The Games We Play

The Start

District 3 proved himself worthy of the alliance – he taught us about traps and various things. Cato didn't actually like listening to him since he just kept on rambling on. District 3 talked non-stop about what he knew and between all four of us, he took the role of the talker. Cato and I didn't speak much towards each other or towards Marvel that day, we kept to ourselves. The death of the crippled boy from 10 brought my spirits down. Cato seemed to be the same but he did the same thing he had always done in the Arena – he would walk around in a big circle as though he was trying to figure out what to do next.

"Hey Marvel." This was the first time Cato had ever addressed Marvel directly in and out of the Games. "Think you can set up traps in the forest?" It was obvious he was doing this just for the sake of having to boss someone around. Cato knew he cannot order me off. Marvel grunted as a reply and stood up. He took a bundle of ropes and set off in the forest with District 3. (I didn't have the slightest idea what his name was. I didn't even want to ask.)

"I wonder where she is..." I murmured as I took Marvel's seat under the tents. "Lover Boy hasn't died yet either." I knew this for the fact that I saw none of Peeta's picture in the last night's death list.

Cato shrugged and he joined me. "How many days has it been?"

"Eight." I answered, "Nine tributes left."

"Imagine that." His voice wandered off. Cato turned his eyes towards me and smirked, "Remember the conversation we had back in the District?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Which one?"

"The killing."

I nodded suddenly, "I remember. We were talking about it then... look where we are now." I don't know what to feel about this because I had resigned myself to the fact that many lives were lost because of us that I was used to shrugging off the guilty feeling in my chest. "You were right." He turned to me when I spoke. "You were right about killing. You were right about everything."

"Not everything."

"Why?"

Cato looked away towards the wheat field, "Remember what I said to you back in the Center?" He didn't wait for me to answer his question because he continued, "When I said I know enough to predict you. That was wrong. I can't." Then he looked back at me with a smirk, "You're that crazy."

"The term is psychotic." I laughed.

This was the first time in the Arena that I felt like myself. We didn't actually care about the cameras watching us right now – the sponsors knew how ruthless we were ever since the beginning. And it isn't as though we were divulging so much information. To the Capitol, they probably see it as a small talk between allies but to us, we saw it as an opportunity to let go of our masks. Even for just a while.

"I want to finish the whole thing as fast as possible." I saw Cato clench his fists. "If we catch Twelve, it'll be easier to kill off the others. Marvel and Three are so easy to dispose."

"Peeta would probably be dead soon. I don't think Twelve found him yet." I added. "We also need to find that guy from Eleven."

"He's in the field." Cato gritted his teeth, "And the girl." Our eyes met at this point. We thought that it'll be incredibly difficult to kill that little girl off. We silently hoped that someone gets to her before we do.

"We're missing someone but I can't remember who."

My District partner shrugged and our conversation ended.

I continued to watch Cato as he laid back on the grass and closed his eyes. He looked tired. I felt my heart beating fast as I watched him. I like Cato, I guess. Maybe not in the way that Peeta does with Katniss – he had told everyone about it in live television.