I'm back with a new Modern day high school fanfic. It's just like I can't shake them off or something, anyways this is based off a movie from the late 90's called "10 Things I hate about you." And that's a adaptation of "Taming the Shrew," by Shakespeare.
If you want to better grasp of the story concept the trailer for the movie this based off of (10 Things I Hate About You) is on YouTube.
Also, this story contains many characters and they all play big parts, and for that reason it had to be in third person. Katniss of course, is our MC.
Thanks to Alycia for suggesting this movie to me. xx
. . .
The wheels of Katniss' rusty old car screech to a halt and she proceeds to curse under her breath upon realizing that she's merely three inches away from running a red light. She constantly getting to caught up in music to remember to pay attention to her surroundings. This is her favorite time of day, when she can roll down her windows and let in the crisp morning air curl its fingers through he braid. The sunlight is golden at this hour of morning and smothers everything in its path with imaginary vibrancy and strong color you cannot hide from, nor want to.
But even this perfect day or her favorite rock song blasting from the car stereo can't make the dark haired girl happy. Ever since she left the house her nerves are on edge and everything has seemed wrong. It started when she saw her younger sister slip past her father and scamper out the door wearing the shortest dress she owns. Prim, her sister, was growing up, and that was fine with Katniss but she was afraid she'd repeat her mistakes and throw herself in the same depressing hole she herself had fallen in. Of course Katniss liked the girl who arose, she was content with whom she'd become but her sister just wasn't meant to take her path. I should have done more, she thinks to herself, all she did this morning was shake her head at Prim, not protest or call her father's attention to it, just a simple sign of her disapproval, that's it.
A car full of girls roll up in the lane beside her and pause their conversations to exchange a glance at Katniss, she returns their looks with a glare of her own. The squeal of guitar coming inside the cab overrides the music coming from the nicer car. They're the first to leave when the light swaps to green.
. . . .
Rory Hawthorne's world slowed down when he saw her, it was like one of those movie's where the guy saw his dream girl and the scene went slow motion for about a minute. Primrose's hair seemingly glowed in the sun rays beating down on the backs of the high school students, this is the moment he's filled with nervous attraction once again. He had felt in crawling under his skin all year, hence he finally grew into his frame and lost his baby fat. He watches grey eyes wild as she crossed through the schoolyard Glimmer on her heels. They were discussing some party, however it was obvious to every male in the school that beautiful Prim would never attend unless a miracle happened, she was too shielded by her father.
"Forget it," Vick, his brother spoke, effectively snapping him from his daze.
"Uh huh, I know," he replied still not fully immersed in reality yet, his eyes were somewhere else and he was thinking of impossible things.
"Really. Everyone in this town knows she's not allowed to date or do anything, it's hopeless."
Prim adjusted her backpack strap and smoothed down her strawberry dress as she conversed with her long time friend who's very like-minded to herself. Out of the corner of his eye he sees his brother give a terse shake of his head.
The infatuated grey eyed boy began to wonder if his chances completely are doomed. It was like finding something you really wanted but being a dollar short of the price, and therefore you had no way to buy it but albeit you still couldn't cease your thoughts of it.
. . . .
Every time Katniss sees Cato she cringes, not just a simple cringe but a deep one that twists your entire face and echoes your disdain. On her way to her first class she always clutches her books to her chest and silently prays that he will be absent from school. It only seems like a once a year occasion, he's always there to make her squirm and feel uncomfortable and make her first class miserable. When he does stay home she swears she could kiss the first person she sees from happiness. Today was no different than the last and he was there to greet her as rudely as possible.
Class begins almost immediately after she arrives, the grey-eyed girl barely has time to hang her back pack over her seat. The instructor Mr. Thresh claps his hands a couple times to grab the students attention. "Everyone what did you think of 'The Sun also Rises.'"
The hand of a girl Katniss has never directly spoken to rises. She's selected since no one else put their hand up, almost instantly words begin to flow from her lips. "I loved it," she cups her cheek in her hand and balances her elbow on the desk ledge. "He's so romantic," she swoons, before pulling up the front of her top. Katniss scoffs at her, she even disapproves of her stupid green and pink shirt that makes her look like a giant watermelon.
The tempestuous girl shifts her body to her, the features of her face ugly like she had just tasted a lemon. "Romantic? Hemingway?" The olive skinned girl clicks her tongue. "He was an abusive alcoholic who squandered half his life hanging around Picasso trying to nail his leftovers."
"As opposed to a bitter self-righteous hag who has no friends?" Cato pipes up.
Katniss haughtily sticks her nose in the air before she turns to meet his eye, face hard. Cato laughs and slaps hands with Marvel his friend who praises him for just about anything
"Knock it off," Thresh calls from the front of the room, in a tone louder than he usually uses. Cato remains smug from his seat in the back.
But Katniss can't let it go that easy, her strong personality just won't let him have the last word. "I suppose in this society being male and a a-hole makes you worthy of our time." Everyone in the room turns to watch the situation escalate. Katniss turns to the front and continues, "what about Silvia Plath or Charlotte Bronte?"
At that moment Peeta bursts through the front door hair in a mess. "What did I miss?"
She spares a glance back at Cato before looking up to Peeta. "The oppressive patriotic values that dictate our education."
"Great," he nods before he pulls the backpack from his sweat plastered shirt and takes the closest seat to the door. He shoots weary looks at the teacher but Thresh must decide to let him off.
"Continue, please."
Six hours later after school has ended Cato pulls up to Prim and Glimmer with his wine red convertible. "Hey sweet things, could I interest you in a ride?"
Primrose feels like her day is a dream or some part of a movie, she's never had such good-looking guys give her attention in her sixteen years of life. He's even a senior, a voice in her mind coos.
