I heard that you have a date with Glimmer tomorrow night," Peeta asks me. It's us again, thank goodness. We're sitting on my patio in plush outdoor, wicker-weave chairs filled with pillows. The fire pit holds a few flames, emitting a small amount of warmth. Peeta sits directly across from me, a warm glow cast on his face. His eyes are a roaring sea with ice gathering along the edges of his irises. The smooth planes of his jaw have a jet-black shadow flickering on them, juxtaposed with his fine complexion. He's beautiful.

"Yeah," I say, with a hand rubbing the back of my head. "It's not that big of a deal though." There is one couch, which sits low on the ground, covered with red cushions. There's a barbecue sauce stain on it that resembles a seagull. I'm so glad Finnick and Marvel had to leave early. Their plates of food were still left on the arms of the large seat, as they left in a haste to catch the school football game.

"You…never told me," he says, a flicker of emotion visible on his face. His voice sounds pained.

I shrug. For some reason, it's so satisfying that he cares about this and will react outwardly on it. "Like I said, it's not a big deal." The fork in my hand is twirled around to push the unwanted kale into small, neat piles on my plate.

I hear him sigh over the crackling of the fire. Our eyes meet briefly for a second before flicking away. "Still…" he murmurs.

It feels like everything has changed, now that we both have a girl to hang with. It's like we're not focused on each other at all anymore. A little hole has opened up in my heart.

"How's Katniss, then?" I ask him. He told me that Katniss asked him to go on a date with her after some brief confession. A brief confession? It'd take me at least a week to get out all of my feelings for Peeta.

"She's good. We just finished up a project today for physics, and tomorrow, she says that she'll take me somewhere," he replies, being all vague. Just a few days ago he would've told me about the when he fucked a girl for the first time. And now he won't share just a little bit of his newfound dream relationship? It thought he'd be more eager to share. He's really tearing me apart.

The fire goes out. We're left in the dark. Peeta and I sit very still for a few moments, before suddenly jumping up to bring all the plates back into the kitchen. I make sure the fire is properly doused out, standing in the dark for a few moments looking at the ashes. Peeta is still in the kitchen, with only one light lit in the vast room; it's the single bulb encased in a striking aluminum fixture above the marble island. I'm fighting the urge to cry outside, trying to not let the tears stain my shirt. Trying to just keep them at bay. I stare at the gray ashes, slowly settling around the fire pit. God dammit, I'm not some priss. Why am I so emotional? What's so different about Peeta being with someone that's so different this time? Last year, he lost his virginity. I felt pretty dejected but I didn't feel like bawling out my eyes. Is it because Peeta truly wants Katniss? This is could be our last year together before going our separate ways, combined with the fact that maybe he'll never know how I feel about him?

That there's a chance his life will fill up with Katniss, and not me? That eventually, I'll be pushed out of the picture?

We're not kids or teenagers anymore. We can drive wherever we want, buy whatever we need. We have a matured sex-drive. Our minds are filled with more important things, like college, jobs, money. Finding a person to love.

There's a light rap on the window. I snap out of depressing, thoughtful world to glance up, seeing Peeta at the kitchen window. I see my mom in the living room a little further away, the television making her eyes glassy. My dad is still in New York, working.

I clear my head for a moment. The lurching feeling of some internal emotional tsunami calms in my stomach and chest. I tilt my head back to prevent any rogue tears from falling. I pinch the bridge of my nose and slap a smile across my face before walking over back into the house.

"You okay?" Peeta lifts his face towards mine, a concerned look on his face. It's so endearing.

"Fine," I reply, hoping he doesn't notice that a saline solution has been leaking from my eyes.

One of his hands grips my upper arm. A terse nod. "Well, I gotta go. But take care."

And that's it. He walks out, the front door gently closing shut.

FRIDAY

At 7:45, I'm supposed to pick up Glimmer from her house. She told me, with one set of claws digging into my wrist again, that the dress code is 'classy-casual'. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I pull on a maroon flannel with a pair of slim-fitting khakis. I think I look decent enough. I swear, if Glimmer-bitch gives me shit on how I dress…

Throughout the day, I endured snide remarks and suggestive looks from my friends. Some gestures were made, displaying that I should 'get it on' tonight. I'm so agitated, so frustrated. I don't know why, but these hostile feelings definitely revolve around Glimmer. I just know two things for tonight:

Glimmer will be wearing a dress that barely covers her tits and ass.

If she decides to strip and have sex with me, I'm fucked (no pun intended) because any straight guy would get a hard-on from her.

