"If only life was simple." Clove thought.
She sat on the floor of the training room. Just staring at the boy. The boy that has had her crazy for so long. The one that she longs to kiss in the night and come home to. But she can't do that now. They're both in the Games. And it was highly unlikely that the Gamemakers were going to budge the rules about more winner for two lovebirds.
Besides. He was preoccupied with anther girl.
Clove walked up to Marvel.
"Can I ask you something."
Her brown eyes gazing into his gorgeous green eyes.
"What's with guys? When they see a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, with legs a hundred miles long and a curvy figure. Why do they always melt?"
All Marvel did was laugh and walk away.
"She's jealous." he said.
Clove walked around the training center even more. Just to try to clear her head about Cato. She couldn't handle it. They had something back home. Something that was amazing and perfect. But it was ruined the second she was chosen to be in the Huger Games. No one volunteered. But Cato did. And Clove hates Cato for that. If he didn't do it, they could have started a family together.
Cato was only ignoring Clove because of the fact that he loves her. He always has. He just couldn't handle the fact that, she's going to die. Its not like he's going to do it. But he can't protect her anymore. He will not be able to save her. He couldn't keep her safe like he promised her all those years ago.
Everything started, the two of them, just ten years prior.
There was a huge fire in the Nut. Clove's family died. In the whole thing. Her older brother, her mother, her father.
Clove was alone in the world.
Cato's aunt let her in. Cato knew she wasn't related to her. And so did Clove. They were the best of friends.
Whenever someone made fun of Clove, Cato kicked their ass.
Whenever Clove had nightmares of the fire, Cato was there.
At school everyone called them Double C.
They were never apart. They trained together. Anything and everything either one would do, the other would be there, too.
It wasn't until Clove turned thirteen when Cato really needed her in his life. As more than the fake cousin. As more than the best friend.
She grew four inches, got rid of all her baby fat. She was beautiful. She was his Clove. She will always be his.
Like this story says, he noticed something different when she turned thirteen.
Clove noticed something when Cato turned thirteen as well.
She may have been two years younger. But that didn't matter. All her friends would snicker at her best friend. He was in the training center. Working out as much as he could. Clove's friends weren't the only ones noticing his gain on the attractive spectrum. Clove couldn't accept the truth. She was in love with her best friend.
Double C didn't do anything about their feelings for each other. They would still hold hands, like all good friends do. They would hug. And dance. But nothing more. Clove and Cato never, ever fought. But when Cato started dating Alee, things became different. Alee was first, Clove second. Clove hated being on the back burner. She was absolutely jealous. Cato could tell. But everyday, the two would always fight. About being left alone. About not knowing everything about each other anymore.
Clove forced Cato to break up with Alee. It sounds awful, but she was weighing him down. Alee took over Cato's life. She made him stop going to the training center. He didn't notice what Alee was hurting Clove so much. Even though their fighting was ever night.
When the two teenagers finally did something about their affection towards each other, everyone was relieved.
It was a Sunday night. It had been raining all week long. Sunday the sun came out.
"Cloves." He started knocking on her door.
She was dead asleep.
"What do you want, Cato!" She yelled from the opposite side of the door.
"You. The sun's out. Let's go for a walk. Just me and you."
He smiled on the door.
"Will you let me get dressed?"
"Of course, I still need to make breakfast. What do you want?"
"Chocolate chip pancakes and some bacon, please."
He laughed. She always wanted that on Sunday mornings.
"Alright, Cloves."
The nickname 'Cloves' was meant as a joke. Cato added an 's' to remind her to always have multiple knives. Not just one.
When they left the house, they raced to the river.
The river was their only place to be, just them. No morals. No bullying. Just Double C, against the world.
They were soaking up the sun, when the blond boy started talking.
"So, Cloves. What should we do?"
"I don't know."
They were laying down on the shore. Cato rolled over. He was on top of her.
"Cato." she breathed.
"What, Cloves?"
Clove started to blush.
"Nothing."
She tried to roll away from Cato. But he pinned her down.
"You're not going anywhere, Cloves."
He started laughing.
"Cato!"
She giggled.
He bent down and kissed her cheek.
"Cato." she said again.
The two lovebirds locked eyes.
He bent down once more and kissed her nose.
"Stop." she said.
"What?"
"You're missing?"
"Missing what?"
She leaned up and kissed him on the lips.
It was just a short peck, but that was enough for Double C to become an item.
The whole Distract 2 team was sitting on a couch, waiting for the scores. Clove didn't dare look at Cato. And the same with Cato. He couldn't look a Clove without wanting to kill everyone, just so that they could be the last two.
Double C got double tens.
It was the night before the Games. The nightmares of the fire was coming back.
"CATO! CATO!" Clove started screaming.
These screams are Cato's worst nightmare.
He never wanted to hear them again.
She woke up in tears. The door almost flew off its hinges.
"Cloves." Cato said.
He ran to her bed and laid right beside her.
"What's the matter?"
"Fire." she muttered.
He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.
"Don't thing about it."
He wrapped his arms around her.
"How can I not?"
"Shh. Cloves, its going to be fine."
"What do I think about?"
He starting thinking about the good times they had together. The laughs and jokes. The hugs and memories.
"The river."
She smiled.
She rolled over to look in his eyes.
"I miss that."
Her eyes were red from crying.
Her eyes were a mystery. When she cries, they turn green. When she's angry, black. Normal, brown.
"Cato." she whispered.
He started to wipe away the tears.
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"I love you, more."
He kissed her cheek.
She giggled.
He kissed her nose.
"Stop." She sighed.
"What?"
"You're missing."
"Missing what?"
"These."
She kissed him.
He kissed back.
They were both crying and smiling in the middle of their kisses.
"Go to bed, Cloves."
"No."
"Why?"
She started thinking about what to say.
"Apologize." she stated.
He looked down at her.
"Why?"
"That slut from 1 was hogging my Cato. And you didn't sop her."
He chuckled.
"I am sorry."
"Good."
"Go to bed." he whispered.
"Stay."
He agreed.
He had to.
She was his Clove.