Peeta silently hands the phone back.
"Your such a whore!" The girl says before walking off.
Peeta looks angrier than I've ever seen him.
"Hey!" He shouts. "Back the fuck up! That picture wasn't accurate! I was standing right fucking next to her and we didn't do anything, so cut the shit and stop blaming Katniss on her birthday. And take a minute to look who took that fucking picture, you stupid assholes!" Everyone is silent.
"Well I don't believe it." One snippy girl snaps.
"I don't give a shit! You can believe whatever the hell you want, but don't go after Katniss because you don't know what your talking about." Peeta snaps right back.
"Why can't she stand up for herself?" She snaps.
"Because if I stand up for myself your blood will be on the floor." I say loudly. Johanna snickers.
"Well I still think everything Glimmer said about you is true." She replies.
"Well I don't give a damn what you think." I snap. "God how bad I want my bow right now..." I mutter under my breath.
"You will when I tell Cinna who will tell your parents." She says.
"Go ahead! First of all, Cinna is just going to get annoyed with you, ask me if its true, and then tell my parents what actually happened. And my Mom and Dad can't do shit because first of all, everything they could take away from me is MINE and I pay for it. Second, I'm eighteen. They can't do anything but kick me out. And I have plenty of money saved to be on my own. So go ahead and tell Cinna or my Dad. My Dad won't put up with your bullshit and he's going to probably tell you to fuck off. And he's going to laugh about what actually happened."
"All of you. My room. Now." Cinna says.
Panic flashes in all my friends eyes.
I sigh loudly and grab my stuff.
"Hello to you too." I march off.
When I get to the long hallway, I start screaming singing stupid girls just to piss everyone off.
MAYBE IF I ACT LIKE THAT
THAT GUY WILL CALL ME BACK
I start doing backhand springs down the hallway, handing my backpack to Peeta.
Porno paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be stupid girl!
Maybe if I act like that! Flipping my blond hair back
Push-up my bra like that
I don't wanna be STUPID GIRL!
I run up the stairs and keep going down the hallway, Cinna and my friends following.
I get to Cinna's room first and take his water, drinking most of it and putting it on his desk before he walks into the room.
He's furious.
"All of you. Sit down." They all sit down at the desks and I drop right down on the floor. "Stop being a smartass." He snaps. I sigh loudly and roll my eyes and then get up and sit next to Rye because Allison is next to Peeta. "Katniss, don't even get me started on that thing in the hallway. If it wasn't your birthday, I would have probably freaked out." He sighs.
"It could do much worse."
"Like what! There's not much worse than that!" He says.
"Really?" I laugh. "Ever heard the song Slut Like You?" He sighs.
"Would you care to explain just exactly what this is?" He tosses me his phone. It's the picture of us in the water.
"It's not what it looks like." I say.
My Mom and Dad walk into the room just then with a visitors pass.
"Katniss, I don't care if your eighteen." Dad starts.
"But cheating? With Finnick? You said you loved Peeta!"
"I wasn't cheating!"
"Well then explain how this isn't cheating." Dad crosses his arms. I sigh.
"Okay, last night, I got off work really early and we went surfing. Then we went out to dinner and went back to the beach. I was talking about how I've always wanted to go skinny dipping so we all went. Then Glimmer came up and took our clothes do we went back to the house and lied to get away with it. Then I gave towels to everyone. I didn't cheat, I swear."
"I can't believe you did that! In public!" Mom shrieks at me and Jo.
"Oh calm down." Dad says. "They're at that age."
"You can't just leave for months and walk back into their lives like you can take over!" Mom says to Dad.
"I never left. Not really. They tell me more than they tell you anyways." Dad snaps.
Johanna and I exchange a look of annoyance as they start arguing.
They get loud and louder.
"Hey! I saw Prim and Rory making out this morning!" Johanna says loudly.
They both cut off and then walk out of the room without a word.
I refuse a party the second the offer is brought up.