One last glance at the mirror. I smooth down my hair in the front before slipping on a pair of shoes and snatch my car keys. I double check her address on my phone and the time—half past seven. With a deep inhale, held for seven seconds, and then a loud exhale, I head out the door.

Three times. Three times I had to stop my car somewhere and calm myself down. Do you realize what the fuck you're doing? You're committing yourself into a relationship with Glimmer. A heterosexual relationship. And I'm in love with someone else, for god's sake. Then I'd put my car in reverse and then swerve into some empty parking lot. Or put on my emergency lights and just let my car sit at the side of the road, trying to calm myself down. I even stopped in front of Marvel's house, which was on the way, trying to see if he was there. I don't know why I had to see him. The enticement to punch him in the face has washed-out long ago. His house was dark anyway for some reason, so I moved on.

By the time I got there, it was 7:49. No amount of deep breaths or eye closing can help me now. I'm already here, headed for trouble. I've already crossed the Rubicon. All I need to do now is put on a seemingly happy, content cover and not act so irritated. With a great deal of courage, I get out of my car and walk to the front door of her house.

I'm about to knock on her door, seeing no doorbell button present, when the giant door swings open. There she is, having anticipated me in a deep green skimpy piece of cloth that yes, displays her cleavage and bum quite well. Once again, the wing-tipped eyeliner. This time, in addition to that, she has on lipstick. She gives a seductive smile with those lips as I lead her to the car.

"You're late," she growls. A hand goes over her lap to smooth down any wrinkles. Then she slides into her seat once I've opened the passenger side door for her.

I don't have anything to say to that remark so I keep quiet. My lungs feel spastic, drawing in shaky breaths of air, then exhaling like a dying, gasping fish. A sweaty hand fumbles with my keys to start the car and slowly but surely, I've calmed down a bit. Her perfume is more floral, like roses and something else I can't name. It smells nice.

"Turn right here. We're going to Madge's place," she informs me. It's crazy that she's sitting right next to me, in the same car. On a 'date'. I wonder what Peeta's doing right now with Katniss.

One steady hand turns the wheel and we veer right onto a scenic street. Expansive stretches of land and majestic foliage surround us as large estates pop up before us.

"So," Glimmer says, as a perfectly manicured hand is placed on my leg, "Do you have any plans…" Here, she looks at me coyly with her lashes lowered. Her hand starts to move up my crotch while my face is burning. "…for me?" What? Do I have any plans for her? Oh, I don't know…

"I, uh…" I laugh as her hand gets dangerously close. With all my effort, I try to concentrate on the road. I really don't want her hand there. It's uncomfortable to the point of where I feel the need to scrub every part of my body down, even though she hasn't made contact with my skin yet.

"Mmm? Yes? We could stop right here you know…pull up where no one can see us," she purrs.

I fucking swear, if she touches my goods, I will leave her at the side of the road, make a U-turn, and go home. "Um, I think I'll pass. Where should I go now?" I sort of place my hand over hers and lift it off of my violated leg. I've slowed down at a red light. It's a four-way intersection.

A pout forms on her face. "Take a left now," she grumbles. For the rest of the ride, she sits back into the seat with her arms crossed. Is she mad that I didn't want to do what she wanted? Why doesn't she persist? Does she usually get her way the first time? I don't know, but I'm glad she stopped her ministrations. It was too close for a comfort, and I readjusted my grip on the steering wheel with a puff of air.

The way she pouts is similar to Peeta. A full, lower lip is pushed out, their blonde brows furrowed. Come to think of it, their hair is almost an identical shade.

When we arrive, I pull up into a looming house. I see two other cars parked in the sprawling driveway, which meets up with a three-car garage. The car is parked, I help Glimmer out of her seat. That's when I see two figures in the window move, and the double door entrance pops open.

"Finally! You guys took long enough! Come on in!" A lithe figure in a red cocktail dress appears, along with a girl partially behind her, hidden. They disappear back into the mansion leaving the door open.

"Well, c'mon then," Glimmer urges me on. She holds out her hand for me to take. I gulp, and slowly slide my hand into hers. It's soft, but cold. Slender, almost bony. Her other hand is grasping a shiny clutch, which I didn't see before.

