I kinda rushed through getting chapter 11 out, so here is a second attempt at it. Hopefully, it fills out some more details, gives it a little more intensity.

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It bothered her, made her bones ache. It was the entire situation with all of its startling details that nagged her all weekend. Her father had buried himself in the case, and for the moment, had stopped pestering her.

Yet, despite the quietness around Caprice, Katniss felt her unease rising. But could she call it unease? She felt angry, and she could not pinpoint the source of her anger. And in the end, every thread of anger led to Peeta.

So unfortunately, he became the vessel through which she channeled this incomprehensible rage. But with this rage came a longing to go back in time to the one brief moment that she breached his well worn mask and and got him to respond in a more humanistic way. She reveled in her small victory, that she had coaxed him into something spontaneous, tender, yet inflammatory at the same time. And just as soon as she lured this side of him out, he was once again shrouded in deceit.

She did not understand why the murder had occurred. She did not want to because acknowledging it would be acknowledging the fact that Peeta, at some level, was guilty. And she dared not want to learn at which level that would be. Her father believed that Peeta was entirely at fault. He hadn't said that, but he took every chance, every meal, to insinuate that, which bothered Katniss greatly. It was a selfish reason. She had the tiniest of hope that her father would get along with the boy that seemed to hold her mind and body captive. She couldn't call it love, but it was definitely a fascination and a desire. As much as she tried to ignore her father's sarcasm and cynicism of late, it was starting to rub off on her, at least on a more subconscious level.

She stared at her cell phone, evidence of Peeta's desire to be good, or at least do what's good, in the palm of her hand. She wanted so hard to believe in that spark of goodness in him. Oh how she wanted to believe.

And there was the crux of her dilemma. She wanted to believe in this boy who had consumed her mind and heart . . . But she didn't. Monday was going to be an absolute misery.

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Katniss had never seen Eastside High so heated with excitement in all her years there. Even her very own friends were caught up in the hype. The video of Peeta, Clove, and Glimmer had gone viral. All the girls at Eastside could only talk about the steamy make-out session and Peeta's well-toned body while all the boys talked about Peeta's awesome head injury. And all this gossip circulated before any of its main characters were present.

Katniss wanted to bury herself so that she would not have to hear the unnecessarily graphic rendition of sex that did or did not happen in the limo. She could not truly explain the myriad of emotions that she felt. Was she angry at Peeta's other obviously physical relationship? Was she jealous that it wasn't her? Was she worried for his well-being? Or was she anxious about how things are going to pan out with Brutus' death? She, too, was caught in the hype, and her only hope was to be able to see Peeta to resolve her doubts and questions.

Yes, if she could only see him in the flesh, she would make sense of all her doubts and ease her unrest. This statement rang exceptionally true when Glimmer and Clove showed up, their faces smug and arrogant as a dozen girls traveled in their wake, seeking out more juicy X-rated details. The bell finally rang, signaling the beginning of first period. Still, no Peeta. She wondered why his absence surprised her. After all, it was quite obvious that he was a suspect along with Cornelius Snow. Was it so surprising that neither showed up when school resumed?

But then, she spoke too soon. As the school bell rang, she caught wind of the fact that Peeta Snow had just arrived. The school seemed to ignite after that. None of the teachers could keep any of the students focused. Peeta seemed to have bowed out of his first class. Gossip informed her that he was hiding out in the library. Katniss felt an overwhelming sense of pity for him. But that did not ease the heat she felt when the girl next to her gushed about how he would make a decent pornographic star.

That's it. Whether it would ruin their plans or not, she would seek Peeta Snow out this school day and demand the truth. He owed that to her! Especially if she was going to bale him out of his seriously atrocious predicament between him, Crane and Snow. Plus, Cornelius Snow was nowhere to be seen today. Effie Trinket was scanning the hallways alone. Stealing Peeta Snow off during one of her periods should be a cinch.

