A/N: Hehe, my first story here. This is a modern day AU story, all written in Clove's POV. Thank you to my beta, PhoenixGrace!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, plots and settings belong to Suzanne Collins. I do not own the Hunger Games. No copyright infringement is intended.

I Never Knew

By kelster07

Chapter 1: Endless Prying and Mini Dresses

"So Katniss, spill about Peeta!" Glimmer demands while taking another sip of the chilled orange juice. We're sitting on the tall stools next to the tall breakfast bar at my house. My older brother is reading the newspaper, probably trying to drown out our excessive laughter; he looks half asleep to me, and my mum's watching the news in the other room.

"What is there to tell?" Katniss tries her best innocent face and I give her the thumbs down. She smiles knowingly when she sees my thumb wedged between a novel under the table. I take a quick peek at it when Glimmer isn't looking.

"We've seen Peeta eying you up at the beach, haven't we, Clove?" Glimmer nudges me.

I give a half-hearted smirk and watch Katniss endure this torture.

Glimmer's been my best friend ever since we met in middle school. Okay, maybe not ever since we met. I still remember when I though Glimmer was a posh, stuck-up little brat like her cousin, Cashmere Pearl. But after that incident in a boxing trial back a few years, where both Cato and I had to be evacuated to the health centre with broken noses and fingers, I grew more and more respect for her.

Glimmer and I are almost polar opposites. She's gossip queen, and I'm someone who likes to fade into the background. Glimmer's beautiful, and me? Not so much. Glimmer gets the attention of the opposite gender, and I don't. Which suits me perfectly well, honestly. But as cheesy as it sounds, our differences are what makes us work together well. In a refreshing sort of way.

Katniss was an outsider when she first moved to this town. She was incessantly shy, almost as badly as me, keeping to herself for most of the time. It wasn't until she got endlessly picked on by Cashmere and her bitch gang, Enobaria, Gloss and Brutus, that we three really started to bond together. We've had our share of silly fights, but we're still really close.

Glimmer continues on relentlessly, "And we also know that you guys went on a-"

Katniss waves her hands around frantically as we quickly rinse up the bowl and glasses. "Yes, we went on a date. Yes, we talked. So like Cashmere says, get over it."

We dry the dishes and run down the hallway into my bedroom, before plopping on the polka-dotted bean bags. I sit on my bed and ask, "And why does Cashmere say that again?"

"Because she has some crazy idea in her head that Cato likes her better than Glimmer, and that everyone should just get over it."

We all laugh, ignoring Glimmer's protesting. Cashmere was Glimmer's utterly mental cousin and mortal enemy. She always went on about how Cato loved her so much. Which is obviously not true. Not even close.

"Speaking of which, what's up with you and Cato?" says Katniss, determined to deflect the conversation off her date.

Glimmer blushes and says, "Nothing. He's just a friend."

I blow a raspberry. "Just friends? I think that's one of the most laughable lies I've ever heard, don't you think, Kat?"

"Says the person who cuddles up with him at every movie night we hold," she shoots back.

I glare at her. "He's my best friend! I don't like him in that way!"

And it's true. Although Glimmer and Katniss were hands down my best friends, I'm also close with Cato. We've been neighbours and have practically known each other since we were in diapers and still crawling all over the damn place.

Glimmer retorts, "So you've cuddled up with Katniss? She's your best friend as well, if you don't remember."

"No!" I pretend to pout, "She's not cuddly enough!"

They both laugh, unzipping their duffel bags. "Ouch."

"Clo! Get your head out of that book! Anyway, back on topic." Glimmer comes over and bounces on my bed excitedly, snatching the book out of my hand and throwing it across the room onto the bookshelf. I wince as it hits the globe on top of my drawers and comes crashing down. "How was your date with Peeta?"

"We just went for dinner and then the movies and we talked. The end," Katniss mutters, but her mask of indifference is given away when her lips bend upwards slightly at the memory.

Glimmer squeals, "Did he kiss you?"

I roll my eyes at her childish excitement, but then suddenly give out a yelp.

"Oi, stop it Glim! You're going to break the bed!" I yell, hearing coils underneath us screech at an alarming pace. She gives me an odd look and I groan, whacking her light-heartedly. Always the inappropriate one, she is.

"That's what she said," Glimmer mutters under the breath. Before she can continue, I lightly shove her and she goes rolling off the bed.

"Oops, sorry." Glimmer grins sheepishly rubbing her head and sitting back down. "So did he kiss you?"

Katniss flushes even more, but gives a small grin. "Yes."

"Yay!" Glimmer and I both jump around on the bed, cheering.