We slowly go to the open door. There's the sound of laughter and something clinking a little farther off. It's coming from another open door that lets me have a clear view of mahogany steps that lead down, probably into the basement of wonders where everyone is laughing. I'll admit that I'm a little scared to go down there. There could be a huge orgy and my sexuality will be exposed or—

With a big tug, I'm dragged along behind Glimmer. Controlling bitch. My stomach clenches as I'm forced down the stairs and into the basement, which has a bar on one end and a huge lounge setting at the other. There wasn't an orgy, but there was alcohol. I don't do alcohol on the first date. But I agreed to it because I was upset about Peeta's newfound relationship. Anyway, a little whiskey would be nice right now, just to blur everything out a bit right now.

There's Gloss behind the counter, and his twin sister Cashmere. There's Brutus, who's on the football team. I don't really talk to him a lot but we know each other. Chaff is holding hands with Cashmere, and right behind her is Madge. There are multiple glasses on the counter, some full with an amber liquid, some empty with just chunks of ice left. There are multiple unused shot glasses along with some beer. Before I know it, Glimmer is holding a little shot glass.

"Here." A glass is nudged into my hands. It's cold. I look down, thinking it's water, but when I bring it up to take a sip, I realize it's vodka once I smell it. It's a little too strong for the situation right now. I pretend to take a sip, keeping the liquid at bay with pursed lips around the edge of the glass. I don't mind drinking, if I'm with my usual friends like Finnick. But around these people? No way. I don't trust any of them.

Once I place the glass down, I take a scan of the room. Everyone looks…comfortable, nice. I don't know why, considering that we're in someone's basement drinking ourselves until we probably can't walk. I guess they're just dressing to impress, which is stupid, since they're all going to end up barfing on their clothes.

It's quiet down here, it's hard to breathe, and everything is too close. A profusion of cologne and perfume permeate the air. There's an underlying scent of hairspray. Chaff has a blue bowtie on with red stripes. There are lipstick stains on his cheek. Cashmere is saying something to him behind a hand, which has gold chains wrapped across her knuckles from a little purse she was holding. It felt like a very secluded, classy scene at an old fashioned joint. I can see where the 'casual but nice' came from.

A knuckle rapped on a glossy oak table, and Glimmer hops off her high stool. She was tall enough to almost bump her head on the low, wood ceiling, which had low hanging lights that gave off a warm glow.

"I'd just like to say, everyone," she clears her throat, and then attempts at making eye contact with everyone in the room. Her words are slurred; it's obvious that she's a little gone right now. "I'd like to say, that Cato and I are official." She then lets out a giggle and stumbles her way over to link an arm with me.

There's cheering and clapping while what? is the only thing that's playing in my mind. It's literally the first time we've been together, I still hate her with a burning passion, and I'm fucking gay anyway. There's a slap on my back and a wolf whistle. Wait. I, uh, um, I'm not really…

I feel myself trying to speak but an already-tipsy Glimmer throws an arm around and placing a fat, wet kiss on my lips. She smells like a mix of glass, shot glass, and alcohol. My only reaction is to stay very still, almost stiff, and tighten my lips. Meanwhile, I'm thinking that she has a very low alcohol tolerance. We've been here less than twenty minutes and she's already woozy. I mean, damn, I could probably down at least three beers before my words slur.

There's a toast after that lovely kiss. Six glasses go up into the air, my vodka awkwardly following after that. Just how far gone is everyone?

Most of them are still laughing and forming jokes that make sense, words connected at the end, fists pounding the counter top. Rumors fly around, some that make me scoff, some that make me cringe. I don't…feel like I'm involved, that I'm in their type of world. It's like there's a bubble around the rest of them, leaving me on the outside to hear their muted blabbering's. An uneasy feeling settles over me. I pull out my phone to casually check how much time has passed, if I got any messages, emails, etc.

Then, some genius that I don't remember, suggest that we play '7 Minutes in Heaven'. Well, fuck. I fumble for my phone as is compulsively slipped out of my hands.

"Yes! We should definitely play that!" Madge shrieks with glee as she plays footsie with Chaff.

"Alrigh, then someone get paper 'nd a pen. We'll pull names out of, um, this vase right here," Glimmer says. She's kicked off her shoes and her feet are laid over my thighs.

Everything is set up. All of the guy's names were written down, folded neatly, and tossed into a wide-lipped vase. It's ceramic, but all glossy on the outside with intricate patterns.

By this time, I've zoned out and cut myself off from everyone. This isn't really my crowd. The pressure is put off of my legs as Glimmer gets up and throws herself onto the floor where everyone has gathered. I'm vaguely aware of everything going on around me, and when I hear my name, I look up.

