Needless to say, it was an exhausting night for everyone. Myka didn't come home until seven in the morning, he had to close the bar last night. Gale watches him as he drags his feet inside the bedroom, staring at the bed with so much want. Sleep was just an alluring dream. Noticing the dark circles under his sunken yellow-green eyes, ghostly pale skin, and painfully slow muscle movements, Gale suggests he at least take a nap.

Myka shrugs at the suggestion. "I have to get ready for school."

"Just… take a short nap. You only need a couple minutes to get ready. I'll wake you up in half an hour." Gale promises. Truth be told, he had no intention of waking him up. Myka really needed the sleep.

Too exhausted to put up a fight, Myka nods his head before peeling his shirt off over his head and tossing it to the ground before he lay down in the warm, inviting blankets. The moment he closes his eyes, he's out cold. Gale finishes packing his things and writes a note for Myka for when he eventually wakes up.

On the way to campus, Gale inhales the soothing green substance that's perfectly rolled into an enticing blunt. He'd pay Myka back tonight after his first day working at the bar. It was a simple agreement, he didn't expect Myka to keep him fed with a place to sleep without some sort of financial help, so he'd work Friday and Saturday nights so that it wouldn't interfere with his schooling. Myka had already worked it out with the bar.

The campus looked smaller today, and Gale finds himself suddenly wishing he had just taken the day off. Without Myka here as a support system, he might crack. He parks the jeep in the student parking lot, flicks the marijuana to the ground, and takes a shaky breath before ascending up the stairs into the school. With extra time to kill, he decides to rinse his face in the men's bathroom to help calm him down a little. People still stare at him, whispering as he walks by. He feels trapped and alone, naked for the world to see. He jogs towards the men's room but stops in his tracks when he hears his name.

"Gale, can we talk?" Peeta asks with the most pitiful look on his face, his blue eyes seemingly even larger and more concerned than before.

If Peeta hadn't looked like a miserable child, Gale might have ignored him and stomped away, but he felt slightly guilty looking into those blue orbs. "What is it, Peeta?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about yesterday. I didn't realize what was going on, and I wasn't acting like myself. I don't… I don't want to lose you as a friend, Gale. You're one of the very few I have and trust. And I'm sorry I betrayed yours. I just… I'm so sorry." The tears flow like two tiny rivers down his puffy cheeks and into the crook of his lips, continuing down his chin. He quickly wipes them away with his sleeve, embarrassed for having cried in front of Gale then looks back up at him, waiting for him to say something.

But Gale doesn't know what to say. He isn't entirely sure how angry he is at Peeta. On the one hand, he still felt completely betrayed. Peeta tried to take advantage of him during the most humiliating time of his life. On the other hand, he was here- crying and very upset, begging for forgiveness. He hates feeling conflicted, and this was one of the worst times to be dealing with something like this. "I don't want to talk about this right now," he mumbles. It's the best he can do for now.

Feeling discouraged and disappointed, Peeta bites on his bottom lip while looking to the ground and walks away. There's nothing else to be said or done until Gale is ready to talk about it, and he doesn't want to push his chances of reconciling their friendship.

First period goes by and Gale hadn't looked at Peeta once, completely engrossed in his work. Peeta would try to steal hopefully glances in his direction to no avail. Maybe he'll try again during lunch. Gale should be calmed down a bit more by then. If not, then hopefully Katniss would be able to talk some sense into him and make him realize what Peeta had done was an accident and that he was truly sorry for it ever taking place. Cato hadn't showed up to class either, it seemed.

By third period, Peeta and Katniss anxiously await his arrival. Katniss had every intention of getting something out of him; she didn't care what it was so long as they were on speaking terms again. But the moment he walks in, he walks right passed them and to his usual seat in the far corner of the classroom, shamefully putting all his attention to the guitar in his hands so that he wouldn't have to see the blatant stares of the nameless faces.

"I'm going to go talk to him." Katniss says, her energy rising. They needed to sort this out.

Just as she's about to walk over to Gale, Domi takes a seat right next to him and kisses the side of his forehead. "Hey, pumpkin. Why the long face?"

"Domi?" He asks incredulously. She was the last person he expected to approach him. She offers a warm smile, politely waiting for a response to her original question. "It's nothing."

She knows he's lying, she can see it in his posture. As someone who normally deals with depression herself, she knows the signs to look out for. She also knows he doesn't want to talk about it, but still needed some sort of comfort, so she smiles at him and kisses the side of his cheek, dangerously close to his mouth. The contact between her lips and his skin creates a shock of electricity, shooting through his entire being. It feels amazing.

"What was that for?" He asks shyly.

She blushed at the question, her cheeks nearly matching her red lipstick. "Because I find you lovely. Will you play something for me?" She gestures towards the guitar, earning a smile on his face.

