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Description
After hearing my escort shouting for us to wake up, I open my eyes. Yawning, I stretch out my legs and climb out of bed. I slip on some new clothes and walk out the door. Stepping into the dining room, I spot Brutus and our escort eating breakfast.

He lifts his head, "Mornin', Cato." I simply nod back to him and take my seat. Not a second later, Enobaria emerges from her room.

"Good morning, 'Baria." Brutus says with a smile. She nods and takes a seat next to Brutus. That left Clove. Where was she?

I nervously look around, "Where's Clove?" My mentors look at each other and shrug. Immediately, I stand up and march to her room, "Clove?" No answer. Slowly, I open the door and step in. Still no sign of her. That's when...

"Boo!" I hear a voice behind me. I spin around and push the owner of the voice into the wall, but regret it as I realize it's just Clove. She smirks, "Smooth. I was testing you."

I step back, "Sorry."

"Oh, it's quite fine. You're really good at that. Use it in the arena." She pats me on the shoulder and walks out.

"Oh... I will... Thanks." I follow her, chuckling. Sitting down, I look at the food in the middle of the table.

"Eat up, you two. You're going to need it. Training starts today." Enobaria says, cracking her neck.

Training?

Oh, this should be interesting.

I cheer, "Yes! Now I can figure out what that girl from 12's good at!"

"IF she's good at anything, Cato." Clove scoffs. She starts putting food on her plate, glaring at me. "I still don't think she's anything special."

"I sure do." I say, grabbing a plate. "She's already upstaged us. There has to be some quality about her that makes her so... so..."

"Likeable." Brutus says with a mouth full of food. Our escort gives him a disgusted look.

I think for a moment, "Yeah. Likeable must be the word."

Clove crosses her arms, "Humph, I think upstaging is all she knows to do."

I hear the tone of annoyance in her voice, "Well, for being from District 12, I think it's incredible how she's so attention-grabbing."

Clove slumps back in her seat, but doesn't speak. Brutus speaks, instead, "I agree. She's doing a great job. We're going to have to step up our game to get you guys sponsors. I think your training scores should do just that."

After eating breakfast, me and Clove are given our training center outfits and get dressed. I step out of my room to find Clove, Enobaria, and Brutus.

"You two ready?" Brutus says, stepping up behind Enobaria.

I nod, "Absolutely." Really, this is mainly because of that Katniss girl. I'm eager to find out more about her. Brutus presses the button on the elevator and we all step inside.

The elevator goes clear down to the training room and stops. I step outside and look at the other elevator to see the tributes from 1. Brutus and Enobaria wave bye and go back up.

"Hey, Cato is it?" The boy says. Marvel is his name, I think.

I nod, "Yes, I'm Cato and this is Clove. You must be Marvel and Glimmer."

"Sure are." Glimmer says with a huge smile. I raise an eyebrow at her, but smile.

"Looks like the whole Career pack is here." Clove mutters.

Marvel smiles, "Seems so."

Ding!

I turn around just in time to get bumped into.

Just my luck, it's Katniss.

"Oh, s-sorry." She says, backing up and walks on by. My eyes follow her and I nervously laugh.

Glimmer snorts, "She better watch where she's going. If I was you, Cato, I'd flip out."

I shrug, "Nah, it's fine. Besides, she's probably already afraid of me. She knows who I am. She knows I'm a Career tribute that can kill with ease. It was my fault a bit." I look at the elevator, "We're right in the path."

Clove, Marvel, and Glimmer nod and we all walk on over towards the middle of the room. Katniss and Peeta make their way over, looking very alert. Finally, all the tributes arrive within five minutes and Atala, the head trainer, begins discussing the rules and stresses the importance of this training. I listen to the best of my ability, but I can't keep my eyes off of Katniss once again. She catches me staring, and I try to turn it into an intimidating look before she realizes my smile. She looks down, blinking, before looking back at Atala. Peeta nervously glances at Katniss and turns his attention to me, looking slightly afraid. Atala dismisses us, and I head over towards the spears and swords.

Katniss begins to head over toward the campfire station and I watch her. She easily crafts a pile of sticks and begins to set it on fire. Suddenly, flames flicker on her face and it reminds me of her at the parade. I grin again, remembering how well of a display it was.

A voice peeps, "Cato..."

I turn around to realize it's Clove, "Hmm?"

"Are you going to spend this whole session staring at Everdeen?" She side-frowns.

"N-No, I just wanted to see..."

"Cato, she's not going to use a little campfire to set the whole forest, or whatever we're going to be around in the arena, on fire and kill us. C'Mon, let's go test out the Gauntlet." Clove says, pointing at the obstacle course. "It's not busy at all."

