Hey Guys! Thanks for waiting for this long awaited chapter. :) A lot of italicization in this chapter. I'm feeling better now, but not completely. REALLY ÜBER LONG chapter here. It boosts my story up to 20,000 words! This story is dedicated to Holly my cherished sister, and Courtney a great support and inspirer for me...(I wish I could just keep her with me for a personal stock of support. :) ) Thank you.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins nor the world and characters she created. I do not own 'Just Give Me a Reason', 'Waiting for Superman', and 'Back to December'...Enjoy!
Cato woke up, and smiled. He remembered yesterday perfectly…Then, he also remembered that he'd have to break it up with the Careers today…Finnick had told him that when he left the Careers the whole school called it 'The Break Up', which just sounded so weird as if he was dating the Careers.
Cato was worried over what he would do, about leaving the Careers, but he didn't worry about it too much.
When he got to school, Glimmer attached herself onto his arm immediately, Clove a bit farther away. Cato said, "Glimmer, I have to tell you guys something."
Glimmer smiled, expecting it to be good news and said, "How about, like during lunch?" she tossed her hair. "I guess I could, like, squeeze you into my, like, tight schedule."
Clove threw Cato a confused look. "You'll see," he mouthed. He wished that Clove would come with him. He had tried asking her before, but she always avoided the question. He wished that he didn't have to leave her without a real friend among the careers again. But it was what he had to do.
At lunch, he stood up. "Guys," he started.
They gave various nods, thumbs up, and smiles to show that they were listening. "I-I have to leave," he said.
The Careers shot confused looks at each other. "Leave, like, where?" Cashmere asked.
"To the Bahamas?" Marvel cracked.
Cato looked uncomfortable, "Um. No, I mean I'm leaving the Careers."
Silence hung over the table for a bit. Then it exploded.
"Dude! No! Why would you leave?" Marvel shouted.
"Why? Like, there's no way you'd, like, want to leave our, like, totally awesome group!" Glimmer wailed.
"Are you ok? Maybe he's delirious. You're not gonna leave, just no!" Brutus cracked his knuckles.
"Look, like, we're not going to like, let you leave if you don't, like have a good reason. Like, leaving to join Goodwill's clan," she sneered at Katniss's table.
But, it was Clove's statement that hit him, that made him admire her. "Are you sure?" was all she asked.
The whole group was too engrossed in putting up reasons he shouldn't. He looked at Clove. "Yes."
Then, Clove stood up, "Then I'm leaving too!" she shouted with finality. The whole lunch room was in chaos. The Career table was in havoc.
To build things up, Katniss sauntered over to the table, and slung an arm over Clove and Cato. "Well, guys, welcome to the Goodwill Group. The first step, is to go to a charity store, and get ratty t shirts that infuriates the Careers, these anorexic, steroid taking people," she smiled innocently at the Careers who were now seething at her new comment.
"The second step," she continued, "is to make a jab at them whenever it's possible."
Brutus cracked his knuckles.
"The third step, is to run away when you hear that horrifying sound, before Brutus attacks you," she slowly was backing away. "Run!"
The Careers had gotten up from the table, and was ready to attack the 'Goodwill Group'. Katniss beckoned to her table, and they all sprung up, and dashed out of the lunch room. Clove and Cato learned that they had to work hard to keep up with them. They were fast…Ok, that was an understatement.
They easily outran the Careers. They stopped in a clearing in the woods. Gale and Katniss high-fived each other. "We outran the rest of you," they bragged.
"So, we've got newbies, eh?" Thresh asked.
"No, they've been on our side for as long as I can remember, and they have been spying on the Careers as a futile attempt to bring them down to the level of the 'Goodwill Group'," Katniss said dryly, and rolled her eyes. "Duh! OF COURSE THEY'RE NEWBIES!"
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."
"Thanks, I will!" Katniss smiled innocently.
Peeta eyed Clove, "How do we know that she's on our side?"
"Do you really need to ask?" Katniss questioned. "I mean, just look at her! You're such an idiot!"
"Says the person who infuriates the Careers on purpose!"
Clove was grinning ear to ear, it seemed like she had finally found her true self.
