Change Me

FOUR

You know what I think? I think I'm dancing with the prettiest girl in the room

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My mind was racing. Whatever that strange man told me to drink knew exactly what I was going to get into. Someone had a stern grasp on my arm as we weaved through the crowds of people.

"You're hurting me," My words were slurred. It was a man, I didn't know who he was. I looked around at the blur of people laughing and enjoying the party.

"You're coming with me, upstairs."

"No I'm not. Let go of me at once," I demanded and tried to rip my arm out of his grasp. He only squeezed my arm tighter. I tripped over my own two feet and went face first into the ground. I heard a couple of people laugh instead of trying to help me. They called me clumsy, or questioned how I even won the games. It made me angry.

I was picked up, strong arms were around my abdomen. I kicked and swung and tried to get out of his grasp as we got near the stairs of the capital mansion.

"What the fuck are you doing?" A voice said. The man stopped trying to shove me up the stairs and instead set me down. I turned around to see Cato, I pushed past the man and Cato reached out to grab me. He stepped in front of me protectively and glared down at the man.

"I-I was just. She ..." Cato took a step closer to the strange man.

"I-I was just" Cato mocked the man. "If I find out that you ever come near her again I'll fucking kill you." The man ran, he ran from Cato and out the double doors of the mansion.

"Thank you," I mumbler. I heard Cato sigh and turn around. He put both his hands on my cheeks and kissed my forehead.

"Are you okay" I nodded and saw the redness around my wrist. He softly ran his fingers over it. "Don't leave my side for the rest of the night, okay?" I nodded again and he grabbed my hand tightly.

"Where were you?" I asked.

"I was mingling, talking with random people that came up to me. I'm glad I came to find you."

"Who was that girl?" I asked as we weaved through crowds of people. My words were slurred still, Cato recognized that. He glanced back at me.

"Which girl."

I rolled my eyes, "Too many to count?"

"Stop Kat. What girl are you taking about?" He glances over at me again.

"The girl that was playing with your tie." He pursed his lips.

"A capital freak." He kept his grip on my hand tight.

"And you thought she was pretty?" I sounded like a twelve year old girl. A pathetic twelve year old girl that had a crush on an older boy.

"No. Are you drunk?" He stopped walking and I hit his back. He turned around.

"I don't think so," I said. "Some man helped me get a drink though."

"The same man that was trying to get you upstairs?" I shook my head.

"I think they were two different men. I'm not sure." Cato shook his head.

"I should go back there and kill that coward for touching you." I put my hands on his chest and I watched his nose shrivel up in anger. Something it always does when he's super angry.

"No, now stop making a scene. I think I did that enough earlier," I said and remembered the group of women that laughed at me. He looked down at me and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Did he touch you?"

"No." I didn't want to talk about this anymore. "How about we dance?"

"I don't dance," he said and shoved his hands in his pockets. I felt myself hiccup and he arched any eyebrow at me. "So much for not being drunk."

"Not even with your own girlfriend?" I teased. He smirked down at me. I knew he only said girlfriend just because we're here in the capital. In Snow's mansion you never know who could be listening.

"I guess I can try, for you." I smiled. I took his hand and we walked to the center of the wooden floor where everyone else was dancing too. We stood next to Katniss and Peeta and Cato's hand slipped to the small of my back. I took his big hand in mine and he swayed back and forth.

"Did I mention that you look great?" I looked up at him and smiled.

"You didn't," I said. "You should say that more often." He chuckled.

"You think so?" he asked with a smile on his face. I nodded and smiled back. "You know what I think?" he said. I hummed in response. "I think, I'm dancing with the prettiest girl in the room."

"How lucky you are," I said. He rolled his eyes. "Many boys have came up to me tonight. And I still chose to dance with you." Maybe that was a tad bit of a lie.

"Like who?"

"Finnick." Cato raised his eyebrows at me.

"Finnick's here? I didn't know that." I nodded.

"I thanked him for the medicine." I decided to keep out the part of him offering to sleep with me. Cato's angry side didn't need to come out again.

"How kind of you." I rolled my eyes. I looked up at Cato to see he was looking around, maybe for Finnick.

"He saved my life you know."

"I do know, I was there." I rolled my eyes at his attitude. "What was he doing here?"

"He said he was in the neighborhood," I said. I watched Cato roll his eyes.

"He didn't, ask you anything did he?"

"Like what?" Music came on, signaling President Snow was about to come out. I glanced at Cato to see he was staring up at the house behind us. I guess we're dropping the topic. Everyone started clapping as the lights when on the balcony. I held onto Cato's arm tightly and President Snow walked out. I hope that we convinced Snow, otherwise our families are dead. We, could be dead.

"Tonight, we celebrate their last day of their tour. Four courageous lucky people that are being welcomed into the capital family. And I personally want to congratulate Katniss and Peeta on their engagement." Cato and I looked at each other. Katniss and Peeta are getting married? Everyone started to clap as we looked at Enobaria and Brutus. It seems they didn't know either.

"I hope both of your loves to continue to inspire us for the rest of your lives. Maybe we can look forward to Cato and Katalina can following their footsteps." Snow raised his glass and everyone began to cheer. A loud boom went off and I jumped. It sounded like the cannon in the arena for a second. It was just fireworks going off behind us.

"I think it's time to go," Cato said in my ear. "I need to get out of this nightmare of a night."

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I feel like this is so poorly written but like I lack details in my writing so much. The only way to get better is to practice I guess. I hope y'all enjoyed anyway.
-Megan