Katniss and the Rebels

Chapter 21: Honesty

AN: Guest said they wanted a Madge POV which I honestly hadn't thought about so I tried it and I hope you like it. Lots in this chapter. Madge and Katniss talk as do Gale and Katniss. To the addicted fan who wants more Peeta and Katniss I promise their relationship will grow in the next few chapters and I added a small bit of Peeta/Katniss fluff in this chapter just for you.

The next one will probably be the football game. I just wanted the readers to get to know Katniss and Peeta and their friendship with each other and other people before they got together. And to show how difficult it is for Katniss to trust other people. People really are clinging onto the Katniss and Madge and Gale thing and Katniss feels really bad about it and displays it in this chapter but hopefully this chapter she makes it up to Madge and satisfies all of you.

As always please review and let me know what you think once you've read it.

Katniss POV

I've decided to tell Gale about the date.

Even though it's not technically a date.

The day in the near future where Peeta and I will be going to some sporting event I'll pay absolutely no attention to.

I'm going to tell Gale about that.

If I didn't tell him I would be the very definition of a hypocrite.

My stomach tightens as the guilt rises in my throat as I unwillingly remember what I did.

Shaking my head subtly I attempt to distract myself by my torturous thoughts and focus on Snow's latest tangent.

I'm aware It's silly to be worrying over informing Gale about this.

Truth be told Gale probably doesn't care.

He deserves to know all the same.

Of course going out with Peeta didn't mean anything. She'd gone to events like this with Gale, Thom and Darius several times which meant nothing.

I turn to stare out the window of the boring, bland and stuffy classroom. The sky is dull and a dark shade of grey. I have to squint my eyes before I'm certain it is drizzling as it is so light it is hardly noticeable at first glance.

The classroom is cold as the school has never bothered to install a heating system and right now all I want to do is go home, curl up by the fire and sleep.

Fighting the desire to the shut my slowly drooping eyes and take a nice, leisurely nap on this hard, uncomfortable, wooden desk, I'm snapped out of my daydream of a crackling fire and scolding lamb stew by a low, dooming voice demanding my presence.

"Ms. Everdeen?"

I sharply turn back to face the front of the classroom and at the teacher staring at her through narrowed eyes above his dusty, ancient, black book.

"Ms. Everdeen if you would do us the great honour of gracing us with your attention for the remainder of this lesson it would be immensely appreciated."

Resisting a smirk that threatened to appear on my face I replied somewhat bashfully,

"Yes, Sir."

I felt his gaze watching me throughout the rest of the class.

Shrugging it off I ignored him and went back to my daydreaming, I was well used to his prejudice by now and I've far more important things to worry about.

The cafeteria is significantly less packed today as the sophmore students have gone on a field trip.

I appreciate their absence as it gives me more room to breathe.

The conversation at lunch between the guys and I consists of topics such as Friday night, James and the latest novel Thom read.

I listen and join in the conversation at appropriate moments but my mind is otherwise occupied.

In my heart I know Gale will eventually be supportive no matter what happens with Peeta and I.

I'm just anxious that I'm being too much of a hypocrite.

Which is why I have to tell him.

As soon as possible.

Such as...today.

While Thom and Darius were engaged in a heated debate over something I took my chance.

Leaning over I whisper to Gale,

"Hey, can you come over to mine after school? I kind of need to talk to you about something."

Gale frowned, "Something wrong Catnip?"

I sit up straight again and raise my voice to a normal, non-suspicious tone.

"No, nothing's wrong, promise."

Gale narrowed his eyes, calculating whether or not I'm being truthful.

"Okay, yeah sure."

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a flash of blonde hair.

Madge.

"Hey I'll...eh be back in a minute."

I stand and move to leave but Gale grabs my arm gently.

"You sure you're alright?"

I nod at smile in attempt to lift the worry in his eyes, "Yeah I just need to talk to Madge."

Gale pauses for a second before releasing my arm, "Okay."

Taking a deep breath I slowly walk over to Madge who has stopped at the entrance, watching me.

I've a lot of explaining to do.

And apologising.

Definitely a lot of apologising to do.

Madge POV

Uneasiness, anxiousness and nervousness overwhelms me once I spot Katniss making her way toward me.

I don't know whether to be angry or afraid.

I had always assumed the well-known rumours about Gale and Katniss being a couple were over exaggerated and fake.

Perhaps I was wrong, it would explain a lot.

Katniss had been quite rude that day though yet I suppose I'd always known Katniss never knew when to shut up or how to deal with her feelings.

If Katniss and Gale aren't together then I don't fully understand why she got so defensive when I tried to help him.