"Cato, arn you going ta join?" I hear Glimmer purr. She flips her hair and rolls around on the floor.

I observe. They're all in a circle. A closet door has been opened. 7 Minutes in Heaven huh? Wasn't this suppose to be a date? This is more like '75% Chance You'll Hook Up With Someone Who's NOT Your Boyfriend'. Or, for one person, 'A 25% Chance Incest Will Happen.' My phone is tucked into my pocket. What the hell. I plop myself down between Brutus and Gloss. I can always just fend off whoever I'm with, wait out the seven minutes.

First, it was Madge and Chaff. They probably shoved their tongues down each other's throats as we heard a few thumps come from the closet door, and they come out with swollen lips. I'm bored out of my mind by the time their time is up. 7 Minutes of Hell's more like it.

Then, it was Glimmer's turn to pick. Now I really held my breath. I prayed to whatever god had been watching out for me. Then I prayed to some other god because the previous one had been doing a really shitty job of taking care of me. Finally, one slender, bony hand slides into the vase, and pulls out a piece of paper. I'll admit that I held my breath. She unfolds the paper. There's no other sensation but the immense amount of concentration behind my eyes, the burning in my ears, the tension in my body. My abs are involuntarily clenched so hard that I'm practically vibrating. Please, not me. Anyone but me.

A shriek confirms my doom. Then she makes eye contact with me. Once again, green meets blue. It's scary, how I tremor from her. I work out at least five times a week to build up muscle mass but I still can't stare at her longer than five seconds without a shiver running up and down my back. My mouth feels like it's been stuffed with cotton balls and then every nook and cranny of my mouth and gums was injected with Novocain. Funny thing is, I haven't been this alive all night. No, alive isn't the right word…more like…on edge.

My ears suddenly take every whisper, every clamor, every syllable coming off out of their loquacious mouths. Jewelry got too shiny for my eyes. My fingers are wobbling, my breathing suddenly too loud. There it is again—my stomach flipping over and over, my lungs feeling too shallow yet too deep all at once. Fuck. My. Life.

Before I know it, it's all gone. The vibrant colors. All the cacophony. Me and her. Her perfume. I close my eyes, open them again. It's kind of dark in here. How did I get here? A feeling of panic comes over me. Something vibrates in my pocket. It doesn't stop. Glimmer must've noticed, maybe not. How long has it been? It feels like it's been ages but I know it's hardly a minute. Someone's calling me on my phone. Glimmer's lips brush over mine.

She doesn't stop. Alcohol again. Alcohol and lipstick. How many times have we kissed? Who's calling me, or is something broken with my phone? I reach a hand out to steady myself but I just feel a wall to my right. Oh god. Oh god.

Her mouth moves down my neck. Her hands start to unbutton my shirt. Was this game rigged? In the dimness, I see her peer up to me.

"Tell me that you want me." Her hot breath is close to my jaw, right under my ear. Damn woman, we have seven minutes, not an hour. We're in a closet, not a bed. I'm into guys, not girls.

My phone is going crazy. It has to be urgent. By now, my body is on overload, my mind a messy blur even though I haven't drank anything.

"WAIT! Stop!" I shout. I sort of shove her off of me. She giggles. I reach into my pocket to pull out my phone. This is what I see glowing from my phone:

3 Missed Calls from Peeta Mellark

And two texts from Peeta:

8:19 Cato can you pick me up

8:20 Cato please can you get me at the archery range

I shake my head in disbelief. Peeta needs me. It is now 8:29. It takes me a good long time to register that Peeta might be in grave danger, somewhere in the dark.

"PEETA NEEDS ME!" I dramatically exclaim. Peeta needs me. That's the only thing I need to incite me to push out of that closet.

"It's only been four minutes! Get back in there!" I hear someone call. Screw that. It's up the stairs and to the car for me.

By the time I'm seated in my car, it's finally quiet. My heart is racing. And now, I feel alive. I left behind a discontent, tipsy crowd. So much for that date. It's funny to think that I rejected Glimmer right there. I smile for a brief moment, my hands on the steering wheel, but no idea where to go. It's dark. I didn't know we have an archery range around here until tonight.

I'll just call Peeta.

The phone rings once before he picks up.

"Peeta, are you okay? Where are you? Are you still at the archery range?" I bombard him with frantic questions while peeking at the front entrance of Madge's house. So far, no one's coming after me. I'm pleased. It was just a game. There's no need to make such a big fuss about 'only four minutes'. My mind can't help but wander to what kind of havoc might be wreaking in there.

