"From the day I left I've been saving up so I could see you again." Gale grabbed her hand. "I know we said this wouldn't work out, but I don't really believe we'd just quit like that."
"I didn't think so either." Madge agreed.
"Plus...I kinda wanted to..." Gale knelt down on one knee. "Ask you something..."
Madge slapped a hand over her mouth in shock.
"Gale..." Madge was totally caught by surprise.
"Madge," He pulled out a simple silver ring. "It's a horrible ring-I know-but I hope you except it. It was all I could afford."
"Uh...I-" Her expression would have been amusing if it weren't for the circumstance. She's only in high school. Why would Gale do that?
He quickly understood her confusion. "Oh, it's not an engagement ring! It's a promise ring."
Madge visibly relaxed and relief flooded her body. "Oh my god. I thought you were freaking proposing to me."
He laughed and gave his signature lopsided grin. It was Madge's favorite smile and it sent butterflies throughout her body every time she saw him like that. "That will be put on hold for another time."
"Well I accept the promise ring indefinitely." The blonde smiled and happily watched the silver band slide easily onto her ring finger. Perfect fit.
Just like them.
"I'm still waiting for that one day..."
Madge was confused. "What day?"
He lifted her off her feet bridal style. "The day that I can put a ring on your left ring finger instead."
She shrieked in a girlish pitch. "I'm so glad you're here."
They kissed for the first time in a year.
The dance finally ended, leaving them all exhausted from the three hours of intense partying. As they walked across the school campus to the parking lot, they began to drag their feet. The girls were dying from the heels they were wearing and the guys were ready to rip off their suits from the humidity.
"Okay," JJ started leaning on Thresh. "I feel like my feet are on fire."
"It's 'cause you're so hot, baby." Thresh smirked. JJ giggled and kissed him on the cheek.
Why can't I be smooth like him? Cato thought.
"Here lemme help you." Thresh lifted JJ bridal style and she laughed.
Cato decided it was his turn. "Clove? Need a lift?"
She giggled too. "That would be nice."
He picked her up the same way and they stared at each other. Cato slowly leaned in to kiss her, but Clove put a finger to his lips. "Not now, later." He groaned, but complied.
"Hey Cato!" Thresh called with a smile. "Race you to the parking lot with your girl."
"Oh, it's on!" They all sped off, laughing merrily and yelling the whole way.
Peeta looked to his date. "Kat, did you want me to carry you too?"
She shook her head; she was always the type who preferred to do things on her own. "Nah, I can walk myself. Besides, it's easier to..."
He raised his eyebrows. "Easier to what?"
She didn't answer; she wasn't the type for words. She just put her hands where his shoulders met his neck and slammed her lips against his for a passionate kiss. After a minute, she quickly pulled away leaving Peeta breathless. "What...was that for?"
Katniss nestled her head in the crook of his neck and rested her hands on his chest. Automatically, his arms went around her body lovingly, as they always had. "Just a little thank you. You're always there for me no matter what crap I put you through. And also, that was a small part of your early month anniversary gift."
"It's all worth it as long as I get to be around you, baby." He kissed her gently on the forehead. "I hope we can finish unwrapping that gift when we get home."
She laughed. She was always happier around Peeta. "Definitely, Peets. How...how long as it been?"
He intertwined both of his hands with hers. "Two years 6 months. Hopefully, we can make...hmm...50 years or more together?"
She laughed and pulled him closer with his tie for another kiss. Her phone rang, interrupting the moment. "Hello?"
"Stop making out with your boyfriend and get your butt in the car." JJ said teasingly at the other end of the line. Thresh honked the horn of his car then and the headlights nearly blinded the couple. "We drove all the way to you, Kat. You're welcome."
Once they were on their way, Clove was feeling pretty sweaty from the heat. "You guys want to go swimming at my place?"
"You have a pool?" Cato asked. "I don't remember seeing a pool in your backyard."
Everyone gave amused glances at each other before chuckling. "Typical mainland boy." Thresh laughed.
"We prefer the ocean." JJ explained with a smirk. "It's much more exciting."
"Cannonball!" Thresh and Peeta yelled at the same time and jumped off the pier. Katniss and JJ laughed before gracefully diving into the water to join them.
Clove easily slipped off her dress and shoes, leaving her in only her black bra and spandex. Cato couldn't help, but stare at her natural curves. He shook his head and undressed himself until he was only in his boxers. She couldn't help, but watch the way his toned muscles flexed whenever he moved and how attractive his six-pack was. He caught her red-handed and raised his eyebrows teasingly. "Like what you see?"
She rolled her eyes when he impulsively trailed his line of sight down her body. "My eyes are up here, Brooks."
"Mmhm..." He smirked. "I know."
She scoffed playfully. "Don't be a creep."