I nod and step up. The trainers signal for me to go and I jump from platform to platform, dodging their clubs as best as I can. I notice Katniss watching as I go to turn around and go down the next side. This is my chance to try to impress her, though I'm not sure why I want to. I flat-out run down the course and drop into a roll to get to my feet at the end. Katniss shakes her head and goes onto a different station.

Panting, I catch my breath, but that's when I hear the trainers.

"Best time so far!" The one closest to me says.

I smile and straighten up. I look around to find Peeta, the boy from 12, hanging from the ropes. I laugh as he hits the ground and look at Clove, who just got finished with her course. She erupts with laughter. That's when Marvel and Glimmer make their way over to us and join in. Peeta sits up as Katniss sits beside him. They keep throwing glares at us. Finally, Peeta walks over to a weight and picks it up. At first, I'm laughing because there's no way he could lift the thing much higher, but he proves me wrong and throws it at the spears and swords. Impressive.

I turn around, "Not bad." Clove, Glimmer, and Marvel seem impressed as well.

"Tributes, you are dismissed to go back to your floors." Atala yells. That's when I notice everyone running to the elevators. I, however, lag behind. District by district, tributes load. Katniss, to my dissapointment, was the first one gone.

Clove whispers, "You really should go talk to her sometime. Perhaps, you could find her in the garden later on the roof. I overheard her saying something about checking it out."

My heart gives a big swoop and I nod, "Are you sure?"

"Positive." She says as we get into an elevator.

"I will." I say, pushing the button to go up to our floor.

"Cato." Clove says.

I tilt my head, "Yes?"

She sighs, "I know why you're so obsessed with her."

"Go on." I mumble.

Clove takes a deep breath, "... Do you... like her?"

Like her?

Love her?

I stand in silence, thinking. Me? In love with a girl I barely know? Katniss... She is really beautiful. I just don't know. Why would I be in love with her, but yet again, why not?

"Well?"

"I... I don't know. Clove, I know I shouldn't, but she's just... In my mind. Always."

"Stage one." Clove says as our elevator opens. "We better get to bed early."

I nod, and after having a strangely fast dinner, head to bed. Katniss is stuck in my brain like glue, and she refuses to leave.

Why?

I doze off after trying to figure out what even started this infatuation with the mysterious Girl on Fire.

Description
After hearing my escort shouting for us to wake up, I open my eyes. Yawning, I stretch out my legs and climb out of bed. I slip on some new clothes and walk out the door. Stepping into the dining room, I spot Brutus and our escort eating breakfast.

He lifts his head, "Mornin', Cato." I simply nod back to him and take my seat. Not a second later, Enobaria emerges from her room.

"Good morning, 'Baria." Brutus says with a smile. She nods and takes a seat next to Brutus. That left Clove. Where was she?

I nervously look around, "Where's Clove?" My mentors look at each other and shrug. Immediately, I stand up and march to her room, "Clove?" No answer. Slowly, I open the door and step in. Still no sign of her. That's when...

"Boo!" I hear a voice behind me. I spin around and push the owner of the voice into the wall, but regret it as I realize it's just Clove. She smirks, "Smooth. I was testing you."

I step back, "Sorry."

"Oh, it's quite fine. You're really good at that. Use it in the arena." She pats me on the shoulder and walks out.

"Oh... I will... Thanks." I follow her, chuckling. Sitting down, I look at the food in the middle of the table.

"Eat up, you two. You're going to need it. Training starts today." Enobaria says, cracking her neck.

Training?

Oh, this should be interesting.

I cheer, "Yes! Now I can figure out what that girl from 12's good at!"

"IF she's good at anything, Cato." Clove scoffs. She starts putting food on her plate, glaring at me. "I still don't think she's anything special."

"I sure do." I say, grabbing a plate. "She's already upstaged us. There has to be some quality about her that makes her so... so..."

"Likeable." Brutus says with a mouth full of food. Our escort gives him a disgusted look.

I think for a moment, "Yeah. Likeable must be the word."

Clove crosses her arms, "Humph, I think upstaging is all she knows to do."

I hear the tone of annoyance in her voice, "Well, for being from District 12, I think it's incredible how she's so attention-grabbing."

Clove slumps back in her seat, but doesn't speak. Brutus speaks, instead, "I agree. She's doing a great job. We're going to have to step up our game to get you guys sponsors. I think your training scores should do just that."

After eating breakfast, me and Clove are given our training center outfits and get dressed. I step out of my room to find Clove, Enobaria, and Brutus.

"You two ready?" Brutus says, stepping up behind Enobaria.