Several feet away, Katniss begins to feel her cheeks grow hot. She sits back down at the table with Peeta, her features hardened and focused on the clay in front of her. Something didn't sit right in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know much about Domi, but didn't necessarily dislike her either. There was no reason to be upset. Was there? Wondering why it bothered her so much, she begins to wonder what Domi could have done to make her so angry. It wasn't like she was attracted to Gale or anything, so it couldn't be jealousy. Could it? And then, when did they become to buddy-buddy anyway?

Pushing the thought from her mind, she gets back to work on her vase. Peeta watches her as she angrily starts kneading the wet clay as Gale had done only yesterday. He's never seen this side of Katniss before, and it worries him. He doesn't know how close they are, but they must depend on one another greatly if she was having this difficult of a time accepting that he didn't want to talk to her at the moment. Was there something else going on there? Did Katniss maybe have feelings for Gale?

Whatever was going on, he'd find out later when she calmed down a little. Until then, he decided to just keep his head down and keep busy. So he started drawing. The two work feverishly on their projects until the bell rings, signaling the end of class. As if just snapped out of a trance, Katniss looks at Peeta. He offers her a soft smile before she looks back at Gale, who's no longer talking with Domi as she's left with Thresh to their next class.

"Go talk to him. I'm sure things will be okay." Peeta offers. She gives him a small smile back in appreciation before nodding.

"Thanks, Peeta. I'll see you at lunch." And with that, she leaves, heading over to Gale so they can at least clear the air.

Looking over his shoulder, he notices that they're no longer in sight. He walks down the hallway towards his fourth period class when someone unexpectedly calls for him. "Peeta! Hey, lovely!"

Stopping in his tracks, he realizes he recognizes the voice, but can't figure out why she would want to talk to him. "Domi?" He sees her standing right in front of him, her small brown eyes looking into his big blue ones.

"Hey, sweet pea. I'm sorry to bother you. But I think Gale put this on his sweater over my bag and it probably fell in." She hands him a black cell phone. "Could you give it to him? I trust you as his friend and knowing me; I'd forget all about it and take it home by accident."

"Yeah, no problem." Peeta says, slightly shocked. She probably didn't know about any of the drama going on between him and Gale at the moment.

"Thanks hun. I'll see you around." She beams before heading in the opposite direction down the hall.

"Who does that belong to?" Finnick asks with a curious glance. He'd just witnessed Domi talking to him from a distance.

"Gale, I think." Peeta answers honestly. He gasps when Finnick snatches it from his hand. "Finnick! What are you doing?"

Ignoring the question, Finnick browses through Gale's cell phone until he finds what he's looking for. He grins at Peeta, handing him back the cell phone, and gleefully struts into the classroom, pulling out his own cell phone and tapping away on the tiny buttons. He'd just stolen Myka's cell phone number from Gale's contact list.

Hearing the annoying buzz of his cell phone vibrate against his desk, Myka wakes from his slumber and investigates the noise. It's a text message from a number he doesn't recognize. He reads the message.

"Hey it's Fin! U at school 2day or hiding from me? I still want 2 take u out. ;)" Myka blushes at the directness of the message. That boy didn't waste any time; that was for sure. Then it hit him- why was he texting him now and what time was it? Looking at the clock on his cell phone, he leaps from the bed in a rush. How was it already nearly eleven o'clock? He'd just taken a short nap and- aw shit.

Irritated beyond comprehension, he sends a quick message to his friend.

"Gale, you ass! You were supposed to wake me up! Fucker." After he's sent the first message, he gets to replying to Finnick's. "Hey, sorry. I overslept. Looks like I won't be in today. I'll see you after school."

Thanks to Gale's decision, Myka has found himself with a couple hours before school gets out. There wouldn't be any point going in now, he'd just make it in time for lunch and his very last class. What he could use is a shower. Noticing all the dirty garments on the ground, he decides to clean up a little, putting all the dirty clothes to wash as well as the bed sheets. When the room looks modest, he strips off his clothing and walks down the hall naked to the bathroom where he takes a quick shower. Fridays are pay days, so he might as well pick up his check at the bar as well.

It's much chillier outside today than it was yesterday. In fact, it's downright cold and gloomy. The clouds overcast the sky, creating an ugly and dark gray appearance. It looks like it might even rain. Grasping his jacket tighter to his body to keep warm, Myka continues walking down the suspicious streets towards the bar. He plans on making this visit a quick one. When he makes it inside, he heads straight towards his partner behind the counter, ignoring any faces that might be looking his way.

"Hey, Tim." Myka greets his fellow bartender.

The older man looks up to see his pupil standing awkwardly, dressed in jeans, a white tank top, and a black leather biker jacket that definitely couldn't be keeping him very warm, and offers him a small smile. "Hey, Myka. Here for your check? Let me grab it from the back for you."

