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"Y-you…" she looked deeply into his blue eyes, heart pounding out of her chest as a loud boom of thunder overhead warned them of the upcoming storm. She didn't want to forgive him, not after everything she'd been through these past few weeks. But those eyes…they had the power to make her forget about everything bad that was happening around her and focus only on the good.
"I love everything about you," he continued, never breaking eye contact. "The way you randomly laugh for absolutely no reason, and that glint of determination you get in your eyes when you decide you have to have something, and how you're always so confident in everything you do, no matter what. There's no other way I can explain it, Clove. I just love you."
He waited nervously for her response, wondering if he'd just made a huge mistake. What if she didn't love him back? They were supposed to be taking things slow, after all. She probably thought that they were moving way too fast, and that was why she wasn't answering him. Her face remained emotionless for the longest time until a small smile crept onto her features, lighting her up like a Christmas tree. "I love you, too, Cato. So much."
It was at that exact moment that the first raindrop fell from the cloud-covered sky, and Clove wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, standing on her tiptoes so that she could kiss him on the lips.
It was a simple kiss, really, lasting no more than three seconds, but it somehow felt more special than every single kiss they'd ever shared put together. Maybe it was because they were kissing in the rain, which before tonight Clove was almost positive happened only in really cheesy romantic movies. Clove smiled, resting her forehead on his toned chest as he hugged her close.
It was weird being this close to him, considering their relationship had been purely physical before last night. The whole hugging and loving thing was still very new to both of them, to say the least. Their usual interactions consisted of bickering and flirting and pretending to hate one another, and both of them felt the tiniest bit of nostalgia for the time when their relationship was uncomplicated and meaningless.
Lighting cracked across the dark gray sky, and the two of them reluctantly headed back inside, where Glimmer, Marvel, and Annie sat silently. Clove wanted to just forgive and forget with Glimmer and Marvel, but how could she when they were being so damn stubborn? After all, what had she done so wrong to make them hate her that much?
The five of them sat in awkward silence for a while, refusing to speak, until Annie finally spoke up, "Look, I don't understand why the four of you can't put your stupid differences aside and simply make-up."
It was Clove who answered her, "Oh, Annie…sweet, innocent Annie. How I long for the days when I was as blissfully ignorant as you. If only things were that simple…"
"Why can't they be?" Annie sighed.
"Because people are irrational," Clove stated. "They make false assumptions and care only about themselves."
Cato chuckled, and Clove glared at him. She always started using big words when she felt like she was losing an argument; it helped her recover control and power.
"Stop hiding behind a wall of intelligence, Clove, and just talk about what's wrong," Annie said, staring at the brunette curiously. Clove emitted such confidence and power when she walked the halls at school, so it was odd for Annie to see her in such a vulnerable and hurt state of mind.
"What's wrong?" Clove voice cracked as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. "What's wrong is that my mom is cheating on my dad, my best friend hates me, and my life is falling apart before my eyes and there's nothing I can do to stop any of it."
A pang of guilt immediately hit Glimmer, and she glanced at Clove apologetically. "Oh my gosh, I…I had no idea. About your parents, I mean. I'm so sorry."
"Yeah. Well, soon enough the entire West Coast will know about their impending divorce, so don't feel too special," Clove looked down, the gravity of the situation weighing down on her for the first time. After all, her father was a well-known and successful businessman, her mother a former model. It was only natural that the paparazzi and talk shows would be following the downfall of her parents' marriage from beginning to end.
"Clove," Marvel spoke for the first time in a while, "are you okay?"
"Why do you care?" she spat bitterly at him.
"Because, even though things are really screwed up right now, I do still love you. Not in the way that I used to, but as a friend. I care about you a lot, and I always will."
Clove's heart melted at the concerned look in his eyes, and she knew she couldn't stay mad at him forever. He was like a puppy; it was impossible to hate him. With a defeated sigh, she buried her face in her hands.
"Clove?" Glimmer's voice interrupted the pity party Clove was having for herself, and she peeked up at the blonde, who wore a conflicted expression on her face. "I'm so sorry. About everything really. I should never have slept with Marvel while the two of you were still going out, and I shouldn't have thrown what Cato and I did almost three years ago in your face a few minutes ago. I guess I was just jealous. After all, Cato loves you…anyone with eyes can see that, and the way he looks at you is the way I've always wanted to be looked at. Because let's face it, I've slept with ten times as many guys as you have, and not a single one of them has cared about me. But then when Marvel and I got together, I thought I felt something. A part of me was really hoping that, for once, someone actually cared about the person they were fucking, not just her body. And, believe it or not, I did feel something very real with Marvel, but the love he has for me…it's the same love he has for you now. He loves me like a friend, and I guess I just wanted someone to love me as something more. I don't know. Whatever. It's dumb, really."
