"Phee!" The roaring voice scared the young girl awake, "God damnit Phee!" She scrambled from her bed, if you could refer to a battered mattress on the floor as such, even scrapping her knee on the wooden floor as she did. He terrified her, every morning she woke up fearing for her life and if she'd live to see her bed yet again. Every night she'd fear that she wouldn't see the next morning.

She'd struggled to tug her little torn dress over her head while she stumbled around the room. Her heart pounded so hard against her ribcage when she'd heard the thump of cane on the floorboard near his chair in the main room.

She'd heard the squeaking of the floorboards under his feet as he made his way toward the bedroom. Tugging her little boots on she prayed to her mother to keep her safe from his wrath.

Then the door opened and his cane lifted high, "what do you call this Phee?" She held out her tiny little hands, "consequences" and down came the hard edge into her palms which would turn red in an instant.

A harsh memory which burdened her the remainder of the day after hearing Gale utter that nickname. Her father was dead and she would still be still be reminded of him as if it were a curse. A curse Gale would have stoked without intending to. She'd slapped his cheek and followed it by "do not ever, ever call me that again"

Both Cato and Gale had been taken aback by her sudden action and watched as she wandered away back to the elevator. She'd elected to ignore the two the rest of the afternoon, keeping to herself, throwing knives more sloppily than she usually would purposely at the feeling of eyes on her. She heard Glimmers odd comments here and there about her attention seeking, she'd even gone as far to say, "girl on fire, huh?" To which Ophelia would ignore her, "I can't wait to watch her burn"

Ophelia hadn't paid much mind. She had only noticed Gale talking to Haymitch for a very short time. Haymitch who'd stopped the boy to laugh at his red raw cheek which he'd explain and cause the mentor to laugh even more at his expense. Gale had taken to the knife throwing later in the day as if he was baiting Ophelia to join him. She hadn't.

She'd after dinner made her way down to the practice room, Cato hadn't been there and she couldn't deny the tinge of disappointment that panged in her chest. She also couldn't help staring over her shoulder waiting for him to come out of that elevator. After her recent talk with Haymitch about feelings she had been wary of even being near a friend to Cato but that afternoon. When he'd followed her, when he'd made her laugh, when he'd held her wrist and hand the way he did, the way he looked at her. She was damned because she thought for a moment there had been something there. Cato Hadley was not a man who cared for others. She was stupid to believe he'd feel anything for her and even more so for believing he'd help her train.

She's taken back to the punching bag, this time more force than before. More pent up anger between punches. More hard work, more sweat because her T-shirt clung to her torso.

Then she heard it, the door, and despite her mind begging her not to look to him she couldn't help but follow her heart and she turned toward the door.

Though following her heart failed her because it hadn't been Cato at all. In fact it was Gale. She couldn't help but let out a sigh before turning back to the punching bag which had an uncanny resemblance to Cato's face in her head. She heard Gale's awkward laugh before he spoke, "don't seem too excited to see me" she threw one punch, "who were you expecting?" She was aware that he knew damn well who she was expecting but still had the balls to ask, "the least you could do is look at me Ophelia, after smacking the shit out of me" that almost made her laugh.

Turning to Gale she held out her hands nodding toward the gloves for him to remove them. He did as instructed, "I'm sorry about that, if anything makes you look like more of a threat?" She offered hearing his laughter in response, "that nickname—" she almost felt herself shiver, "it doesn't come with very good memories so—"

"Consider it buried" Gale smiled down at the girl, "I promise you I will never say that nickname again" and one glove was removed and placed to the side, "you can tell me you know, only if you want to"

"Maybe one day" her joke was subtle but Gale would pick up on it.

"He's not worth it you know" Gale wouldn't say a name but she knew exactly who he'd been talking about, "he only cares about himself, he's egotistical and beyond irascible—" Cato. He was right in a way, something she should've known but learned the hard way that very night.

"I know"

"You do?" She nodded, "well, good, I'm glad you see him as he is now" her smile would falter, "besides, we have our private sessions in a couple days time, we will focus on that?"

"Of course Gale" she'd smile again as fake as ever while he'd placed the second glove down.

