Needing the Impossible (A Clato Fanfic)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Cato's POV

I run my hand through my already tousled hair. All things considered, I had gotten off really easy after the incident with Fabrizio. A small, almost unofficial, trial had been held with Fabrizio charging me with attempted murder. This had seemed extremely petty to me, as probably everyone either knew or suspected that both he and I had each killed someone at some point in time. Fabrizio was, after all, an ex-Career. One of the witnesses, another trainer at the Academy, had claimed that I was attacking Fabrizio with the intention of protecting Clove. According to him, I had felt like Clove's safety was being jeopardized and that my actions were purely defensive. After all, Fabrizio, who had been unarmed, had escaped without a scratch. What he'd left out, of course, was the part where I screamed my head off at Fabrizio, Clove tackled me to prevent the murder, and that I then almost killed Clove. They had let me off with a sharp reprimand and some mild restrictions that would presumably “prevent” from attempting to attack Fabrizio again. More bull shit. Everyone knew that if I truly want to take Fabrizio out, I'll do it. Restrictions or no. Lucky for him, I don't give a shit about what happens to him at the moment. I've got much bigger issues to deal with.

Issues like finding a new trainer. My dad had bribed the one witness of the incident to testify for me in court, and it had taken no small sum of money. Now I'm having to ask him to spend even more money and pull even more strings to find me a new trainer. And I have to do all of this without losing my cool. Not the easiest task in the world. He's extremely annoyed with me at the moment. Not just because of Fabrizio, but apparently because of something that has to do with Clove. I haven't dared to ask what that's about. I don't think I want to know.

I run my hand through my hair again, and release an awkward sigh as my father goes through his file cabinet. There's a short, self-important waiting for him to find whatever it is he's looking for. I have no idea what that is; I haven't been paying attention. I just need him to leave. You'd think with it being as late as it is that no one would have any reason to bother him. He's not even supposed to still be here. He should've clocked out over an hour ago.

As Father continues to rummage around his vast array of papers, I cross my arms and stride over to the lone window in his office. It's twilight, but I can still see the completely uninspiring view. Rock. That's all I see. Acres and acres of what seems to be an endless sea of rock that is the quarries.

My father is an over-seer of over-seers at the quarries. He's had this job since he was in his mid-twenties and he's treated with extreme respect by all his workers and piers. He's ruthlessly ambitious and will stop at nothing to get someone fired if he feels they are competition, or if he simply dislikes them. Everyone always takes extreme care not to step on his toes. This job is actually how he met my mother. My grandfather is basically the CEO of the quarries, if such a thing exist. The Capitol claims to control it, but there has to be some sort of internal structure. He hired my father at such a young age because he admired his ambition and work ethic – he had previously been working with management at the training facility. He had met my mother at a staff party at her father's house, or something like that, and they claim to have fallen in love. It's hard to tell though, because they're both extremely cold and emotionless people.

I hear my father clear his throat and I turn around to discover the pompous little man has left. “So you need more favors?” he asks coolly, immediately picking up where the conversation left off. I resist the urge to run my fingers through my hair uncomfortably. I have to appear confident. Confidence is the last thing I'm feeling right now though. I hate being in the same room as my father! He's the only person who intimidates me. It's not a feeling I'm used to or enjoy.