I updated, I know, shock, right? Anyways, thanks to all of you for your amazing reviews, you seriously make my day! Anyways, here is the chapter, I hope you like it, and don't forget t review!
Also, although I am pretty positive we have already established this, I have to say it anyways, I don't own 'The Hunger Games', which is owned by Suzanne Collins.
Previously….
"But I seriously do mean it when I said best friend. You are actually probably the best girl-friend I have ever had" I say, looking down somewhat embarrassed about what should be a harmless confession, but to me, it seems like a life threatening secret.
"And I seriously mean it when I say you are my best friend too" She replies, as she grabs my left hand in her right, in a best friend sort of way, and we wonder on other to the rest of the class, which is huddled in front of Liam, as he opens his mouth and starts to talk.
Peeta POV
The Liam guy has decided to put us into two different groups, one is dedicated to those who may need a little bit of help during the class, and the other, is dedicated to people who should be able to handle it. I am at the front of the latter group, so I turn around to see who else I will be training with, and am pleased to see that Cato, Gale, Finnick and Gloss have all been put into my group, which only makes sense, as we are all on the football team, and we all have muscles, so obviously we will be able to pull back a piece of string. Liam has finished sorting out our groups, and tells my group to go into the room next door, where another assistant will be, while he stays in this room, helping out the other group, so we all go collect our stuff and make our way to the room.
Once we're in the actual room, I re-evaluate the group, seeing who is actually with us, and am surprised to see only one girl, who is standing next to Cato talking in a hushed tone. I presume it to be some flouncy cheerleader trying to flirt with Cato, so I don't give her a second glance, but when I realize Cato hasn't taken on his usual anti-social, un-interested behaviour when he is interacting with the try-hard cheerleaders, I am confused as to who it could possibly be, because I saw Johanna and Annie in the other group. I am still intrigued by the mysterious girl, so I walk other to the two, and join in the conversation, only to realize that the "mystery girl" is just Clove, which should have been obvious, as Clove is the only girl Cato actually happily interacts with, apart from Johanna and Annie, but like I said, I know where they are. I am now in hearing distance of their conversation, and am only catching little bits of each of their hushed sentences.
"She will be here, you saw how she was with Liam, and she told me about some stuff, trust me, she'll be here. Well, she better be, I don't want to hang out with you" she nudges him in the shoulder, or at least as close as she can reach to it, and crumples up her nose "all of class! And plus, I want to see what skills she supposably has" Clove finishes, while Cato is nodding his head slightly.
"It would be good for you, but not for the class, basically all the class will stop what they're doing and check her out" He says, letting of a light laugh, with Clove hitting him in the chest.
"That's my friend you're talking about! And she has only been her for like a day, hardly anyone would even turn to see her, I recon." She huffs.
"Ten bucks says your wrong" Cato states, his eyebrows raised, challenging her.
"You're on" She replies, raising her own eyebrows, while she turns and walks away, as the assistant coach is calling us other to get started. Cato shakes his head at Clove's back, and comes and joins my side as we slowly make our way to the back of the group. The coach starts blabbering on about something, but I'm hoping that it isn't important, as I'm not listening in the slightest, and apparently neither is Cato, as he starts talking to me.
"I'm about to get ten bucks of Clove" He whispers.
"I heard. I will happily check her out if it means you getting paid for it" I reply, with a cheeky grin spreading out across my face.
"Peeta Mellark! Effie would be appalled with your lack of gentleman like manners!" He jokingly states, "And plus, I don't need any help with this ten bucks, you heard what they were all saying in Maths, they were all dying to meet her, so they will most definitely look at her when she enter this room" He says in a matter-of-fact like tone.
"Yeah, but what if she doesn't even come, I mean, I'm pretty sure everybody noticed her lack of muscles, she looked like just skin and bone, and most definitely underfed, I mean, she might not even be thought good enough to make it into this group" I say, with a shrug of my shoulders, to try and act casual, but on the inside, I am hoping she somehow makes it into this group.
"That's what I thought, but Clove is insisting that she will make it, she recons that she will be the best out of the whole group, but I doubt that, that means she would have to be better than all of us guys, and we do have the muscles in our favour" He says, as we are then ushered into one long line, as it seems like we have to be evaluated to make sure we are good enough to stay in this group.
