That night, we decide that Cato will keep watch, and will let me do it the next. By now, we have already cooked both squirrels on a small, smokeless fire we made, and have stored the uneaten stuff away for later.

"Don't you have loads of food though? Because you're a career?" I had asked him.

He had replied. "I had to get away from the Cornucopia quick if I didn't wanna stay with the pack, and I suspect my popularity plummeted when I left them, cause I haven't recieved a single gift yet."

But he ate the squirrels happily, and without complaint. I smiled whilst watching him chew on the first bit, trying to decide whether he liked it or not.

It doesn't escape my notice that I am warming to him.

But I don't want to think about that right now.

What I do want to think about, is how many supplies the remaining careers have, and how I want to cut them off.

"Hey, Cato?" I say whilst lying down.

Cato, who is in the cave entrance, turns to face me. "What?"

"Do you know where Marvel and Glimmer are hiding out?" I ask cautiously.

Cato turns fully, sighing. "Yeah," he said. "Or I have an idea, anyway. Before the games, when we were discussing tactics, Marvel said the Cornucopia was the best idea, because after the bloodbath we could pick it clean and set up camp there with all the supplies. He seemed dead set on it, so that's where I would say they've taken off to. Why did you want to know?" He frowns, seeing the slight smirk on my face.

"Well, they have all these supplies," I smirk. "And I think it's time we do something about it."

After I say this, Cato smirks straight back at me, leaning forward slightly so I can see just how many shades of blue are contained within his eyes.

"Oh yeah, Everdeen? What did you have in mind?"

☦︎☦︎☦︎

The next morning, we waste no time in formulating a plan.

After a full night of rest on a relatively comfortable surface, I feel the most refreshed I've ever been in the arena, which isn't saying much, but oh well.

As of right now, Cato and I are sitting opposite each other in the cave, going through everything. The aim is simple; steal the career's food and cut off their supplies. Hopefully, after we do that, they'll be weakened.

The only problem is-

"So how are we going to draw them away?"

Cato speaks the same thought I was having, and I falter.

"I don't know," I mutter, clenching my fists and looking down. "We need a some sort of distraction, or bait. Wait, I could-"

"No," Cato stops me before I can get it out.

"What?" I turn my head to look at him.

"No you are not using yourself as bait so we can destroy the supplies," he snaps. "This plan is already risky enough."

I roll my eyes and say. "So what is your suggestion, then? Hmm?"

Cato looks lost for a second, his eyes brimming with confusion and anger. I'm just about to smirk and give him a smart-ass comment when he speaks.

"Fires," he says. "We can build huge, smoking fires, and set them alight so Marvel and Glimmer'll be drawn away from their camp."

I sigh, swallowing the excessive amount of saliva in my mouth before saying. "I still think my plan's better."

"No you don't," Cato smirks. "You think mine's better, Everdeen, and it's killing you inside."

Why the fuck does he have to be so right?

"No," I lie furiously. "But I will say it does have more potential."

Cato's chuckle is deep and low, rumbling from deep inside him. "Whatever you say."

I roll my eyes. "So come on, then. Carry out your plan. Tell me what to do."

He chuckles again, and I force my cheeks not to go red.

"Oh, I have been waiting to hear you say those words, darling."

☦︎☦︎☦︎

Before he says anything else that makes me want to hit him, Cato and I get out the cave and begin to search for leafy, green branches to create two huge smoking fires.

"Right, so you're gonna light these whilst I go and blow up the supplies," I say, as we finish making the first fire; a huge mound of greenery. "Or steal them, whatever works."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold it," Cato says, turning to look at me. "It's me that's going to blow up the supplies, and you're the one lighting the fires."

I snap back quickly. "Hell no, Hadley. If you fucking think I'm sitting back like a damsel in distress, think again."

"Damsel in distress?" Cato smirks. "Everdeen, you're normally the one causing the distress."

I roll my eyes, turning away from him to start getting the rest of the leafy branches for the second fire. "Just shut up. I'm going to blow up the supplies, and you're staying here and lighting the fires. End of."

"No, I'm not letting you go there," slips out of Cato's mouth as he follows me, helping me set up the next fire about twenty metres away from the first.

"Not letting me?" I demand, taking a step closer to him. "What, you think you have some sort of authority over me now?"

"I think," Cato's eyes glitter. "That you should listen to me more."

I scoff. "Then we'd both be getting sent home in caskets."

"Alright then, you go," Cato says airily. "Then it'll be just you getting sent home in a casket, Everdeen."

"Fine by me," I tell him, laying more branches onto the fire. "Now, let's build this properly before we actually do get put in caskets."

☦︎☦︎☦︎

By the time we finish the second fire, my back is aching slightly and my hands are dusty.

"These are gonna smoke like crazy," Cato says, taking a step back and looking at the two tall fires.

"Good," is what I reply with, placing my hands on my hips. "Light them quickly, and don't bother trying to control them, just get out the way so that-"

"-that Marvel and Glimmer don't find me, I know," Cato tells me, looking me up and down. "You sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"No," I say determinedly. "My job's easy, I just have to steal the supplies."

"Yeah, but what if they don't take the bait? What if they double back and find you?" Cato says, his eyes searching mine. "What if-"

"The sky falls in?" I roll my eyes. "It just might, honey, if the gamemakers decide doing fuck all isn't enough, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

He makes a face. "Okay, so then we have some sort of signal. That way if you or I are in trouble, the other one of us knows."

"We don't need a signal," I am more skeptical. "I'll be fine."

