𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.Cato Hadley

10.

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𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬.
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"Marvel Sanford" а female voice calls out of nowhere.

They start calling us to show what we can do. It starts with the boys and then the girls, which makes me the last person waiting. It couldn't have been better.

Peeta and I are sitting in the back so I can see everyone else. Most of the tributes are visibly worried, the exception being the Careers. They seem eager to show the gamemakers what they're capable of.

As I look around at everyone, Cato turns to look at me. I look back at him and notice his slight smile on his lips.

"9." He mouths it. I know what he means, but this time I just smile. I don't know why this time I find it nice that he wants to see me on the rooftop. Maybe because I manage to distract myself, for a while, from my thoughts about the private training session.

I see Rue and it makes me kind of sick. She shouldn't be here. It reminds me of me when I was 12: so innocent, with parents who love her and are waiting for her to come home. Even if it sounds a little impossible, I hope that if I don't win, she will.

She seems to be getting along with her district partner, who since we've been here I can't stop wondering if Cato or he's stronger. But apparently, this big boy has a special place in his heart for the little Rue. I can see him trying to calm her down and tell her everything will be okay.

For the first time, I see real humanity from someone here. Everyone here thinks only of themselves, including me, but Thresh, Rue's partner, does everything he can to make her feel comfortable.

How did she even get here?

"Cato Hadley." The female voice calls out.

The blond boy gets up and goes with more confidence than ever. His dream finally comes true. If he wasn't such a person, we could be friends, but in such conditions, I can't be friends with anyone.

~•~

I'm alone with Peeta now. We don't say anything to each other because there's no point in straining ourselves even more. My legs keep shaking from the anxiety, I feel like I won't be able to calm down.

A few more minutes pass until Peeta is called.

"Show them how strong you are," I tell him before he leaves. He turns his face to me.

"Thanks, I will. And you... shoot right on target." I nod.

When I'm alone is when I go crazy. Those fifteen minutes that Peeta has, seem like an eternity to me. My stomach hurts from anxiety, I have never been so worried in my life.

At one point I even start counting the seconds like I did when I was waiting for Layla to come to say goodbye. After my painstaking counting, it's finally my turn.

"Melanie Clark."

I take a deep breath and enter the training center. The first thing that catches my eye is the bow that has been waiting for two days to be used properly. When I touch it I feel a slight excitement, like a small child who has received a new toy. I take it and stand in the middle of the hall and select my first target. It's of the standard targets with a circle in the middle and human silhouettes.

Before I aim, I notice that the gamemakers have already gotten bored watching the presentation of the other tributes. Another disadvantage of being last.