to meet you."  I say.  I mean just because I have been trained to be vicious does not mean I shouldn't be polite.  " I'm Cato."  He replies.  " Cato will be your shadow for the next few weeks until you volunteer."  Jack states.  I nod my head and response. Jack then turns and walks away.  

"Well, I just finished up training today, but I will be here at nine tomorrow morning.  Sound good?"  I nods in reply.  

"So where are you from?  I mean I assume you got a transfer from a district because you would have been recruited a long time ago if you where originally from here."  I ask him.  

"I am from district one.  My dad was a peace keeper there but just got a transfer here with the promotion to head peace keeper."  Cato says.  

"Oh, that's nice.  I mean district two is probably a lot different than  one, but I think you will grow to like it."  I say to him.  Looking up at his massive stature, I realize that his eyes are extremely blue.  He really is handsome.  But I am sure he has a girlfriend back in district one that he is dying to find his way back to. 

" Where are you headed now?"  He asks. 

"Well, I am just headed home."  I reply with a slight giggle.  

"And where might home be?"  Cato asks. 

"Uhmmm....the victors village.  Both of my parents are victors."  I state slightly awkwardly.  

"Mind if I walk you home?"  Cato asks.  

"Of course not."  I say as I grab my bag and we head out of the training center.  

Once we exit the training center the wind hits my face.  It feels good to be outside again.  I love the fall time, with all the leaves changing colors.  District two really is beautiful this time of year.  We head down the cobble stone path that leads us across town over to the victors village.  

"So, how old where you when you started training?"  Cato asks.

"Well, honestly, I don't know.  Probably since I could walk." I laugh.  Cato's face is painted with shock.  " I mean my parents have always wanted one of their kids to be a victor and let me tell you it will not be my sister.  She will not break a nail no matter how much you paid her."  I laugh.  Cato starts to laugh too.  

" So, how much older is your sister than you?"  Cato asks curiously.  

"My sister is eighteen. So two years older than me." I reply.  

My sister is absolutely nothing like me.  She is tall and has blue eyes and beautiful red hair that falls in curls down to her hips.  She also has a body I would kill for.  I on the other hand am short with dark hair, green eyes and freckles.  The one thing my sister and I share in common is that we have the same freckles.  Which is the only thing that makes us look anything a like.  

"Whats your sister's name?"  Cato asks.

" Her name is Maeve."  I reply.  

Cato nods his head.  Probably wondering if he had a chance with her.  But unless he becomes a victor he probably doesn't.  Maeve doesn't want to move out of the victors village.  She has grown to familiar with that way of life.  There are a few men who have recently won the games, one from last year and from three years before.  I don't know why nothing has really happened there though.  Maybe she wants to wait till she has zero chance of being put in the games, but I don't know.  

"So Cato, how old are you?"  I ask. 

"I just turned seventeen."  He replies.  

After about a mile walk we reach the victors village.  I thank him for walking me home and wave goodbye as I head up the steps to my house.  I turn to say thank you again then walk inside.  

I am greeted by my sister running frantically around the house cleaning this and that.  I take my boots off and walk into the kitchen to find my mother frantically cooking. 

 "Um, mom, whats going on?"  I ask.  

"Your father has guests coming tonight. So go get in the shower they will be here in an hour!  Also wear something nice, no jeans or anything!"  My mother yells over the sounds of pots clanging.  

I walk up the stairs and go to my room.  I take my sweaty training clothes off and throw them in my laundry bin.  I turn the shower on and give it a minute to warm up.  Once it does I quickly wash and condition my hair.  It will take forever if I simply let it air dry so I decide to blow dry it.  Once I am done blow drying it, I throw a couple of lose curls in it and a little make up on.  I walk over to my closet to pick out an outfit.  I grab a plan black dress that has long sleeves and goes to a little above my knees.  I decide to put on a pair of black flats to match it as well.  Hopefully this will be good enough for my mother.  

Just as I am about to go down stairs there is a knock on the door.  I don't really want to be the person to open the door so I wait until I hear my dad call for me to come down stairs.  

When I go downstairs I can see Maeve all dressed up.  She is wearing an aqua dress that makes her look even prettier than she already is.  I've always wanted to look more like her, but I am happy with the way I am most days, just today isn't one of them.  My brother who us twenty and already a victor was here too.  I guess that's who the knock on the door was, Rory.  He was tall and had dark brown hair like mine and blue eyes like my sister. We where the best of friend growing up and still are.  I sneak up behind him and poke his sides he quickly spins around and start to chase me.  He catches up to me fairly quickly and starts messing up my hair.  

"Rory stop it! " I start yelling.  But he continues until our mother comes in and yells at us to "behave" and stop acting like "children".  I stick my tongue out at Rory and turn on my heel and walk away.  

There is another knock on the door that must be the guests that are coming.  I hear my mom open the door from where I am in the kitchen and say, "Welcome come in, come in."  I hear what sounds like a gruff older man say, " Thank you, you must be Emer."  I hear my mother reply with a quick yes before she escorts them into the dining room where Rory, Maeve and I all are.  Rory and I are sitting next to each other lighting different flowers that have been scattered on the table on fire.  They don't burt into huge flames given we are just using tea candles to do so.  Rory and I are so focused on what we are doing we do not here my mother, father and guests enter the room.  

"Rory!  Clove!" My mother almost screams at us.  Both of us stop what we are doing right away and sit up straight.  I look over at Rory and he is holding in his laughter, we both look to our dad who is smirking at us in approval, though he would never admit that to my mother. We look over to the guests and I recognize one, Cato.  He smiles at me and I smile back.  My mother start to talk, "Well, these are our children, at least one of the three is behaving,"  she says looking at Maeve sitting and waiting patiently. "Maeve, Rory, and Clove." She introduces us going down the line.  Kids this is Mr. and Mrs. Randel and there son Cato and daughter Allie.  We all say hello and commence with the evening.