Days after joining the group, Cato was upset. He knew what was happening, but he needed confirmation. "Clove!" he called.
"Oh, hey Cato," she said.
"I really need your help!" he said distraught.
"Okay," she said slowly, a bit freaked out.
"What does it mean when somebody makes me want to kiss her when she's happy, hug her when she's angry, and makes me feel like I want to protect her always?" Cato asked desperate.
Clove smiled softly, "I believe that means that you love her." then she hurriedly added, "It's not me right?"
"Am I that despicable?" Cato asked. "No, it's not you."
"Good," she murmured, "Cause I beat you to it."
"What?" Cato asked confused.
Clove blushed, "Nothing."
"Beat me to what, c'mon Clover!"
"Beat you to love," she murmured.
"You're in love?" he asked incredulous.
"Shush, not so loud! And yes!"
"With who?" Cato was genuinely interested.
"Gale." Clove was really blushing now.
"Does he love you?"
"I don't know," Clove looked away.
Cato slumped down on the wall next to her. "Then I guess we're on the same page," he sighed.
It was the day of the Panem High Recital. In fact, it was just a few hours before the recital. Katniss and Finnick were freaking out.
"Kaaatniiiss!" Finnick shouted.
"What?" she whined.
"THE RECITAL'S IN ONLY A FEW HOURS!"
"NO SHIT SHERLOCK!"
"I'm freaking out!"
Katniss slung an arm around him. "Don't worry, there's nothing to worry about," she said sweetly. "EXCEPT THAT WE'LL BE PERFORMING IN FRONT OF ALL THESE PEOPLE, AND WE ARE PERSONS! WE PERSONS DO NOT MIX WITH PEOPLE, AND WE WILL MESS UP, AND WE'LL BE PERMANENTLY DISGRACED, AND I'LL BE-"
Finnick cut her off, rubbing his ears, "Gosh woman, you'll be the death of my ears!"
The rest of the friends were quietly laughing at the pair of overstressed performers.
"Guys," Peeta said soothingly. "You'll definitely win!"
"Sheesh, chanting 'Yoga Breathing' would be more helpful than that!" Katniss griped.
Finnick joined in, "Yeah, since when did 'you'll definitely win' actually work?"
"You know what?" Gale put a hand on Katniss's shoulder and motioned for Darius to do the same to Finnick. "I think that we need a break. How about we go to…"
"The park," Darius supplied.
"Whatever." Katniss said sullenly.
"What she said," Finnick pointed at Katniss.
"Right," Gale said slowly. He snapped his finger, "Let's go people!"
When they got there, Finnick and Katniss immediately went to the swings. They both had a odd fascination with them, and always had to use them when they were stressed. Cato went on the swing next to Katniss.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"Psshhh," Katniss said.
"No way," Finnick finished.
"Well, I'll be cheering for you guys, no matter what."
A whole change overcame the atmosphere. "You know," Finnick smiled softly. "I think that's what we needed to hear."
Katniss explained, "Yeah. Not reassurance that we would win or be crowned victor. I think that we needed to hear is that you guys are on our side no matter what."
"Umm, I think it was implied." Cato said.
"Did it look like we were in the mood for looking for clues to find out what they were implying?"
"Nope!" Darius said, popping the p.
"How did he get here?" Finnick was surprised.
"I believe that he walked through the gate and onto the swing," Katniss said dryly. "Now push me Darius!"
Darius laughed, and gave Katniss a push. Cato watched them. Katniss seemed so carefree and happy. Then Gale picked her up, and carried her on his back.
She hugged him from behind, "Thanks guys. I think this is was I needed."
They were at the recital. Cato wasn't allowed to see them, until when they came up onto the stage. Katniss had to sing a song without Finnick, and vice versa, then they had to sing a duet. Everyone who had heard them sing before were confident that they would win. They were not.
Finnick was up first. He was wearing a form fitted blue t shirt, and denim jeans. Finnick took a deep breath, and stuffed one of his hands in his pockets, and put his other hand on the microphone.