From across the parking lot under a shady oak tree Johanna Mason turns to Katniss from the passenger's side of the car. "Look at this fascinating new development. Someone needs to kick that piece of shit in the balls."
The two senior girls watch the younger blondes clamber into the back seats. Cato says something to the girls but Katniss cannot distinguish it or properly read his lips.
She shakes her head, "that's disgusting."
"It is." Jo agrees sharply.
"We shouldn't let this happen-" The ponytail of the brunette swishes as she reach for the handle but Katniss hits the lock with her elbow preventing her from going out.
"No, I'm sure Prim is smart enough to not let that dumb ass touch her, besides this is the first time he's tried this, dad's drilled it into our minds enough not to let them do anything."
The brown eyed girl gives a heavy sigh. "Okay. This can't go much longer. Prim's young and dumb you know."
"I know." Her frown deepens.
The steel feline eyes of Katniss follow the car Prim rides away in, she pushes back the urge to call her little sister and give a firm no. Still resisting the desire to do something she puts the car into drive and takes the longer way home just to avoid Cato. I can't do anything to stop her, she reminds herself as she hits the on switch of her stereo.
Prim arrives home twenty minutes after her sister, and the oldest went five minutes out of her way to drop off her only friend. Prim opts to dash off to her room while Katniss stays to read.
There's a vast difference between the Everdeen girls, it wasn't always that way but things happened and life flickered into it's next stage. The events of a sudden decision weighed down on Katniss and transformed her into a rougher girl with a harsher appearance to everyone around her. The change began at the end of freshman year and by the beginning of her senior year she was undoubtedly someone else. Despite the put downs from everyone she wasn't fazed.
On the other hand her sister Primrose was a replica of her old self, only two years younger she was the most curious, innocent, bubbly girl you could ever find. She desired the teenage dream with a fiery passion, so much that she was relentless and always working at loosening her father's strict reins.
Katniss always wanted to guard her but eventually gave up, it's hopeless no one can possibly dissuade Prim and now she could see that.
At around 4:30 her dad comes home and doesn't even bother changing from his work clothes before he begins working on dinner, he's always done this, her mother is no longer here. The sound of dishes clanking together are comforting to her, it reminds her she is home and only her father is near and therefore it is one of those seldom times it is safe to be herself. Thirty minutes later there's the smell of turkey and thick gravy along with golden mashed potatoes wafting through all the walls of the house. The girl with the long dark braid feels her mouth begin to water in result. After he collects his daughters to eat they sit at the wooden table that centers the dining room. "I'll do the dishes," the older sister says as she picks up her spoon from the neatly laid out paper napkin.
"Thank you darling," father says as he himself begins to eat.
Prim then decides to open her mouth for the first time that night. "Daddy why can I not date?" Katniss internally scoffs at the soft way she asks him, of course she wants to butter him up.
He replies an answer identical to the one he's provided since Primrose had become a pre-teen. "I don't want you to make a mistake that will endanger your future, it's not that I don't trust you but I know the guy's there are not good enough for you."
She protests with swiftness. "Not true dad, I've met some decent ones and it's not fair, so many other girl's date in my class."
"-And they get to end up on sixteen and pregnant," Katniss interjects with a faux sweet tone.
"Katniss! You don't even know what you're talking about. For all we know you're a lesbian, you have never shown as much as a glance to the opposite sex!"
Her words leave a stinging in the older sister's chest, the truth is the older sister knows what she's talking about. All too well.
"She's right Prim," her father stands up for the eldest. "It's better for you, believe me."
"It's not though, how will I ever experience life?" she protests.
"Dad," Katniss interrupt the two's conversation once again. "Please ask her how she got home today."
He turns to her eye's wide as quarter's. "Did you take the bus today like you're supposed to?"
Prim feels instant anger flare up towards her sister, she always ruins good things for her. She turns and gives a pointed look in her direction before returning back to father who's anticipating his daughter's following words.
"Primrose?"
Katniss can tell she wants to spin up a lie but can't, not with her there to correct her if she does.
"Glimmer and I rode home with this very polite and kind boy who happened to have a car and time to spare-"
"Primrose!" he says, shocked. "Do you listen to anything I tell you! You cannot do that, I helped deliver a baby to a fifteen year old this morning. A fifteen year old, and she went to your school! I will not allow you to end up like her. No more of this interaction, I forbid it."
"Polite and kind," Katniss snorts, "Cato is anything but that."
Prim ignores her only sister. "Dad you cannot make me wait 'till I graduate, you just can't!"
A look washes over the features of Mr. Everdeen as an idea arises. "Okay, new rule."
Prim eagerly leans forward, if her father says what she thinks he's about to say she knows that her whole world will be a million times better. She'll be the teenager she sees in movies and models herself after. Her life she knows, will be one patchwork of perfection if she can date and be a normal teen. Finally, she thinks, I've talked some sense into him. He understands how important this is to me.
"Prim can date-" her cheeks hurt from smiling so broadly. "-When Katniss does."
The smile falls from her lips, she feels like her world is crashing around her. Prim rises to her feet in protest rejecting the idea within a second. "But she won't ever, she's weird! And no one could possibly like her, she's so mean!"
"I'm sorry Prim but I cannot stretch the rules anymore than that on something as big as this."
Prim storms up the stairs and buries her face in her pillow, she feels like doing nothing more than crying. Meanwhile, Katniss feels relieved that her father's stressed the topic with her, hopefully now she will back off from Cato.
"Thank you for telling me," her father utters softly as he scoops up some cranberry sauce. "She does not know better."
"I know," she replies feeling her appetite vanish.