Or why she's been practically ignoring me ever since then.

"Madge, can we talk?" her voice is soft and hesitant. The only time I've ever seen her this gentle was with Prim.

I contemplate shortly replying 'no' and storming out but I decide against it.

"Yeah, sure."

We sit at the nearest table opposite one another.

I watch as Katniss fiddles with the hem of her sleeve before finally she looks at me and speaks.

"I'm sorry I know that's not enough but I'm so sorry. I was... a bitch. I really was. I was entirely in the wrong and I know that. It had been such a long day and I was so stressed. There's no excuse and I'm not trying to blame my problems for my horrible actions. I'm just so sorry and I hope you can forgive me."

I watch her guilt ridden expression and I force a soft, forgiving smile.

"Yeah, okay."

Katniss frowns in confusion, "What? Really?"

Sighing I reply, "Yeah, really. You're my closest friend Katniss I'm not gonna alienate you because on one occasion you turned into a regular, jealous teenage girl."

"I..I wasn't jealous of you two..."

"Oh you totally were" I grin "You just enjoy having the hottest guy in school all to yourself."

Katniss's cheeks flame scarlet and I smirk.

"Gale and I aren't like that."

"You're still jealous though"

Katniss groans, "Is this my punishment?"

I grin wider

Oh I could have fun with this.

"Oh yeah, this among many other things. Such as, I want you to come to this football match thing with me."

Katniss eyes widen and gapes at me. Perfect. I've got her.

She despises being social, absolutely despises it, the true test.

"No..."

I raise my eyebrows and fake an innocent, hurt voice,

"But what about you owing me?"

Katniss swallows and turns even redder, "I eh kind of have plans for that day."

I gasp, "With Gale?"

Katniss sighs, brushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear.

"No, not with Gale. I'm going to watch the game with someone else."

"Who?"

"Peeta."

Well no wonder she's been such a mess lately.

"You..you and Peeta?"

"No! Well...I don't think so, it's just a stupid football game. It's harmless."

"Katniss football games are a guy's everything. Well most guys anyway, It's their thing. They go there to enjoy themselves and yell and have a good time. He wouldn't invite you to one if he didn't like you. If he thought he wouldn't have fun with you there he wouldn't have asked you to go."

"Yeah but it's just as a friend."

I wink "One step at a time Katniss, so did you clarify if it was a date or not?"

Katniss frowns, "What? No of course not!"

I sigh, "I suppose it's too late now. You'll find out on the night I guess."

Katniss nods slowly, "Please don't advertise this...I still need to tell Gale."

"Oh I bet you're looking forward to that. When will you tell him?"

"This evening after school."

I grit my teeth, "That should be interesting"

Katniss bites her lip and casts her eyes to the ground, "Yeah..."

We continue chatting for the rest of lunch.

Katniss nervously asks me about my ankle and a wave of relief washes over her face when I inform her it's perfectly fine.

I inquire more about her budding friendship with Peeta Mellark but she is very vague on the details.

The bell shrills through the old, damaged speaker in the corner and my friend and I stand.

"So what's next?" I ask grinning, even though I know what the next class is

"Home Ec. I think?"

I smirk, "Oh brilliant!"

Katniss eyes turn wide, fierce and dark "If you mention anything-"

"Oh don't worry your secret is safe with me"

For the double Home Economics class it turns out I'm the distracted, unfocused one not Katniss Everdeen.

Shockingly Finnick Odair is hard at work.

Writing, researching five-star recipes while I cautiously try and be subtle about my blatant staring at Katniss and Peeta sitting in the row in front of me.

Oh he definitely likes her. The blonde haired boy could hardly keep his sparkling blue eyes off of the brown skinned girl sitting beside him.

Katniss is no better, from this angle I can see that she's smiling at him every chance she gets. An actual, rare, genuine smile so Peeta's feelings are clearly reciprocated.

I'm interrupted from my detective thoughts by the dirty blonde haired boy beside me poking me in the arm with his annoyingly long finger.

"What Finnick?" I ask, slightly agitated

"I don't care how strong your crush is on Everdeen, we need to finish this project. You can stare at your love another time."

I roll my eyes, "I don't like Katniss like that and since when do you care about our project? You've not done much...or any work on it so far."

Finnick's green eyes swim with guilt and he responses softly, "Yeah I know. But I'm trying now and you're completely out of it."

"Yeah, sorry." I turn back to the folder lying open on the table and my stomach tightens with my own guilt as I realise how much work he has done. It's obvious the talkative boy has done a lot of work and research for this assignment outside of the classroom.