I nod, "Absolutely." Really, this is mainly because of that Katniss girl. I'm eager to find out more about her. Brutus presses the button on the elevator and we all step inside.

The elevator goes clear down to the training room and stops. I step outside and look at the other elevator to see the tributes from 1. Brutus and Enobaria wave bye and go back up.

"Hey, Cato is it?" The boy says. Marvel is his name, I think.

I nod, "Yes, I'm Cato and this is Clove. You must be Marvel and Glimmer."

"Sure are." Glimmer says with a huge smile. I raise an eyebrow at her, but smile.

"Looks like the whole Career pack is here." Clove mutters.

Marvel smiles, "Seems so."

Ding!

I turn around just in time to get bumped into.

Just my luck, it's Katniss.

"Oh, s-sorry." She says, backing up and walks on by. My eyes follow her and I nervously laugh.

Glimmer snorts, "She better watch where she's going. If I was you, Cato, I'd flip out."

I shrug, "Nah, it's fine. Besides, she's probably already afraid of me. She knows who I am. She knows I'm a Career tribute that can kill with ease. It was my fault a bit." I look at the elevator, "We're right in the path."

Clove, Marvel, and Glimmer nod and we all walk on over towards the middle of the room. Katniss and Peeta make their way over, looking very alert. Finally, all the tributes arrive within five minutes and Atala, the head trainer, begins discussing the rules and stresses the importance of this training. I listen to the best of my ability, but I can't keep my eyes off of Katniss once again. She catches me staring, and I try to turn it into an intimidating look before she realizes my smile. She looks down, blinking, before looking back at Atala. Peeta nervously glances at Katniss and turns his attention to me, looking slightly afraid. Atala dismisses us, and I head over towards the spears and swords.

Katniss begins to head over toward the campfire station and I watch her. She easily crafts a pile of sticks and begins to set it on fire. Suddenly, flames flicker on her face and it reminds me of her at the parade. I grin again, remembering how well of a display it was.

A voice peeps, "Cato..."

I turn around to realize it's Clove, "Hmm?"

"Are you going to spend this whole session staring at Everdeen?" She side-frowns.

"N-No, I just wanted to see..."

"Cato, she's not going to use a little campfire to set the whole forest, or whatever we're going to be around in the arena, on fire and kill us. C'Mon, let's go test out the Gauntlet." Clove says, pointing at the obstacle course. "It's not busy at all."

I nod and step up. The trainers signal for me to go and I jump from platform to platform, dodging their clubs as best as I can. I notice Katniss watching as I go to turn around and go down the next side. This is my chance to try to impress her, though I'm not sure why I want to. I flat-out run down the course and drop into a roll to get to my feet at the end. Katniss shakes her head and goes onto a different station.

Panting, I catch my breath, but that's when I hear the trainers.

"Best time so far!" The one closest to me says.

I smile and straighten up. I look around to find Peeta, the boy from 12, hanging from the ropes. I laugh as he hits the ground and look at Clove, who just got finished with her course. She erupts with laughter. That's when Marvel and Glimmer make their way over to us and join in. Peeta sits up as Katniss sits beside him. They keep throwing glares at us. Finally, Peeta walks over to a weight and picks it up. At first, I'm laughing because there's no way he could lift the thing much higher, but he proves me wrong and throws it at the spears and swords. Impressive.

I turn around, "Not bad." Clove, Glimmer, and Marvel seem impressed as well.

"Tributes, you are dismissed to go back to your floors." Atala yells. That's when I notice everyone running to the elevators. I, however, lag behind. District by district, tributes load. Katniss, to my dissapointment, was the first one gone.

Clove whispers, "You really should go talk to her sometime. Perhaps, you could find her in the garden later on the roof. I overheard her saying something about checking it out."

My heart gives a big swoop and I nod, "Are you sure?"

"Positive." She says as we get into an elevator.

"I will." I say, pushing the button to go up to our floor.

"Cato." Clove says.

I tilt my head, "Yes?"

She sighs, "I know why you're so obsessed with her."

"Go on." I mumble.

Clove takes a deep breath, "... Do you... like her?"

Like her?

Love her?

I stand in silence, thinking. Me? In love with a girl I barely know? Katniss... She is really beautiful. I just don't know. Why would I be in love with her, but yet again, why not?

"Well?"

"I... I don't know. Clove, I know I shouldn't, but she's just... In my mind. Always."

"Stage one." Clove says as our elevator opens. "We better get to bed early."

I nod, and after having a strangely fast dinner, head to bed. Katniss is stuck in my brain like glue, and she refuses to leave.

Why?

I doze off after trying to figure out what even started this infatuation with the mysterious Girl on Fire.