Principal Snow had left campus to attend a district meeting, leaving Vice Principal Coin to take charge of Venica Falls. When Cato and Myka are escorted in by security, she shakes her head and rolls her eyes. It would only make sense that Cato was somehow involved. Unfortunately for her, she knows her hands are tied. She can't expel or suspend him at the moment, but they needed to be punished.
"Why am I not surprised to see you here, Cato? I thought we had an understanding the last time you were in my office." She scowls. She was getting very sick of this routine.
"Fag boy here started it." Cato says simply. Myka gapes at him, stunned that he would say something like that to a Vice Principal. The last time he had, he was expelled.
"I'll make this real simple for the both of you, I'm tired of this, and it will stop now. The two of you are to attend counseling twice a week together. You will also attend detention hall until your teacher decides you two can get along. If you do not show any signs of improvement in four weeks, I'm having you both expelled. The paperwork is already done, in case you were thinking about going above me." She says the last part specifically to Cato. "Your first counseling appointment starts now. Detention hall is tomorrow at 3pm sharp, don't be late or you will be counted absent. Miss two days and you're expelled. Go, now."
Cato and Myka stare daggers at each other, ticked off that they were in this mess, and they blamed each other for it. They slowly walk towards the counseling office next door, keeping as far a distance from one another as possible. They wait for fifteen minutes before an energetic woman with bright blonde hair announces that they may see their counselor now, pointing to the furthest office down the hall. Cato lets himself inside first, as he would with everything else in his life, with Myka following suit. A man with messy brown hair and a scruffy, unshaven face sits with his feet on the desk, reading a newspaper. Cato and Myka take their seats across from him, waiting for further direction. The man ignores them, continuing to read his newspaper.
"Well?" Cato demands. He's extremely annoyed by the man sitting across from him. Why were they even here if he was just going to ignore them and read a newspaper all day?
The counselor doesn't budge from his position except to peer over the reading material. "Well what?" he retorts, amused. If Cato was annoyed before, he was livid now.
"Aren't you supposed to say something?" Cato scoffs in disgust.
"What do you want me to say?" the counselor asks plainly.
If Cato didn't know any better, this man was just trying to piss him off. "You're joking, right? Why are we even here?"
The man with the blue eyes shrugs his shoulders, looking back down at his newspaper to finish and article he'd been reading. "No idea. Why are you here?"
The frustrated blonde stands from his seat, knocking it over to the blue carpet without a care. "Fuck this. I'm out of here." He says simply before storming out the door. He wasn't going to be playing this game with that ridiculous man. What was his name again? He looks over the door to see the name "Abernathy, Haymitch" written in bold black letters. Whoever he was, Haymitch was an infuriating moron in Cato's book. At least he wouldn't have to waste anymore time in that room with him or Myka anymore.
Scowling in annoyance, he struts down the hall without the slightest care of his surroundings. He harshly bumps into another body, knocking the poor guy down. "Are you serious? Again? Who the f-" Looking down, he sees Peeta on the floor, his eyes watering as if he were about to cry. "Oh. Sorry, Peeta. I didn't see you." Cato apologizes while offering his hand to the young blonde beneath him.
Peeta shakily takes his hand, still a bit nervous to see this side of Cato, never being on the receiving end of his temper. "I, um- it's okay." He mumbles quietly, looking down at the ground. This was the first time he'd come to realize how big and intimidating Cato could be; he easily stood half a foot taller in height, possibly double in weight from muscle alone.
"You okay?" Cato asks with concern. He really hadn't meant to knock over Peeta. When he was upset, it became very difficult for him to focus on anything. Usually, his surroundings turned red and all he can think about is the anger boiling inside him. He never meant to take it out on those he cared about, though it unfortunately has happened in the past. His best friend, Marvel, had the ill-fated displeasure of being the target of Cato's fury before, the last time being only a couple of months ago when his childhood friend and Gloss got into a brawl. When they managed to break up the fight, his friend made the mistake of calling Cato a "pussy" to which Cato responded with his fists, hitting him so many times he nearly killed the boy. Marvel jumped in and pulled Cato off, shouting for him to stop. So the attention of his fists went from the teenager to Marvel. By the end of it all, Marvel had a split lip, fractured cheek, and several bruises on his arms and chest.
