Love and War (A Clove and Cato FanFic)

Chapter One: A Begining like No Other

The sky was a vibrant blue color. I’ve only seen it this blue once a year. Every year, on the day of the reaping, every cloud in the sky seems to disappear. It’s obviously something the Capitol does. To tell us how happy and cheery this day should be, even though it’s our worst. My name is in the reaping 36 times. The odds are not in my favor at all this year. The odds haven’t been in my family’s favor in years.

                3 years ago, my oldest brother, Pine, was reaped. We watched him in his interviews, training scores, and when the games came, we couldn’t bare it. My mother was in too much pain to watch, so my other brother and I watched for her. Pine had made into the final five tributes and that’s when the Capitol reporters started knocking on our door. We didn’t answer them. Only one day, when I decided to go to the door, I found Cato. Cato was a childhood friend, but once we hit middle school, he dropped off the edge of the Earth, it seemed like. I’d pass him in the hall and say hi, but he’d just glare at me and laugh with his buddies like I was dirt to walk on.

                I didn’t care if he had laughed at me on the school yard, didn’t care that he ignored me. I was embraced by his strong, sturdy arms as they wrapped around me, holding me tight. That’s when I heard it. From the TV we heard a cannon. Then my brother’s face appeared. Everything was frozen. My brother sat, staring at the TV while the picture of Pine was shown. I was frozen in Cato’s arms. I couldn’t help it, but I leaned my head against Cato’s chest and cried. He stroked my hair, slowly, going back and forth. Cato walked us over to the coach and I sat down in between him and my brother, Alik. I leaned my head against Cato’s shoulder and he put his arm around my shoulder. After all these years of being friends and then him disrespecting me, he was being supportive now. I didn’t mind because he was so strong and he has always protected me from every harm.

                Then, the next year, my other brother, Alik, was reaped.  That whole year was a blur of many moments spent in Cato’s arms and watching countless hours of the games. Then, two weeks into the games, while I was cooking dinner, we heard a cannon. We all ran into the living room and saw Alik’s face appear. I felt Cato come up behind me and I suddenly felt a wave of reassurance. 

                Today, Cato and I sat up in the meadow.  He was smiling at me, and God I just loved his smile. It was perfect for him. “Clove, I don’t want you volunteering. We need to stay here together, support your family because if they lost another kid, I don’t know how they would move on.”

                “Cato, I’m expected to volunteer.”

He grabbed my hand. “I don’t care what they think. You and your family don’t deserve that.” He leaned in and left a lingering kiss on my lips. He broke away first.

                “Cato. I…I won’t volunteer.” I looked down at my shoes, solid brown leather boots. Cato tipped my chin up and smiled a sincere smile.

                “That’s all I’m asking. I just don’t…. I don’t want to lose you. That’s all.” I put my hand on his cheek and smiled.

                “I don’t want to lose you, either.” I was just going to kiss him again when the bell rang. “I guess it’s time to go.” He nodded.

I was standing in the roped off area of our town square. Half of the street was filled with girls, ages twelve through eighteen, and the other half filled with boys, ages twelve through eighteen.  I looked over and looked for Cato. He was standing with all the 17 year olds, looking quite grim.

                About 5 minutes later, our escort, whose name I do not know, walked onto the stage. She did the annual ceremony ritual of showing us the past histories and the Dark Days and why we even have The Hunger Games.  After that’s over, Mayor Walters comes up to a podium and says the pledge of Panem. When that’s done, the escort comes up to the microphone and says that it’s time to pick the young man and woman. She goes over to the big, clear glass bowls and dips her tiny hand into the bowl. When her hand reappears with a tiny slip of paper, I can only pray that it’s my name so someone could volunteer for me. She walked back to the microphone and read the name.  “Clove Summers.” My wish had come true. I was picked and now somebody would volunteer for me. The crowd parted and as I made my way up to the stage, I saw Cato and he gave me a thumbs up. I strode up the steps and stood to the right of the escort. “Any volunteers?” I figured I’d hear at least a voice to say I volunteer, but no. The whole town square was eerily quiet.  “No? Alright then.  Now for the boys.”  She briskly walked over to the boys bowl on the other side of the stage. As she came back, I put on my best smile, one that was indeed fake, but it was the best I could do.  So many emotions were flowing through me. The lady said a boy’s name, a name I didn’t know, but the voice I did recognize. The one who said “I volunteer!!”  I looked down the see Cato standing in the aisle. “I volunteer,” he shouted again. I couldn’t believe him. He was going into the arena with me. I could hear the moans of other boys who hadn’t volunteered quickly enough.  He mounted the stage and barely glanced at me.

                “What is your name, my dear boy?” She asks Cato.

                “Cato. Cato Hafery.”

                “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the tributes of the seventy-fourth annual hunger games.”