8: Ten Duel Commandments
After school, Peeta slowly walked to the front courtyard, racking his brain for how to defeat Cato without getting killed. He wasn't helped when Katniss greeted him just outside the doors.
"Hey! Are you ready for tonight's show?"
My God, he had forgotten about their second show that evening. He just nodded and kept walking towards Cato. "There's just something I need to take care of first."
Concerned, Katniss followed him. When she saw Cato, she understood.
"Leave him alone, Cato! He didn't do anything wrong!"
"He kissed you, sweetheart. That's wrong in my book."
"Then why aren't you beating me up, too? Because I kissed him back." Katniss challenged with relish.
Cato ignored her. He and some of the other football players formed a ring around Peeta, boxing Katniss out. Now, she started to panic.
"Peeta! Don't do this! Cato, stop!"
Peeta observed his adversaries from all sides, hands poised, ready.
Cato charged him. Peeta sidestepped with the gracefulness of a dancer, tripping the quarterback so that he sprawled into the dirt. Two more players now rushed him from opposite ends. Peeta ducked and scrambled through one player's legs at the last moment, dodging as both boys collided and went down. The last player lunged at Peeta with a raised fist; he dodged so that said fist went right into a tree instead, injuring the player's hand.
Peeta walked away from the injured players, literally without a scratch. He headed for Katniss, who was staring at him in admiration.
"That was easier than I thought," he admitted.
Katniss rewarded him with another peck on the cheek.