"Thanks." Myka smiles in appreciation. He hasn't known Tim for very long, but he was one of the very few that he trusted. Making himself a little more comfortable while he waits, he sits on one of the stools at the bar, rubbing his hands together. He runs a hand through his hair and stares at the countertop until he feels a hand on his shoulder.

"I've wondered when I'd see you again." A deep voice coos into his ear, making him shudder and jump in surprise. He recognized the voice instantly.

An extremely large, built, and bulky man with skin as dark as night towers over him, smirking at him with intense green eyes. Myka nearly falls out of his seat, terrified of the man he never expected to run into again. "W-Wes?"

"And here I thought you had forgotten all about me, baby." The man purrs, leaning even closer to him. Myka's hand grasps onto the bar to prevent from falling off his stool.

"What, um… what are you doing here?" Myka asks, trying with all his might to keep the fear out of his voice. He fails miserably.

Wes clicks his tongue in distaste, amused by the situation. He didn't expect to run into Myka anytime soon either, but he was definitely glad that he had. He'd been searching for him for some time now. "I just came in for a drink. You come here a lot?"

"No." Myka answers quickly. He didn't want this man to drop by again, and perhaps he wouldn't if he didn't know that Myka worked here. Tim walks back behind the counter, handing Myka his check and offering a smile before realizing the sudden tension. He's blown Myka's cover. Wes smirks at his victory, now knowing exactly where Myka worked. "Th-thanks, Tim. I've got to go. Bye." He says quickly before jumping out of his seat. He nearly sprints for the exit when Wes grabs him by the wrist.

"You're leaving now? So soon? Why don't you have a drink with me and we'll catch up." It's not so much a question as it is a statement or command. There was a point in their lives when he practically owned Myka, and he wasn't happy or willing to let that go just yet.

Shaking like a frightened child, Myka hesitantly snatches his arm back. "No, I can't. I'm, um… I'm meeting with someone. And I'm running late, so… I've got to go now. Sorry."

Knowing this won't be the last time they see each other, Wes lets him go. The moment he's outside, he starts running back towards the apartment complex. His heart feels as if it might burst out of his chest, it's pounding so hard. His breathing grows sharp and soon he's hyperventilating. He fears he might have a heart attack of some sort, his chest hurting and the oxygen cut from his brain. His whole body starts shaking and his mouth becomes suddenly dry. Then his vision begins to blur. He's having a panic attack.

When he gets close to the complex, he notices one of the men he usually sees near the apartments behind a fence, smoking a cigarette. Their eyes lock and Myka finds himself doing something he thought he would never do again. They nod at one another, knowing the routine. Money is exchanged for a bag with white powder, and there's a lot of it. He races upstairs into his room and takes out the bag, laying out the substance on his dresser in a thin line. He stares at it, debating his options. He's been down this road before, and he knows the trouble it can get him in.

But the panic has taken over and he needs to be rid of it. Taking out the strip of paper he'd normally use to roll his weed in, he cuts a short piece and rolls it before sticking one of the ends into his right nostril, pointing the other end at the neatly lined powder. He blocks his left nostril with his other hand and inhales deeply, taking in the line of cocaine and suddenly… he's not panicking anymore.

He lay down on the bed, his mind jumbling into nothingness until he feels the vibration of his phone in his pocket.

"Lunch starts in a few… how bout we hang instead?"

Any other day, Myka would have declined, told him to wait until after school, but right now he doesn't care. He wanted company to help him forget about his encounter with his ex-lover, and Finnick would be perfect for that. He quickly responds to the message, his reflexes and energy much higher than it was a moment ago.

"Come over."

Grinning at the text message, Finnick begins to prepare a plan for his escape from campus and what he can do to entertain Myka. Keeping Domi's advice in mind to go slow, he storms up an idea, beaming at his genius. He knew exactly what he wanted to do to prove he was more than just a one night stand, more than just a playful fuck. He was going to make this one last.

Sitting next to him and watching from the corner of his eye, Peeta has noticed Finnick's sudden excitement while sneaking text messages underneath the table in attempt to hide it from his teacher. He finds himself wondering who the charismatic playboy was so excited to be talking to, his smile was so wide, and he even giggled at the notification of a response. Could it be Gale? Is that why he took his phone? This all seemed to happened just after.

"Who are you texting?" Peeta whispers, catching Finnick completely off guard, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

"Can you keep a secret?" Finnick whispers back, grinning like a schoolgirl.

Peeta nods. "Of course."

"Okay…" Finnick leans in really close to Peeta, his voice becoming a sexual purr. "I'm going out with Myka. Actually, we're not going out-going out, but we hung out last night with Domi and Gale and they kinda went off to do their own thing, and Myka and I started to get talking, and well… we're hanging out today. I was thinking about taking him out to dinner or a movie, but that's too cliché, so I figured maybe we could go to the new aquarium in the city over by the pier. What do you think? Do you think he'll like that or is it too cheesy?"

