A/N: Hello everyone! This is my second fanfic. Please read my first one if you have time! This isn't a sequel but I love people reading my stories! Katniss may – no, will - seem a VERY OOC in this story :)
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Game Trilogy!
Katniss POV
'KATNISS! GET UP!' Prim yells from across the hall.
'PRIM! I'M GETTING UP!' I yell back, not caring who I wake up. I jump out of bed just as Prim bursts through my door, wearing blue and white spotty mini shorts and a pale blue tank top.
'Mum's gone to work, and I want breakfast,' she states, walking over to my desk and glancing at the diamond necklace that lies on top of all my school books.
'Well, you're 12 – get it yourself,' I raise my eyebrows. She ignores me.
'Gale got you this – am I right or am I right?' She stands, hand on one hip, the other holding up the necklace so that the diamond glints in the sunlight, reflecting rainbows on to the walls.
'Yes,' I whisper.
'Katniss!' she whines, 'You said you were going to break up with him!'
'I know,' I say quietly, 'But then he got me this and all our friends were saying how cute we were together and… I just couldn't do it!'
Prim huffs. 'Well, you need to do it sometime!' And with that she places the necklace back on my desk and stalks out the room. I hear her thump down the stairs and I sigh.
Searching through my wardrobe, I eventually find what I want to wear; a short, white lace dress and some open toe cream wedges. I clip on the necklace, sighing softly, and shove all my books in my bag. I make my way down stairs and find Prim making pancakes, a Barbie apron tied around her waist and blonde hair in a high ponytail. I sit at the table as she shoves a pancake in front of me.
'Eat.' She demands. I grin at her and she smirks, raising her eyebrows and glancing down at the pancake in front of me. I shake my head and take a bite of the pancake, and she beams.
Just as I finish, my phone vibrates. I open the text from Annie
Hello! Am I still picking you up lovely? If so wait for me outside your house, I'm just at Madgey-Padgey's xox
Yes please :)xx
I reply instantly, grabbing my bag and running to the door.
'Leaving me again, are you?'
I twist around slowly, finding Prim stood, hands on hips, smirking.
No!' I defend. 'I'm just giving you time to spend with Rue… and Rory,' I say with a wink. I see a flicker of something, love, in her eyes as her cheeks redden, and she giggles softly.
'OK, see you tonight,' she hugs me and ushers me out the door, saying, 'and don't forget about Gale!'
'ANNIE! YOU'RE HERE!' Is the first thing we hear as Annie pulls in to school with me, Madge, Clove and Johanna in the back of her car. As she parks, Finnick runs over to us along with Gale, Cato, Marvel and a boy I don't recognise following behind.
This is our group. We're like a small family, and everyone knows who we are. You'd say we were the populars, also known as the 'careers'. Barely anyone joins this group; we've been together since high school began, and since then only Annie has joined. We don't let anyone in, because it's safer that way.
Finnick was the one who first brought up the joke about us being a family. He said that he and I were the grandparents, since we have always been best friends, and since we created the group. Gale and Madge were the parents because they were second to join. Then Clove, Cato, Glimmer, Marvel and Johanna were the children, and Annie was the baby. Often, that's how we refer to ourselves: 'Grandpa Finn' or 'Mummy Madge'. Because we've always been more than friends, right from the start.
'FINN ODAIR! LET ME GO THIS INSTANT!' The scream snaps me out of my day dream and I notice Finnick swirling Annie round, her feet above the ground. He smirks and drops her, Annie landing gracefully.
'Thank you,' she grins.
'Anytime, milady,' he bows and pretends to doff his invisible hat. She giggles quietly and takes his hand in her own petite one. Finn looks at me and smirks.
'Morning, fire girl,' he chuckles. When I'm not Grandma or Katniss, I'm fire girl, because in our Food Ec. Classes, let's just say I've let a pan set on fire more than once. I smirk back at him.
'Morning, pretty boy.' He chuckles louder at this and everyone laughs.
'So, who's that guy?' Gale asks, sauntering over to me and loosely throwing an arm round my shoulders. I have to force myself not to squirm, because although I'm going out with him, I'm only doing it because Clove said that his reputation would be good for my image. Not that he's any better than me.
Finn beams, looking really proud of himself.
'This right here is Peeta Mellark. He just moved here but, wait for it!' he pauses and holds his hands up dramatically as everyone stifles a laugh, 'he's going to be the head quarterback!'
As our group murmurs, I glance up and Peeta's eyes lock on to mine. They're a beautiful, bright, bewitching blue, with long eyelashes that are hard to find on a boy. I find myself longing to run my fingers through his blonde curls and kiss his full lips. Snap out of it Katniss! You can't think like this. You don't think like this. I look away from him and act as though I'm listening to what everyone's saying, when really, I can't get Peeta out of my mind. Gale looks up at me.
'Is that OK Katniss?' he asks softly.
'What? Oh yes, yes, that's great,' I smile reassuringly, but not having a clue what anyone just said.
'OK, Peeta, we'll keep you,' Johanna grins. Peeta smiles and follows behind us all as we walk in to school and sit down on the black leather sofas in the library. I glance up at the swirly, vintage style clock on the wall. 10 minutes till first period. We were early.
'Right, so what does everyone have today?'
I glance down at my planner and see that I have a free period, maths, art, then two more free periods. Today is one of my lucky days. Very lucky days.
I tell everyone what I have and find out I have art and my last two periods with Peeta, maths with Madge, and my first free with Gale. I sigh quietly, knowing I'm going to have to break up with him now. We wave goodbye as everyone leaves for their lessons and then head to our spot at the back. It's a little room, hidden by a rack of books, which we've decorated. Only the librarian and we know about it.
I place my bag on the floor and go to sit down but Gale grabs my arm and pulls me in for a kiss. I try to pull away but his hands hold me in place, stopping me from moving. After a while the need of air takes over him and he lets me go, and I stumble backwards on to a bean bag.
'Gale,' I say quietly, standing up, 'we need to talk.'
'Oh, no, no, no. Don't 'we need to talk' me!' he says, a look of recognition flickering in his steel grey eyes.
'Please Gale, just listen to me!' I plead.
'For fuck's sake Katniss! You are not dumping me. No way.'
I wince slightly as he curses – he only ever swears when he's in a bad mood or drunk. And my guess is he's not drunk right now. I slowly unclip the diamond necklace, take his hand, and gently place it in his hand.
'I'm sorry,' I whisper, and then silently make my way out, picking up my bag on the way. Barely two seconds later I hear crashing from the room, and, just as I expected, I spot Gale throwing things. It's his way of dealing with the anger.
In the middle of maths, Madge passes me a note.
Did Gale dump you?
No, I dumped him. Why Madgey-Padgey?
Because Katty-Twatty, I know someone who soooo loves you!
:O now now Madge, you should not be swearing at your age! And who?
I'm 16 idiot, I can swear all I like! And not telling :P
Tell me or I'll punch you.
No.
I punch Madge's arm and she squeaks. Miss Trinket looks up and tuts.
'Girls, be quiet and get on with your work!' she barks, muttering, 'manners' under her breath. Madge chucks another piece of paper at me and grins.
Fine. It's Peeta!
WHAT? No. Bloody. Way.
Yes! Did you not see the way he looked at you?
I stare at Madge with wide eyes and she nods, smirking. I shake my head and she nods harder.
For the rest of the lesson, I don't talk to her. I don't talk to anyone. I work and think about Peeta.
Not believing anything.