Hey guys! So, not one, but TWO bombshells from Jo today! Also, this chapter is vaguely Hangover-esque. I will be posting a new story sometime soon. It is very different.
Sorry for mistakes, they're all mine!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Hunger Games Trilogy or Taylor Swift's Love Story.
Johanna sat still across from me, staring vacantly into the distance, tears streaming down her face, waiting for the bus to come pick us up. It was a beautiful spring day in April. We were surrounded by desert. How did we get there? It was a long story.
"Please, Brainless?" Johanna had asked me, pleading for me to go with her to Vegas for the 2 year anniversary of when I almost hit her with my car. I thought for a moment, I still hadn't brought up her snaking in. This might've been a perfect opportunity to bring it up, given that she thought I forgot about it. I didn't though. I waited again.
She persuaded me to go in three weeks. We also decided to bring along Annie and Madge. She booked everyone a flight from Massachusetts to Nevada. She took me shopping to get new spring clothes, although she didn't put it as delicately. When the day came, Peeta, Gale, and Finn dropped us off at the airport. I assumed they were having their own guys' weekend while we were away.
After getting checked by security, we boarded the plane. In my row sat none other than Glimmer and her best friend, Clove. We had seen each other again since the movies but that didn't mean I wanted to spend almost five and a half hours next to her. For the first hour, all they did was gossip about people I didn't really know and laugh loudly. Then they started talking to me.
"So, Kat," I scowled at her shortening my name, "What have you been up to."
"Nothing."
"Then what are you doing in Vegas?"
"Getting hitched." I replied sarcastically. They gasped anyway. "No, I'm kidding, just going out with some friends."
"How you're not 21 yet."
"I never said I'd be drinking." I lied I planned on it. I had a fake I.D., "And it's not like you are. Why do you know that anyway?"
"I scoped out my competition."
"You really think you're competing with me? I don't think you're the one dating him, so back off of it already!" I replied rather harshly.
"Cato said-" Glimmer started.
"That's because Cato has the hots for you. Now, leave me alone."
She kept persisting, "Cato said he overheard Peeta talking about breaking it off with you." Now she'd done it, planted that little seed in my brain. He wasn't going to break up with me. He loved me, right? Ugh, that was why I never put my heart out to be crushed. He held all of my heart. If he was going to dump me, then why string me along? Was he just using me? No. No, why am I listening to Glimmer of all people? Peeta loved me.
"He's not dumping me." I tried to sound stern and confident, but it came out as pathetic and weak.
"Are you sure about that?" Glimmer leaned over the armrest and spoke very softly.
"Yes." I said and she just chuckled.
"I don't think you are. I don't think you're satisfying enough for the Peeta Mellark. I think he was just playing a game with you, leading you on just to break you."
"I don't think so, he wouldn't do that."
"How do you know?"
"You know what, seriously, leave me alone." I decided to move to an empty seat in front of me, but I could still hear them laughing. I saw another next to Jo. I jumped up again and moved toward her. She looked up in surprise and smiled.
"Brainless!" she saw my distraught expression and the smile dropped from her face. "What's wrong?" When I was upset, she got concerned.
"I just spent the last hour and a half playing the 'Gossip and Manipulation' game."
"You sat next to slutty Glim?" I nodded and she groaned, "I'm so sorry! What'd she say?"
"Cato told her Peeta's going to break up with me."
"Man, that's a serious mind game. How 'bout we get her back?"
"How, I've got nothing on her."
"What about her friend?"
"Nothing." Then she took out a piece of paper from her bag, wrote something down and flagged a flight attendant over to us.
"What can I do for you?"
"Can you give this," She handed the scrap paper to her, "To those gentlemen sitting in those seats?" Jo pointed towards the row behind where'd I'd been sitting. The flight attendant nodded.
"What did you just do?" I asked.
"Played on their insecurities." She answered simply. I then overheard a single question.
"Where'd the beautiful one go?" One of the men that row asked. I heard shocked gasps from Glimmer and Clove and then looked back at Jo.
"I can't believe you did that!"
