Just another Kill

A love story?

Cato's POV

I woke up to wally's gruff voice followed by loud banging on my door.

" get up you lazy mutt! get up, we have training to do." I reluctantly rolled out of bed, and muttered "im coming." I pulled on my trousers and a faded shirt knowing my prep team would change that later, taking a quick look in the mirror and walking out my door. In the dining room Clove was already helping herself to a marvellous looking fruit stew and toas.I took the seat beside her. "Good Morning sunshine" she said cheerily. I gave her a feint smile, it was way too early to be awake, way too early but here I was. " so what's the plan?" I asked. wally answered me saying, " all tributes are expected at 10am in the training centre for a group explanation and training session,then you can both train individually with me after that. So eat up, you'll need the energy." No words were said after that until we left for training. We just ate.

Wally had chosen our clothes for trainig, matching track suits identifying us as district 2 so I went to Clove's room to deliver hers. I knocked softly on the door, "Clove." I received no answer, I tried again more loudly. "Clove, it's Cato.... can I come in? Wally sent me to deliver your suit for training" I heard a shuffle of feet and then a click as the door unlocked but still no Clove appeared, I twisted the handle and opened the door. I saw Clove sitting on her bed silent. she looked up at me, her face a faint red and blotchy, "oh, hey sunshine" she said with a cute smile, yes I admit she is cute but thats all. " you're not seriously going to keep calling me that are you?" not that I minded her giving me a cute nickname it just meant she wouldn't get away without a nickname too. I could be sneaky when I wanted to. "Yeah, I think I will...Sunshine" this time she winked. Cheeky sod. " If that's so i'll have to think up a name for you."

"I think I can deal with that.........Sunshine" was she flirting with me? I couldn't tell.she giggled and I jumped on the bed and began tickling her and as I tickled her I began to remember, I remembered days spent in that little clearing near the district boundary playing and giggling with the girl I had always known as Clove. we never dared to go any farther. I remembered her smile and the sound of her voice, how sweet it sounded and how much she comforted me, how much I loved her. It suddenly hit me, Clove the girl tribute from district 2, beside me ,well underneath me, was the same girl I grew up with, the girl I once knew. So how come when she asked me I didn't remember her? How come she seemed so different, so much like a stranger? I looked at her now studying her flawless complexion, she was beautiful. She put up a wall most of the time hiding her softness but when she was with me they seemed to fall down quickly, so quickly it was almost sweet. once the bitterness washed away she was beautiful. I released my grip on her and leant forward close enough to kiss her and then I whispered " can you tell me what happened Clove? when we were kids."

"didn't we already go over this." she said suddenly and sourly." If you don't remember me, what's there to tell?"

" But I do, I do now. It took me a while but just now, tickling you, being so close, it made me remember. It reminded me of our days spent in that little clearing near the district boundary playing and giggling with you. How we never dared to go any further. I remembered your smile and the sound of your voice, how sweet it sounded and how much you comforted me, how much I loved you. It suddenly hit me, you're the same girl I grew up with, so how come when you asked me I didn't remember you? How come you seemed so different, so much like a stranger? what happened Clove? what did they do to me? How come I don't remember? I can't remember?" My eyes watered as I looked at her pleadingly, pouring my heart out to her.

" Do you love me now? Now you remember?" my heart ached at the question, how could I answer a question i'd thought so long ago was real? I believed I loved her but now I can't tell. " I loved you so dearly Clove, I realy did it was perfect, but now, what am I meant to say? I barely remember you, how long have we been separated? And with the games we'll be separated again, one of us will win the other will die, I'm not going to let that be you, the one that dies. I want you to live a long and happy life. " I was desperate.

" that's sweet and all but it's been too long." she said taking the suit from me and going into the bathroom to change, leaving me on her bed confused and lonely, even though she was only in the next room. The door opened abruptly, it was Wally. " What the Hell are you doing?" he shouted." from now on you're to be kept apart , you are meant to be enemies, not whatever this is." he motioned to me with his hands, I guess he was right, I had to stay away. It was for the best. Clove stuck her head around the bathroom door to see what was happening.

" yes ,Wally, it was nothing anyway" I answered hurtfully.

" Now get out of here the both of you, we're meant to be in the training centre already." I looked toward the bathroom door before leaving her room silently, more confused than ever.

"In a few weeks all but one of you will be dead." The instructor said. " so listen up carefully if you want to survive." I shifted uncomfortably trying to concentrate on her words but I was distracted by what Clove had said. she said it didn't matter but to me it did, it mattered a hell of alot. I wanted to know what happened to me, to us. was there an us? I didn't know.