Finnick Katniss
She's watching the taxi driver, he pulls away
She's been locked up inside her apartment a hundred days
She says, "Yeah, he's still coming, just a little bit late
He got stuck at the laundromat washing his cape"
She's just watching the clouds roll by and they spell her name like Lois Lane
And she smiles, oh the way she smiles
She's talking to angels,
Counting the stars
Making a wish on a passing car
She's dancing with strangers,
Falling apart
Waiting for Superman to pick her up
In his arms, yeah, in his arms, yeah
Waiting for Superman
She's out on the corner trying to catch a glimpse
Nothing's making sense
She's been chasing an answer, a sign lost in the abyss,
This Metropolis
She says, "Yeah, he's still coming, just a little bit late
He got stuck at the Five and Dime saving the day"
She says, "If life was a movie, then it wouldn't end like this,
Left without a kiss."
Still, she smiles, the way she smiles, yeah
She's talking to angels,
She's counting the stars
Making a wish on a passing car
She's dancing with strangers,
She's falling apart
Waiting for Superman to pick her up
In his arms, yeah, in his arms, yeah
waiting for Superman...
...to lift her up and take her anywhere
Show her love and flying through the air
Save her now before it's too late tonight
Oh, at the speed of light
And she smiles
She's talking to angels,
She's counting the stars
Making a wish on a passing car
She's dancing with strangers,
She's falling apart
Waiting for Superman to pick her up
In his arms, yeah, in his arms, yeah
She's waiting for Superman...
...to lift her up and take her anywhere
Show her love, oh, and flying through the air
Save her now before it's too late tonight
She's waiting for Superman
Finnick smiled at the crowd, and you could practically hear the girls swoon. He went off stage as Katniss came on.
Katniss was wearing a green form fitted t shirt, and gray denim skinny jeans. She had refused to wear a dress, Cato had heard. Her hair was in a waterfall braid. It was the first time Cato had seen her with her hair down. She had no makeup on, yet she was obviously the star of the show.
She smiled at the crowd, and grabbed the microphone off the the podium, holding it in her hand, she brought it up to her lips.
I'm so glad you made time to see me.
How's life? Tell me how's your family?
I haven't seen them in a while.
You've been good, busier than ever,
We small talk, work and the weather,
Your guard is up and I know why.
Because the last time you saw me
Is still burned in the back of your mind.
You gave me roses and I left them there to die.
So this is me swallowing my pride,
Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night,"
And I go back to December all the time.
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you.
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine.
I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right.
I go back to December all the time.
These days I haven't been sleeping,
Staying up, playing back myself leavin'.
When your birthday passed and I didn't call.
And I think about summer, all the beautiful times,
I watched you laughing from the passenger side.
Realized that I loved you in the fall.
And then the cold came, the dark days when fear crept into my mind
You gave me all your love and all I gave you was "Goodbye".
So this is me swallowing my pride
Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night."
And I go back to December all the time.
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you,
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine.
I'd go back to December, turn around and change my own mind
I go back to December all the time.
I miss your tanned skin, your sweet smile,
So good to me, so right
And how you held me in your arms that September night –
The first time you ever saw me cry.
Maybe this is wishful thinking,
Probably mindless dreaming,
But if we loved again, I swear I'd love you right.
I'd go back in time and change it but I can't.
So if the chain is on your door I understand.
But this is me swallowing my pride
Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night."
And I go back to December...
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you,
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine.
I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right.
I'd go back to December, turn around and change my own mind
I go back to December all the time.
All the time.
Katniss, like Finnick got a standing ovation. Katniss then walked off the stage. The announcer proclaimed, "Don't worry folks, she'll be back in a bit, along with Finnick Odair!"
Finnick walked on stage grinning. The announcer said again, "And here's his partner Katniss Everdeen! Enjoy the last performance of the Panem High Recital, ladies and gentlemen!"
She walked on stage, and grinned at Finnick. Clove glanced down at her phone, "Oh my gosh, Cato look!" The newest trends on twitter were #Finnickisamazing #Katnissishot #GladicametoseeFinnickandKatniss #Finnickandkatniss4ever…Cato didn't know why, but that last tag made him angry. They were already putting Finnick and Katniss together as a couple. He would've seethed more, but Katniss and Finnick had started.