"I didn't do that! I wrote a corny joke about too much makeup! He was being truthful."
"Liar."
"No, really, I didn't write that." I turned back to the men and they winked at me.
When we left the airport, I got numerous glares from the two girls. We checked in at Bellagio and unpacked. We got our I.D.'s and headed down to the casino. It was beyond crowded. Jo got us drinks and we toasted to the weekend.
I woke with a pounding headache on the floor of our hotel room. Ugh, I hated alcohol. Upon closer inspection, I realized, no, this wasn't my hotel room, but my things were here. I looked out the window and saw the busy streets of Las Vegas. I heard a groan from the bathroom and went toward it. There sat a hung-over Annie and Madge.
"Madge? Where's Jo?" She groaned and mumbled unintelligibly.
Annie instead said, "I don't know."
"Come on, guys. Let's get out of these clothes." We all showered and changed. I was worried about Jo, though.
"Okay," a slightly less messed up Madge started, "Last night, with Jo, we went down to the Bellagio Casino. Somehow, we've ended up at the Luxor." I must've looked confused because she reiterated, "The pyramid looking one." Oh, that one…
"Madge, we should go look for Johanna."
After no success at either of the casinos, I got a phone call from Peeta. I decided to pretend nothing was wrong.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Um, Kat, this is kind of awkward. I woke up at the Bellagio, with Glimmer, weirdly enough."
"What? What room?"
"No idea. Let me check." After a few moments he told me, "243."
"I'll be right there." I hung up and turned back to my friends. "Come on guys, we have some business to tend to." We got in an elevator and, after getting a bit lost, I found the door and knocked on the door. "Peeta, open up."
"Peeta?" Madge and Annie ask.
He opens the door and I storm in, "Glimmer, what the hell are you doing in my hotel room with my boyfriend?" She was lying in the bathtub, half awake. I turned on the water. She shrieked and sat up.
"Katniss?" She looked extremely confused.
"Seriously Glimmer what are you doing in here?"
"I- I don't know, I don't remember." I scowled at her and left the room.
"Peeta, why is it you're here."
"I got a call from you I think. You were saying something sexual, I don't know. We took my private plane out here. I don't remember anything after that."
"Who's we?"
"Finn, Gale, Cato and me." I huffed and wandered around the room, checking closets and other places for Johanna. We left the room after everyone packed. Then we rented a car and went searching for everyone.
Finn was the easiest; he called us just like Peeta did. He was passed out in a booth at a strip club. As uncomfortable as it was to be a woman in there, it was strangely gratifying to have found Finnick. Cato and Clove were easy enough, they were making out in a closet at Glimmer's hotel room. However, it turned to night and there was still no sign of Johanna or Gale. I was so angry I just took the wheel muttering how 'I knew this was a bad idea to begin with' and slammed on the gas pedal. After roaming a while, I got lost in my mind and distracted myself. While turning right, I didn't notice a pedestrian in the road until the last second, pushing the break. I got out, checking to make sure they were okay when I saw a familiar set of brown eyes.
"Brainless?"
"Did this just happen?"
"Yes it did!" We laughed and hugged. I gave her a ride back to the hotel while she told me what happened.
I smiled and asked questions and answered hers. She was ecstatic to have found someone she knew.
"Wait the boys are here?" I nodded. "Why?"
"I don't know." She knew I was lying but let it slip by. When we got to the room, I unlocked the door with the key, inside stood Gale Hawthorne.
"Catnip?"
"Hey when did you get here?"
"I found a payphone and dialed you. You left your phone here so Mellark picked up."
"Well, that's everyone." I heard Peeta say from behind me. I turned and smiled, bringing his lips to mine.
Gale cleared his throat and asked, "Can I speak with you? Alone?" I nodded tugging him outside the room while Jo and Peeta went in. I led him into the stairwell starting to go down.
"What's u-" I started but was cut off by his lips on mine. I immediately jerked back and wiped my mouth, "Gale, what the fuck?!"
"I just had to know if I'd ever have a chance."
