Chapter 9: Revelations
For the second time that day, I was shocked into silence. I followed Cato downstairs, as they left the upstairs bedroom and went down the hall toward a spiraling staircase that led into the foyer. Cato took the first step, and then turned back to see me hesitating at the top of the stairs. For once, Cato just nodded reassuringly and said nothing. I smiled back and then straightened my spine and began walking down the stairs.
Cato had reached the bottom of the staircase and was patiently waiting for me to reach him. When I finally did we both stood at the opposite end of the long hallway that led to the patio doors through the kitchen, and ended in the massive expanse of garden. When we made our way to the door, I managed to look around at all the people who had gathered. Not only were Clove, Cashmere, and Gloss here with their families, but all the other neighbors on the block had congregated here as well. Each of the women in the garden were dressed in elegant dresses and I noticed that all of them had profoundly large hats that covered their faces from the blistering sun. The men, however, were dressed in anything from suits to fancy, cotton sweaters. I felt a little underdressed, but fortunately Cato and I had decided to match our outfits as closely as possible together.
I passed a glance beside me to where his brawn form stood, and took in the sight of his red and black fleece sweater with his tight-fitting black pants. I found the small details in his attire, noticing both his black watch and his ring, which sat on the middle finger of his left-hand. His shoes were the only part of his outfit that did not match the rest. Albeit formal in the remainder of his clothes, Cato had decided to wear matching burgundy and black high top sneakers. I, myself, wore a black funnel-neck sweater with a burgundy stripe on each set of arms, alongside black fitted pants and my own wore-down shoes. My shoes blended into my outfit perfectly, since they were black speed cat shoes, which contained a white liner around the base.
We had stood in the doorway for a minute or two before Cato beckoned for us to step outside and begin mingling with the others. I gulped nervously, but nodded my head in approval, as I set my first foot outside the door. The grass was significantly greener than that in the city, which suggested to me that it was either artificial or illegally fertilized. I continued to walk, trailing behind Cato, and passed glances left and right to take in the grandeur of the event. This was no ordinary brunch. Heck, it probably cost more than my parents annual salary, I thought to myself, but didn't dare to say it aloud. There was a large gazebo, which covered the glimmering food, and a river at the end of the yard that contained bobbing white lilies and a boat.
I snapped out of my gaze and focused on Cato, who'd been talking for who knew how long; I hadn't heard a single word make its way out of his mouth. I attempted a smile at the middle-aged couple, who were dressed in white. They returned their gaze with smiles, and then the man reached out to squeeze Cato's arm before they continued on to mingle with an elderly couple at the table next to us.
"Champagne?" a waiter asked as he made his way by me swiftly. I shook my head, but Cato had already managed to grab two glasses and handed one over to me.
"First rule about Sunday Brunch: always drink a glass of champagne," Cato stated. I thought he was joking around with me, but his gaze was serious and unfaltering. I nodded nervously, and took a small sip before shifting my gaze over to where a small crowd had gathered.
"What's going on over there?" I asked quickly, before taking another sip from the glass of champagne.
"Business," Cato stated simply. I could tell that he didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't push any further. Instead I smiled at him, and he motioned for us to make our way toward the gazebo. Great, because I'm starving…
We walked a couple paces across the yard before we came to the eastern side of the gazebo. It looked big from afar, but it was massive when you made your way over to it. I was awestruck, as I reached a hand out to feel the material lining the entrance. It was identical to a silk cloth, but firmer. Of course, as all things were, it was white.
I pulled my arm back when a lady passed by me with an over excessive amount of perfume clinging to her. It wafted into my nose, disorienting my senses for a few short instances. I was taken back when Cato turned and handed me a glass plate. Over the next few minutes we had picked out our favorites and made our way over to a private table, lined with white sheets and a single red rose. My plate was mostly filled with fruit, from strawberries to watermelon slices, along with a large waffle, toppled off with whipped cream and maple syrup.
