The Hunger Games: Entropy (A Clato Fanfiction: NTI Series, Book 2)

Chapter 45

CATO’S POV      

“Whatever you do, make sure you avoid referencing your training at all costs,” Enobaria hisses at us for the 102nd time. “If they ever find out about it, we’ll make sure that you get more than your fair share of punishment.”

I’m tired.

We drilled through this thing in rehearsal. We did it again for two hours last night.

How many times do we need to go over the nuts and bolts of one interview? Honestly, I don’t think it’s possible to reduce the amount of variation in eye movement down to zero without the use of technological aids. We’re victors, not robots. It’s not possible to wind us up like mechanical dolls and make us walk on command.

Even if we aren’t machines, we still have to face this thing as a team. Things between us started to get touchy after we had a series of mishaps and tried to shove ourselves as far away from one another as possible. I actually started to worry—not because of our misfortunes on live TV, but more so because of the decline in our abilities to work together. 

In retrospect, sleeping with Clove for a night probably helped all of us in many ways. Both of us loosened up and got a chance to blow off some steam for the first time in months. We were able to reconnect as people for the first time in a long time.

However, I still think it was a mistake and a terrible idea. Who knows what might come out of it? To tell the truth, I think it’s best to save it for later. I still don’t know if it meant anything to her or to myself for that matter, even if we both arrived at the same conclusion at the same time.

I’m also wishing that I paid more attention to knot-tying during training. I still have no clue who gave me those odd notes in the middle of the night, nor how they got in my room or what they wanted to accomplish. I would have rigged a bunch of net traps net to my bed by now if I had the materials—or I actually knew how to do that kind of thing.

I’m still glad to be back where I belong: District 2.

**********

The anthem plays and the crowds go ballistic as Clove and I proceed into the setting we always knew and loved. As I expected, my family has more than prepared for the occasion, despite their unnecessarily dismissive behavior towards me when I went home several months ago.

Not only did my parents invite as many people as they could to fill up their box this year, they also bought out entire vendor’s carts just for themselves. My mother even has a shiny party dress and a jeweled tiara on for the occasion. Knowing my parents, those jewels are probably as real as they get.

Some affluently dressed old men in long, flowing garments take up seats next to Favian Engstrom where Clove’s family should be. They must be her extended family and from what I know, some of the first victors of the Hunger Games. Honestly, I’m surprised that Clove’s grandfather and great-uncle are still alive. They can’t be a day under ninety years old. I guess the Capitol takes good care of them in exchange for their undying loyalty.

It’s no surprise that Clove’s family decided to have a reunion in time for the last day of the Harvest festival.

Before we sit down, I look at Titanius and the other trainers off to the side and shoot them a quick glance and a thumbs-up. The head trainer nods his head in acknowledgement and leaves me to my own business.

It’s good to be back.

**********

Othea and the rest of my prep team finish up their business for the day and wheel their stuff towards the train station.