There's something strange on the other end of the phone. "Y-yeah, I am. Cato, can you hurry?" My mind focuses back to Peeta in a snap.

I jam my keys in. The engine starts to purr. "Peeta, hold on. I will, I just don't know where that is, I'm at Madge's."

"You're at, at Madge's?" There's a loud sniff at the other end. I hear him exhale loudly. Or was that an inhale? His breath sounds ragged, uncontrolled. "Get onto Black Rock. Once you get past the gas station, take a right. Cato—"

I pull out. Okay, from here, I should be able to get to Black Rock. I can always use my phone too. "Yeah Peeta?" There's something in his voice that breaking my heart in two.

"Please hurry." It sounded like a command. He sounded strong, but I can tell his voice was guarded. It was all a façade.

"Peeta, I will. Are you okay?" I pull up to a stop sign and put my phone on speaker.

It sound like static, but I can tell he's sniffing and then wiping his nose over the phone. "I'm fine."

No you're not. I've known you for at least a decade. I can tell if you're sad, happy, angry, surprised, fine. I sigh and rub my face really quickly. I press on the accelerate pedal. "Peeta, talk to me."

There's silence on the other end. Finally, Peeta speaks up. What happened? Is he okay? He starts off quietly, and finally, by the end of the sentence, his voice breaks. Cracks. "Cato, I am so stupid."

"Why?"

Again, the silence. I don't know what he's doing but I imagine him to be shaking his head, sighing, running his hand through his hair.

Well, if he's not going to tell me. "Alright. I took a right at the gas station but where do I go now?"

"…Take your first right." I hear a shuddering sigh.

"Palamar Street, right?" I turn onto a secluded street.

"Yeah. It's a dingy looking building. Lots of trees in front. On your, um…left."

"Got it. I'll see you in a few. Hang in there." I end the call. Oh my god, Peeta…

I finally see it. The building is pretty expansive, along with some more outdoor space. It looks pretty spooky in the dark. Trees in the front cover partially the building, which is still lit.

I see him. He's trudging over. Without a second thought I bolt out of my car, letting the night chill run over me as I make my way to Peeta.

He looks awful. Disheveled, even though I don't have a logical explanation why. He could've had a physical fight, which I highly doubt, or he maybe he shot a few arrows or something with Katniss. Where is Katniss? He's haggard. When I get closer to him, the light from the building shows his shiny face and slightly swollen eyes.

Before I can say anything, Peeta rushes over, face angled down. He clears his throat once, twice, but his voice is still hoarse. "Cato your shirt is open." His fingers fumble up to button up what Glimmer previously undid. That's Peeta for you.

My breath hitches as his cold fingers touch my bare chest. After clearing my head, I can finally form words. "Peeta, it's fine." I grab him by the shoulders. I tilt his chin up with two fingers. "Are you okay?"

We stare at each other for a good few minutes. After the first two seconds or so, I already know that he's far from okay.

"Cato, I did everything you told me to. Make her happy. Do everything for her. Why, Cato? I love her."

I shake my head. "No. No no no. Peeta." A stray tear drips down his face. He must love her a lot. "Don't cry, please…"

"She broke up with me. Katniss said she was only using me for the project. The god damn physics project!" He runs his hands through his hair over and over again. "It's so stupid Cato. I just…why?"

Even through all of his tears and the fact that he looks like a total mess, I think I just fell for him even harder. He is so pure, with such good intentions. It really breaks my heart to see him being used like this. "Peeta, stop. It's going to be alright. Let's go back to my place and we can discuss it there." I place an arm around him and lead him to my car.

"I'm just…so stupid. I should've known. It was all too quick," he says, his sentences punctuated by little hics.

We're on our way back to my house. It's silent for a little bit, just little gasps and hiccups from Peeta. We roll smoothly down the dark road, the occasional car passing by. It's quiet. Serene.

"Cato," Peeta suddenly asks. I cock my head slightly towards him.

"Hm?" I like the way he said my name. It rolled off of his tongue differently, like those four letters belonged on his tongue like smooth streams of silk.

"Cato…I called Marvel and Finnick and they said they were busy. They couldn't get me. But….why are you always there for me when no one else is?"

I sigh, passing a hand over my face. Olive juice, that's why.

AN: I'll just leave it at that ;) sorry for updating a day late, I had relatives over. AND PLEASE REVIEW! This is by far, the longest chapter I've ever written in my entire fanfic life. Peeta's POV will be in the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed this, and your Thanksgiving! xoxo