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Chapter 13 (Katniss POV)
"Mom?"
"Katniss." She replied in her cold voice.
"I thought you weren't going to be here for another week." I realised my mistake as soon as I said that. I sounded suspicious and that wasn't something I wanted, especially since I was very guilty.
"Well I decided that taking you back early wouldn't hurt considering you were so reluctant to come here in the first place. But I see now that you've been enjoying your time here quite...nicely." She glanced at Peeta then back at me, taking in my clothes. Or Peeta's clothes really.
I kept my mouth shut, deciding that whatever I say would most likely make things worse.
When she realised I wasn't going to say anything, she tuned to Effie. "I was really counting on you to change Katniss for the better but really I think this trip actually made her worse. You've disappointed me once again, Effie."
Effie, not one to sit around and watch others ridicule her, said firmly, "I have not disappointed you Effie. I actually think she has been shaped quite well. Do you see her talking back to you? Can't you see how well behaved she is? This trip has done more than you could have done in the two years that you've been with her since her father died."
It was obvious that Effie had crossed the line. I frantically searched for Peeta's hand. To anchor me in the brewing storm.
"And who might I ask, are you?" I could tell that my mom was desperately trying to stay calm but her words were strained and she was stiff as a board.
"I-I'm Peeta Mellark." I felt bad that I had dragged Peeta straight to my mother's anger.
"Peeta, what relationship is it that you have with my daughter."
"We're just friends." I was impressed at how truthful he made it sound but knew that she probably didn't believe it. Very few lies had been able to fool my mother and this was not one of them.
"Just friends? So what were you guys doing all night yesterday? Chatting, because I don't think you need an overnight stay to chat away. Look at you, you're a mess. I can't even trust Effie enough to know that she won't let you fall off a dock and break your wrist."
Her voice rose at the end, as if she actually cared that I hurt myself, but she managed to control herself and said more calmly, "Well, I think I've heard enough. You should start packing your bags, Katniss. The next flight back home is at three o'clock." She turned to Peeta, "It was a...pleasure meeting you Peeta." She was clearly dismissing him.
It was as if something clicked in me at that moment. I wasn't going to just stand there and listen to her say all these things to Effie and me. I wasn't the rebellious person I was when I came here but I wasn't the kind of person that would listen to all this crap.
Peeta noticed my growing anger and gave my hand a tight squeeze.
My mom started walking away probably to yell at Effie some more. Before I could sike myself out, I let out a firm, "No."
She turned around and glared at me, "What did you say?"
"I said no. I'm not going to just stand here and watch you say such mean things about Effie and Peeta. I actually learned something while I was here. I learnt what it's like to live without you and really it was awesome. I didn't have to listen to your constant badgering or you putting me down or have to go through you not paying any attention to me sometimes. So if you think I'm going to go with you willingly and give up this amazing life that I discovered then you are incredibly wrong."
I stormed out of the house, dragging Peeta with me, before she could say anything. We sat in silence. I finally dared a look at me and that look was enough to send me to tears.
He instantly wrapped me in a tight hug, murmuring encouraging words and occasionally kissing my forehead.
I managed to stop crying and angrily swiped at my tears. "I don't want to lose you and I probably destroyed all chances of me ever staying here. I'm so sorry." I tried to resist the urge to start sobbing again.
"It's okay, Katniss. You said what you felt you needed to say to her and I think that was better than not saying anything to at all."
I nodded. I was determined now; I was done with crying. I was going to go back with my mother but I would not give her the satisfaction of winning. She didn't deserve that.
"Can we go see everyone? I want to say goodbye to them."
Peeta quickly sent a text to everyone, telling them to be at his house in ten minutes then we started the car and headed over there ourselves.
We got there in fifteen minutes and was met with seven confused teens lounged in Peeta's living room, talking amongst themselves. When they saw us their chatting stopped and attention was immediately focused on us.
I ran through ideas to break the news but decided being blunt about would be the least painful way for me. "My mom came here early. She said that we have to leave in a few hours."
Everyone was silent until Finnick decided to be the first to speak up. "That's really funny. Getting everyone here, acting all serious. You almost had me fooled." He was grinning as he said it, as if truly believing that this was all a joke we brewed up.
I couldn't help it, I wrapped myself around Peeta and started sobbing. The crying made Finnick realise I was serious and he shook his head saying, "No you can't leave. You said that you had two weeks. We all had really cool stuff we were planning to do and...you can't just leave."
