4 years later
Here I am. Standing near the meadow. Feeling the light breeze touch my face.
"Clove?" The same angelic voice called me.
I turned around facing Cato with a
smile. Yes. He is the only person who sees me smiling. I do not need to hide what I feel whenever I'm beside him.
"You're a bit too early."
"What do we do now?"
He sighed and faced me. "Nothing."
"What?" I asked surprised. I was used of being busy. Everyday practice. Cato was a strict partner. He'll never stop until we both mastered the skills.
I admire him for that. His dedication in training. His will to volunteer and fight for the Hunger Games. He'll sacrifice everything. Everything.
That idea made me shudder. Would he really sacrifice everything? Even our friendship? Yes. I thought I'll never learn to trust him. That the genes of hatred was passed to me. But he proved himself trustworthy.
"Clove, are you alright?" He lightly patted my shoulder looking concerned.
"Yeah yeah I'm fine. I- I just, can't believe we won't be trying to kill ourselves today."
He laughed looking at me like a weirdo.
"Seriously Cato, what's funny?" I said putting annoyance in my voice.
"Aw c'mon. We need some time to relax you know."
He then turned his gaze away from me.
"You won't know. Maybe this will be the last time we'll do this together." He muttered but I stil managed to hear him.
I can't explain why his words agonized me. I stared at him in disbelief.
"No" I suddenly blurted out of nowhere. His words made sense to me now.
"No! Cato! No! You- you can't-you- I mean- Cato you can't - you- I can't let you-" I was shouting at him when he interrupted me.
"Clove, what's the point of me and you practicing weapons if I won't join the Hunger Games." He was still calm but his voice was hard on edge.
"No, Cato. You can't." My voice was pleading now. I didn't realize that tears were falling down my face. I can't let him volunteer. He'll get himself killed. I can't imagine a life without him. The only person who knows the true me. Who accepts me for who I am.
He gently pulled me making me rest my head on his stone hard chest.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
"But Clove please understand. This is my last chance to fulfill my life time dream. I should have done this when I was sixteen but I thought of you. You were still too young to practice alone." He hugged me and kissed my forehead lightly. In other time, I'll feel gawky with our position, but right now, I felt comfortable. Safe. Like he would be always there to protect me.
We stayed there for a long moment. I didn't care about the whole world that time. I just wanted to be safe in his arms.
"Clove, I- I wanted to- to tell you something." He sounded nervous. I looked up at him.
"What's it?"
"I- I just- you know, we have known each other-"
I interrupted him in the mid sentence.
"Just spit it out."
"Umm. Clove, can you do me a favor?"
"That depends on what it is."
"Please. Never volunteer. For me."
"What?! Cato I dreamt of this as much as you do! You can't forbid me a thing that you yourself would accomplish!" I shouted at him.
He looked away. "I have a much more deeper reason on why I would do this." His velvet voice muffled me, my mind trying to absorb the much deeper meaning of his words.
He continued looking at me intently. He cupped my face with his warm, soft hands. "Clove. You have no idea how important you are to me."
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~CloveCullen