"Our innocent baby Katniss has had her first kiss! What was it like?" Glimmer pounces again and I give her another warning glance.

"Ew, Katniss, don't answer that. Unnecessary mental image," I say.

"You're seventeen, Clove. I think you can deal with a bit of snogging."

While Glimmer and I argue, Katniss ponders for a moment before speaking. "Clove, you know what?"

"What?"

"You need a boyfriend."

I recoil.

"What?" I screech.

She reinstates, "You need a boyfriend."

"No, I heard you the first time."

Glimmer paces around the room, looking me. "You're right, Kat. Clove, you need a boyfriend."

"No I don't." I stubbornly cross my arms. "I don't have time for one, anyway."

Glimmer snickers. "And that, in Clove-language, means that all her choices are dead-end."

I scowl. "I'm not looking for anyone, and frankly, I don't need anyone. That does not mean all my choices are dead-end."

Glimmer ignores me. Then suddenly, her eyes spark up. She excitedly speaks, words rushing out of her mouth, "What about Marvel?"

Before I can respond, Katniss says thoughtfully, "Why not Marvel?"

I make a fake retching noise. "No."

"Why not?"

"Just, no." I shudder.

And I mean it. I know Marvel's not bad looking; he has girls from our school running all over him. According to everyone else, he would also be in the running for nicest guy at Panem High. But I don't know how that would be possible. Since reception, Marvel and I have had a love-hate relationship. Actually, scrap that. Change it to just a hate relationship. He was a phoney toe-rag that I despised with all my heart.

Okay, so some of that might have been because of a certain orange-jelly incident, where a platter in his hand decided to splatter over my head. He still swears it was an accident, even now. But this year, Marvel and I have done a pretty good job with putting up with each other. No, we're not best friends, but yes, we can be two metres apart without one strangling the other. Neutral. Which is a huge achievement.

Glimmer looks up at the plastic clock and yelps, "Oh, crap. It's almost seven. We haven't even got dressed yet."

"Oh, by the way, have you heard that Cashmere's invited to Finnick's?" I say offhandedly, already expecting their wild reactions.

"What?" Katniss and Glimmer's shrieks are probably going to be heard from a mile away. My older brother's head pops into the room.

"Shut it, will you?" He gives me an annoyed look, one of his eyes still half-shut from sleep.

"Sorry."

He gives me one last look before leaving again. It's funny how the conversation continues as if nothing happened.

"Yeah, I know right? Finnick said that he had to invited them to the New Year's Eve party or their parents would have him dead. They are family friends, you know."

"How does Finnick put up with them?" Katniss asks in awe.

"Same way Marvel does, I suppose. You do know that Marvel's dad is dating Cashmere's mum, right?" Glimmer says.

"What!"

"So, I guess we're sticking together tonight. Oh, I would love to see someone throw a pie in her face," I say hopefully, imagining Cashmere's wild yells.

"Well, that's good," Glimmer says slyly. "Seeing what I've picked for you to wear tonight."

She quickly moves away to her bag before I can jump on her.

"We picked? I don't remember the we part of this," Katniss says slowly. "I just remember you picking an outfit and me saying that Clove is going to personally kill you."

Glimmer gives her a cow-eyed face. She looks disturbingly like a kicked puppy when she asks, "What happened to sticking together?"

Katniss smirks. "You're on your own, girly."

I narrow my eyes as Glimmer lifts a garment out of her bag. Then I see what it is.

"No! There's no way I'm wearing that!" I protest.

She's holding up an olive coloured shift dress that I suspect would barely cover my leg.

"Oh, yes you are."

I snarl, "You are so dead, Glimmer Walsh."

Outnumbered two-to-one, Glimmer and Katniss somehow manage to shovel me into it and change fast enough into their own dresses without giving me enough time to peel the horrendous dress off. Nightmare.

"Face it, Clove. That's dress is not even close to what I was going to make you wear." Glimmer says lightly while applying a small amount of eyeliner in the vanity mirror. I give a low growl. This is plenty bad.

Katniss sits on my bed behind me and pulls my long hair into a high ponytail, with a fishtail trailing down. She's wearing a black sundress and wedges. Glimmer has on a cream coloured halter-dress, and her natural curls are cascading down her back, half up, half down. With Glimmer's beady eye on me, I'm forced to apply a sheen of clear lip gloss before leaving. Luckily, no heels.

After they're happy with their make-up, they both simultaneously turn to me.

"Let's go."

A/N: Hmm, so Clove needs a boyfriend. Having matchmaker best friends, plus a meddling author probably doesn't help her case much either. *evil face* Thank you for reading, and please review, I love all types of feedback!