We are all sitting down, with our backs against the wall as, person by person, they go onto the stage to attempt hitting the target; and, if they go well enough, they stay, but if not, well, they have to leave, and join the other group, which has already happened about 6 times out of the 14 that have went. A guy I think is called Thresh walks onto the stage, picking up what should be a big bow, but next to him, it just looks tiny. He shoots, and must be deemed as a reasonable shot as he is to go join the 8 other boys who have passed, and are able to stay in this class. I then see a long pony tail of black hair bouncing as the owner of it walks up the stairs onto the stage. I nudge Cato in the sides, because I know he would want to see whether or not she can stay. I finally get his attention, and nod my head in the direction of the stage and whisper "Clove's up". He nods his head in recognition, and watches his tiny child hood best friend attempt to pick up the bow, which just happens to be taller than her. She sets it all up, with a little assistance from the coach, and releases the arrow, which hits the inside ring, which must have surprised the coach, as it looks like his eyes are going to pop out of his head, because he was obviously not expecting the tiny girl who is now skipping of the stage to shoot so well. About 10 more minutes pass and we have finally gone through everyone, with Cato getting his in the inner circle as well, while the rest of us get the outside ring, which is still deemed as acceptable, as none of us had to go join Annie, Glimmer and Johanna in the other group.
"Okay, so obviously you guys, and girl" he says, glancing at Clove, where she is beaming proudly next to Cato "have got some talent in this area, and do not need any extra att-" The coach was cut off by the back door slamming. He glares up at the interrupter, and says "you're late"
"Sorry, I was talking to Liam about something" A timid voice speaks from the back of the group, who I don't recognise. I notice all the people are staring at the most likely female interrupter. I glance around me, and see Clove slip 10 bucks into Cato's hand, which then makes me realize who the intterupter is, the new girl, Katniss Everdeen.
"Well, what did he want you to say" The coach asks Katniss, rather rudely, but he is probably just pissed that he has been interrupted.
"Excuse me?" Katniss responds, as she drops her bag onto the ground.
"Well you are obviously not here for archery" He replies.
"And what makes you come to that conclusion," she asks, as she makes her way onto the stage, running her fingers over the arrows.
"Well you have barely any muscles, and lack the right posture and strength to do it properly" the coach states, quite rudely, I might add.
"Well, Liam seems to disagree" She states, as she slowly picks up the bow, loading it.
"Miss, could you please go back to your appropriate group, and put the bow down" He says.
"I'm in my appropriate group" She says blankly, her face showing no emotion.
"Miss, I don't want to ha-" He was interrupted again.
"Weren't you ever told not to judge a book by its cover?" She asks, with her face still lacking any sort of emotion, except for maybe boredom.
"Yes but-"
"And what are you doing right now?" She asks again, raising one eyebrow at him.
"Yes, but this is different-"
"Really? How so?" She asks innocently.
"Miss, could you please leave, you are interrupting my lesson" He replies.
"All you had to do was ask nicely" She grumbles, as she drops the loaded bow onto the floor, as she jumps off the stage and grabs her backpack, while trying to keep a smile in as she looks at Clove.
"Sorry about that, now where was I before I got rudely interrupted" The coach asks, as he glares at Katniss' backpack. He then blabbers on for a few more minutes, and is about to send us off on our own, when I hear the back door slam again. Everybody turns around, to see a pissed Liam and a smirking Katniss. They make their way onto the stage with everybody watching their every move. Liam and the coach then get into a heated argument, with Katniss standing next to Liam munching on an apple loudly, making Clove and Gale crack up. After about 5 minutes of the argument, it looks like they have finally finished.
"Aright, I will give her a chance, but if she stuffs up, she's out. And Liam, because you speak so highly of her, I will give her an extra special trial" He says, as he exits the stage, and goes and starts setting up the "extra special" target and stuff for Katniss. I look up on the stage, and can't help but envy Liam, as he is laughing with Katniss, as she has her mouth full of apple.
"Katniss! Get your skinny little ass over here!" I hear Clove shout from a few people to my right, still next to Cato. Katniss turns around, looking for the source of the noise, and when her eyes settle on Clove, she smiles and waves, excusing herself from Liam, as Liam heads in the direction to help the coach set up, as Katniss heads in this direction.
"Ew, yuk, I can't believe you would call out my name" She says, jokingly, still munching on an apple.
"Ew, yuk, I can't believe you would talk to me with apple in your mouth" Clove tries to say, but ends up cracking up laughing, as Katniss opens her mouth sticking her tongue out which is full of chewed up green apple.
"So lady like" Cato says, laughing almost as hard as Clove.
"I know right" Katniss says, at the same time she takes a bit of apple, making them crack up even more.
