Harmless

Tributes of The Past and Tributes to Be

After what seems like an increasingly longer period of small talk along with my mother's cooking Rory speaks up.  

"Hey dad, is it okay if Clove and I head out, it Tuesday." 

That's right Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week mainly because it's Rory and my "Adventure"  day.  Meaning we run around district two in the dark doing stupid stuff. 

"Of course, but be safe.  Do not get into any trouble."  My dad replies.  We always where his favorites.  

"Alroy!"  Our mother yells at him, "We have company."  She shoots a glare at him.  

At this point Rory and I decided to back out of the dinning room slowly, as to not draw attention to our selves.  Once we are safely in the kitchen and out of my mother's hearing distance I say, 

"Give me five, I am going to run and change."  

Rory nods his head and is listening in on our mother bickering with our father about our Tuesday night adventures.  For my mother being a past victor, she is pretty tightly wound.  

Once I am in my room I quickly strip off the black dress and kick off my flats.  I grab a plan black long sleeve shirt and a pair of cargo pants that had a dark green hue to them.  I grab my knives and strap them around my hip and leg and through my hair up in a pony tail.  When I silently walk down the stair I find my boots in the front closet.  I slip those on as well.  I walk into the kitchen to find my brother talking with Cato.  

" Hey Clove, mom is having us bring Cato along while Allie is staying with Maeve."  

I nod my head in response and we head out the front door into the darkness.  Rory leads the way into the mountains of district two.  There is a small area on the side of one of the mountains that is wooded that we always go to.  

"Where are we going?"  Cato asks. 

"Uhhh...no where really just this place that we always go."  Rory responses.  

With that we walk in silence.  We finally reach the place.  A giant oak tree that is massive in height.  We built a tree house here when we were kids.  There is a reason Maeve never wants to come here and a reason we normally don't like to bring strangers along.  We start to scale the tree.  I go first.  I can see Cato's face contorted with confusion and I can't help but say, 

"What afraid of a little height?"  

Cato shakes his head and starts climbing after me.  It is about a fifty to one hundred foot climb with out anything to catch you.  Once you get closer you can start to see a platform.  There is a extremely large platform that we climb onto.  Once you are standing there is rope surrounding the border so you can't fall off.  A roof like structure covers most of the platform so when it rains nothing we keep up here gets wet.  I have a target set u for knife throwing that has seen better days, but I like it up here more than in the training center.  I have no idea how but we one day got a couch and some chairs up here and built a selves into the tree to keep some snacks.  

"Wow... this is amazing."  Cato says.  

'We know."  Rory replies cockily.  

I give Rory a look and he looks back at me rudely.  I stick my tongue out at him and he responds in the same manner.  I start to throw my knives when I am once again cut off by Cato.  

"Why do you guys always come up here?"  He asks.  

I look over to Rory, almost asking permission if I can tell him.  

He nods in reply.  

"We built this with our dad when we were kids.  I was probably about eight when we did, Rory was twelve and Keir was thirteen."  I am cut off my another one of Cato's questions. 

"Who is Keir?"  

"Well if you had let me continue, you'd know by now."  I reply slightly irked. I then continue on with the story.  

"  Strangely enough, our dad didn't want any of us to go into the games.  Our mother on the other hand did.  It is what she dreamed of since she had us.  A whole family of victors.  Anyways, Keir, Rory, Maeve, and I always came up here to play as kids.  That is until Keir made my mother's wises come true and when he was fifteen he volunteered.  Keir was dedicated at training.  He always wanted to make my mother happy, but he didn't make it.  Some kid from four killed him."

  I pause and look up.  Rory is carving in the tree and Cato is focused on what I am saying.  So I continue.  

"  Maeve finds it easier to pretend like he never existed.  So she doesn't come with us here ever.  That is why she also doesn't want to go into the games.  She is afraid of dying."  

I am now cut off by Rory.

"I joined the games for vengeance.  I killed the tributes from district four right away.  They were careers that year, but in all honesty I didn't care.  I won for Keir and his honor."  

Cato seems to look puzzled and then he voices why. 

"So why are you going into the games Clove?"  

I roll my eyes slightly.  The I  open my mouth to reply when Rory does for me.  

"Because she wants pay back too.  We were all close as kids.  Even with Maeve.  But when Keir died and we watched in horror, Maeve distanced herself.  We lost not one but two siblings that day.  And for that we can never forgive district four for doing.  They ripped our family apart and enjoyed it."  Rory says with malice in his voice.  

I nod in response and look up to Cato.  He seems to understand but is choosing not to voice his opinion.  

"Every Tuesday, Rory and I come out here to be with Keir. Its like he is here with us when we come here.  We can remember him for who he was not who he pretended to be in the games. He was kind and took care of all of us." I state.  

Cato nods.  Poor kid, he just met us today and is getting all of this dumped on him.  Oh well if he asks us a question we will answer it.  

With that we start climbing down the tree and heading back in the dark.  We reach the victors village and Rory says, 

"Hey Clove,  I am just going to head home, tell mom, dad and Maeve I said good night."  

I nod in response and Cato and I head back to my house.  I open the door to be greeted by my dad.  

"Clover your back!  Cato your family headed home a little while ago, but Clove will walk with you home.  Navigating district two at night can be a little tricky at first."  My dad says.  

Cato and I head out the front door yet again.  

We walk without speaking for a little while before Cato breaks the quiet air.  

" So you and Rory seem to be close."  He almost asks.  

"Yeah, After Keir, Maeve retreated into her own little world, my mom did the same.  It was just Rory, my dad and  I."  I reply.  

"I mean that's nice that you guys are so closes."  Cato response.  

We walk in silence until we reach Cato's house after that.  He lives in a nicer part of the district, but that was expected, his father being head peace keeper and all.  

"Well this is it."  Cato says breaking the silence.  

I nod and say, "Well have a good night, it was nice having you over for dinner, tell your family it was nice meeting them."  

He nods and I turn and walk away.  Just as I am about three feet away Cato yells, "Clove!"

I turn around and before I know what happened, I feel his soft lips on mine.  I pull away after a couple of seconds kind of shocked and say, 

"Have a good night Cato."  

I smirk at him and head home.  

A/N:  I hope you liked this chapter!  Please comment what you think and vote!