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Peeta was the most elusive person Katniss had ever known. All she heard were snippets of his appearances in the nurse's office, in the library, in the boy's restroom, and intermittently in the fields. As if that wasn't enough, Clove and Glimmer were everywhere. Every time Katniss turned around, Clove and Glimmer seemed to have amassed an even greater group of admirers. It was no doubt that Clove was proud of the video she put on Youtube. Katniss could not understand. How could they focus so much on the sex and miss completely the fact that Peeta was lured out of the imo, rendered unconscious and dragged off by some lunatic?

Katniss was ready to give up by the time lunch arrived, when she chanced a glance at the gym and locked eyes with Peeta for a brief moment before he disappeared inside, receiving a few congratulatory pats on the back. This was her chance! Katniss stealthily entered the boy's locker room when everyone else had gone off to lunch, leaving the gym deserted aside from its one current resident.

She could hear the shower running and realized that there was a good chance Peeta would not be decent. Strangely, this thought did not give her pause. She continued, so burning with curiosity and questions from the night of the Ball. As she stepped inside, the steam from the hot shower clouded her vision. The air smelled of sweat and shoes. But Katniss was not phased. She spotted the shower . . . and Peeta, with his shirt off, and his back facing her. She couldn't really complain about the view from the back. The muscles were well defined with droplets of sweat gliding down the smooth skin.

She was emboldened by the memory of their shared kiss and stepped forward. As if finally hearing her footsteps, he turned around, a hint of shock in his face. Katniss took notice of the fact that Peeta did not really have any other injuries. If Peeta had gotten into a fight with Brutus, it certainly did not show. There was not a single bruise on his upper body.

However, it wasn't just his upper body that she gazed unabashedly at. Peeta had to be the male version of a siren, luring unsuspecting girls with promise of beauty and sex. And like a siren, he entranced her. Her eyes were locked onto every single muscle that was exposed to her and longed to see the ones that were not. She noticed the water droplets coalescing on his shoulders and running down his pecs and abs. He was sinful to look upon. Yet he stood there, comfortable in his near nude state, neither shying away nor attempting to cover himself up.

For a while, she forgot her initial reason for cornering him in the gym. In fact, she was beginning to think that this was a bad idea. What was it she wanted from him again? He took a step forward, and Katniss felt a feral desire to grab him and kiss him. So she did. She lurched forward, like a tigress ready to consume its prey and attacked him, kissing as if he was her property, and hers alone. He was all too willing, though he had to take a step back to steady himself. Like the one on Friday, this kiss was full of pent up sexual tension, only, Katniss was fueled by images of Clove and Glimmer.

It wasn't enough. Definitely not enough. Her hands began wandering, lust consuming her hormonal teenage brain, making her irrational. She thought she could simply stop once her hands reached the waistband, but then, she was reminded of the video, of Clove's unapologetic advances. No way would she possibly be content with always being one step behind her. On top of that, she wanted proof of their mutual attraction, or to put it in another light, she wanted some physical evidence of having owned a piece of his soul.

So she pulled her hands to the front, and they dipped down, brushing over the thin fabric that covered a muscle she wasn't as familiar with, but that fascinated her. It was soft, but did not stay soft. It was a foreign feeling, but one that electrified her. And the best part, he gave in so easily, not once fending her off.

Katniss only felt triumph. She stroked him, eliciting moans that were sexy and vulnerable. Peeta leaned against the wall for support as she forced him back. She loved the way he caved in to her demands. She pushed herself forward, sandwiching her hand between the two of them. And though she never had this experience before, she brought him to completion. The muscle so tight and hard just a while ago now limp in her hands, separated from her skin his boxer fabric. She had made him wet himself, and that thought made her smug. The evidence was all on his boxers. It was a surrender she had wanted to get from him since Clove had began to put her claws on him. For once, she felt like she dominated this relationship, if she could even call it that. She watched carefully his flushed cheeks and shallow breathing. It was such a feeling of empowerment.

"Katniss," he spoke uncertainly, when he finally caught his breath.

And just like that, her lust turned into rage. Just like how tortured she was during the weekend, at this moment, she felt pulled in two by even stronger forces she could not comprehend. It was like her feelings were magnified when she was near him, and so, the confusion she felt during the weekend felt like they were going to tear her mind apart. Her desire was strong, as is her guilt and rage, and while her intent as she spoke the next few words was to gush about his beauty, the words came out all wrong.