I noticed that the cutlery was half-metal and half-glass, each with a distinctive sapphire embedded into its base. Even the napkins were exquisite as they were bound together by a family crest and silver tassels. I was truly entering into another world, one filled with crystal chandeliers, expensive jewelry, overpowering perfume and an excessive amount of money. I felt nauseous and my hands began shaking under the pressure, as another couple joined Cato and I at the table. I noticed the girl had a pearl necklace that was nothing but perfectly suited to her dress, and the man had a strong posture; they were watching us with intent eyes as the man began making conversation with Cato. We were joined next by Cato's mother and father, and I felt all control leave my body through exhalation.
"Tell us more about yourself, Peeta," Cato's father said, his gaze locked onto mine.
I was panicking under the pressure, and I could feel my cheeks becoming gradually warmer as a blush made its way onto my face. Thankfully, I felt a strong hand interlock itself with mine, each finger sliding slowly into the crevices between my own. I shifted my sights over to Cato who was looking at me encouragingly. When I leaned back to meet with Cato's parents' eyes to talk, I could see Juliet's eyes peering over the table at our arms. I knew that she noticed the action, and I could see in her eyes the slightest look of uneasiness, but mostly her expression was filled with delight.
The next morning, dawn had barely marked the sky before I began to pull myself from my sleep. It was the third or fourth time in the last week that I had trouble falling asleep, as my mind raced over that night with Finnick. I would always close my eyes, and just before sleep threatened to take over my body, I would recall Finnick's touch down my hip and I'd jump up with a startle, screaming and heaving for air.
I figured that I would eventually have to deal with everything, before things with Cato progressed any further. Considering yesterday's introduction to his parents and his upper-class society, I would need to do it quick, before I ruined any chances of continuing this 'relationship' with Cato.
I eagerly jumped into the shower, dressed, grabbed a bagel, and made my way out the door before my mom could volunteer to drive me on her day off. I revved the engine, and pulled out of the driveway in a flash.
When I finally reached the school after a long drive, I was thankful to see that Cato had already arrived and was making his way over to my car. I stayed put, and waited for him to join me, as he made his way into the passenger's seat.
"I missed you," Cato stated, and then his lips met mine passionately. It was a short kiss, considering Cato was wary about anyone catching a glimpse of the two of them together. There had already been talk about Peeta in his art class, so they did not want things to escalate any more while each tried to figure out what exactly it was that they shared.
"Not as much as I did," I responded, stealing another kiss, this time brushing my finger along his cheek and laying my other hand on his thigh. I could feel him tremble as I slowly moved my hands up and down, up and down, up and down. And just as Cato started motioning toward me, I broke the kiss with a teasing smile.
"You really know how to leave a guy hanging, you know?" Cato said mockingly.
"That's how I keep you wanting more," I replied with a wink. He smiled at me, before he grabbed my book bag from the back seat and we both exited the car.
When we reached the school doors, Cato handed me my book bag and gave me a flirtatious wink.
"I've got swimming practice all morning, so I'll catch you at lunch," he stated, before brushing his hand against my bicep as he began to walk off.
"Are spectators allowed?" I asked with a wink, as he shook his head with a low laugh and continued through the doors.
I laughed a little at my own reply, seriously considering sneaking in to see Cato in his blue speedo. It brought back the memory of our night at the school when he surprised me with a midnight swim, although unfortunately for me he had long swimming trunks at the time. Either way, Cato always captivated me. Every time I seen him it's like I'm seeing him for the first time all over again.
After a minute of standing there aimlessly laughing to myself, I decided that I mine as well make my way to class. I figured I would stop by and see how things were with Katniss and Gale, so I made a small detour toward Katniss' locker. I walked down the largely occupied hallway, and was cut-off several times when a cheerleader would jump out during a routine here and there. Besides that, I was passing the gymnasium, and several younger students were in the hallway throwing dodge balls at one another – which only made the trip more strenuous.
When I passed the gym and rounded the corner to the hallway that Katniss' locker was situated in, I felt a strong hand grab my arm, and the next thing I knew I was being dragged into an empty classroom. The door shut and the blind was pulled down before I had a chance to identify my captor. If Cato thinks I'm going to do anything on campus than he's badly mistaken…I thought. Unfortunately, that would have been a preferred situation to the one I was currently in, when I shifted my gaze up to see Finnick O'Dair.
"Hey there," Finnick smirked, his tone evidently flirtatious.
"What do you want?" I decided to ask. I figured I wouldn't waste any extra time with him than need be.