"So what took you so long?!" Clove asks, on a more serious note "I mean, you left me with them" She states on a less of a serious note, scrunching her nose up.
"Oh god, I am so sorry, I didn't realize that you would have to be seen with these people" She stops to take another bite of her apple "And in public too!" She says, as she chews on her apple.
"Oh yes, because WE are the ones you wouldn't want to be seen in public with" Cato says. I am even slightly jealous of Cato; he even has some sort of friendship with Katniss.
"Thank you! I am so glad that somebody here gets me" She replies, as Liam and the coach call her over to them. "Well, it has been lovely, just please excuse me, it seems that I am wanted" She says, with her mouth full of apple again, making Clove giggle. She walks away, and I notice that basically all the guys are checking out her ass, even Finnick and Gloss.
I watch as Liam and Katniss get in an argument together, about something unknown to us, as we are so far away. After a while, I see Katniss pick up the bow and an arrow, and start walking with Liam in the opposite direction of the target, with Katniss still munching on her apple. They walk a lot further away than from where we had to shot, and I am expecting them to back track a bit, but am shocked as the keep walking to the other side of the hall, which is about 100m long, so they are basically trying to get her to get an arrow into a target from 100m away, which is basically impossible, and there is no way Katniss could get that, I am doubting anyone in our class could even get that.
I watch as Liam and Katniss have another short argument, and then her Katniss call out to the coach.
"Hey! Where's the bin?" She yells, as the coach points at the big wheelie bin a few metres in front of him, with its lid open. I watch as Katniss quickly asks Liam something, but he just shrugs in response. I have to hold in a laugh though, as I watch Katniss roll her eyes at him, as she holds the apple in her mouth, shoving all he archery gear into Liam's hand, as she take the apple back into her hand, and takes two running steps and lobs it into the air towards the bin. Some of the guys around me snort, basically meaning "there is no chance she will even get close to the bin", but those guys are then proven wrong, as the apple goes straight into the bin, which is just your average sized garbage bin, nothing special, so she must have either amazing aim, or amazing luck. I then hear Clove clapping, which is then slowly joined in by Cato, then me, then basically everybody else in the group. Katniss bows jokingly in our direction, before turning back to Liam, who then shoves the gear back in her hands.
Katniss then loads the bow, and is then talking to Liam quickly, but then Liam steps back and nods in encouragement to her, as she takes aim. Katniss releases the arrow, which flies though the air, landing smack bang in the middle of the bullseye. Everybody has their mouths hanging open, or their eyes popping out of their heads, or, in some cases, both. I hear Cato whisper "Holy shit" to Clove, who nods her head. I look at the coach, who is taken aback, but is then brought back down to Earth, only for him to shout
"Lucky shot, do it again" As he smirks.
"Fine" Katniss replies, with a shrug of her shoulders. The coach goes to take out the fired arrow, but is stopped by Liam.
"Leave it there" He calls out. I see Katniss give him a confused look, but it is then gone, and she is nodding instead, as Liam must have explained whatever it is that is running through his head to her, but like I said, it is only an assumption, as I am still too far away to hear any of it.
Katniss then reloads, and takes aim again, releasing the arrow, as it goes flying through the air, it then goes though the centre of the previous arrow, splitting the arrow into half. Everybody is speechless. It is dead quite, as everybody is staring at the two arrows and the target, trying to determine as to whether or not what they saw was real or just their eyes tricking them. I too have not moved my eyes from the target, until I hear Clove and Cato laughing. I look at them and raise my eyebrows, but I just see Cato nod his head in the direction of Liam and Katniss. I look over to them, but end up laughing just as hard, as I see them doing a victory dance of sorts, which is horrible. I watch as they are dick heads in front of everybody, but am the surprised to see Clove jump up and bound over to them and start doing the horrible victory dance with them. Cato, Gloss and Finnick walk over there, and join in to. I watch and can't help but get jealous again as Finnick gives Katniss a massive hug and spins her around, whispering in her ear. I go and stand next to Thresh, who I ask if he wants to go join in with me, he reluctantly agrees, and we walk over there, and Thresh gives her a hi-five while saying good job and whatever else. I go join Cato, who is standing next to Clove, while doing some ridiculous dancing skills. I then see Katniss making her way over to us, and starts squealing with Clove, while they are both jumping up and down together. They stop, while everybody around us is still dancing like idiots, we realize we aren't, and start dancing again, we all start at the exact same time, which just makes us laugh even more. Katniss turns around and starts talking to Liam, who then says he has to go, which makes Katniss whine, saying "no! You can't leave" and other things like that, but as he tries to walk away, Katniss launches herself at him, clinging to him like a koala*, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, locking her into place with her feet.