Cato on the other hand had been fuming around his room. He should've known better than to trust Ophelia Fox even if it had only been the tiniest slither to help her improve in some way. This was precisely why Cato Hadley did not trust folk. Clove hadn't asked questions, she'd just heard grunts and yells from his suite.

Hours prior after their dinner he'd bumped into Glimmer who had been as usual very close and touchy. He hadn't really cared much for it but he had wanted to avoid upset between the careers.

"I heard that the girl on fire was the one to leave Gale that wonderfully red mark covering his cheek" the blonde grinned widely up at Cato whilst twirling her hair between her fingers, "talk about damaged" she scoffed, "not that I'm surprised considering her upbringing" that caught his attention and finally he'd looked down at her.

"Her upbringing?" Cato tried not to sound like he cared unsure if Glimmer would notice anyway.

"Terrible shame really, I'd almost feel sorry for her, almost" she smirked as she looked across the room at the district twelve girl who anxiously looked over her shoulder to see her drunken mentor, "mother died young, father was a miserable man until he died, leaving her alone" she nodded up to the taller district two boy.

"How do you know this?" He'd ask.

Gale, she'd spoken to Gale earlier in the week while he'd been strutting around hotheadedly angry about something he'd seen between Cato and Ophelia. Though she wasn't going to reveal that to Cato, just incase he flipped out on the boy like he had done only earlier that day, so instead she lied.

"Cash and Gloss" she nodded somewhat sympathetically, "I'm not really sure how they'd know but they do" she continued to lie through her teeth, "that's beside the point" she waved it off like it were irrelevant but that would be because it was to her, "a lovers dispute I'm sure" she referred back to her smacking of Gale Hawthorne.

"Far from lovers Glim" Cato would laugh at the thought.

"Oh" Glimmers tone had been deliberate, it hadn't been sad like you'd expect but instead like she knew something Cato didn't.

"What is it?"

"Nothing—nothing" even if he could partially see through the act he placed a hand on her shoulder to encourage she tell him, "before dinner, I saw them" she nodded and watched Cato's brows furrow, "they seemed rather—cosy"

"Cosy how?" Cato couldn't help the questions that would fall out, he had been desperate to know if she'd been lying to him, if she and Gale truly were trying to throw the other off and would indeed use this as a doomed love story in the games. Glimmer didn't seem to mind squealing.

"Well their lips seemed rather cosy" she puckered hers after speaking to hunt further at her point, "I think they're trying to have us believe they're not in an alliance or relationship—whatever, I think they know exactly what they're doing" she nodded somewhat thoughtfully, "don't you think?" She looked up expecting to see Ophelia in the far distance but instead she saw someone else.

Gale. Gale who had been listening into her every word, she anxiously awaiting his storming over and setting it straight. When he'd started to make his way toward the pair she panicked slightly until he stood still.

"Excuse me Glimmer, Enobaria called for a meeting after our dinner" and with that he left.

Glimmer would then make her way to Gale who watched Cato walk away, saying nothing which would surprise her.

"Well well" she cooed with a smile, "eavesdropping isn't very polite" she watched as Gale looked around, "you could've told him the truth" she prompted him, trying to see if she had an alliance in him, "could've told him I lied, you chose not to" Gale nodded, "why?"

"He wouldn't have believed me over you" Glimmer couldn't help be bored with that answer and a huff came from her glossy lips, "and—" he cleared his throat, "it's better for both me and Ophelia if they pair of them are not involved in any capacity" he looked to a smirking Glimmer, "and from what I see it's in your favour too" she would nod.

Then the blonde stuck her hand out to Gale raising a brow. An alliance. Glimmer Belcourt and Gale Hawthorne, an alliance based on jealousy and deceit.

Cato hadn't had any contact with Enobaria he just had to take a moment to himself. He hated himself for letting himself get as close as he had, he'd taken to Ophelia Fox and she would now pay the price, Cato was the last person you wanted to play and she had done just that. Now his sword had her pretty little name on it.

Cato had chosen to avoid the girl the following two days in anticipation for their private sessions and scores prior to their interviews one days later. He didn't even meet her eye despite knowing she had been trying to catch his.

Ophelia Fox would pay.