"That's no way to talk to your hero," Finnick started, clearly still hung up on the idea of saving me the night of Cato's party. "I just figured we could start back up where we left off," he added. He brought his arm up to brush my cheek, and I turned my face in disgust.
"I'm not into you, O'Dair. Get that in your head," I replied angrily.
"Didn't seem that way last weekend" Finnick stated, which only angered me further.
"Is sex the only thing on your mind?" I asked, sarcastically as well as furiously.
"Not always, unless I'm thinking about you," Finnick replied, giving me a slow wink and unmistakably sizing me up, as his gaze peered from my own downward.
"I like Cato, and only Cato. I still want to be friends with you, so can we please put this all behind us?" I asked, my tone a mixture between sadness and sympathy.
"I don't know if I can settle with being friends; it's either you tell your husky friend of yours that you and I shared more than just our time with one another, or you can continue what we have in secrecy," Finnick stated sternly.
"I don't like ultimatums, Finnick," I spat back.
"I don't really have a choice, do I? I was there, Peeta. Every time something happened, I was there for you. I still am here for you, but you don't notice that. You spend all your time with Cato that you don't even pay attention to who your real friends are…" Finnick started, before I cut him off quickly.
"Friends don't blackmail other friends," I interjected.
"If only you could see things from our point of view," Finnick stated somberly.
"'Ours'?" I inquired.
"Katniss, Gale, and myself. You've changed, Peeta. We've all noticed it. Get over yourself, you're nothing but a distraction for that kid," Finnick implied, with reference to Cato.
"I haven't changed whatsoever. Yes, I'll admit that I haven't spent much of my time recently with Katniss and Gale, but I've been busy," I tried to reason.
"Busy with your new 'friends'," Finnick said.
"I don't care for this conversation anymore. If you want to be friends, then by all means I agree. But I will not ruin things with Cato over a simple one-night stand," I said sternly.
"It'll happen again, I can promise you that," Finnick said coyly, trailing his fingers over my forearm sensually.
"God, why are you so obsessed with me?" I shouted, ripping my arm away from his reach. "You want me to tell Cato, then fine I will. He was bound to find out eventually. Until then, stay away from me," I stated, my voice now a scream.
"Now that, I can't promise," Finnick said with a smirk. I didn't bother to respond as I clasped the door handle, opened the door, and then slammed it shut with a vengeance. My blood was boiling as I tried to piece together all the events. I could hardly contain my anger, as I turned and punch a locker, physically indenting it. I would have to apologize to whoever's locker it was later, but for now my temper was fuelling and I could not bring myself to reason anymore.
I stomped down the hall in a rage, passing by Katniss and Gale as I did so, not bothering to acknowledge their calls at this moment. I broke through the set of doors at the end of the hall and worked my way to the other end of the school. My pace never faltered once. I continued at an unmistakably eager jog, not bothering to tell individuals in the hall to move out of my way. I recalled barreling through a crowd of cheerleaders and tossing one of their pompoms to the ground, which evoked several gasps and a loud cry from one of them.
When I reached the corner of the school on the other side, I pushed past the first set of doors, and then the second, and through the third. I rounded a few corners before I came face-to-face with a few half-naked guys. They looked up in confusion, not bothering to say anything as I made my way through the room until I reached Cato's locker. I knew exactly where it was from when he brought me swimming, and I located it before long. He had a hand in his locker fetching for his towel when his eyes locked onto mine. He could tell that something was wrong with me, as I started tearing up.
"Peeta? What are you doing in here? If coach sees you he'll be really upset…" he trailed off when he seen a tear or two fall down my cheek. "What's wrong? What happened?" he whispered, looking around him. A pair of guys who had been watching the events looked around nervously, before they rounded up most of the other swimmers and headed for the door. I waited for the swinging door to click into place to signal their exit, before I started speaking.
"I have to tell you something…" I mumbled.
"Anything," Cato replied. "Have a seat," he added, motioning to a bench that situated itself between the lockers.
I slowly pulled myself over to the bench and sat down, wiping away at the tears that stung my cheeks.
