You Are My Mockingjay- Watty's Finalist 2013

Winter Wonderland

Now Cato was beyond shocked and getting angrier about the situation. "Clove I don't know about you but if he doesn't want me or anyone knowing then let it be said that he is up to something. Promise me you won't do anything or get caught up into him." Clove brings out her keys from her purse that she holds tightly into her palm.

"Okay." She says as she looks him in the eye.

Cato draws his eyes back into hers. "What does that mean, okay that you understand or okay that you won't let him take advantage of you?"

But Clove as unwilling as she was being just nodded her head to her friend. "Just- okay, okay?"

Winter Wonderland

As the weeks turned into months everyone was constantly busy. From sports, exams that turned into finals to family ordeals. Clove had worked endless weekends and most nights with Katniss with her exams. At some nights they had lasted to almost till 2 am the next morning. It was agony at first, but the girls soon learned that a double shot of hot chocolate always did it's trick. And of course Meredith Everdeen's famous banana bread helped it's sleepless woes as well. The day after Thanksgiving everyone met up at the local park for some fresh air and the avoidance of the guilty pleasure of food. "Man I tell you I love Thanksgiving but this year I think it has taught me to never indulge." Peeta said with a grin as he and Cato threw the football around. The autumn days were turning colder and daylight was becoming shorter, for it was only becoming known winter was not far from nearing.

"So I forgot to tell you, I got an A on my final exam from Algebra, I mean it almost was a B if I had missed one other problem." Said Katniss chuckling at Clove as they play Speed. "Thanks to you I just may make it through the year!"

A soft breeze pulls a strand of Cloves hair into her face where she smiles. "Well you would do it for me too if I needed it." Just then Clove phone's vibrated that rested aside her, it was a text from her father that read. Hope to see you tonight!

"Who was that from?" Said Cato who so happened to be glancing at her at the time and saw she had received a message. He said casually almost hitting Peeta with the football in return.

Quickly she closes up her phone and had to lie for she had promised Cato she wouldn't stay in contact with him. For ever since that day had happened Clove had kept small conversations with her father that started to fill in the loss of time. "It's just my mom, she wants me back within the hour or two." Turning her attention back she places her final card down into the card pile and claim her victory! "Yes I beat you again!" She says as she scoops up the cards and releases them through her finger tips! Cato laughs as he watches her celebrate!

"Ok my turn now I play against Clove." Said a eager Marvel who had been in a tree watching everyone from below.

"Oh well good luck....your gonna need it!" Katniss said jokingly getting up from the blanket that they sat on. She dusted herself off that dry grass that staggered on her skinny jeans. "I maybe good at a few things but card games is not one of them." She said brightly as Marvel squeezed through getting ready for the next card game.

"So are we going to do anything for the winter break yet? From the sound of it my parents seem like there just going to be working the whole time I'm off, surprise surprise!" Peeta said taking a break from playing with Cato.

Him and Cato both joined Marvel and Clove who began their game. "My folks and I are just going to be here spending time at home, nothing special that I'm aware of." Cato says as he continues to toss the football to himself lightly.

Katniss now grabs some of the purple grapes from the basket as she brought it in her mouth. "I know my mom wants to visit some family the first week of vacation but the following I'm free to do anything." Katniss looks to Clove. "What about you Clove and Marvel?" Surprisingly they responded at the sametime.

"Nothing!"

Katniss and Clove laugh in unison while Cato looks afar and gazes out at the foot hills that had numerous trees filled with all sorts of colored leaves. "What about we make plans to go hang out at the Mount Shire Ski Resort like most of the people at the school do? I know I would love to hang out there."

Peeta's eyes light up! "Yeah that would be swell I know my parents wouldn't mind it. In fact they probably would want to get rid of me anyways for I always seem to get in their way."

Clove puts down an ace and quickly draws another card into her hand. "Oh Peeta your parents just don't seem to realize how special you really are, I'm sure what they say isn't personal."

The group stayed for another hour or so planning out their future trip and within days it was settled that they would go to the resort for a five day trip! Clove's mom wasn't too thrilled that she would be missing out on her families annual family party but it was something really important that Clove did for herself so she accepted that she go. As the days got closer to the break everyone couldn't help contain the excitement that it was soon nearing which made school both bearable and would fly by.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, what am I going to do without you here?" Said Clove's mother who helped put her hair brush and tooth brush in her make up bag.

"Mom I'm gonna be fine and you'll be fine it will give yourself a chance to rekindle." Clove's mother looks in confusion as if she couldn't understand what her daughter had just said.

"What do you mean by that?" Her mother says surprisingly.

Clove looks up facing the bed side wall who too now was in confusion. Had her father not talked to her mom yet when he said he would? She thought to herself. "What I meant to say is, it will give you a chance to relax and enjoy your time away from me."

Her mother smiles small and hugs her daughter. "Oh you are a true treasure of mine....I love you so much!"

Clove gets consumed in her mothers arms where she could hardly herself breath! "I know you do mom, I love you too!"

The next morning everyone met up together at Cato's house who was filling up his truck with everyones luggage by the time Clove arrived. Clove scrolls her luggage to Cato's car and watching her friend who was already prepared for the cold weather wearing a black vest, jeans and a long sleeve white shirt. "Hey you!" Clove said to Cato.

Cato looks at her from below his truck in utter excitement as she approached where he then stands straight up. "So you ready for the time of your life?" He said brightly!