To Be A Career (A Very Clove Story)

Chapter 2- To Be in the Capital

I walk onto the train, and I can't help it. I let out a gasp. This is the fanciest place I've been in. It's like a larger Justice Building. I love it. I walk around a little bit, until I hear a voice announcing that it's time for dinner and watching the Reaping recaps.

Cato and I bring notebooks and pens, so we can remember who we should make our allies. I'm not as excited as I'd thought I'd be. I'm not sure why. Dindle, Lyme (our female mentor), Brutus (male mentor), Cato, and I all sit in front of the TV.

First we see two District 1 tributes, and I can tell Cato has a tribute brush on the girl named Glimmer. Then I see myself get Reaped, and Karma start to tear up. I watch myself run to the stage, looking strong and confident. Then I see Kyle get reaped, and Cato lunge forward to volunteer. I have four Careers marked down so far. Then I see the two District 3 tributes, who I mark as Bloodbath for both of them.

The District 4 Careers look like good allies, Phillipa and Salmon. The District 5 girl looks like a threat. The boy looks easily disposable. Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten make little to no impression on me. The girl from Eleven looks small, like a bird or something. The boy from Eleven, named Thresh, looks like a total killing machine. I see Cato mark him as "possible Career." I do the same, but personally, I'm scared of him. But it's not like anyone's going to know that.

Then District 12 is called, and I almost laugh out loud. The girl who volunteers for her sister reminds me so much of Karma, I feel like I might cry, but I laugh instead. And the boy looks at the girl with so much love in his expression, I feel sick. So I laugh, and get strange looks from everyone in the train. I don't care.

Then we eat a meal that comes in courses. A thick sour that reminds me of October. A chicken with a light layer of orange sauce. A dessert of chocolate ice cream cake. I've only had it once in my life, and that was when someone won the Games in District 2. I remember that Karma and I pigged out on it because we didn't know how to keep it cold. It was delicious. I smile at the memory as I eat it.

Then I'm so stuffed, I can't possibly eat any more food. I go into my compartment and get into one of the nightgowns, one that looks like one that Karma bought with the last of her money when we were 13. It never fit her quite right-it was always a bit too big-but she always wore it. I wonder if she's wearing it now. I wonder what's going on at home, as I fall asleep.

"Clove!" a voice says above me. I don't respond, just in shock. Karma's here? I was just a nightmare? No one else wakes me up like this. I open one of my eyes, and it's not Karma. Karma's hair is brown, her eyes aren't brown, and she isn't male. It's Cato, and yesterday wasn't a dream.

"What is so important that you absolutely had to interrupt my sleep?" I say.

"Breakfast, Capitol style. Now get out of your pajamas and let's go," Cato says.

"Go on, get out, so I can get out of my pajamas to eat breakfast. Go!" I say, pushing him out the door.

I get in the clothes from yesterday's Reaping, because I just want to go. I feel something in the pocket of the dress. I didn't know this dress had a pocket. I take it out, and I find the iPod Nano.

I put the headphones in my ears, and I hear, "Good Girl" by Carrie Underwood. This song always gets me in a good mood. I sing as I walk down the hall, taking a sip of whatever is in my cup. Cato takes out my headphones.

'It's hot chocolate," he says. I nod, as I put back in my headphones. I drain my cup, and eat pancakes and French toast, and other stuff I don't know. But I love it.

It's early morning here in the Capitol, and I go to the window, because I want to see it. Cato follows, but not right behind me. I look up, and I gasp. The Capital is beautiful, like something out of an old movie that they sometimes play at school.

The building is huge, and the people are walking around, looking like human sized candy. Some of them see us and start to wave. I don't wave back, but I look around, and for some reason, I start to spin around, laughing like I did when Karma and me were little and when Mom was alive and with us.

Then I get up on the rail that keeps up from getting too close to the window, holding onto the wall, and I look around. I see the District 1 train in front of us stop, and we stop too. This sudden stop makes me fall off the rail, still laughing at the world.

It's life in technicolor here in the Capitol. And I laugh from the floor, because now my life is a perfect disaster. I'm in the best place in the world under the worst circumstances I can think of. And now Cato's laughing too, because I guess he finds my laughter funny. I get up off the floor, and I love everything about this place. It's not home, but it's the second best place I can think of.