"I made a mistake…and I don't think you can forgive me," I said, this time gasping for air as I started crying more. I couldn't control my emotions, and usually would not cry at these sorts of things, but yet again I had never cheated on someone.
"You can tell me, I promise I won't be mad," Cato replied soothingly.
"I…I…I…Cato, I don't know how to say this. I've been trying to find the words," I said, upset with myself more than anything. I knew I was cheating him out of the truth, and I felt horrible about it.
"Just breathe with me," Cato said, drawing in a small breath of air and then exhaling slowly. He did this a few times, before he placed his hand on mine, slowly rubbing my sweaty palms.
"I…Finnick…Finnick and I…we…Finnick and I slept…together," I stuttered, a full flush of tears now pouring from my eyes.
Cato's hand stopped rubbing mine, and he drew it away slowly. When I looked into his eyes through the onslaught of tears, I noticed that he was looking around in confusion. His eyes swayed this way and that way, never settling on a single position for too long. He stood up next, and I tried to reach out to him, but he escaped my hand, and he started pacing back and forth.
"It happened when I seen you with Clove..." I started, regaining my voice. "That's no excuse, I know, but I was upset and hurt by what you did. I didn't know that you two hadn't done anything, since I didn't stay around for long enough to find out. Cato, I promise this will never happen again. It shouldn't have even happened in the first place, and I've regretted it ever since," I added.
"I'm going to kill him," I heard Cato say under his breath. He paced more furiously now, back and forth across the room as he stomped.
"Cato, that won't solve anything between us," I stated, looking to his face for some sort of reason. Instead, all I found was pain.
"Why him? Of all people, Peeta…why him?" Cato said. I had never seen him this upset, and I was sure I could spot a couple of tears in his blue eyes. His eyes seemed lost – distant - now as I looked into them.
"I would need louder speaking actions to be able to explain that to you, Cato," I replied solemnly. "He was there, when everything I thought I had was being taken from me in a moments notice. Like I said, I was upset…and it just happened," I added, unsure if I had conveyed any sort of sense whatsoever. "Please come sit down," I mentioned lastly.
"I can't, Peeta. I have to go, coach will be wondering where I am," Cato relied, beginning to walk away. I sprang up from the chair quicker than a jack-in-the-box, before reaching out for his arm.
He eagerly turned around, and this time I could see the tears slowly streaming down his cheek. It pushed me over the edge again, and I started crying all over again. I took his hand and placed it over my heart. "Feel my heartbeat," I said slowly.
He allowed his hand to rest in place. "It's beating like crazy," Cato said simply.
"Because I'm scared, Cato. I can't lose you. I won't lose you," I said honestly. I searched his eyes for any sort of recognition, but they were unreadable.
"Just give me time…please," Cato said, as he pulled his hand away from my chest. I exhaled as he did so, and when I breathed in all I could feel was the cold. It filled every crevice in my body, weaved its way through my ribcage, and travelled down to my toes.
"Promise me that you'll meet me tonight…the cottage?" I stated, unsure what sort of reply would follow. I watched as Cato exhaled too, but when he breathed in his pain seemed to dwindle microscopically.
"I promise," he said, and with that he was gone.
My muscles couldn't take the strain any longer, so I had to sit back down before risking collapse. I breathed in shallow breaths and exhaled slowly. With every breath I would think back to the special moments between Cato and I, and as I exhaled I pictured them being taken away from me. I knew I couldn't go to class after this, so after about half an hour, I made my way to my car and drove off anxiously.
I received several texts while I waited at the cottage for the school day to end. I recalled Katniss messaging me, wondering what had happened this morning and why I was not in art class this morning. Gale had even bothered to ask me why I missed mathematics this morning as well. The only text message I bothered to reply too was Cato's at lunch, when he couldn't find me in the cafeteria. I had told him that I went home since I wasn't feeling well, realizing that any white lie now would be minute.
I had waited for countless hours, checking the clock in the kitchen nearly every five minutes or so, hoping that the day would go by quicker. Eventually the school day ended, and I was left to wait for Cato who had mentioned something about going home first, before he would meet me after supper. I continued the charade, stating that it'd be better that way since my parents had not seen me much the day before.
When supper did roll around, I checked the fridge and was pleasantly surprised to find battered haddock in the freezer. I decided I would cook that along with a fresh green salad, topped over with Caesar dressing and croutons.