Finnick half smiles and I detect a hint of nervousness as my eyes meet his.

"So," Finnick begins breaking eye contact with me and flicking through the pages of the once squeaky-clean folder "I thought we could do the project about a country? Like together you and I choose a country and cook a traditional breakfast, dinner and dessert that comes from that specific country. To make our project stand out you know?"

I can't help but feel a bit surprised about all the thought Finnick had put into this school assignment. I'd never have guessed he would have wanted to spend so much work on something school related. Though I suppose I don't know Finnick all that well, maybe I shouldn't judge him just by what people say about him. I know all too well just how misleading and untrue rumours that fly around this school can be.

I nod and smile encouragingly at him, "Yeah, yeah that sounds great."

Finnick breaks out into a wide smile and hastily he takes out a crumpled sheet from his bag and straightens it out to the best of his ability before handing it to me.

Scrawled in a vertical line in messy handwriting are:

Chinese

Mexican

British

Italian

French

From the corner of my eye I spot Finnick scratching behind his ear nervously,

"These are some of the foods I was thinking of but whatever you think."

I analyse the list and look up at him smiling.

"Chinese and Mexican could be extremely interesting because I doubt anyone else in the class will make those foods for the project. But unfortuantly I don't know much about either foods other than the stereotypical stuff."

Finnick pulls out his phone under the desk and grins widely at me.

"Wanna research?"

I dark my eyes up to see if Ms. Trinket could catch him but she is sitting at her desk yelling some very choice words down the end of her fluffy, rose covered phone.

Turning to Finnick I grin back, "Yeah, sure why not?"

Katniss POV

Why did I decide to take Home Economics anyway?

I mean I can cook...

Toast...lamb stew.

What else does one really need?

The only good thing about the boring class with it's treacherously time-wasting homework and ridiculous teacher was Madge.

But now her seat has been replaced by Peeta Mellark.

This wasn't necessarily a negative thing about the class but I can't help be a little...distracted.

By him.

By his eyes.

Why has he such stereotypical perfect eyes?

It's not fair.

And sitting beside him has once increased my fascination with them.

Noticing now that they are more than just blue. His pupil's are almost constantly dilated or perhaps they are just naturally larger than other peoples.

His iris are a deep shade of blue but for some unknown reason they still shine brightly like when the sun is bouncing off the sea.

Other things catch her attention too when he sits this close to her.

I realise his eyelashes are blonde but they are not as dark as his hair.

The blonde of his lashes contrasts to how dark his eyes are.

I can feel an obsession with his eyes growing so lately I've been attempting to look everywhere but at them.

"I printed up the recipes you gave me so here's your copy. If you'd like to put it n your folder."

Blinking, I look at the expertly designed and displayed pages Peeta is referring to. The diversity of fonts and colours are foreign to me but I pretend to be familiar with them as I nod and smile.

"Thanks so much Peeta."

He shrugged.

That's another thing, how did a seventeen year old boy have such broad shoulders?

I hope he doesn't do drugs.

He doesn't seem like the type to do them.

Then again I don't know him all that well.

I've heard a few people saying he buys them from Cato and Marvel to increase his strength for wrestling

Plus he did used to be friends with Cato...

Clenching my fists I force myself to ignore those thoughts.

He's every reason as to why he has such...strong, obvious muscles.

He's been wrestling for years.

Plus from what I can remember his brothers are the same.

Probably a genetic thing.

God I read too much into things relating to Peeta Mellark.

"It was nothing really Katniss. I mean you wrote it all I just typed it up."

"Just accept the thank you Mellark" I say teasingly and he laughs.

Let's not get started on his laugh

"You're welcome"

"Is there anything else we need to do?" I ask

Peeta frowns in thought and I despise the fluttering feelings that occur in my stomach at the sight of his expression.

"Nope, all we've to do is make the meals now I think."

I grit my teeth and force a smile on my tense face, "Greaaaat"

Peeta chuckles.

Well he didn't really chuckle in the santa clause ho ho way, it was more of a half laugh under his breath that I find extremely adorable chuckle.

Yeah.

I'm officially pathetic..

Worse than any conventional, teenage outcast in the common modern chick-flick movies that almost every girl my age cries over.

"Right well there's not much else we can do today then." I say shrugging as I pray that my nonchalant act is working.

Peeta coughs and packs up his things before nodding.

"Yeah, suppose."

"So I assume we'll need to practise them first."

"P-practise what?" Peeta stutters

"Cooking the food."

"Oh! Right! Yeah we should. You can come over to mine some day this week or the next and we-"

"No! No that's alright, we can do it in my house."