I slide under my covers at midnight and fall right to sleep.
Everyone is Dead.
Mom
Dad
Prim
Zoe
Johanna
My entire family
Gale
Gale's entire family.
All my friends and their families.
Cinna
Portia
The only person that I know other than myself that is alive is Peeta.
I need someone. I'm so lonely.
I run through the pouring rain to find Peeta, stopping dead in my tracks when I find him.
Not kissing me, but that girl from school.
Suddenly, the girl drops dead, and then Peeta.
Then I start screaming, falling on the ground next to him, shaking his shoulder desperately.
"Peeta!"
Then, an agonizing pain shoots through my stomach and I fall forwards. My head falling onto Peeta's chest as I take my last breath.
I wake up, gasping.
Johanna sleeps soundly next to me. Moonlight streams through the window, lighting the room just enough for me to see the steady rise and fall of Johanna's chest.
I feel my pulse, which is racing and then get up. I have on a white spaghetti strap and grey spandex shorts.
I don't eve put shoes on as I grab my car keys and phone. It's 5:07 am.
That god it's Saturday.
I walk downstairs and out of the house, grabbing my wallet along the way. It's sprinkling as I speed to the bakery. His parents should be up.
The doors are unlocked but they're not open.
I don't even care. I absolutely have to see Peeta. I need to make sure he's okay and that he would never cheat on me.
Nobody is in the front but the light in the kitchen is on, so I walk right in.
"Katniss?" Mrs. Mellark asks. It's only her and Mr. Mellark. "Honey, what's wrong?" she asks.
"Can I go see Peeta?" I ask desperately.
"Of course sweetie, he's asleep upstairs. Go right on up. And happy late birthday."
"Thank you," I whisper, going upstairs and down the hall and right into Peeta's room.
I silently shut the door behind me. He's dead asleep, sprawled out on his mattress.
I walk over and put my phone, wallet and keys on his bedside table.
"Peeta," I whine, nudging his arm. "Scoot over!" he groans.
"Go away!" he throws a pillow at me. "Leave me alone, Rye!"
I pick the pillow right back up and fling it at him. He sighs loudly, scrubs at his eyes and then sits up.
I see surprise register on his face when he sees me, not Rye.
"Katniss?" he whispers.
I walk over to his bedside and nudge him. He scoots over and I crawl into the bed with him.
"What's wrong?" he covers me up and pulls me against his chest.
"I just had to make sure you were okay." I whisper.
I don't usually get nightmares, but when I do, it's really bad and I sometimes scream.
"I'm perfectly fine," he whispers. "How'd you sneak past my parents?" he looks at the open window.
"I didn't." I whisper, placing a gentle kiss over his heart on his bare chest.
"What happened?" he whispers.
"If I was the person you knew that was still alive, would you kiss another girl?" I whisper.
In one swift movement, he's hovering above me.
"Kiss another girl?" he whispers. I nod, searching his eyes with my own. "Of course not. I love you. Why would you think that?" he whispers. I raise my fingers, one over his heart and one on his cheek.
"I had a bad dream…and…it scared the shit out of me." A weird noise escapes my lips, mixed with a nervous laugh and a snivel
The tears start to flow seconds later.
"Oh Katniss," he breathes, his voice gentle as he lays back down next to me and pulls me against his chest. "It's not real honey. It's just a nightmare." He shifts and kisses my head, and then my cheek, and then my lips.
I deepen the kiss immediately. I need to know he's okay, and I need reassurance that he won't cheat on me.
Ever.
"Katniss," he whispers against my lips, pulling away.
"Please?" I beg.
"My parents are awake…" he trail off.
"Please?" I repeat.
He sighs and gets up and walks across the room to lock the door.
I wake up at almost the exact same time, around eight.
We're fully dressed, because we got dressed earlier.
I can hear the voices of Rye and Graham in the living room.
"Do you feel better?" he brushes a strand of my hair out of my eyes.