"Hey guys!" Katniss shouted into the microphone. "How are you liking the show so far?"
The crowd screamed in reply.
"Well, we're going to be doing our last performance here." Finnick said. "Thanks to all who came to see us perform we really appreciate it."
"Thanks especially to our friends," Katniss said into her respective mic. "Gale, Darius, Thresh, Peeta, and last but not least, our newest friends Cato and Clove! Thank you guys. We couldn't have done it without you," looking sideways at Finnick, who nodded in agreement.
"I'd also like to thank a special someone, who helped me through one of my hardest times. Without her, I'd be pretty lost right now. So, thank you Courtney."
"And with that, let's start our song, yeah?" Finnick asked the crowd.
"YES!" the crowd screamed.
"You ready?" Finnick asked Katniss.
"Nope!" Katniss replied. "Let's do this."
They each stomped one foot to the beat, and the orchestra who was supporting them just went with it. Then Katniss stepped forward, and began the song.
Right from the start
You were a thief
You stole my heart
And I your willing victim
I let you see the parts of me
That weren't all that pretty
And with every touch you fixed them
Now you've been talking in your sleep, oh, oh
Things you never say to me, oh, oh
Tell me that you've had enough
Of our love, our love
Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars
It's been written in the scars on our hearts
We're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
Finnick took a deep breath and leaned forward into the mic.
I'm sorry I don't understand
Where all of this is coming from
I thought that we were fine
(Oh, we had everything)
Your head is running wild again
My dear we still have everythin'
And it's all in your mind
(Yeah, but this is happenin')
You've been havin' real bad dreams, oh, oh
You used to lie so close to me, oh, oh
There's nothing more than empty sheets
Between our love, our love
Oh, our love, our love
Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
I never stopped
You're still written in the scars on my heart
You're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
Oh, tear ducts and rust
I'll fix it for us
We're collecting dust
But our love's enough
You're holding it in
You're pouring a drink
No nothing is as bad as it seems
We'll come clean
Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars
It's been written in the scars on our hearts
That we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
Just give me a reason
Just a little bit's enough
Just a second we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
It's in the stars
It's been written in the scars on our hearts
That we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
Oh, we can learn to love again
Oh, we can learn to love again
Oh, oh, that we're not broken just bent
And we can learn to love again
There was a dead silence, the shocked, good type of silence. Then, the room exploded with cheers, screams, clapping. To say the crowd went wild would be an understatement. Katniss and Finnick were standing there breathless in all their glory. Then still staring at the crowd, Katniss raised her hand sideways for a high-five. Finnick not missing a beat, and like Katniss staring at shock at the crowd high-fived her back.
Then the announcer's voice filtered through the speakers. "Well that was certainly a performance!" as Finnick and Katniss left the stage. "Now the judges will be deciding who exactly will be crowned the victors of the Panem High Recital!"
As they waited for the judges, Cato was aware of someone sitting down in the seat beside him. He looked to the side and to his surprise he saw Katniss and Finnick sitting with them.
"Hey," Katniss whispered breathlessly. She looked beautiful.
Cato was about to reply when the speakers bursted to life again, "And the victors are…Katniss Everdeen and Finnick Odair!" The crowd exploded once more.
As Katniss and Finnick gravitated towards the stage, people snapped photos, leaned to touch their clothes, and shouted for them to look at them. The victors were obviously shocked, pleasantly of course.
"Thank you." Finnick and Katniss said together at the podium, after receiving their crowns. "Thank you," they repeated. They looked so happy. When they reached their friends, Cato was in awe.
"You guys were amazing!" Gale exclaimed. They left to get back to Katniss's house. They easily got lost in the crowd, but they stayed in groups of two.
Cato was paired with Katniss. As they wove through the crowd, Cato stared at Katniss. She had a certain glow about her, a happy, fulfilled, content one. He didn't know what possessed him, but he grabbed her hand, spun her around, and kissed her.
The kiss lasted for about only two seconds, but it left Cato wanting so much more. Katniss seemed to be in shock. Finally she said in a quiet voice, "Why did you do that?"