But Marvel eventually forgave him, as he always had, and Cato tries his best not to let his temper get the best of him anymore.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Peeta replies, scratching the back of his neck in a nervous tick.
His apprehension makes Cato uncomfortable, not wanting to scare the sweet little blonde away. "Really, Peeta, I am sorry. I was really angry and wasn't paying any attention to where I was going. I would never hurt you, okay? You can trust me with anything."
The statement gives Peeta an idea; he really needed an opening and now was a better time than never. "Well, I was actually hoping I could ask you about a couple of things…"
"Of course. Ask away!" Cato offers. He was willing to earn Peeta's trust back whatever it took.
"Did, um… did you make that Facebook page of Gale?" Peeta suddenly looks up at Cato, whose face is distorted with something between shock, disgust, and confusion.
"What are you talking about, Peeta?" he asks sternly.
Peeta hesitates before answering. He digs his hand into his right pocket of his jeans, pulling out his cell phone and logs in to his Facebook account, handing the phone to Cato.
"Peeta, I- I didn't do this." Cato says softly. He may not have liked Gale, but truth be told, they were best friends for a long time, and he couldn't bring himself to do something like this. Not to mention, that was his uncle in the photo. Though you couldn't see his face or any part of his body but his hand and… southern region, it still made him uncomfortable knowing that the school could find out it was him. What would he do if they found out about his uncle? He'd already been through so much with him and his aunt, anymore strain on the family would be too much to handle.
"Cato, you're shaking! Are you alright?" Peeta's worried blue eyes stare into Cato's vulnerable ones. How long had he been trembling? He hadn't even noticed his fists were shaking to begin with.
"You have to understand," Cato's voice is starting to crack, something completely out of character and foreign to him, "I couldn't- Gale… I- my family… I didn't do this."
Seeing this powerful, strong man in front of him starting to break down stirs something inside of him. It was bothering him, seeing Cato in pain like this. Peeta takes it upon himself to hug Cato tightly, knowing he needed the comfort. "I believe you." He says into the muscular man's chest.
Unsure what to say or how to react, Cato nods and angrily wipes his face with his shoulder, attempting to straighten up and get over it. "You said you wanted to ask about something else?"
Suddenly remembering why Peeta had wanted to talk to him in the first place, he begins to blush uncontrollably. This was such an awkward moment for him, not being able to talk about this sort of thing very easily. "I, um… I wanted to talk about… you know…"
Now Cato is just confused. What on earth was this kid blubbering about? His stare lets the younger adolescent know that he has no idea what he's trying to say.
"Do… do you like me?" he finally asks shyly.
The bell rings, signaling the end of class and students immediately enter the hallway to either head home or to their next and final class of the day. Talk about bad timing. "We'll talk about it soon." Cato assures him, clapping his hand against Peeta's shoulder before smiling and walking away.
A bit discouraged, Peeta makes his way down the hall and out the exit. He doesn't want to head straight home, so he takes a detour and walks through the back of the campus, kicking random rocks that obstruct his path. He felt so stupid, not knowing. The anticipation was the hardest part.
"Hey, Peeta." A familiar voice coos. Peeta looks up to see Gale in front of him.
"Gale! What are you doing here?" he asks out of curiosity. He assumed Gale had gone home some time ago.
"I was just waiting for Myka. Have you seen him?" he asks hopefully. He'd been waiting to leave for a while, but he refused to go back home to his mother. When Peeta shakes his head, he begins to sulk, and his shoulders drop just the slightest bit. He really wants to forget everything that happened today. "Oh… that's alright. So how are you?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Peeta lets out a sigh. "I'm okay. What about you? I was worried when you left at lunch."
Should he tell Peeta about the photo? Tell him what happened? Who the man was? The whole thing made him incredibly nervous, but he could probably trust Peeta with this, right? Then again, he doesn't know the blonde that well, and just thinking about the events that took place when that photo was taken makes him sick to his stomach. "I'm fine." He answers in a flat tone, deciding it best to keep this sort of information to himself.
But Peeta wants to comfort him, knowing first-hand what the humiliation felt like. He'd been through something similar, though not nearly as dramatic, when his last school found out he was gay. He wanted to be closer to Gale. And now that he knew Gale was gay, he thought it was time to finally tell him about himself. Maybe they could even start dating. Peeta had found Gale rather attractive since the day they met, and he was constantly making his way into the back of his mind. "Can we talk?"
