Chapter XXIX
…
"So, I hear someone asked my little bro to Hundredth Night," Rye smiles as he slides down onto the empty belcher beside.
I raise my eyebrows at him.
"Oh, come on," he exclaims, "It didn't cross your mind that the moment I heard of this, that'd I'd come running."
"Nope," I say shaking my head.
"Really," he pushes, "I mean, this is a push, really. You, Katniss Everdeen, asking my brother, Peeta Mellark, to a school dance. I mean it should be the other way."
I shake my head. "It didn't even appear."
He nods, turning his attention away from me and down to the court where the wrestling match is still going on. We watched in silence as one of the team's sophomores pinned a senior from the opposing team. We watched as Thresh dominated, pinning his man in less than four seconds. It was when the next contestants stepped on the mat that Rye turned back to me.
"I know I have said this before, but don't fuck with him. He likes you, really likes you and I can't see him get broken no matter how much causing him pain brings me joy," he tells me, "Just, don't."
"I'm- trying," I say looking down.
Seeing my conflict he tells me, "If you're worried about him breaking you, he won't. He would rather kill himself than cause you any harm. He has a soul, legitimately gives a shit about things… He's not me Everdeen."
And it is that last sentence that got me. He's not me Everdeen.
I didn't know that… not yet at least.
Realizing my hesitation he shook his head. "I fucked it up for him, didn't I?"
"Rye-"
"No," he says sternly, "I did. No need to get soft now."
I look to him and know. He is sorry, not just what he had Peeta set up for, but what he had done to me.
"Everd- Katniss, I was a fucking jackass, a real pompous douche. I was beyond awful and there's no way of denying that," he tells me truthfully, "Honestly I'm not really sure how it started or why expect for the obvious excuse I can toss at you...
I had heard you had gone "wild" and I was still me. So at the party I went for it. Why the hell not, I thought. I was on a quest and you were right there in front of me on my way. You were right there. You allowed it, but I should have known it wasn't the same. I was in it to get another number pinned up beside my name and you were in it to get the numbness...
But then it just wasn't one time. It was two then four and then enough. We – I pushed. I took it too far and then everything just shattered. And then – then when you walked into the bakery I was just – I was just a complete jackass, no that doesn't even cover it. I was just awful.
I took more than what I should have from our situation, that you allowed, and I pushed more than what was there. And I'm sorry."
I shake my head, holding back tears.
"It wasn't all you."
I say truthfully too. Looking back now at what had happen between us, aside from what people had said and my conscious had told me when there was a need of blame, escape, it wasn't Rye's fault. I played a fair share in what happened.
"I had already gone off the deep end far before that, you...
Hell, I was already half way down. There was Gale who I consented to have my virginity destroyed out of drunken emotion. Finn who I just… fucked. We would get drunk and it just ended up happening a couple times between us, it was – was nothing between us. Then there was you…
You were just another brick dragging me down. That's all you were. You were like the others though, but then again you were so different. You weren't a onetime thing like Gale or some causal friendly releases like Finn. You were something constant.
I – I knew I was just another quest, but even in my clouded alcoholic mind I held on. I knew what I was getting into, but I needed it. I think the reason it – it hurt when I saw you with that girl was because I wanted it too. I wanted the hurt, I wanted –wanted to feel."
We sit there silently as another match began and ended and then another.
"I'm sorry for what happened, what I did to you." He says out of the silence, "I regret it."
I smile, sadly. "I don't."
He looks to me confused.
"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have started going to Patterson's parties. I wouldn't have floated around, Cato, Jake, Gloss, all of them. I wouldn't have met your brother."
"You'd still done whatever that project you two are doing together."
I shake my head, "It wouldn't have been the same. I wouldn't have looked at him twice. If I had just gotten to know him through the project we'd be no more than two people that passed each other in the halls as we were before."
"I am still sorry." He nods, "And I expect you to take that apology."
"Thanks." I say, turning my attention down at the court where Peeta had just stepped on the mat.
…
"Should I be worried," Peeta ask stepping up onto the bleachers.
I look to Rye and Rye looks to me and then we both look to Peeta saying in unison, "No."
Peeta raises his eyebrows, but doesn't push. He sits down beside me, placing a kiss on my check. "What's up?"
"A celebration," I exclaim with a smile.
"What?" He asks confuse.
"A celebration," Rye says this time, "You're done the season and you're county champ which calls for celebration."
"Oh, no-" Peeta begins, but I cut him off.
"Too bad, Rye and I are taking you out."
"Guys-" He says in protest.
"No," Rye says, "Katniss and I just planned a very nice… event in the last ten minutes between the end of your match and the moment you walked out here. I mean, are you going to deny your girlfriend being nice to you, throwing you a celebration for your achievements? Are you going to deny your older brother the opportunity to make it up to you for being a dick these last few months-"
"Years," Peeta mumbles under his breath.
