Chapter 1
EXT. CLOVES DRIVEWAY – EARLY MORNING 1
WE OPEN to Clove (18), dressed in leggings and a large dark blue hoodie, as she jogs towards the VAN, and gets in, trying -and failing- not to get caught in the drizzle. It gives a bit of a twilight/the novice x-over.
WE FOLLOW THE VAN as it drives through multiple suburban/uptown streets before halting in front of a small mansion. This is CATO’S HOUSE.
CLOVE (V.O.)
This is me. Typical harsh-life, teenage sob-story-blah, blah, blah. Could be worse.
I mean, we’ve all seen this movie before, haven’t we? I’m the one who ignores the whispers of heinous bitch in the hallways.
Except I’m not alone.
Through the rain-bespeckled window, we see Cato (19), in woollen shorts and a t-shirt, come out of the house and run towards the van, with a hiking-backpack and a travelling bag. He puts both in the boot, before rushing to the front and getting in the passenger’s seat.
CLOVE (V.O.)
This is Cato. He might look like your A- typical Highschool asshole, with arrogance issues and the money to allow them.
Cato hands her a travel-mug of coffee.
CLOVE (V.O.)
But I know him. He believes in loving with his whole soul the people who deserve it and destroying anyone who wants to harm what he loves.
They continue driving, Cato fiddles with the radio.
They reach Glimmer’s house. Cato gets out.
CLOVE (V.O.)
Glimmer. Prom-queen and cheer-captain.
Glimmer, (19), curls impeccably in place, rushes towards the van with a suitcase and a strap-on for the thing, both rosé-coloured, a hand over her hair to keep the rain from ruining her hair and make-up. She hands Cato her bags as he -what a gentleman- puts them in the boot and gets in the van behind his seat.
CLOVE (V.O.)
She dumbs herself down in public, to protect herself through the adoration of all those around her, thrown at the mask she puts up, because nobody questions popularity.
Cato hands Glimmer another cup of coffee, a see-through one for her. We see a swirly mix of barely-coffee but loads of caramel and milk in it.
Marvel comes in, claps Cato’s shoulder, gives Glimmer a kiss on the cheek.
MARVEL
Why good morning clover!
Clove glares. He grins.
CLOVE (V.O.)
That’s Marvel. Granted, he’ll come across really obnoxious at first, but he’s not that bad. He cares. Puts up a mask, just like the rest of us. The funny guy. Someone who cracks jokes to shift attention where he wants it.
He's got a backpack with him and puts it to his feet, handing Glimmer a pistachio and Cato a chocolate granola bar. Clove gets one with nuts.
CLOVE (V.O.)
In the beginning it was just the four of us.
Peeta (18), in khaki shorts and a white shirt, climbs into the van, past Glimmer’s seat, who has climbed over onto Marvel’s legs to make space for him.
CLOVE (V.O.)
Then Glimmer adopted Peeta into the group and it just kinda ... went from there.
We arrive at Finch’s House, to hear a dog barking.
Finch (18), dressed in sweatpants and a grey crop-top, is running towards them with brown Border Collie, "Hound", not because of the rain, which has ceased after the sun came up, but simply from following the dog’s tempo.
CLOVE (V.O.)
Finch. I became friends with her after she moved here from FRANCE. Then she and Glimmer hit it off and she was part of our merry little troop.
Finch puts both the dog and her bag in the back of the van – which by now is kinda full.
CLOVE (V.O.)
Not that it worked out, but that’s ... complicated.
Finch gets in on Marvel’s other side, poking his cheek and grabbing Glimmer’s pinkie in hers as hello.
CLOVE (V.O.)
A genius, people call her. We call her an evil mastermind.
We arrive at Thresh’s house, and see him saying goodbye to little sister Rue (13), who seems equal parts excited for him and sad at seeing him go.
CLOVE (V.O.)
Thresh. He’s a good guy. His family’s kind of new in town, but something about him is just... I don’t know, he’s just very calm and self-aware and it makes you like him.
Finch shows the peace-sign to Rue, as Thresh (19) gets in through the boot, because Fuck it, he’d rather cuddle her dog as he gets in the van than crawl over Peeta’s lap and make Glimmer do the same to Marvel.
CATO
Hey, toast, where does Everdeen live?
PEETA
She’s waiting at the bus station near Sae’s.
We continue driving, the sun now shining, as we pass the smaller houses and a tavern -Sae’s- and finally pull up to a bus station, in the middle of several worn-down apartment blocks.
Katniss, (18) with dirty sneakers and a grey sweat jacket, looks up and pulls her headphones from her ears.
CLOVE (V.O.)
Katniss Everdeen. Honestly, I don’t know much about her, except her cousin’s a total dick and Peeta’s got a crush on her, so that’s why she’s coming.
Glimmer gets out to permit Katniss entrance -the difference between the two is overwhelming- and Peeta waves.
Katniss keeps her head down as she sits – a lone wolf.