AppleUnderscore presents:
Come at me; a hunger games fanfic
Trigger Warning: This chapter includes self harm and eating disorders. It's a warning, people!
Chapter 1: Watch me
Okay, so you can tell me any other way, but school sucks. The classes suck. The teachers suck. Not gonna lie, everything sucks. But most of all, the students suck.
I only have to deal with three more years.
Three more years of boys catcalling when I bend down.
Three more years of girls giggling when I put my earbuds in.
Three more years of hell.
I pull my thumbs into the holes I cut in my sleeves, grateful for a distraction.
My stomach rumbles, but I ignore it like I always do.
"Hey Katniss," some kid yells, "got any knives in there?" The boys behind him smirk, waiting for me to take the bait.
I roll my eyes and push my earbuds further into my ears.
God I hate people.
I continue walking down the hall, keeping my head down until I hit my period 1 class: science. I push the door open and slip into a seat at the back of the room, pretending to take notes as Miss Effie explains photosynthesis.
Why do we need to learn about plant farts again?
As I let my mind begin to wander, I start to question what it would be like to have an actual life.
What do people who have friends actually do?
Science was uneventful, so I moved to the English classroom, my least favourite subject.
I roll my eyes as I slide into a seat next to Rue, this tiny new girl who turned up this year out of nowhere.
"Hey?" She whispers under her breath, sliding a note across my desk.
I pick it up and read it slowly, unsure as to what prank this is.
"I want to get to know you better," Rue mutters. I scrawl my answer across her delicate cursive and shove it back towards her. Rue flinches as I drop my books onto the floor and picks up the note. She looks towards me and smiles so brightly, I wanted to as well.
"Thanks, I can finally make some friends!" She gushes happily, before pushing a small plastic container towards me.
"Do you want sweets?"
I want to shake my head, but I realise that I haven't eaten in about three days, and I am absolutely starving. I slowly pry the lid open, so as to not make any noise and alert the teacher, and reach inside.
I pull out three sticky toffee chews, and quickly stuff them into my mouth before snapping the lid shut and passing the little green container back to the little tan girl.
Rue giggles and shoves the candy into her bag.
"Six o'clock, tomorrow, ok?" She asks, nodding her head as she writes down the details.
I nodd twice, quickly and quietly. The bell rings, and me and Rue get up, pick up
our books and walk out the door. Rue looks over her shoulder and smiles, before running down the hall, practically flying, books in hand.
I stop by my locker, throwing in my textbooks and slamming it shut.
I shuffle over to where I usually sit at break and fish my earplugs out of my bag.
I was just about to stuff them into my ears when I heard Rue giggling with her friends.
Curious, I drop the earphones and listen as one of the girls whispers something to Rue.
"Of course it was!" She announces, throwing her arms out, "but I'm going to make her my friend!"
The girl smiles and throws her red hair over her shoulder, her green eyes glancing at me for half a second.
"I'm betting half of my allowance that you will give up!" Another girl challenges. She narrows her eyes and nods at Rue, "I'm gonna kick your ass."
Rue smirks and crosses her arms over her chest. "You're in Joanna. Wanna bet Finch?"
Finch's eyes widen in shock. "Oh no, I'm not one to gamble," she stutters. Rue peers over her shoulder.
"Hey Annie, yes, over here!" She calls, causing Finch to turn on her heels as Annie power-walks down the hall, away from the laboratory. Annie stops a few metres short of Joanna, who says something into her ear. Annie shakes her head quickly.
"Finch and I are out of your little bets," she mutters.
Rue nods before offering her hand to Joanna.
"So you are taking this seriously then?" Joanna sneers, "but I'm telling you she's not worth it."
Frustrated, I push my earphones into my ears and start blasting music, just a second too soon to hear what else Rue says.
"Everyone deserves a chance, and Katniss never got one. I'm going to make her my friend, just watch me."
I get home from school at about 4:30, just enough time to do some homework before Prim comes home from Girl Scouts, with a new badge or a new recipe or a new friend.
I'm so jealous sometimes.
I lock myself into my room and reach under my bed.
An assortment of blades lay in a small black case, and I slowly pull out a nice small one, with a curved edge. I test the sharpness on my finger, and wince at the new cut.
I drag the blade over my wrist slowly, as blood trickles down my arm.
I walk into the bathroom, where I bandage my newest scrape and clean the knife of any blood or germs.
Just as I sit on my bed and open my Math textbook, I hear the door slam, indicating Prim is home.
"Katniss!" She yells up the stairs. I unlock the door and poke my head out.
"Hey," I say, before plopping back down onto my bed to continue with math.
I skip dinner, as hungry as I was, to be in my room reading. Mum comes home at six, and I tell her about my plans with Rue. She agrees, but I have to take my phone with me to call her.
As if I don't already take it everywhere.
Just as I'm drifting to sleep that night, I remember what Rue said about me.
"Everyone deserves a chance, and Katniss never got one. I'm going to make her my friend, just watch me."
The next day, I have to get ready to go to Rue's. It's a Saturday, so I wake up late. At about five thirty, I'm beginning to have second thoughts right as there is a knock on my door.
"Yes?" I ask, trying to find some clothes that are nice but casual.
I hear a sigh from the other side of the door and I sigh back, before knocking it with my foot so it would open.
Prim walks in and sits on my bed, throwing a pair of black leggings off my pillow.
"Do you need help?" She asks, trying to hide her smile. I scowl, but nod as she stands up and walks over to my wardrobe.
Almost immediately, she pulls out a cropped pink jumper, some white and gold sneakers and a pair of jeans I didn't know I owned.
She skips over to my jewellery stand and ties a delicate white chain around my neck, pulls a black belt around my waist and ties my hair into a neat, shiny ponytail with a fluffy pink scrunchie.
"Good?" She asks as I look in the mirror. I take off the scrunchie and ponytail, and plait my hair instead so my curls are a little more free. I nod to my reflection, pleased.
"Perfect." I reply, grabbing my phone.
I walk to the car, and start blasting music through Bluetooth as my mum gets in to drive. I play the Jonas Brothers and fiddle with my yellow lifeproof case until we get to Rue's house.
I'm pretty sure my jaw hit the ground.
Next Chapter publish: 29/09/21.