"Is it always this easy?"

Katniss gawked. That was not how she meant to say it. She had meant to say that she was so glad it was this easy for her as opposed to what Clove and Crane had to go through to get him in the mood.

She stared at her hand, moist from his semen, shocked at what had just happened. And what was simply a feeling of empowerment before now felt like a loss of control. She had just felt a boy up and got him to come in the boy's locker room. Katniss felt mortified.

She gazed at Peeta, whose face was a combination of bewilderment and hurt? It was obvious he did not want to answer her question.

It was strange, but that only fueled more of Katniss' angst. So instead of rescinding her question, she decided to continue her course. "Are you ever going to explain what happened with Brutus on Friday, or are you going to continue to play this romance card with me?" Again, her mixed feelings made the statement come out mutated.

Peeta stilled, intent on Katniss' face. The ruddiness had left his features. The strange heat between them a moment ago was momentarily forgotten. He returned her gaze, although more with sadness than with anger. "So are you saying that this thing we have between us . . . is unreal?"

"No, it's real." And she held her moist hand up for Peeta to see. What was wrong with her? What was driving her to this insanity? Was it jealousy?

It was a derogatory gesture, and the anger lit up Peeta's face. "I said what needed to be said. Anything else was superfluous and would not have changed anything."

"So the fact that a man was murdered, that wasn't important?" Her father must have rubbed off on her much more than she had thought, because it was his voice she heard through her lips.

"Brutus was trying to play with the big boys and just got burned. He had his eye on the wrong goods."

Katniss huffed. "You're really good at saying a lot and yet saying nothing at all."

Peeta's look pleaded with her for understanding. "Katniss. He was in your house that night. He cleaned your computer's memory and downloaded the evidence I had sent you onto his flashdrive."

This startled Katniss, enough to temporarily give pause to her irrational rage. "Why? Was he going to give it to Snow?"

Peeta sighed. "Yes. At least that was what he threatened. He was trying to use it against me."

"But why?"

"He wanted something from me, and thought that blackmailing would be more convincing." Peeta halted. He didn't want to finish the thought.

But the curiosity got the better of Katniss. "What then?"

Peeta shook his head, rekindling Katniss' anger. She no longer wanted to be left in the dark. She deserved at least to know the truth if she was going to play along with his master plan.

"What was it?" she demanded.

Peeta slumped his shoulder in defeat. "He's a dirty old mind, and not so much different from Crane, you might say."

Katniss was astonished as she slowly digested what Peeta had just revealed to her. "So you killed him?"

She did not know what compelled her to accuse him, but it seemed like it was the next logical assumption to make.

Peeta looked hurt. "You believe I am capable of murder then?"

The fact that he averted her question did not escape her. But he genuinely looked wounded. "It was a natural conclusion." Katniss did not know why she was judging Peeta Snow so harshly. Was it the fact that her father had showed her such a disturbing video of him? Was it the fact that she could not get the imagery of him, Clove and Glimmer out of her head? Was it that he completely left out the fact that he was injured last Friday to her. With that, she boldly looked him in the eye, daring him to lie to her. Deep down, at some level. Peeta was not innocent. He knew enough of what happened and still kept his silence. He knew a man's death was involved, yet he chose not to cooperate with her father's investigations. And while she was irked with her father's demeanor of late, she was still his daughter. She could not forget who was her true family, not even for the most alluring of boys.

"You saw that video then?" Peeta asked calmly.

Katniss nodded, face stoic.

"You heard the shot. I was with you."

Katniss nodded. "Those things could be staged."

Peeta looked away. It was the closest she had seen to him showing any emotion. Not as dramatic as the video her father showed her, but a little more genuine. When he turned to face her, his eyes seem to well up, but he refused to shed a single tear. He looked betrayed, and all of a sudden, Katniss began to doubt her approach to this mystery. Peeta steeled his features. "Let's just put it this way, his death was inevitable."

"I'm not going to do things just because you tell me to," Katniss hardened.

"No," Peeta shook his head. "You don't have to do a single thing because of me. You'll do it because it's the only way to put the guilty people behind bars." For a moment, Katniss felt her heart sink. There was something about that statement that felt forboding. The heat that they started out with was all but gone. She had ruined the chemistry between them.