I pulled away from Peeta and desperately tried to stop crying. I looked at everyone else and they all had a mixture of sad and shocked expressions. "I actually wanted you guys here so I could say bye to you all. I thought that you guys deserved a proper goodbye just in case I never see you again."
Delly got up and wrapped me in a big hug. "Don't say that. Even if you won't be able to come here, we can always go to you."
"I know. Thank you for being such a good friend and helping me get through Johanna's constant grumpiness."
"Any day." She gave me one last squeeze and went back to the couch with tears in her eyes.
Johanna came next. "Thanks for calling me grumpy."
"Thanks for being grumpy. It meant that I didn't have to be branded with that title."
She stared at me for a moment, "I'm going to miss you." She wrapped me in a quick hug. I was surprised because it was common knowledge that Johanna Mason didn't do hugs.
Finnick stood up and wrapped me in a tight hug just as Delly had done. "You've been such an awesome friend to me. I don't know what I'm going to do without Finnick Odair's daily dose of awful jokes or seeing how much you and Annie love each other and striving to be like that with Peeta."
Finnick pulled away and saw my expression. He quickly shook his head and whispered so the others couldn't hear. "Don't do what I think you're going to do. You might think it's for the best but it's not, trust me."
"I'm not doing anything Finnick, now let me say goodbye to Annie. I have to be back home soon."
He reluctantly went back to the couch and Annie quickly hugged me. "I'm going to miss you. You've been the best friend I could have for a month and a half and I want to thank you for that."
"Ditto." I couldn't help but let out a teary chuckle. Any other time she would have gone into a long speech about how much their time together meant to her but it seemed like she couldn't put into words how she was feeling at that moment.
I said goodbye to Thresh, Thom, and Darius then checked the time on my phone, only to see that it was almost one o'clock.
I looked around for Peeta and saw him coming down the stairs with a sad smile on his face. One look at me and he knew it was time to go. I said a final goodbye to everyone and then followed Peeta out the door. The drive back was silent. I was trying to figure out how I was going to go about doing the toughest thing in the world.
There was no way to make it any less painful so I decided that being blunt about it was not an option. Peeta glanced at me occasionally, obviously worried about my silence.
He parked the car in Effie's driveway but none of us made a move to get out. I opened my mouth to start talking but Peeta quickly started speaking before I could get the chance to say anything. "Before you say you're goodbye, I just wanted to give you something. I saw it in town yesterday when you went out with the girls and I couldn't help but buy it."
I resisted the urge to groan. He got me a gift, effectively making it so much harder to let him down like I was about to. He took out a box from his pocket and I was scared that it would be a ring. I didn't think I would be able to let him go if it was.
He gestured for me to open it and inside was a silver necklace. The pendant was a simple dandelion. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes.
I couldn't do this. I couldn't break his heart after him doing something like this for me. But I had to; in the end I was saving us from more heart ache later on.
I looked up at him, determined to do this. I handed the box back to him. "I can't take this. I love you but I don't think we should continue our relationship."
It physically hurt to see the way Peeta's smile drop as I said those words.
I continued before I could lose my nerve and take my words back. "I just think that a long distance relationship is a stupid idea. How will we find time to see each other with school and Peeta, neither of us are rich. Think of how much money it would cost for you to fly to Montana. And also my mom will definitely not let you see me. I just don't want us to do what will just lead to a break up. It's better this way. I just want you to know that the only time I felt as happy when I was with you was when I was with my dad. "
When he didn't say anything, I started getting out of the car. "Wait." It sounded strangled, like it hurt to talk. I didn't want to look back and see his expression.
But I did anyways.
It was a mixture of hurt, anger, disbelief and most of all, sadness. "Take the necklace. Please." In truth, I actually wanted to keep that necklace to remind me of him and what we had but it would've been selfish of me to keep it. As I looked at him, I decided that I would be selfish and take it.
I made to take it and our fingers touched. I felt the same sparks that I felt the first time I ever touched him. I got out of the car but didn't walk away, instead I leaned down so I was looking at him in the eye and whispered, "I still love you."
The moment he didn't say anything back was when I realised that when I walked away, there was no going back. Our relationship would be over.
I was going to lose him and there was only so many times a person could lose someone. Losing my father and, in a way, also my mother almost destroyed me but losing the person I loved enough to hurt actually did.
But I walked away anyways. I walked away because I loved him.
Well that's chapter 7. I hope it was good. How did you feel about Mrs. Everdeen?
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