Panem College

Chapter Eleven

Cato's Pov

Brady.

I completely forgot he's in the same year as my brother. My eyes widen. He greets my parents and Cassidy, who seems to like him. Then he turns to me. His lip curls into a small smile.

"Well, well," he drawls. "Cato Hadley and Clove Kentwell! Pleasure to meet you!" he says, smirking. I feel my fists curl up tightly. He prods Clove's chin up with the tip of his finger. "Clove, Clove, how I've missed you!" He wraps her stiff body in a hug. My anger lets loose. I grab him and shove him up against a wall, as my parents shriek.

My arm is pressed against his throat and my father yanks me off. "Cato!" he shouts. "Manners!" I don't care, I don't care. My dad holds me back as Brady smooths his shirt, innocently.

"Well, Merry Christmas, Hadleys," he says, handing my brother a gift. He set one down at Clove's hands. "See you soon!"

The door shuts and hell lets loose. "Cato Hadley, what the hell was that?" my father yells. "Idiot!" Jacob shouts. I pry him off. The three three of us yell at each other for half an hour I don't even notice Clove leave.

I slam the door and trudge through the tall snow until I reach Clove's door. By now I'm ice cold, since I forgot my coat. I knock on the door and Plutarch opens it. "Cato! Cato, come in, come in!" He grabs me and plops me on the couch. "You must be freezing!" Vanessa, aka Mrs. Kentwell, says. She hands me a blanket and I stand up. "Is Clove here?"

She nods. "Upstairs."

I walk up to see Clove opening Brady's gift. I lightly knock and she looks up and tosses the gift. "Cato! Hey!" I flop on my bed and pick up the gift before she could snatch it.

Clove, my dearest,

I would like you to have a Merry Christmas,

For you I would miss.

I know things haven't gone to well and I'm sorry,

But how about that kiss?

We haven't seen each other lately, and I would like to some time.

Hey look at that, for I just did a rhyme!

Merry Christmas babe,

Brady<3

I'm steaming with anger and partially laughter of how lame the poem is. The lyrics suck and "for I just did a rhyme" is the stupidest line ever. I give her a glance, who seems to be backing away nervously. I see in the little box a small silver ring with a diamond. Instead I say, "That is the lamest poem ever."

She smiles. "I think it would be cute if you did it." I pick up the ring and she snatches it and tosses it out the window. "I don't want it."

"Good," I say. I pick her up into my lap and she pulls away. "Please go home, Cato. I need to take a shower."

A sly grin curls on my face. "May I join?" Her eyes widen and she shoves me off. "Cato!" she screams. "No!"

I laugh. "Why not? I'll get a swimsuit." She rolls her eyes but I thinks she secretly wants me to join her if I wear my swim trunks.

I race home, ignore my parents's calls, and grab a fistful of clothes and swim trunks. I remember to get my coat, tell my parents I'm leaving for an hour, hug Cassidy, slap Jacob, and leave.

The bubble bath is hot. I see Clove in already, wearing a wetsuit. "C'mon, Clove! You're pretty much covering every square inch of yourself."

She gives me a glare that means shut up or I'll make you and I make a shocked expression. "Uh-Oh," I say. "Forgot my swimsuit. Guess I'll just have to go without."

Her eyes widen. "No! No, no, no!"

I laugh. "Just kidding. Now scooch over." She does but I know something's wrong. "What's wrong?" She looks up at me. "Brady," she says, so quietly I can't almost hear. I hug her and pull her into my lap. "Don't worry. If you want we can leave early, like this Saturday." "Really?" she asks. "Yep. It's alright." We spend the next ten minutes talking and joking, planning to get revenge on Finnick for crushing his dumb sugar cubes in our bags. Oh, he is so weird.

I pull her in for a long kiss, which feels like a few minutes before the door slams open and I see all of our parents. We forgot to shut the bathroom door. My mother shrieks and Clove jumps off me. Vanessa, Mrs. Kentwell, splutters out a garble of words. Plutarch looks like he wants to slap my face off. Dad just does a nervous chuckle.

"What-what are you doing in here with my daughter?" Vanessa shrieks. I guess we aren't on good terms anymore. "Mom, no!" Clove says. "It isn't what-it isn't what you think! It-it's just like a hot tub!"

"And mom I told you I would be gone for an hour!" I add. My mother is frozen in shock still. "Yes, but you were gone two hours!" My father says. Was I really gone that long?

"And it's not a hot tub, it's a place for baths!" Plutarch snaps. Let's just say this isn't how we planned our winter break.

Katniss's Pov

On Christmas morning I wake up at 6 A.M. with Prim, urging Peeta and mom to wake up. They groan and I usher him down. After we brush our teeth Peeta sets out Christmas cookies and hot chocolate. I open a gift from mom and Prim, to see the newest laptop. "Thanks guys!" I squeal, hugging them. Prim gets makeup from us and Peeta gets her a DIY nail kit. Peeta also gets a laptop and thanks my mother and sister. I get a diamond necklace from Peeta.

"Peeta!" I squeal. "You shouldn't have!" He laughs. "But I did. Now let's see what I got from you." He opens to see plane tickets to Hawaii. "Katniss! Thank you!" We kiss for a while, until Prim interrupts. "C'mon. Let's go play in the snow!"

Cato's Pov

I admire the locket I got from Clove. It's a golden one with three connected pictures of the group. We took that before we left for break, and we all look silly, laughing our heads off. It's a great picture. We're in the middle section and so is Katniss and Peeta and Johanna. Finnick, Annie, Marvel, and Glimmer are on the left side and Johanna is closer to the right, by Blight, Finch, Thresh, Gale, and Madge. I'll keep it forever.

I still feel bad about what happened the other day, considering she got grounded. I got Clove a silver-chained necklace with a sharp golden knife hanging on it. The little knife has my name on one side and hers on the other, resembling the real knife I got her. She says she'll wear it forever.