Cato was at loss for words, "I-I-" He did the only thing he could think of. He left. Yes, he left her in the midst of the crowd. He abandoned her.
The next day, Katniss got to school, she saw Cato and everyone else waiting for her at her locker. She mentally groaned. She had purposefully gone to school as late as possible, to avoid Cato, but to no avail. She decided to share books with the guy next to her, and skip getting her books from the locker. She went the other way.
She met Finnick on the way to Music Class. "Why weren't you at your locker?"
"Shh!" she whispered seeing Cato come around the other corner. She ducked behind a plant.
"What are you doing?" Finnick hissed.
"I'm just having a friendly conversation with the plant here," she said sarcastically. "No, I'm avoiding Cato. Mission Impossible: Avoid Cato. The short way of saying it is MIAC."
"Why would you do that?" Finnick's eyebrows were furrowed, ignoring her sarcastic jabs.
"He kissed me yesterday, then when I asked him why, he just abandoned me! I mean, what the hell?"
Just then, Cato spotted them and said cautiously, "Hey."
Katniss got up, and said, "You know I was just having a nice conversation with the plant, but I have to go now because of…" she trailed off. "Lady problems…So yeah."
She walked off towards the hall, and Finnick turned to Cato, "Did you really kiss her and then leave her?"
Cato cringed. "Yes."
Finnick whistled, "To me it just sounds like you've got a lot of sexual tension."
Cato slapped his forehead.
When Katniss got back into the class, they were well into instruments. She picked up a guitar, and joined a group with a kid she didn't recognize. She was very well aware of Cato staring at her for the whole time.
Katniss was dreading lunch when it came around. She finally decided to spend lunch outdoors. She went immediately from English to outdoors. She sat in a tree until she heard someone clear their throat. She looked from her lofty branch. Cato was directly under her.
Cato wasn't exactly sure what he was going to say. He had been able to identify what he felt for Katniss. After the most recent event, he knew. Cato Stone was falling in love with a dying girl.
"Katniss," he said softly. "Come on down."
Katniss cautiously looked at him. "You're not going to kiss me again," she ordered.
"Ok."
She came down, and sat next to him on the grass. "What's your explanation?"
"I-I…I'm sorry for what I did earlier," he said.
"Okay," Katniss said slowly.
"But, I don't regret it." Cato bit his lip.
"Why not?" Katniss looked at her hands.
"Because…because I'm falling in love with you."
"You what?" Katniss asked. But, by her pale face, he was sure she knew what he had said.
"I'm falling in love with you," he said gently. He took her hand.
She pulled away, "No! No, you are not falling in love with me! I'm messed up, I'm dying for God's sake!"
"You're not messed up, and I still love you!"
"No," she covered her ears. "You do not love me! You can't love me!"
"You can't change that I do."
"I don't care, we can't even be together, Cato!" she looked close to tears.
"And, why not?" he challenged. He felt frustrated, angry.
"Are you trying to cause me pain? We just can't be together!"
He could see the tears in her eyes, yet he pushed even harder. "Why?" he asked again.
"Just stop!" Tears leaked out of her eyes.
"No!" Cato thundered. "I am not letting you go! Will you at least listen to me?"
"No!" Katniss cried, "You listen! What do you think is going to happen after we fall in love? Cato, I'm going to die in a few months! I was content with dying yesterday, I was ready! But now? I don't want to leave anymore…I don't want to leave you.
"See? We can't be together. All that's going to happen is grief. It's better that we separate ourselves now…We have to stop this. I have to stop this," she waved her hands. Tears were madly streaming down her face.
Cato brushed them away with his thumbs. He said quietly, "You're trying to push away love," he shook his head. "It won't work."
"You have to stop," she cried.
Cato sighed, "You need a friend right now the most. So, that's what I'll be. But Katniss remember, you can't push away love."
Katniss cried, "What do you think I've been trying to do?"
Cato enfolded her into his arms. "Shhh…Just let it go." Katniss sobbed into his chest. They stayed there for hours. With Katniss sobbing, and Cato comforting her, rubbing soothing circles into her back. The sobs began to quiet, and soon Katniss was asleep. She was leaning against him, her back against his chest.