Slightly unsure, Gale hesitantly nods his head very slowly. He didn't want to talk about the photo anymore, but Peeta seems to have good intentions. They walk behind a building, away from any potential listening ears. Making himself more comfortable, Gale leans against one of the concrete walls between two buildings and Peeta stands in front of him, debating his next move. There is a moment of silence before Peeta makes his decision. He steps forward, standing on his tip toes to reach Gale's height, and leans in and kisses him on the mouth.
Gale immediately shoves Peeta off and away from him into the concrete wall parallel from them. He hits the stone with a thud, smacking his back into the rough granite. He doesn't understand what he did to make Gale act this way. Was he that repulsive or something?
"What the hell are you doing?" Gale demands. Peeta had some nerve to pull something like that. He thought they were friends, that he could trust him.
"I- I… I'm sorry! I thought- and you… I'm gay, Gale." Peeta finally says the words that had been squeezing his heart for as long as he could remember. He looks up at the tall brunette, waiting for his response. Hopefully now he could see that Peeta wasn't trying to humiliate him or make fun of his situation. He was trying to let him know that he was attracted to men, too. That he was attracted to Gale and wanted to possibly take things further. But the look on Gale's face is completely different than he expected.
"So… what, you decided that after seeing someone take advantage of me that I'd want you to, too? Fuck you, Peeta. I'm not a fairy like you." He spits on the ground at Peeta's feet in disgust. "Stay the fuck away from me. And don't come near my table anymore."
The hurt stung more than Peeta thought possible, he was so embarrassed. This is the second time today he misjudged someone and had it backfire on him. What's worse- he might have just lost a friend, maybe even all his friends. He watches as Gale angrily struts away from him, avoiding spots where any of the students might show.
But the hurt Peeta carried inside wasn't nearly as bad as what Gale had felt. All his life, he just wanted to be content. He didn't need many friends, didn't even need much of his family, not even a lover. All he ever needed was to be left alone with a body or two that he could talk to, someone he could share his secrets with and understand when he didn't want to talk or knew how to make him feel better. For a long time, that had been Katniss. And as long as his secret never got out, he was happy with the way things were, for the most part. Sure, his life may not have been glamorous or exciting, but it was enough. Things were simple.
Now that the world knew what he so desperately tried to hide, he didn't know where to turn, what to do, how to feel. The people around him are already changing.
"The world sucks, people are not true." Someone mutters behind him. He turns around to see Myka smoking a cigarette.
"Kurt Cobain. I'm impressed." Gale smiles at the familiar figure. Though his life might have gone to shit, this might have been the friend he always needed in his life.
"I'm not. I knew you'd like Nirvana. You have good taste." Myka smirks. "Let's get the hell out of here." He's grown especially fond of the misfit in front of him. They were so much alike.
Happy to leave this hell, Gale smiles, walks by Myka's side through the parking lot towards his jeep. They toss their backpacks in the back seats and let themselves inside. The mood instantly changes to something more calm and docile as they drive back to Myka's apartment. The ride is a silent one, but it's comfortable and relaxing. Gale parks the car in his new spot and they make their way into the complex, walking up the stairs to see the little black cat sitting on the second floor waiting for Myka's arrival. He stops in their tracks, opens his black backpack and pulls out a bag of dry cat treats for him. "Come here." He says to Gale, who crouches down by him. He places the treats in Gale's cupped hand and ushers for him to stretch it out to offer the shy little cat. It cautiously steps towards the two bodies, unsure whether to trust the new stranger. But he's with Myka, and so it gains enough courage to finish its way to them and eats the snacks out of Gale's hand.
Gale smiles at the display. He was more of a dog person, but it was still nice to see the little cat round up enough courage to approach him and trust him enough to eat out of his outstretched hand. The cat finishes the snack and curls up against a corner, deciding it was time to take a nap.
The boys make their way up the stairs and into the apartment, letting the door swing shut without a care as they continue into the bedroom. Gale instantly falls forward in the comfortable bed, his muscles relaxing, and lets out an audible sigh of relief. Myka walks over to his guitar and picks it up then takes a seat next to Gale's laying form on the black bed. He starts picking random strings, delicately playing soft tunes. After a moment, Gale looks up from his laying position at Myka.