"You can't leave. I haven't seen you in ages!" She says, frowning.
"I know, but I have a job to do, and I should, you know, probably do it" He says sarcastically.
"Fine, but just know I hate you, and on Saturday I expect to see you. And I don't give a damn if you have left, I don't give a damn if you're out of the country. You are coming to breakfast with me, and we will catch up, no if's, and's, or's or but's, so get other it, you're not getting out of this one" She says.
"I don't want to see you on Saturday" He replies sarcastically, turning his nose up, pretending to be disgusted.
"You will be there, or else I will cut your-" She starts threatening, but only to be cut off by Liam.
"Well, this agreement does seem a little bit on sided, but fine, it doesn't seem like I have a choice in the matter anyways" He says, letting out a breath.
"Good well I will see you then, than" She says, smiling.
"I'll see you then, than" He says.
"What are you doing?! You have job to do mister, so get going!" She says, while letting out a laugh.
"Well bye" Liam says. Katniss tightens her hug around, and again, that stupid jealousy is returning, as much as I don't want it to.
"Cya" She replies, as she stands up again.
"Bye shorty" He says, while messing up her hair, and while she is readjusting it out of her eyes, he makes a run for it, and when he turns around, he just sees Katniss poking her tongue out at him. Katniss turns back around, while still trying to fix her hair.
Katniss just seems to be the life of the party, because as she is fixing her hair, she is then picked up from behind, Katniss squeals, trying to wiggle out of the persons grip, or at least turn around so she can see who the attacker is, but stops, when the attacker says "Nice job, Catnip". Katniss smiles, she smiles a smile I wish I could make her smile, but no, it's Gale that can instead, which, yet again, makes that stupid unwanted jealousy make another appearance.
"Gale, put me down!" She giggles.
"Never!" He says, while manoeuvring her so she is lying down his back like a potato sack.
"Clove! Save me!" She laughs even more, as Clove comes and tries to help, but that just ends up with the two in a fit of giggles.
"For future reference, we should keep those two away from each other in a real crisis" Gale says, to Cato and me.
"A real crisis! What do you call this?!" Katniss shouts from over his shoulder at them, while bursting into another fit of laughter.
"Yeah! What if he farts?" Clove chimes in, making them both crack up, or should I say, crack up even more.
"I'd be dead, that's what would happen!" Katniss says while they laugh even harder than before, which I didn't think was physically possible.
"So…. Can I get down now?" Katniss asks, while twisting her body around Gale's, so she is looking at his face, compared to his ass.
"I guess" He sighs dramatically, as if the task was a lot to ask someone of. He swings her around, and puts her back on the ground.
The bell rings, and all the students start leaving, while Cato, Clove, Katniss and I have to walk back over to the stage to grab our stuff.
"That was pretty amazing. How the hell did you get that good?" Cato asks Katniss, obviously referring to her display of archery earlier on.
"I dunno. I had a lot of free time when I was a kid, I guess" She replies.
"Well I'll say you must have only done archery as a kid" I say jokingly, but when she doesn't reply straight away, I get slightly concerned, but my concerns are put to rest when she finally opens her mouth and forms a reply.
"Yeah, I guess" She replies, as she looks off, completely unaware of what's happening around them. Clove then looks at me, giving me that look that basically is saying "drop it", so I nod my head. Clove gestures for me to go with her, so I follow, as Cato waits there for Katniss, and he will walk with her to lunch. Clove and I head out the door, and head to lunch. We talk about normal things, but just before we enter the cafeteria, she stops at the doors, and looks at me.
"Don't mention childhood to her. Ever again." She says, in a really serious tone, and I can tell that she means it, unlike the silly tone she had earlier when we were talking about unicorns.
"Why?" I ask, as I am just curious.
"Because, unlike ours, hers is fucked up" She says simply, as she pushes open the heavy doors to the cafeteria, and the chatter of all the students takes over my thoughts.
Hope you like it! Don't forget to review! And please say thank you to my wonderful beta, Dedicated Wallflower, a seriously amazing person, and an amazing beta also!
Thanks heaps to all of the anons to, I do reply to all reviews done by people with accounts, but if you want me to reply, just say so in the review!
*Koala. This is from my Australian back ground, and if you don't know what it is, it is basically a really small bear that lives in trees. Look it up if you still don't understand.
Sabine X