Cato brushed a lock of hair away from her face. He kissed the top of her head.. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry I caused you so much pain." He watched her relaxed face, heard her relaxed breathing.
"But I still love you."
The next day, Katniss rolled out of bed. She remembered everything from yesterday. She ran a hand through her hair. She stared at her clock for a minute, then suddenly jolted. Her alarm had broken the night before, so she told Thom to wake her up, so she had enough time to get ready, but Thom apparently had forgot. Katniss groaned. She quickly threw on a tshirt, some jeans and a converse and sailed out the door, only stopping to say, "Thom, I'm gonna kill you when I get back! I told you to wake me up!" to which Thom smirked.
When she got to school, she hurried into gym, the second class of her day. She ran in breathless, ignoring the smirks of Gale and Darius, giving Darius a friendly push on her way to Abernathy.
"You missed half the class and first period," Haymitch said dryly.
"Really?" Katniss retorted. "Hadn't noticed."
"I'll have to mark you absent."
"Aw, come on Coach, I thought I was your favorite!"
"Just be on time, next time Everdeen."
"Yes sir!" then she said under her breath. "Unlikely."
"I heard that!" Haymitch barked.
"You know you love me anyway, Abernathy."
Katniss sauntered back to her friends. "Nice shirt," Gale smirked. Katniss looked down. She was wearing a shirt from two freaking years ago, it fit extremely well. A bit too well.
"Shoot! Gale," Katniss whined. "It's all your fault for breaking my alarm clock, then texting me into the early hours!"
"What? You look good in it!"
"You know I don't like the attention!"
Then Cato stepped forward, "Here," he said. He passed her his sweat shirt. "You can wear this."
Katniss felt butterflies in her stomach as she leaned forward to accept it. "Thanks," she murmured.
Cato smirked at her, "I did like the shirt though."
Katniss groaned.
During the last period of school, Cato texted Katniss.
Cato Katniss
U wanna go 2 the coffee shop after skull?
*gasp* winnie the pooh, didn't know u watched that. and hey, ur not supposed 2 text during class. u should know that.
Cato smiled at her text, and replied. U of all ppl…since when did we follow the rules? and who hasn't watched winnie the pooh. 1 of the best movies ever. u didn't answer my q.
I can do whatever i like. my time is limited here. U however…R we going w/the rest of the group?
U forget…Im rich 2, i can do whatever i like 2. Cato decided to skip her second sentence. by ourselves. u up for it?
Im not jealous. im rich 2, or at least my mum is. Ok. we going rite after skull?
Cato grinned. Rite after skull.
Cato and Katniss walked down the road to the coffee shop. He watched as Katniss immediately greeted the woman behind the counter, Greasy Sae. She led them to a booth near the back of the small shop.
"Hey Greasy Sae," Katniss said.
"Hello, Katniss dear. You'll want the usual I suppose," the old lady crooned.
"Yup! Oh, and this here is a friend of mine, Cato."
"Why, hello dear," Greasy Sae said.
"Hi." Cato said.
"Ooh, he's a nice catch," Greasy Sae winked at Katniss, after saying this not so subtly. "Let's hope he's not like Romulus, eh?"
Katniss visibly winced. Cato spoke up, "Who's Romulus?"
Katniss dismissed him, although her nerves were obviously jumbled, "Umm, an old boyfriend of mine."
Cato noticed her discomfort, and simply said, "Well, what would you recommend from this place?"
Katniss visibly relaxed and said, "Well, I like their blueberry muffins."
"I'll have that then, and some black coffee." Cato said.
"Like his soul," Katniss hissed towards Greasy Sae, who laughed.
Greasy Sae watched them curiously, and brought them their orders. Katniss got a blueberry muffin and some lemon honey tea. Cato received his same blueberry muffin and black tea.
Katniss popped a piece of her muffin into her mouth and moaned. "Yum, I haven't had this in such a long time! You really do make the best muffins Greasy Sae,"
"And you aren't the first to tell me that," Greasy Sae chuckled, but she looked pleased.
Cato hadn't seen Katniss this at comfort, except when she was with Gale and Darius, and the rest of her friends in her own world.