That was just too much information to process. And, quite frankly, this seemed more like a conversation between a bunch of girls than anything else. "Uh…"

Finnick misinterprets the hesitation, his eyes growing wide in worry. "Oh God, it's cheesy, isn't it? Shit! I have no idea what to do! Where would you take somebody like Myka out on a first date? Am I that cliché? What if I'm not good enough for him?"

Mr. Beetee stops his lecture to observe Finnick's rant as it got louder and disruptive. "Is everything alright, Mr. Odair?"

Realizing that he'd just announced his insecurity for the class to hear, Finnick blushes for the first time in his life. "Yeah, everything's okay. Sorry about that."

Chuckling at Finnick's mini panic episode, Peeta realizes Finnick is really interested in this one. He made him nervous. Was that even possible? "I'm sure he'll love the aquarium," he whispers in encouragement, making him smile. "And trust me, you're definitely good enough."

"Thanks, Peeta bread." Finnick sighs in relief. He just needed to calm down. Everything would be fine.

The bell rings, signaling the end of class. Peeta picks up his belongings, packing his things into his backpack, and turns around to find that Finnick has already left. Of course. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head in defeat, he heads to the cafeteria to meet up with his friends. Hopefully Katniss got the opportunity to talk to Gale already and they could all put everything behind them and just continue things like they used to be. When he makes it inside the cafeteria, he can't find… anyone. Did they all leave him behind? Frantic, he sends a quick text to Katniss.

"Where r u?"

Just a moment later, she responds. "Need to talk to Gale. Ttyl." Well, shit. What was he supposed to do now? Nervously looking around, he can't find a single familiar soul. Where was everybody? Looking over at the table, he takes a deep breath, and decides to sit alone for lunch today. Before he makes it to the table, however, an arm interlocks with his own, pulling him away and towards the opposite side of the cafeteria.

Glancing over his shoulder, he sees the figure that's taken him. "Cato?"

"The one and only," he smirks. "Looks like your friends bailed on you, kid, so I guess you'll just have to hang with me instead."

"Oh, okay… um, where are your friends?" Peeta asks when he notices that Cato's table is empty as well.

"Marvel and Gloss are in the hospital. Glimmer and Cashmere are still with them, I just got back. Don't know where Clove is, don't care. She probably took the day off." Cato shrugs, not wanting to discuss the matter any further.

But the news is shocking and Peeta wants to know more. "Are they okay? What happened?"

Cato's forehead wrinkles in thought, his features becoming ugly with distaste. "They… I… it's a long story. They'll be fine. Why do you care anyway?" He hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but he hated being on the defensive.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure they were okay." Peeta frowns, pouting like a scorned child. "Are… you alright?"

The question catches him off guard. It was an incredibly kind gesture, and one that he didn't deserve. "Yeah, I'm fine." They take a seat next to one another at the table. A moment of awkward silence fills the air until he suddenly looks over at Peeta. "Why are you so nice to me all the time?"

"What do you mean?" Peeta asks, intimidated by Cato's much larger, stronger form.

"I mean, why are you so nice to me? I can tell you don't like my group and sometimes they piss you off, but you're still so… nice. I don't get it." Cato tilts his head, observing Peeta.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just always like that?" Peeta answers. He's not entirely sure how to answer that question. It was a bit strange.

Shaking his head, Cato accepts his answer as just part of his personality. Peeta was a sweet guy, no matter what the circumstances were, it seemed. "You know, we haven't studied for that quantum mechanics class in a while. Want to come over tonight?"

"Um…" Peeta looks around him, making sure nobody can overhear their conversation. "I don't think so."

"Why not?" Cato asks defensively.

"Well… I thought we were going to talk before we decided to hang out. I'd really like to talk about what happened that other day and-"

"Why?" Cato demands.

Peeta's tongue meshes into a blubbering mess. "Because, um… I, uh… I should go." He stands up; ready to leave when Cato snatches his arm.

"Wait. Peeta, I'll explain everything to you soon." He pulls Peeta close to him, whispering in his ear. "Just not here. I can explain everything today if you come over, or we can talk at the party tomorrow. It's up to you."

They'd talk about it today? That's great! He just wanted to get this all sorted as soon as possible. It was driving him absolutely mad! "Okay. I'll text you when I'm off work."

Cato shrugs. "Alright then. See you later." He says before walking away and out of the cafeteria.

Peeta looks around him, startled. He had planned on making the exit, leaving Cato alone to his thoughts, but he definitely beat him to the punch, and now he felt both naked and invisible as can be, standing at the table by himself with no one to keep him company or ease his thoughts. Why did everything have to be so complicated?