"You haven't asked me about the Facebook page yet." He says.
Myka stops strumming on his guitar, looking over his shoulder at Gale. "What Facebook page?" He honestly did not know.
"You haven't seen it?" Gale asks, surprised. It was a bit strange, but he was sort of hoping Myka had already seen it so he could talk about it with somebody. He doesn't trust anyone else.
Shaking his head, Myka wonders what the importance of the matter was. He hated social networking websites. They were pointless, in his opinion. A battle forms in Gale's head, debating whether or not to say anything. Myka was eventually going to find out. Maybe it would be best if he beat them all to the punch. He pulls out his cell phone from his back pocket and begins tapping away on it before finding what he was looking for. Without saying a word, he hands the phone to Myka.
Expecting the worse, Gale buries his face into the bed, not wanting to see Myka's reactions. A moment of silence fills the room, the tension growing thick. He feels a hand on his shoulder and Myka suddenly says, "I'm sorry, Gale."
Gale peers over at Myka, stunned. He assumed Myka would ask if he was gay, or make some other horrible comment, but he doesn't. Instead, he looks sad, guilty, and concerned.
"I see people whispering about me when I walk by. My friends don't look at me the same anymore. They try to avoid looking at me. Guess they're disgusted with me or something." Gale sighs. He felt alone.
"Why would they do that?" Myka asks incredulously.
"You're telling me you don't look at that photo and think I'm a queer?" Gale scoffs.
The features on Myka's face rapidly harden, growing angry. "No. I think someone would have to be a real fucking idiot if they can't see that you're obviously not getting any joy in that photo. You look like a fucking twelve year old in the worst pain of your life. How can they think anything else when they look at that? For fuck's sake, you're crying!"
He wasn't sure what he expected, but he definitely didn't think Myka would understand so clearly. It was like he was the only one that understood that Gale had been raped, not a willing participant.
"Gale, there's something you should know…" Myka sighs. "I know who that man is."
His heart starts racing, wondering how he could have figured it out. "You- you do?"
"I recognize the wedding band on his finger and the scar on his… Gale, I used to live with Cato's aunt and uncle." He admits, finally letting go.
Gale gasps in shock. "You mean-"
"Yes. That fucker raped me every night for over a year." He clenches his fists, the memory quickly flooding in. "The only reason it stopped is because his wife came home early from church and caught me blowing her husband. She suspected it was going on for a while, but never could get any proof. I saw her run for the dresser and pull out a gun. I knew she was going to kill me that night. So I ran. I tried to get out through a window, but Cato smashed my fingers in the glass and trapped me. Then she shot me in the back."
An image of a scar floods through Gale's memory, remembering he saw it when Myka had been changing in the locker room the other day. "I'm sorry."
Myka shakes his head. "Don't be. Don't ever be sorry for what he did to us. How are you coping with your friends?"
"Well," Gale says, "I cut before anyone could say anything. Hung out outside behind the school until Peeta showed up. You know he had the balls to kiss me?"
"What did you do?" the yellow-and-green-eyed adolescent asks.
Gale's eyebrows furrow. "I shoved him off of me and told him I wasn't a fairy like him."
"Oh." Myka answers simply. He starts strumming on his guitar again, trying to avoid the conversation from this point on.
"What? You can't tell me you'd just bend over and invite some asshole to take you, would you? We're not like that!" The frustration is starting to set high.
Myka stops playing his guitar, and gently sets it aside. He looks over at Gale, who has lifted himself into a sitting position on the bed. "No, I wouldn't. But I think you should know that I'm gay, Gale."
"What?" Gale shouts. "You can't be. Not after what he did to you!"
"Why should that affect who or what I am? If I'm single, it's because I'm scared to be with someone because of him. If I'm in a relationship, it's because I demand attention because of him. If I'm straight, it's because he hurt me. If I'm gay, it's because I liked what he did to me. Well you know what? I didn't enjoy it. I'm gay and he can't change me. I won't let him or anyone else make that fucking decision for me. I have control of myself, not anyone else." Myka may be the one who's upset, but it's Gale who begins to cry. He was so confused.
What did it mean for Gale? Unlike Myka, who seems so sure of himself, he doesn't have a clue.