Katniss noticed his look and nodded, "This is like a second home to me. I'd always come here whenever my stepfather, Cray used to…" she trailed off, but Cato got the hint.
"C'mere." Cato beckoned towards her. Katniss hesitated, and he added, "I don't bite you know…Unless you want me to."
"Eew," Katniss said. But, what Cato was trying to do, worked. She forgot her worries and sat next to him.
He put an arm around her and said, "You know I used to be a playboy."
"Did you? Cause me respect for you went from about 9 out of 10 to 7 out of 10."
Cato raised an eyebrow, "Why wasn't I a 10 before?"
Katniss blushed, which was a new look of her to Cato, "Because you loved me."
"Present tense, sweetheart."
Katniss scowled, "Don't call me sweetheart, and what do you mean by 'present tense'?"
Cato breathed on her ear, and whispered, "I still love you."
Katniss blushed for the second time. "You still don't get a 10."
After the long nice time she had with Cato, Katniss knew. Oh she knew all too well. Katniss knew that she was falling in love with Cato. She knew that she was rolling down a hill…She only wished she knew how to stop.
A few days later, Katniss was walking to her school. The first snow had occurred, but now it was iced over, and there were ice patches everywhere. As she was near the school, she slipped on an ice patch, and she almost fell backwards, when she was caught by a pair of strong arms. She turned around to thank the person, but she gasped. She went weak at the knees, and almost fell - again- but she was caught -again- by another pair of strong arms -again-…
Cato looked down at her, and laughed, "Careful there, sweetheart." he looked at Romulus. "Who's this."
Katniss swallowed and replied, "This is Romulus, my ex-boyfriend."
"Katniss, I came to apologize. I'm sorry. Did we ever officially make me an ex by the way? Just wondering." Romulus chuckled, and put a hand on her shoulder.
Katniss jerked out of his grasp, "I'm pretty sure when you kick your boyfriend out of your house into the freezing cold rain, tell them you NEVER want to see them again and you hate them and they're a bastard and a son of a bitch, AND you jail them for attempted rape and abuse- I'm pretty sure that consists of becoming my EX-boyfriend." Cato stood still in shock.
Just then, Gale saw Romulus, and ran as fast as he could towards them, "Get the hell out of here you bastard," he growled. It was then that Cato realized that Gale had been easy on him, that wasn't hate in his voice when Gale had threatened him earlier, it was warning. This was real hatred in his voice.
Peeta, Darius, and Thresh soon headed over too when seeing Romulus. Romulus backed off, and said, "Katniss, just remember. I never meant to hurt you. I-I can't make any excuses for what I did. But I can try to replace them with good memories instead of bad ones. I'll be back, but not to hurt you. You're like my sister now. Just remember that Kat."
Katniss fell into Gale's arms. She looked mentally and physically exhausted. Cato however couldn't help but feel jealous that she went to Gale's arms, and not his.
"Hey Catnip," Gale said softly. "You ok?"
"Yeah," Katniss breathed. "Yeah."
"I think you should take today off from school. I'm sure they won't mind. Go to Greasy Sae's for a day." Gale suggested.
"That sounds good," Katniss conceded.
Thresh demanded, "But, you should take one of us with you, just for precaution."
"I'll go," Cato said immediately.
No one argued, so they left for the same old coffee shop together, walking side by side.
They walked into the coffee shop, and Greasy Sae gravitated towards them immediately to their table in the back of their booth.
"Now shouldn't you two be in school?" she chided gently.
"Romulus came," was all Katniss offered, but Greasy Sae immediately got two blueberry muffins for each of them, and a a cup of tea for each of them respectively.
Even while they ate, she kept shooting looks at Katniss as if to see if she was still there, and to make sure she was all right.
After they had sufficiently been warmed up from the freeze outside, Cato cleared his throat. He didn't want to rush into the topic, but he really wanted an answer. "So…You were um…raped," Cato cringed. "by Romulus?"
Katniss sighed, as if she knew this topic would come up. "Attempted rape," she corrected. She took a sip of tea, and said, "I guess I better start from the beginning, yea?"
"The beginning," Cato confirmed. "would be good."