"No! Gale, no! I have a boyfriend! You have no right! You could have a shot with Madge but instead you kiss me?! A girl you haven't seen in years?! Is your head not on straight?!"
"I'm not in love with Madge." He said as he tried to take my hand in his.
"And I'm not in love with you!" I yelled jerking away from him. He tried to touch me again, "Get away from me!"
"Just give me a chance." He was still calm; I had no idea why given I was screaming in his face. He tried to kiss my neck then. When I turned him away he cornered me in the corner and started to feel me up.
"Holy SHIT?! Gale, get off!" I pushed him away and ran back to the room. He followed me but I slammed the door first.
"Kat, come on let's talk about this."
"That wasn't talking!" Peeta walked up behind me.
"Katniss, what happened?"
"Katniss, let me in."
"No! Leave me alone!" I backed away from the door and sat in a plush chair.
"What happened, Brainless?"
"Fucking GALE HAWTHORNE happened!"
"Katniss! Let's talk!" Gale shouted through the door.
"Go AWAY!" I turned back to Madge and told her, "Fly back with Annie, Peeta, and the others. Pack your bags. You're staying with me and Jo for a while."
"Katniss what happened?" Everyone stared at me intently and I shook my head absentmindedly. Gale banged on the door and I got worried that he'd get in.
"Peeta, will you distract him for me so I can get by?" He nodded and they all left except for Johanna. "What are you doing?"
"I'm not letting you go back on your own. Or leave you alone for that matter."
"I'm a big girl Jo-Jo."
"Are you sure?" My eyes started watering and Jo's arm slung around my shoulders.
"No."
"What happened, Katniss?"
"He kissed me and then cornered me and started touching me. I ran away before it got too far but I truly think he would've raped me. I was scared."
"It's alright to be scared sometimes." For the second time in her life, Johanna Mason saw me cry. I took some time to calm down but we eventually left the room and rented another car. Halfway to the airport, it broke down.
As if I needed another thing to happen today.
Jo called the tow truck and when he arrived, I told him to bring it to the dealership. He gave us a ride to the nearest bus stop in the middle of a deserted area. She scowled while we waited.
So then, after all the day's events, I asked her, "Why did you sneak into my grandparent's house?" She visibly froze and went rigid. "I want to know, Jo."
"Fine." she said, rather sharply. "My mother died. I went to the will reading."
"Oh, Jo… Why didn't you tell me?"
"Not relevant. I also snuck out to her funeral. I'm not surprised you didn't ask about my dark choice of clothing. I tried to feel sad but, given I didn't really know the woman it was hard. I mean, it's not like she was ever there, so…"
"Jo…"
She burst out then. "She wasn't even my mother! She was a stranger that sometimes lived in the same house as me! When I have this kid I will at least pay attention to it!"
"What did you just say?!"
"What?" She looked at me as if she realized I was listening to her. Wide eyed, she pretended to have not said anything.
"Jo, what did you just imply?"
"Nothing." She shook her head and held her chin high, averting my gaze. I gaped at her. I could see her tear stained cheeks, but she looked forward as if everything was alright.
"You're pregnant?" I whispered to myself more than her. She looked down at the payment and closed her eyes. Another tear ran down, along the paths, others followed. It was a steady stream. "How?" I asked, baffled. "And we've been drinking all weekend!"
"You've been drinking all weekend."
"That's how you remembered everything so clearly." I stated.
"Yep, I was drinking an assortment of water and juices all night."
"You bitch!" I laughed. "How did this happen?"
"New Year's."
"How? Whose is it?"
"I don't know. It was a drunken hook up. I was drowning my sorrows."
"I'm sorry." She's still crying, hormones I suppose.
"The thing is, I'm kind of excited. And now that I have some inheritance I can go through this year of school, buy a house, and get a job. My life sounds great."
I smile and she returns it. "You'll be a great mother."
"No I won't."
"You learned from your parents' mistakes." I smirked.
What did you think? Too much? Too little? I'll have a flashback/vision next chapter! Feel free to review, follow, and favorite.
Love ya!
-RC