"You need to stop being so complacent about risking your life, Everdeen-"

"No, I need you to stop trying to control me-"

"I'm trying to save your life-"

"Well, there's no point cause only one person wins the games-"

"Yeah, and that's going to be-"

"You-"

"No, it's fucking n-"

"URGH!" I shout over him in frustration, silencing both him and the woods. "Listen, Cato, you need to stop doing th-"

I stop abruptly as I realise that I didn't silence the woods. Cato, too, has frozen, both of us completely silent as we turn our heads to the sky.

Because in it are birds. But not just any birds. Birds that are flying about, squawking indignantly in a very good impression of my shout.

"Holy shit," I murmur, my eyes training the birds in the sky. "Mockingjays."

Cato frowns. "Come again?"

"Mockingjays," my eyes connect with his. "They- we have them in Twelve, okay? They're birds that can mimic the sounds you make and play them back to you."

Cato stares at me for a second, trying to comprehend this.

"Listen," I say, as the birds begin to fall silent. In return, I whistle out a small, four note tune that my father taught me. The mockingjays pick up the song instantly, repeating it and spreading it wide. I smile slightly.

Cato lets out a small scoff. "That's alright, Everdeen," he says.

"Yeah?" I raise my eyebrows at him. "Then I think I've just found our signal."

He looks from me to the birds, then to me and back again. I can't help but chuckle on the look on his face.

"That's if you can whistle, of course."

☦︎☦︎☦︎

When it's time to part ways, neither of us quite know what to do. In the end, it's awkward, but it happens.

"I'll see you at our meeting spot for supper tonight, okay?" Cato says, blue eyes searching my face. All I can do is nod. "I would tell you to stay safe, but I know you won't listen."

"No, I won't," I confirm.

Cato chuckles, saying. "I'll see you tonight, Everdeen. Don't be late."

And that's how we leave it. I don't tell him to stay safe, or to be careful, or any of that shit, I just nod and leave.

Cato gave me the rough directions to the Cornucopia this morning, and so that's the way I go as I leave him.

I try not to think about how much my life has spiralled since I entered the arena. I never once imagined I'd possibly owe my life to Cato, nor that I'd team up with him to destroy the supplies. I can't imagine what my family, or Gale, is thinking back home whilst they watch me.

We're both still ignoring the fact that he as good as told me he liked me the night before the games, and we're trying to brush over it completely by the looks of it.

I don't like him. Cato is arrogant, self serving, and idiotic. And I am almost one hundred percent sure he does not like me. I am simply a ploy in his act to win the games, and nothing more.

So why can't I get him off my mind?

By the time I reach the clearing where the Cornucopia lies, I am in turmoil, but I have to shove it all aside for the sake of the mission.

I hear their voices and their loud laughs before I see them. I sneak closer and closer to the edge of the clearing, my light hunter's tread helping me evade their notice, but when I finally catch a glimpse of their camp, I can't help but let a gasp escape my lips.

Their camp is quite luxurious, with tarpaulins strung up over poles to create a sheltered space. They sit on seats under these shelters, their packs and weapons beside them.

Marvel and Glimmer are there, and also another boy, which they must have picked up. I recognise him as the boy from Three, and in that moment I realise he must be their lookout. How he managed to convince them not to kill him, I don't know, but all he holds is a spear. He doesn't look that powerful.

But what I gasp at is not the camp, or the people. It's the supplies.

They lie about twenty metres away from the camp, inside the ring of metal plates we stood on a few days ago when the games began. They're piled up in this huge pyramid, stacked taller than me. I have never seen so much food, so many weapons, so many survival methods. It's a gold mine.

Come on, Cato, light the stupid fires.

"Glimmer! Glimmer, look! Come on, come on, look! Over there!"

As if on cue, Marvel jumps up, pointing to a spot up over my head where I know a whole load of smoke will be billowing above the trees.

Take the bait, take the bait, I silently plead. Take the bait, please...

"Let's go!" Glimmer smirks, slinging her bow and her pack over her shoulder.

"Hey, you!" Marvel marches up to the boy from Three. "Keep watch and don't move until we get back!"

The boy nods, holding his spear tighter in his hands as he watches Marvel and Glimmer take off, running in the direction of the smoke. I can't help but smirk widely as they do. Maybe the careers could outfight me, but I can definitely outsmart them.

I turn my attention quickly to the pyramid of supplies. The boy from Three sits, spinning his spear gingerly in his hand, not even looking at it. I'm ninety percent sure I'll be able to sneak in past him, but I'm not sure as to how I won't arouse suspicion to be able to sneak back out.

I slowly back up, going further into the line of trees as I softly run round the edge of the clearing. I need to get as close as possible to the supplies before I make a break for them.

Eventually, I settle on a point that's around a ten metre run from the supplies. I am quick, and stealthy, and agile, so hopefully I can make it. When I am planning on doing this, however, remains to be seen.

I need to make a plan, the rational part of my brain reasons. Meanwhile, the reckless part urges me to just run. Cato and I calculated it this morning, and we decided that our diversion would be guaranteed to distract the careers for twenty minutes, and would most likely keep them in limbo for half an hour, but we couldn't be sure of much more than that. I've already wasted around five minutes thinking and finding a better place to run from, I can't waste much more.

Right, I think, breathing deeply and slowly. I just need to run for it. Run, steal the food, and bring it back. I just need to do it.

And that's what I decide to do.

Or that's what I was going to do, anyway.

Because just as I ready myself, curling my hand around the handle of one of my knives and locking my eyes in on my target, a hand grabs my arm, and pulls me backwards.