It was nearly half an hour later when I started digging into the food, which tasted amazing against my growling stomach. I looked up to the clock when I started, to see that it was 6:04pm. By the time I had finished eating and set the plate and bowl into the dishwasher, it was just a little after 6:30pm.
I decided to grab my English textbook from my book bag and to sit by the fireplace to read. I read for quite a while, not noticing how late it had become. I squinted my eyes to try and make out the clock in the kitchen. I was unsure if it was an eight or nine on the digital display. Throwing the book down on the ground, I walked over. I gasped when I noticed it was 9:42pm. Had I really been reading for that long? I asked myself.
I checked my phone and noticed that there were no unread messages. I was stunned again by this realization. I decided that I would send a message to Cato to see what had taken him so long. I sat back down and started to wait. Minutes flew by; half an hour, an hour, two hours. I checked the clock one last time to see that it was 11:51pm.
It did not hit me until then that Cato was not coming, nor did he plan too originally. That explained why he hadn't answered my message. I shook myself violently, telling myself that I deserved this. I knew it was my fault, and I could not blame him. It only made my heart ache as I grabbed my jacket and my keys, along with my book bag, and took a final glance at the cottage. I knew for certain that I would not be returning.
I closed the door behind me, and turned to lock it. After doing so I planted the key under the mat, which was very picturesque of any childhood movie I had ever seen. I breathed in the chilly night air, and started for the car. When I started walking along the driveway, I noticed a flash of lights and immediately I felt myself overcome with happiness. It didn't last long, as I realized the car had mistaken the lane for another, and before long the car reversed and was gone before I could even feel the pain set in for a second time tonight.
I was now anxious to get home and confine myself to my room, having had a very long day waiting around for something that would not come. I slammed the door of the car behind me, put the key in the ignition and put the car into reverse. I breathed a heavy sigh and then pulled the car out off the driveway and onto the pavement of the winding road.
The ride home seemed to take forever. I did not bother to turn on the radio, because I didn't want to hear any music that my relate to my situation – which would only make me feel worse. It was too dark tonight to take in the sight of the evergreens and the large expanse of water on the opposing side, so I related to keeping focused on the task at hand. I had had to turn on my high beams since the road was barely visible. It wasn't overly hard to drive through the fog and the darkness, considering I had to do so many times before.
When I finally reached the house, I quickly pulled into the driveway and, locking the car, made my way inside. The whole street was illuminated by street lamps, which made the porch staircase easily accessible on my way in. When I finally opened the door and felt the warmth of the heat on my skin, I immediately breathed another sigh of relief. It was especially cold tonight, which was unusual for this time of year, although the cold never truly bothered me. I just preferred palm trees and the feeling of warm sand through my toes, that's all.
When I rounded the corner to put the keys on the key holder, I noticed a commotion in the living room. I decided to investigate what all the chatter was about, assuming my parents had company of some sorts. When I did so, the floorboard creaked, which alerted the others to my presence. I heard a scream of relief and then my mother's arms were around me. I could feel her crying, and I immediately pulled myself back from her.
"What's going on? Is Dad alright?" I asked, worried.
I noticed movement in the corner of my eye, and was breathless when I seen Katniss and Gale making their way over to me. Gale immediately pulled me into a large embrace and was whispering words of happiness in my ear. I still didn't understand what was going on, until I caught a glimpse of pain and fear in Katniss' eyes.
"Seriously. What's going on? Why is everyone here?" I repeated, this time more sternly than the last.
"Peeta…" Katniss began, looking to Gale for comfort. "It's Cato…he was in an accident…I'm sorry," she said solemnly and slowly, her voice hardly audible out of sheer pressure. Everything was spinning. It was like slow motion; standing there breathless.
"He's being prepped for surgery now…Peeta, it's bad—" Gale started, but I didn't stand around to hear the rest.
I was already out the door; the car already started as the engine roared to life in an instant; wheels screeching out into the night's stillness.
Author's Note: Here's the next installment! Hope you guys like it! Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to get another one out over the weekend – depends if I work on my day off from classes or not. Enjoy :) (Thanks for your patience!) ~ B