And now, she had reached a point of no return. So she did not hesitate to speak the next words. "Did you kill your mother?"

Peeta was as shocked by her question just as she regretted the words immediately as they escaped her lips. She realized that she had crossed a line that she had no right to cross, and she was abhorred by her insolence. Peeta's face paled considerably. Of all the blows that she had dealt to him today, this must have been the worst.

He pumped his fists, perhaps trying to control his rage. And there, Katniss finally bore witness to it. Tears started to fall down Peeta's face, the first true sign of his humanity, of his humanness this very day. He was not as infallible, and the mask of control was not so thick that it could not be broken. When he regained any semblance of composure, he looked fiercely at her. His eyes held hers. She had no doubt the next words that he would say to her were the absolute truth.

"No. It was my actual father that I was trying to kill."

With that, he stormed off, leaving Katniss gaping at the revelation. She pulled her hair, distraught at how this went so wrong, but knowing that she had unveiled one of Peeta's innermost layers. Deep down, his rage was probably one that was cold, one that was dangerous, and one that was deeply buried but not gone. She wept. For if it was another time, another life, she had no doubt that he would be the epitome of good.

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Katniss' legs were deadweights. They dragged for the rest of the day, and for the rest of the week. She did not try to rendezvous with Peeta after that. In fact, she took all efforts to avoid him, though it was not difficult. He was seldom seen in class or in the hallways. Many of the students commented that he was hiding in the library or in the administrative offices again. Apparently, he didn't even show up to Foggert's classes either.

Cornelius Snow showed up once that week, but he rarely left his office. Peeta was never once seen with Snow.

By Friday, Katniss was glad that the week was over. "Hey Kitty Kat," Gale had called out to her as she was walking out from her last period. "It's Friday, let's go to the movies." Gale's cheery face was a wonderful alternative to the doom and gloom she had been drowning in.

Katniss smiled tiredly. "Yeah, I have to admit, that sounds nice." It was true. She was melancholic. She was tired of thinking so hard about Peeta. The emotional roller coaster had drained her.

Gale beamed. "Wait here. I'll get my car."

Katniss wavered. "What about Finnick, Madge and Delly?"

Gale shook his head in mock disbelief. "You really know how to bruise a guy's ego."

Katniss smiled, but it was one full of sadness. "Sorry, being silly. Just kidding. I'll wait for you here."

Gale laughed. "All right. Give me a sec." It was strange. Gale was a totally new person this week, and Katniss could not quite place it. He barely mentioned Peeta. He was rarely morose or jealous. It was refreshing, but at some level, it was concerning.

Katniss stood patiently. She wondered why she couldn't just let things go with Peeta. Here was a boy who was willing to do anything to make her happy. It was quite obvious that every time she was with Gale, things were simple, somewhat joyful, and innocent. And this week had proven that. If only she could be free of all the strings that bound her to that other boy.

And just as that thought crept through her mind, she spotted him near the baseball field. He was alone, his solitary form a stark contrast to the activity bustling around her. It was cold, but he wore a thin shirt. Yet, he did not seem bothered by the cold. He was absorbed in his own little world. He reached for one of the white roses and plucked it off the bush. He must have caught a thorn because he put his finger to his mouth. Within moments, he reached again for the white rose. This time, he was successful.

The next few moments became surreal. All of a sudden, there was a streak of red on its petals. Peeta was too far for Katniss to truly see, but that triggered a memory. While the gossip did die down by the end of the week, someone had mentioned that Peeta was on some blood thinning medication after his leg surgery.

It was Peeta's blood on the white rose! The imagery bothered Katniss quite deeply, but by then, she heard the honk as Gale pulled his car up to her. Katniss reluctantly got into the passenger side, only not before she spied Peeta reaching for another rose, oblivious to the world. She latched on to that memory as Gale pulled the car out of the parking lot.

As she sat in the car listening to Gale happily chat about the movie he was taking her to, Katniss finally realized something. Christmas eve was less than a week away.

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"Katniss!" Gale startled Katniss out of her trance. "You are obviously distracted!"

