The Unmatched Beauty (Cato Hadley) - Currently being Rewritten -

Trente et Un

Towards the end of the night, I didn't want to watch the interviews anymore, an emotional and physical drain taking over me. But I knew District 12 was planning something, and I couldn't miss it, not when we were this close to the actual death march. Of course, that meant having to wait for every Tribute to have a turn in Caesar's little mind games. I slightly slouched in my seat, exhausted.

A part of me wished I had followed after Marvel and gone to watch the rest of the interviews in the suite, but the selfish part of me wanted to spend time with Cato. So I stayed backstage, sitting next to the blond brute.

My hand was in his, his palm pressing down hard into my fingers, digging into my bones. I normally would have cried out in pain, but knowing he'd gotten an earful for Brutus just before, and adding on to how unpredictable he could be, I restrained myself. He wasn't paying attention to the other Tributes' talk with Caesar, his gaze flickering between me and the pair from 12.

Peeta and Katniss had this odd distance between them. I cocked my head sideways in confusion. The two had been attached to the hip in training. Actually, no, that was an exaggeration. But they seemed to be the only two people to have formed an alliance besides us, the Careers. And here they were, seemingly doing everything to avoid having to look at each other.

I leaned in to whisper in Cato's ear. "Something's off about their dynamic."

He didn't respond, opting to pulling my weight closer to his. My face ended up buried in the crook of his neck, and I breathed in his scent before sighing heavily. He really was out of it.

Pushing myself off of him slowly, I locked eyes with Peeta, who smiled at me weakly. I returned the favor. Cato, of course, did not miss that.

"What does the rat want from you?" He finally spoke.

"Nothing." I told him truthfully. "We've just had a run in once."

Cato turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"It really wasn't anything. I went for a walk on the roof and he so happened to be there too."

I knew that that wasn't exactly what happened, but I didn't feel comfortable letting Cato know of my personal issues. And to be honest, I don't know if I ever will. I wasn't 100% sure of where he stood with the Capitol. He could leave me, raise suspicion about my loyalty, and quite possibly, he could get me killed. That was, if the Games didn't kill me first.

I cared for him, but I knew that we still didn't know much of each other.

He nodded, slowly. "Alright." His eyes trailed back to Katniss who was moving to go on stage. "Looks like we're almost done."

I wasn't particularly shocked by Katniss' interview. It was predictable, even. She came off as awkward at first, but Caesar knew how to work and spin things in favor of the girl. Her determination was made clear when talking about her sister, whom she volunteered for. And the light in her eyes never died down.

But what had slightly put me off was her stylist's ingenuity. Of course, they must have known how asocial their Tribute was, and they decided to re-spin the whole fire tale. Whenever Katniss twirled, flames licked at her feet, flowing from the fabric of her dress.

All this ensured that she'd be a favorite. Cato's jaw clenched the more he felt his favorability dropping. While the odds were in Cato's favor, and those who loved to bet would probably sponsor him, the Hunger Games was also entertainment, meaning looks and personality also played a huge part.

But the real star of the night had been Peeta.

He wasn't one to really stand out in terms of looks; cute, but still no Finnick O'Dair. But he was charming, he knew how to talk. That wouldn't have bothered me a whole much, no. If only he had not made sure to cement the fact that he and Katniss were the ones to root for.

Whilst Cato and I had opened up a little romance, though accidental of course, Peeta declared his undying love for his District partner, wishing for her to win.

Whatever sponsor was invested in Cato and I's blooming love had been swayed and stolen by the sweet and sincere emotion coming from Peeta's voice.

And of course Cato was furious by the end of it. But not as much as Katniss herself. She lunged at him, eyes glaring bloody murder.

We eavesdropped a bit, soon learning that it was a strategy. It wasn't that hard to listen in: their team had been loud trying to calm down a furious Katniss.

I frowned. Peeta's genuine tremor had led me to believe that his feelings were true. But I might have been wrong.

Cato, however, saw this as an opportunity. "We can use this!" He hissed excitedly, dragging me away so that we were far from anyone else. "She got an eleven, remember? She's the biggest threat out there." He searched my face excitedly. "We offer our protection to Lover Boy," He spat the word in disgust, "and he tells us where she is. He's bound to at least know something. You saw how close they were, right?"

I nodded absentmindedly, still a bit put off by Peeta's 'acting'. Despite the nagging voice and the back of my head, I obliged so.

"Let's do it, I'll tell Marvel tonight, you tell Clove." I rubbed my eyes, still fatigued. "It's a bit too late to convince him to get on our side now, though. We'll have to catch him at the beginning of the Games."

Cato reached to pat my head. "We're gonna be alright." He whispered, stroking a lock of my hair.

I sighed, pulling him closer to me and hugging him tight.

"I sure hope so."

Aaaand SCENE! Does it stress you out that the Games are coming soon? Because I am! I definitely tweaked around a few scenarios and tried writing some out, and I can't wait to show you guys the rest. Just sit patiently!

I can't guarantee the next time I'll post, but it won't be too long, normally. Really it just depends on my sleep schedule and the amount of homework I have (I love drowning in exams).

Stay safe, I wish you the best, and don't forget to vote!

~EmiJinx