Panem College

Chapter Three

Cato's Pov

I'm pretty outraged. I was to drunk to realize it, but now I remember Gloss kissing Clove. I would never take advantage of her like that. I hope she still loves me.

School is extra tiring and Clove sneaks into my dorm, which I really don't mind.

Clove's Pov

I wake screaming. I sigh, trying to calm myself down. I feel a hand touch me and shriek. "You okay?" I turn to the voice, and see it's Cato. Oh right. I snuck into his dorm. I hope I didn't wake Blight, Finnick, or Peeta. I breathe heavily, shaking like mad. I shiver and I feel Cato's arms rubbing my arms.

"You okay, Clove?" I know Cato's voice is serious, calling me Clove. I bury my face in the pillow and shake. I cry, remembering my nightmare. I feel Cato pulling me close. I still have Brady's scar on my shoulder, but these are my warrior scars. And I don't want Cato's pity.

I want to pull away and go back to my dorm, and be tough as Johanna would. But I'm not Johanna. I cry into his chest. "Was it....you know?" his voice is surprisingly gentle. I wipe my tears and he lightly kisses me. "Don't worry," he assures me. "He's gone." It's true. Brady is pretty stupid, and didn't make it in to our college. But he frequently visits me. In my nightmares. His painful cuts and bruises and that low voice full of hatred. It was a year ago, but the thought of him still scares me. And Cato is the only one that comforts me.

I fall back asleep in Cato's arms, as he whispers that everything will be okay. He's tough, but has a sweet side.

Annie's Pov

Finnick picks me up and we walk to school. At art I can see Peeta's amazing paintings of Katniss. That boy can draw. My picture of the beach looks pretty darn ugly compared to it, and Finnick laughs, earning a smack to the arm.

Coach Brutus is too favorable to Cato and Clove. He picks them as team captain for basketball, one of Johanna's best sports. Clove picks her and I end up on Cato's team. Brutus said winning team doesn't have to run a lap less and we end up losing. If only the only girls left didn't ended up on our team, Delly and Cashmere. Because there was no way Clove was letting Lucille on Cato's team.

Oh, I really wish Delly didn't try to shoot four failing baskets. But I actually liked the gym clothes. They were white jerseys with baby blue in the curves of it paired up with blue shorts and baby blue sneakers. Today we had a ton of homework and I keep postponing it. Clove seems to get all her homework done but I'm pretty sure she did most of hers today while the losing basketball team, AKA our team, ran laps. She and Katniss and Johanna were on the winning team along with Finnick, Gale, and Thresh. The girls were watching movies and it was hard to concentrate when all you could hear were Bethy's screams. Stupid axe murderer.

I gave up and storm to the other dorm, since Glimmer, Finch, and Madge were also a part of the losing team. It was hours, mostly because we spent half an hour on the phone accusing Cato of picking bad team mates.

Cato's Pov

I took Clove out to see The Maze Runner tonight.

It was Saturday night and when we got back we would all eat dinner at our place. Clove and I both wore black hoodies with our names stitched in red. The end if the 'o' had swirls to connect with a devil's tail. Without trying, she looked gorgeous. We share a long kiss before we left, to the theater. She snuggled up against me and we watch throughout the entire thing. Well at least she did. Let me say this, I'm bit a book person. I fell asleep and she was shaking me awake when it ended. I was a bit tired and I was unaware of Clove being pulled away from me.

"Cato!" I snap my head up. I shove through mobs if people, trying to reach her voice. I see Gloss, stupid, stupid Gloss grab her. He shoves her up against a wall and she slaps his face. Good. His lips are up to her face now, and I shove a few more mobs of people and punch him out cold right before their lips touch. Good, I don't want another Brady Thompson.

She trembles in my arms and I take all my will not to try to kiss her right now. Instead I play with her hair and tell her how much of an idiot Gloss is. I give up and we walk back to the car kissing. After hours it seems, we pull away and meet the others in our dorm, where Clove and Peeta brew up a storm. We talk and I tell the story to Katniss, and we end up bad-mouthing Gloss. Stupid Delly tried to kiss Peeta today, earning a nice hard slap from Katniss.

In twenty minutes Clove carries cheesy chicken pasta and Peeta brings some garlic bread that smells delicious. I'm on the verge of drooling and she giggles. The food is delicious and we decide to watch a movie. Marvel shoves in a DVD and we all groan to see the movie, Axe Murderer Awakens. I swear we're obsessed with this movie.