Change Me

NINETEEN

I feel like I got stabbed in the heart, when he doesn't return those words

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I turned around to see one of the other career tributes running towards me. Cashmere appeared around the corner, not spotting her brother. Her eyes set on me. I felt myself tackled to the ground. I groaned as my back hit the hard rock.

Hands went around my neck immediately as this person didn't even try to hit me first. They just went straight for the kill. My poor trachea couldn't take much more, I could thank Thresh for that. I tried everything I could to get this middle aged mother off of me. She had at least four inches on me and about maybe twenty more pounds. I was too weak from not eating much as well.

For the first time during these games I was scared.

"Fuck!" My hands pushed along her face to try anything to get her off.

I kneed her in the area that doesn't shine, as she was on top of me. She groaned and her hand left from around my neck. I gasped for air as I heard someone take care of the job for me. I felt a hand pat my back.

"You okay?" It was Cato. He started to rub my back and I nodded. He grabbed the sides of my face and forced me to look at him. "Say something."

"I'm fine," My voice was groggy. Trachea was probably borderline cracked I'm sure.

"You don't sound fine," Finnick said from behind Cato. "What happened here?" We looked down at the person who was lying face down with Cato's sword in their back.

"She attacked me," I said.

"What's up with your voice though," he said.

"Thresh fucked it up, I don't know," I said and sighed.

"Thresh?" he asked and looked at Cato.

"The last guy to attack her in our past games," he clarified.

"The one that held me against the cornucopia with one hand."

"Oh. Right," Finnick said. "We'll get you some water once we get off this-"

Suddenly the island started to spin. Each of us fell to the ground with a thud. I looked at Cato, fear in my eyes and he nodded at me as a way to reassure me.

"You're okay baby, hang on!" he shouted. I heard a huge clutter of things drop to the ground. I looked up to see knives and swords flying down from the place they were hanging. I let go of one side to avoid a flying black box of who knows what.

"What's happening?" I shouted. Finnick looked like he couldn't hold on any longer. I tried to reach my hand out for him to grab but he was too far away. I returned both hands and continued to hold on as the island continued to spin.

"Grab onto my leg!" Cato shouted. Finnick took ahold of his leg as Cato kept his tight grip onto the rocks. Is this another one of the capitals tricks in here? To drown us? They're sick to just watch us hold on without any help. My heart started to beat faster and faster as I held on for dear life. I looked into the sky, praying for this island to just stop. I heard a scream from the other side and I could feel the island slowly start to slow down.

It finally came to a complete stop. We all slowly stood up as my brain was currently spinning. Cato was at my side, his hand behind my back.

"You okay?" he asked. I nodded and waved him off. I wanna know why the hell that just happened. Is it because they found out that we figured out their plan? Their way to stop views for their stupid show?

But at the same time why is Plutarch making this so difficult for us? Isn't he the one that is supposed to keep us, well Katniss, alive? None of this makes sense.

"You good man?" Cato asked Finnick. I watched as Cato stuck out his hand and helped Finnick up. Which earned Cato a nod.

I can tell he's changing. He used to hate Marvel so much that it would just be bickering between the two of them constantly. Just because Cato didn't trust him or because he got to close to me and couldn't use his words. He wouldn't have stuck his hand out for Marvel, he would've pushed him off the island himself.

"Hey, are you guys good over there?" Finnick shouted. I blinked a couple of times before I followed where he was running to. Katniss was coughing up water, hanging onto the rocks that divided each section out. Johanna ran over to her and patted her on the back. Cato walked past me, over to where everyone else was.

Peeta rushed to her side, and bent down on one knee to help her up. She continued to cough for a couple of seconds and then stood up.

"Let's just gets off the bloody island," Johanna said. "Before something else happens." We all started walking off, Beetee had his coil in hand. Katniss and Peeta walked hand in hand off the rock pathway. I looked up at Cato and he gave me a smile.

"You're changing," I say to him as we reach the sand. He looks at me, I can see it out of the corner of my eye.

"I am?" I nodded.

"It's good," I say. "You're becoming a better person." We sit down at the beach, watching the waves crash.

"You know why?" he asked. I look at him and eventually shake my head. "It's because of you, Kat." I tilted my head to the side. "You're changing me into a good person."

"I don't know if it's because of me, you can choose to change."

"We've spent so much time together lately I think it's that your just rubbing off on me," he said as I felt him put his hand on my knee. I shrugged. "What made you think this?"

"It made me happy to see you reached out a hand to Finnick you know to help him out," I explained. He nodded with a smile.

"As much as I hate being in here, I'm happy it's with you," he says. He caused me to face him, and he handed me something he pulled out from underneath his wet suit. "Haymitch came by, you were already asleep so he just handed me this himself. In case Katniss didn't trust us enough." It was a necklace. "Peeta has the same one apparently." He slowly opened the center as it folded out. It was a picture of him and Roland.

"I don't get it," I said.

"He gave it to me empty," he explained. I slowly nodded. "I thought you could have it, in... in case something happens to me." I looked at him with sad eyes and he shook his head. "This isn't meant to be morbid or depressing, I just want you to always have a piece of me with you."

My heart hurt. This truly opened my eyes to show me that nothing is invincible. We, are not invincible. Katniss and Peeta are not invincible. Even though we know now, that Katniss and Peeta's act, wasn't out of rebellion. It still leaves them and anyone associated with them in a dangerous state. Whether we get out of here alive or not.

My arms wrapped around him tightly, I wanted to cry. I wanted to just lay here with him forever. I wish time could freeze and it would just leave us to be together, forever. I let go of him, and he wiped the tears that I hadn't even known were there.

"Do you love me?" I blurted. He started at me, with a straight face, no emotion. At first I was almost embarrassed of what I had just said. But it's a valid question that needs to be answered. He put the necklace in my hand after a couple of seconds. "Cause I...I love you, Cato. I really do."

"I know you do," He says to me. It felt like I got stabbed in the heart. He gives me this stupid necklace and says to me that he wants there to be a part of him with me at all times. But he can't say I love you back. "I-"

"Guys! Come here for a second!" Johanna shouted. I looked up at her, giving her a thumbs up. I glanced back at Cato and saw he was looking at his hands.

"I guess I don't mean that much to you as I thought I did," I said bitterly and got up, leaving him there on the beach.