"Sorry."

"You've said that a hundred times tonight. I was hoping to get your mind off of things. Hence the movie."

"Sorry,"

Gale grabbed her hand. The movie had ended an hour prior, but Katniss still had no idea what it was about. She couldn't even recall the title. "Listen, the investigation is on-going, and there's nothing you can do about it now. Your father will take care of things. You're no expert in the matter. You gotta let it go!"

Katniss looked away, perturbed. "I can't."

Gale grabbed her hand. "Let it go, Katnip. You can't do any more."

"I know. I just . . . it's just . . . time's running out." Katniss blurted out.

Gale froze all of a sudden. "Why is time running out?"

Katniss put her hand to her mouth and groaned. She hadn't meant to let that little bit slip. It was what she was thinking, not what she wanted to say out loud. Katniss shook her head. The fact that she was the only one to hang on to Peeta's secret was driving her insane. She had run through every single action, every single thought over and over. It was like a horror movie that kept on rewinding and replaying. She was exhausted, and she never felt more alone. The burden was consuming her, and she needed an outlet. Still, she made a feeble attempt to shake her head again.

"No!" Gale raised his voice. "No. You don't do that to me. I have been an accomplice to last Friday at the Winter's Ball. I have known you my entire life. You can confide in me. I can't just sit back and watch you shrivel away like this and be a bystander." Gale held Katniss' hands and gazed deeply into her eyes. "Tell me, why are we running out of time?"

And just like that, Katniss fell apart. She had to admit, she needed someone to confide in. She couldn't do this alone anymore. She couldn't tell her father about the evidence in her phone nor could she tell him about Christmas eve, at least not until the time came. Though she did not trust Peeta's complete innocence, she believed in his master plan and his timing.

But after the fight she had with Peeta, her innards were bursting. She needed to confide in someone. She needed to vent some of her frustrations. But she didn't know who or how. She had initially thought of Finnick, but somehow, just never felt right about the timing.

And now, Gale, her closest friend, was opening himself up to her. How could she not let that affect her? So she broke down and told Gale about Peeta's plans for Christmas eve. She told Gale about Snow selling Peeta to Seneca Crane. She told Gale about the paintings Peeta had made of his house, of the people she speculated were his parents. She told Gale about the fact that Peeta would make the final exchange on Christmas eve, exchanging his true father's freedom for his own, and how Snow would likely flee after the transaction was done. She told him how Peeta had saved all evidence on her phone of Crane's and Snow's illegal dealings, and that once Peeta's father was safe, and Snow was captured, to use her phone to locate Crane's yacht where both Crane and Peeta would be after the deal was sealed. The only thing she did not tell him was the steamy sex scene in the boy's locker room the other day. Somehow, that felt too brutally raw to depict into words. Plus, while she did not want to admit it, it was the most amazing sexual awakening she had.

Katniss was done. She felt a huge burden fall off her chest. She looked to Gale, who was intent on memorizing every word she said. "You'll support me then? We have to get the timing right on Christmas eve."

Gale remained uncomfortably silent, and Katniss feared he would refuse. When he finally responded, it was somewhat forced. "Of course, Kitty Kat. I'll help you through it all. In the end, I just want you to be safe and sound. And you know I'll do anything and everything to make sure of that, right?" Something about the way he said it seemed to insinuate at something, but Katniss was too drawn into her world to delve into Gale's insecurities and emotions. So she accepted his statement as one of acceptance.

Gale leaned forward, his kiss a little on the unexpected side. Katniss allowed him this kiss. After all, he had been such a great support, she could not ask for more. The kiss was gentle, but she could not help and compare it to the one she had earlier that week. This kiss was no flames or fireworks. It was merely sweet. And as Gale lingered, the only thought Katniss had was whether she would ever share the fiery kiss with Peeta any more. After all, Christmas eve was only 6 days away.

A little voice in the back of her mind kept on telling her to memorize every emotion and every touch that she had stolen from Peeta that day. And with that, a tear slid down her cheeks, the only evidence that her heart had been lost to a boy who deserved so much more than the evil that surrounded and perhaps pervaded his existence.

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