"No," Rye states firmly, "You are going to let us take you out and you are going to enjoy every second of it."
Peeta looks to me for a way out.
"It was kind of my idea," I say apologetically, "I thought it'd be nice, you did really well this year: became county champion, set a new school record, and didn't hospitalize anyone like that kid on steroids did a few years ago. Plus Rye had a nice thought, plan that I think you'll like. I mean, I even liked it."
Letting out a deep breath, Peeta bowed his head. "Fine."
Rye smiled and so did I.
"I'm sorry," I whisper to him as we stand up off the bleachers, Rye a few steps ahead of us and Peeta's arm wrapped around me, "I think you'll like it though."
"If your there, there's no doubt in my mind I'll enjoy whatever it is." He whispers, "Just don't leave."
"You're being over dramatic."
"You love it," he pokes.
And all I can do is smile.
…
Sitting on the fifty yard line on the football field, I'm not sure how Rye neither knew how to turn on the lights nor cared. I shook the thought from my head, taking another bite from my slice of pepperoni pizza as Rye and Peeta tossed the ball between themselves.
This was Rye's master plan, a peperoni pie, a package of chocolate chip cookies, and a six pack of an over-caffeinated energy drink on the middle of the football field. Tradition he had explained, it was something Marcus and he had done and when Peeta was old enough they would bring him along. Supposedly they did it after graduations, birthdays, first dates, and whatnot. Rye thought county champ suited the requirements and thus here we were.
Peeta waved his hand forward, running back toward me as Rye ran in the other direction. Then pulling back his arm, he plants his feet before throwing the ball down field. The ball soars through the air, landing perfectly cradled in Rye's arms. Peeta smiles and Rye throws his arms in the air with triumph. This time, instead of Rye throwing the ball back, Peeta makes a "T" with his hands calling for a break. Rye agrees with the nod of his head and Peeta plops down beside me.
"Good idea," I ask.
He smiles, taking a slice form the pie. "Surprisingly yes."
"Good," I say pleased, "You deserve it."
He shakes his head in protest.
"You do."
"No I don't," he tells me.
I shake my head. "Who's the stubborn ass now?"
"Me?" He smiles.
"Mh hmm."
He shrugs his shoulders. "I didn't do anything."
"God, you're so modest… Just take it, okay?"
He looks to me, taking me in. Then he stares for a long moment before his lips break into a smile and he takes another bite from his slice. "Okay."
And I don't know what happens, but I can't help yet to smile as well.
We sit there in silence, sneaking sly glances at one another and playing with the grass.
It's by the time that I'm finished with my slice that Rye comes by, keys in hand. "I gotta go, eight o'clock class tomorrow, so I gotta shut off the lights too."
Peeta nods, "Thanks man."
"Congrats," Rye nods and then he turns to me, "I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow Katniss."
"Seven o'clock," I say, "Make sure he's not late."
He gives me a smile. "I'll make note."
Then waving us one last goodbye he heads off the field toward the parking lot. We stay though, Peeta and I, even in the darkness, but it must be seconds, minutes later that I spring to my feet mumbling something about being right back as I sprinted after Rye.
I barely make it to the lot before Rye pulls away yet he stops at the sight on me.
"Thank you," I say coming up to the driver's window. "Thank you for not telling him."
He snorts. "You thought I was going to tell him?"
I shrug my shoulders.
He snorts again. "Let's just say I like to keep my "no-no-square.""
Nodding my head, I smile, "Thanks Rye."
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Again nodding, I step away from the car and Rye sets it in drive. I smile to myself as he drives away before heading back.
On the middle of the field, Peeta now lays on his back looking at the sky. When I make my way up beside him, I lay down too.
"Everything okay?" He asks.
I nod. "Just wanted to thank Rye."
He nods in approval, turning back to the sky.
Lying there in silence, we watch the stars. The North, Milky Way, Dipper, all of them. And as we stare up at them, we inch closer and closer together. Then at some point, I 'm curled against him and our hands are interlocked.
I break the silence after a while. "That's Orion's Belt," I point out.
"How you know that?"
"My dad," I smile, "He liked astronomy, taught me it me when I was a kid."
Peeta nods. "I like your family."
"You never met them, at least not really."
"Whomever I have met and what I have learned, there no doubt in my mind I like them."
I smile. "Well, I guess you should know then that I like your family then."
"Oh god," he groans, that's scary.
I laugh, "I know."
And we lay there. I point out more stars and we share small bits and pieces of information about our families to one another. And I don't lie to Peeta. No matter what had happened between Rye and I was the past and there was no doubt in my mind that I liked Peeta including his family.