"All right then," Katniss took a deep breath. "Romulus was two years older than me. When I was in my freshman year, he was in junior. He was an upperclassman, and he was amused by my retorts and my sass. I, of course was flattered, but I didn't fall for him completely. I was wary of him. To keep a long story short, we began to spend more time with each other. He had already told me that he was falling in love with me.
FlashBack
"I'm falling in love with you, Katniss." He wrapped his arms around me from behind.
"Romulus!" I shouted.
End Flashback
And then," Katniss's voice sounded far away, it had a dreamy quality that Cato had never heard before coming from Katniss. "then, I began to fall in love with him." she looked down at her hands. "We started dating my Sophomore year, which was his Senior. We were so much in love with each other."
She looked sideways at Cato, "He really did love me. Maybe it was that he loved me too much. But, I became lost in him. I lost myself for a while. Gale and Darius stopped talking to me. Darius moved away while I was lost. Then, Romulus began going to those senior parties. You know, he did the Senior High School cliche thing. He started to drink. He came to me more than once, drunk, and wanting to sleep with me. Though, he always called it 'making love'."
She chuckled bitterly. "I had lost myself, but I still wouldn't give in…That made him…" her voice cracked. "upset…To put it in an understatement," she laughed weakly. "But, in the end, after…you know, he'd get upset at himself. He'd tear himself up about it. He'd beg me to forgive him. And I did."
Flashback
Romulus's hands were where they were never before, his mouth on my neck. "C'mon Kat. Give in a little."
"No! Rom, no, I'm not ready."
Romulus growled, "Come on, Kat, don't you love me?"
I was near to tears, "I do, but I'm just not ready!"
"Well you know what! F*** you!" He backhanded me across the eye. I cried out and fled from the room.
The next day, I saw Romulus in school. "Kat," he whispered.
I stared straight ahead. I knew that if I looked at him, I'd give in. "No." I said.
"I'm sorry."
"You always say you are, but you just do it again, and again," I had tears on my face, but I was hardly aware of them.
"I really messed up this time," Romulus groaned. He punched his fist into the wall.
I gasped, "Don't do that."
"I don't care…I'm losing you. I can't lose you," he punched the wall again out of frustration. His fist was getting damaged.
I couldn't help it. I ran straight into his torso. "Don't," I whispered. "You'll never lose me."
End of Flashback
"But then, one time he went too far. It wasn't all his fault. He was really, really drunk. Usually he'd just hit me, and give up, but this time he just kept on going. I finally had the sense to leave. I was so scared." she stared at the ground. Cato felt so bad for her. How much had she gone through?
"I finally came to my senses, and I filed a report. I found he had done this to his past girlfriend for two years, but because he was a juvenile back then, he wasn't jailed. It was my fault he was jailed," she had tears streaming down her face.
"Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have done it. What if he could've changed for the better?"
"Sweetheart," Cato said, finding his voice for the first time. "It's not your fault."
"I put him in jail for two damn years of his life, Cato!" She really was crying now. "For me, I would give so much for two more years…And here, I made him waste two of his precious years in a hell hole!"
Cato was at a loss to do, when Greasy Sae came over, and shook Katniss firmly, but gently and said, "Katniss! It's not your fault!" sharply.
"How do you know?" Katniss asked sobbing.
"You damn well know how I know. You're innocent, honey, plain innocent. He tried to rape you, for God's sake!" Greasy Sae looked angry that Katniss was blaming herself about Romulus.
"Two years, Greasy Sae, TWO FREAKING DAMN YEARS!" she yelled.
"Honey, he would've done it to other girls had you not interfered," Greasy Sae argued.
Katniss finally wiped her eyes and whispered, "Well, it's done now and there's no going back…Except here he is, back again."
"You don't need to worry honey," Greasy Sae hugged her with one arm. "You've got hot stuff over there," she nodded towards Cato. "to protect you. You'll be ok."
"Yeah," Cato said. "You'll be ok. You've got Gale, Darius, Peeta, Thresh, and Clove on your side, here to protect you."
"What about you?" Katniss asked, looking up at Cato.
"Nah," Cato grinned. "I'm not here to protect you. Sweetheart, I'm here to love you."