The last thing I want is for Peeta to watch as his mother kicks me out onto the street covered in flour.

Peeta quickly catches on and smiles sadly but agrees.

We sit in silence until the bell rings and as I walk out of the room with Madge by my side I contemplate whether Peeta thought the silence was a comfortable or an awkward one.

His booming laughter echoes through my kitchen.

Anger swells in my chest as I resist the urge to shout at him for his rambunctious reaction.

Gale calms down after a full five minutes of laughing in my face and when he does I ask sarcastically if he's finished.

"Think I am yeah." Gale's expression is unreadable.

Which is saying something as usual I can read Gale like a book.

But his lip turned up into half a smirk put together with his calculating, suspicious eyes and raised eyebrow confuse me onto what his true feelings are.

"It's not a date."

Gale's grin grows infuriatingly wider, "I know."

"Well...good. Because it isn't a date. It was a spur of the moment thing. He asked me, I said yes. I knew you had no interest in going so there was nothing stopping me."

"Catnip part of the reason why I didn't want to go was because I knew you hated football games."

The confusion must be evident on my face as Gale sighs and his face becomes more normal, a genuine kind smile replacing the mocking smirk.

"Yeah, I'm not playing this year and I'd prefer not to be there because it sucks not playing but also I know that you only went to support us. You hate social situations and being around people. You avoid high school students outside of school as much as possible so I suppose it's just shocking that you'd want to go with someone you hardly know."

Nerves and anxiety overshadow any annoyance I had as I figit with a loose thread on my jeans.

"Peeta's been really good to me...I just didn't want to let him down."

Gale eyebrows narrow and I watch as he enters protective big brother mode,

"Katniss if this is about you having a problem saying no to him-"

I shake my head and hurriedly correct myself "No, I swear it's not that. You know me I never hesitate to beat someone up if they deserve it." I smile in an attempt to break some tension "It's senior year and I've done barely anything social and if we do get signed with James I'll never get the chance to do something like this again."

Gale grins, more familiar and comforting than teasing and ridiculing, "What like hanging out with the most popular guy in school?"

A laugh escapes me before I can stop it, "Yes, exactly Gale. That's all I've ever wanted."

It's an hour later before he brings it up again.

We're sitting on the couch watching some action movie we both adore, procrastinating homework when he says quietly.

"You know what everyone will assume right?"

I can feel his grey eyes watching me but I keep my eyes on the screen.

"Yeah..." I respond in a similar quiet tone.

It's the truth. I have thought about it. But I was far more worried by what Gale thought than what the Careers did.

"And you're okay with that? What they'll think of you and say?"

Anyone else might have thought Gale was judging me but I knew him better than that.

Gale was aware of the rumours that have been spreading about Peeta and I, the rumours about him and I, the rumours about me in general.

I've learned to cope with them, so has Gale as he has plenty of things being whispered about him.

I'm not okay with it if I'm perfectly candid.

Gale isn't either.

But we're used to it.

What I am worried about is Peeta.

The only things people say about Peeta is how gorgeous and perfect and kind he is.

Other than the one or two I've heard about him taking drugs from Cato to improve his wrestling, Peeta Mellark is an angel in the eyes of everyone in District Twelve.

People assuming him and I are dating will not be good for his reputation and while I know Peeta probably doesn't care about that I don't want to do any damage to it or to him.

I sigh and finally turn to meet Gale's eyes, "I'm used to it. I just know he isn't."

Gale thinks for a moment before responding, "He likes you, guys don't like hassle and he must like you if he doesn't care about the rumours or the backlash from his mother."

"Does that bother you? That he likes me?"

I don't mean what I say in a way that implies Gale sees me in a romantic way, I say it out of the guilt still eating away at me of my actions after seeing him with Madge.

This time it's Gale's turn to avoid looking at me, "I noticed he liked you a while ago, I didn't know in what way but I noticed. It did bother me because I was worried he wanted to use you or treat you as some joke. But I don't think he's like that...at least I'm not sure...just be careful."

I nod, "I will...thanks...for being so good about it."

Gale laughs, "Trust me Catnip if I hadn't noticed a while ago and out of nowhere I walked in on you two looking all cosy I would have reacted way worse than you did with Madge and I. I forgave you ages ago and so did Madge so you need to get over it yourself."

I smile in gratitude and turn back to the blasting sound of guns and bombs and I know the silence between Gale and I is definitely a comfortable one.

AN: Thanks for reading! Please follow, favourite and review.

Happy Valentine's Day as well!

Hope you enjoyed it and I'll be back soon

- xTeam Mockingjayx