CONTRE QUI, KATNISS?
by savemesalzburg
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Er Mer Gerd, I am so sorry that I have taken so long to update this story. I have had so much to do the last couple weeks, I barely have time to pee. I'm not kidding. XD Fuck AP Classes. xD Anyway, this chapter is Katniss's reaction to the entire thing that happened in English class. I haven't really focused on her or visited inside of her head yet, so I'm going to be doing that with this chapter. Also Madge will have a bigger feature, and we'll hear from Gale within the next few chapters. I know you all have been waiting for this one. Teehee, I hope you enjoy this. And I would love to hear what you think through your reviews! :3
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Hunger Games or the poem Contre Qui Rose.
Chapter Four:
The Girl's on Fire
Katniss Everdeen had never been more embarrassed in her entire life. The silence in the air was suffocating to her, as were the eyes of her classmates. The attention was divided equally between her and Peeta. If they weren't gawking at the quiet, intelligent archery captain, they were glued to the suave and attractive baker's son. With every heartbeat, the slim brunette felt more fury rush through her veins. What in the world made him think that this was okay? It was no where near okay. In fact, it was utterly insulting. Katniss had never done anything to him! She had always been pleasnt whenever the blond boy had been around her. Gray eyes moved to look at Madge, who was the only person in the room that wasn't gawking. Instead, her best friend was looking at her sympathetically. In a better mindset, Katniss would have been appreciative of this kind gesture. For now, though, it only added to the feeling of mortification. She was thankful when Ms. Trinket broke the awkward silence, and moved to look at her desk. While they were given the last five minutes to talk amongst themselves, but Katniss didn't say a word. All she did was stare at her desk top, and she was thankful that Madge didn't try to start a conversation. So, for five minutes, Katniss sat and sulked over her desk.
The sound of the bell was a relief to both girls. However, Katniss was out of her seat before Madge could even process that it was time to go. With gray eyes as cold as steel, the brunette shot a glance at Peeta that could freeze his soul. It took the mayor's daughter two whole minutes to catch up with her tall, athletic friend. Madge wasn't at all overweight. She was slim, however a good deal shorter than Katniss. Not only that, but Katniss had an incredible amount of stamina from four straight years of archery training.
"Katniss!" the blonde said breathlessly, once she finally caught up with the fuming individual. "Katniss, wait up!"
"Sorry..." the brunette mumbled, slowing her pace slightly. The girls had gym class next, something that Madge hoped would help to better Katniss's mood. Sports were something that she was good at. madge, on the other hand, preferred sitting and playing the piano in her spare time. But she still tried to play nonetheless. Katniss didn't say anything other than her mumbled apology until they were safe in the back corner of the locker room.
"What makes him think that he can just play with someone's affections like that, huh?" she whispered angrily as she began to lift one of her many "Grandma Sweaters" over her head. Katniss joked that at times that after she graduated from high school, she was going to start her very own collection of ugly-ass sweaters and sell them to all of the filthy rich girls.
"What do you mean, Katniss?" Madge asked, quite confused by the topic of her outburst. She expected an angry rant about Peeta, but she was leaning more towards the spontanieaty of his actions as opposed to how he was supposidly "playing with her affections". As far as Madge knew, Katniss had no affection for anyone.
"How could he even know?" Katniss continued to rant without even acknowledging Madge's question. "There's no way he could ever know because no one else knows..."
"Katniss, you're not making any sense..."
"Don't worry about it, Madge," she said, pulling a ratty, old t-shirt over her head and quickly pulling on her sneakers, purposely avoiding the other girl's eyes.
"Do you like Peeta...?" she murmured in astonishment, realizing why Katniss was being so evasive with her.
"I said don't worry about it, Madge!"
There was silence afterwards as Katniss left the locker room in fury. Madge was left alone to dress herself, which she did quickly enough. Before she left to go and join her class, however, she took her phone out of her small purse and sent a text to Gale saying simply, "I need your help."
The rest of the day passed rather slowly until lunch time. Madge was correct in the sense that gym class would calm Katniss slightly. It didn't release all of her fury, but the majority of her emotion was placed into the game of basketball that they played during class. The brunette came into the locker room caked in sweat. Maybe the Grandma Sweater wasn't the best idea for today. However, after a hell of a lot of deoderant and a long drink of water, the thick fabric seemed a lot more bareable. The next two classes were easy for her: Honors Physics and AP History of Panem. She split up with Madge after gym, metting up with her again after the lunch bell.
"Are you feeling any better?" Madge asked when she saw Katniss appear at her locker. The brunette's arms were crossed over her chest, leaning one shoulder against the cold metal. As usual, she didn't have a lunch to eat. There was normally only enough food in the house to spare for one school lunch per day. Katniss was a good sister. She always made sure that Prim was the one with the full stomach, even if she had to starve all day until dinner. Most of the time, she even refused to Madge's offers of half of her sandwich or even just an apple that she had packed that morning. Suffering was worth it, she thought. Because one day, Katniss was going to make sure that the Everdeen family was the richest one in Panem.
"Kinda," she replied shortly. "Don't get me started again, though."
"Got it."
The two girls walked side by side with one another in silence, heading to their normal lunching spot by the physics lab. On the way, they were forced to walk pass most of the lockers that belonged to the rest of the senior class. Normally they were left to their own devices. Today, it seemed that everyone in the school had indulged in a ballsy sandwich for breakfast, because as she headed on her way, she heard the taunting words of, "Well look, if it isn't Peeta Mellark's latest admirer."
Katniss turned to the side quickly, her eyes settling on one of the cheerleaders who lived in District 1, the richest district that sent its children to this school. Her long blonde hair was pin straight, her pretty face was caked with make up, and her bubble gum pink lips were curled back in a sickeningly sweet smile. Her name was Glimmer, and around Panem High School, she was a goddess.
"Excuse me?" the brunette asked quietly.
"Word around the school is that Little Miss Welfare thinks that she can get with Peeta Mellark."
"Not necessarily..." Again, the look in her eyes became as hard as steel.
"Well let me tell you something," Glimmer said, coming so close to Katniss that her Victoria's Secret-enhanced breasts pressed against Katniss's sweater-engulfed chest. "Someone that hot isn't going to come anywhere near that flea-infested forest between your legs with a ten foot pole." With that, the blonde popped her gum in Katniss's face, pushed her back, and waved, once again smiling that sickeningly sweet smile. "Have a nice day!"
Katniss was so infuriated that she didn't even move at first. She was used to the constant slurs about her family's impoverished situation and her supposed lack of hygiene, even if the latter was false. That wasn't the infuriating part. The infuriating part was that Peeta Mellark thought that it was okay to ruin someone's already shitty existence.
"Katniss?" Madge asked softly. Instead of answering, the brunette began to barrel down the hallway towards Peeta's locker.
The baker's son had no idea what was in store for him.