I nod and check my phone, expecting a text from Mom or Dad flipping shit about me not being home.
I don't have one.
Oh yeah, I'm eighteen.
"Let's go out to the living room." he suggests.
I follow him. Rye and Graham are watching Gator Boys.
"Whoa!" Graham says when he sees me. "What are you doing here?"
"Leave her alone boys." Mrs. Mellark snaps. "Are you okay?" she asks.
"Yes." I say.
"Did you sleep over?" Rye asks.
"Sort of." I say. "I got here at like…five ten." I say.
"Why?" Graham demands. Mrs. Mellark walks off and I plop down on the couch next to Peeta.
"Because she did." Peeta snaps.
"Well are you okay?" Rye demands.
"I'm fine." I reply shortly. I hear my phone ringing from Peeta's room so I get up and walk off.
"Hello?" I ask when I have it.
"Where are you?" Jo asks.
"Uh…Peeta's, why? Is Mom and Dad pissed I left without telling them?" I ask as I go back into the living room.
"They don't seem to care…" Johanna trails off.
Monday comes too quickly. The days speed by, and it's Wednesday
Prom is on Saturday.
And I haven't been asked.
Did I mention I'm on the softball team?
We have a game every Wednesday, so tonight, too.
That's why I use softball class as practice.
Peeta isn't asking me to Prom.
I'm the main hitter and when I'm not hitting, I'm in outfield.
My parents and friends attend every game.
I'm in such a bad mood today that I actually take all my anger out on the ball and end up hitting over the fence.
I jog around the bases and then go into the dugout and wait.
"Are you okay?" A girl name Crista who is on my team asks.
"I'm fine," I say gently, taking a sip from my water.
We get sent to the outfield. One more inning and we're winning.
They get out and we switch.
We end up winning.
I'm in a bad mood so I go right into the dugout and grab my inhaler.
It was me that scored the winning score.
It normally is, anyways.
It walk out and head around the bleachers.
My jaw goes slack and tears fill my eyes as my heart shatters for my best friend.
I glare at him, pull out my phone.
I don't hesitate to pull out my phone and video him for five minutes straight and then completely lose it and send the video to everyone in the entire school by using *67 so they don't know it was me.
All at once, a ton of phones go off.
I hear confused noises and then a ton of gasps.
And then I drop my phone on the ground and storm over to the bitch and rip her off by the hair and start beating the fuck out of her.
Josh tries to grab me but I hear a sickening noise and then Peeta is beating the fuck out of Josh.
Johanna joins me and Rye, Graham, Justice and Kegan join Peeta.
Josh is making out with some bitch.
"You know he had a fucking girlfriend!" I punch her multiple times.
One hand closes around my waist and another around Johanna's and we're both pulled off the girl.
Cinna.
Then, He passes me and Jo to Finn and joins Dad in helping him get the guys off Josh.
"Jen..." Josh begins. I break free of Finn grasp and tackle Josh.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, huh? You were lucky to have her! Why the hell can't you settle for one girl! You fucking player! How many girls have you fucked!" He slap him multiple times and Dad rips me off of him.
"Stop." He orders.
I crack my neck.
"Jen...she came onto me! I swear!"
Jen is crying hysterically.
"She wants nothing to do with you!" I rip out of Dad's grip and walk over to Jen and hug her. "Lets take you to therapy." I say.
"W-who's the therap-pist!"
"Ben and Jerry." I reply.
She manages to choke out a laugh as I lead her to my car, pausing to kick Josh in the balls with my metal-tipped cleats.
He shouts in pain and I lean down real close.
"I hope you never have children." I hiss before stomping off.
"Katniss! Your phone!" Crista calls.
She picks it up and hurls it at me.
I catch it effortlessly.
As I pass the girl, I click lay thrust my fist out and it connects with her nose.
She flinches.
I then kick her legs out from underneath her.
"You knew he had a girlfriend, bitch." I lead Jen to my car.