He moved closer. "But you like it anyway."
He leaned in to kiss her for the umpteenth time, but she smiled and moved her head to the side at the last second. Cato kissed her cheek anyway. "Why now all of a sudden do you keep trying to make all these advances on me, Brooks?"
He pulled back. "I've wanted to kiss you since I've met you, Braveheart. Give me some credit for waiting a few months at least."
"Well..." Clove started as she snaked her arms around his neck. She gently kissed under his chin and down his neck a few times at a painstakingly slow rate. Surprise and then pleasure spread throughout his body at the feeling. Suddenly, she quickly stopped and backed off. "We can continue that if you catch me before I jump!"
"You're such a tease, Braveheart!" He called as he chased after her.
Needless to say, she was much faster than him.
"I better call Madge and check on them." Clove said after they were done swimming and pulled out her phone. She waited patiently until it went to voicemail. "Hmm...that's weird."
"What?" JJ asked while drying her red hair with a towel.
"She didn't pick up..." Clove dialed again. "She always picks up her phone."
Cato suddenly got that strange feeling that something wasn't right. "Should we go to Thresh's and check on them..?"
"Let me try again. She might be in the shower or something."
No answer. They were beginning to worry that something terrible had happened to the girls. Experiencing a traumatic event such as theirs, led both Cato, Clove, and Katniss to automatically think up of the worst possible situation for Madge, Rue, and Prim.
"Okay, we should go to check on them." Clove stood up from her seat on the pier. "Just in case, yeah?"
"Yeah." Everyone agreed at the same time. They all tried to remain calm and orderly, yet their pace quickened into a tense fast walk. They hopped into Thresh's car and he sped up past the limit.
"Babe, slow down." JJ gripped his arm. "You're gonna get pulled over."
"If there's even a slight risk that the girls are in trouble, I'm not slowing down for even the police. My parents are part of the damn FBI anyway."
"You think we should call the police though?" Cato asked.
"Guys, we all need to relax." Peeta tried to calm everyone down. "We don't know for sure what really happened."
He swerved around the end of the street and stomped on the brake. The car screeched, abruptly stopping in front of Thresh's house.
"Ouch..." Clove rubbed her head. "Remind me not to hitch a ride with you ever again."
Thresh didn't respond; he stared at his house with his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. "Okay, I think we need to call the police now."
"Why?" Katniss asked.
"The lights are off and...I think one of my windows are smashed." Thresh unbuckled his seat belt. "I'm going to go check."
"No, baby." JJ grabbed his arm again. "Just call the police. It could be a burglar with a gun."
"That is a damn talented burglar if he was able to disable my security system..."
Katniss began to panic. "Oh shit! Prim, Rue, and Madge should be in there too!" Peeta grabbed her and whispered in her ear to calm her down.
"Clove try calling her again." Thresh ordered. "They might have gone out to the beach or something."
"At midnight?"
"Just call her, please." His voice was edged with worry.
Clove dialed and waited for a few minutes before shaking her head. "No answer."
"Okay," Thresh pulled out a pistol from a compartment in the car. "I'm going to check on the place."
JJ did not like the idea. "I'm coming with you then."
"No. I'll be right back, baby. I promise." He pecked her on the lips and hopped out the car.
"Oh my god. I should have never gone to the dance." Clove moaned with her head in her hands. "If Prim gets hurt, I will never forgive myself."
Cato soothingly rubbed his hand on her back. "Relax, Braveheart. Everything will be okay."
A few minutes of tense silence past before Thresh returned. Solemnity and pain edged his features, warning the group that it wasn't good. "It's empty, but people had broken in and ransacked the place."
"How do you know it was more than one person?" JJ asked.
"They left different sized footprints on the carpet. At least four or five different..."
"Dammit!" Cato opened the car door and stepped outside. He put his hands on his head as he paced on the lawn ferociously.
"I'll handle this." Clove got out the car and walked up to him. "What's wrong?"
He ran his hands through his hair; pain and anger was all he could feel."Annie was taken away by at least four to six people. The gang or at least part of them must have paid Thresh's house a visit. What if they took the girls?"
"Let's just hope they went out before the house was broken into."
As the police inspected the home, they surrounded the place with yellow caution tape. Since they all knew Thresh and his parents, it was an extremely serious matter. They searched everywhere through the house until a crime scene investigator discovered one small hint of something.
"Mr. Kealoha!" The woman waved him over. "There's something you should see."
Thresh walked over there and she pointed at a little stain on the floor.
Blood.
School will start for me so I won't be able to update as often :(
But keep up the reviews to motivate me to write faster!
Btw, I'm not sure what I should write my next story on... I mean I don't mind doing another Clato story, but I don't know if it would be interesting enough since I already have one here...Feedback please!