"Oh my gosh…" Clove managed to sputter out after Glimmer's sudden outburst of emotion and vulnerability. Glimmer had just poured her heart and soul out to four of the people she loved and trusted most in the world, so if they didn't forgive her now, she was screwed. "I…I just…thank you."
And then Clove stood up from her spot on the leather couch and made her way over to her best friend, wrapping her in a tight hug. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, until Marvel and Cato ended up hugging them too. So Annie tiptoed out of the room, unnoticed and pleased that her mission had been accomplished, leaving the four of them standing in her living room in a weird, dysfunctional group hug. They really were like the siblings God had forgotten to give them. Except they'd all kissed one another at one time or another, so that'd be weird.
As August rounded the corner and the dreaded, upcoming school year inched closer with every martini, the elite teenagers of Beverly Hills spent their last few days of freedom partying harder than they had all summer. In only a matter of days, the wild events of the summer would be nothing but memories, and responsibility would have to be reclaimed. It was, for the juniors at Panem Preparatory at least, the year that would determine their futures. As long as things went according to plan, Clove would be starting her life at Yale at this time in two years, Cato en route to the NFL at USC with a full-paid athletic scholarship, and Marvel following in his father's footsteps by attending Harvard Law School. As for Glimmer, her mother was pushing her towards Stanford, but she wasn't even sure that she wanted to go to college. After all, she was an up and coming socialite, and she was only sixteen. The possibilities for her future were endless.
The crew, which consisted of Clove, Cato, Glimmer, Marvel, Katniss, Peeta, Johanna, and Finnick, relaxed in the Everdeens' overly large backyard, complete with an Olympic-sized pool lined with palm trees, a disco hot tub, a sand volleyball court, and a bonfire pit. A Lady Gaga song played through the high quality speakers while Finnick splashed an annoyed Johanna, who was floating around the pool in a giant rubber ducky tube. Clove, Glimmer, and Katniss gossiped in the hot tub, and Cato and Marvel threw a football back and forth in the pool. Emerging from the double doors that led into the extravagant backyard with a tray full of delicious desserts, Peeta was greeted by a squealing Clove, who leaped out of the hot tub to grab a slutty brownie off the platter.
"Peeta," Katniss called from the hot tub, her mouth watering at the scent of freshly baked cookies, "over here!"
The blonde headed in the direction of his secret crush when he was unexpectedly doused with pool water. He looked down to see Johanna and Finnick kicking and splashing at one another, and Jo was definitely winning. A worried Clove went running over to a soaking wet Peeta, grabbing the tray of food out of his hands and inspecting it closely.
"The food is okay, everyone," she announced, relieved, before grabbing a cupcake and eating it.
"Finnick," Johanna growled, thrashing about wildly in his grasp. She was strong, but he was stronger. "Let me go."
"Never," he smirked, reaching up towards the platter and grabbing a cookie with one hand while holding her in a death grip with his other hand.
"I hate you," she craned her neck to narrow her eyes at Finnick.
"You love me," he winked at her playfully.
Elbowing him in the torso, Johanna took advantage of his momentary distraction and squeezed out of his grip. "Ha!" she laughed. "I win. You lose."
"You will never escape me!" Finnick called wildly before speed-swimming after her.
Clove rolled her eyes and laughed, whispering to Peeta, "He's so fucking weird."
"Agreed," Peeta chuckled before cannonballing into the pool.
"Clover," Cato waved her over, smirking.
"What?" she walked over to Cato, who was holding onto the side of the pool casually. Her heart flipped a little, and she scolded herself silently. What the hell had gotten into her? It didn't matter if they were dating; she couldn't let herself get too attached. She knew better than anyone that Cato was trouble with a capital T and that he could break her heart at any given moment. Setting the tray down on a nearby table, she was about to bend down next to the pool when Katniss called from her spot in the hot tub.
"I never got my dessert!"
"Get it yourself," Clove called back.
"Cato," Katniss said sweetly, "can you please bring me the dessert tray?"
"Uh no," he shook his head, refusing to get out of the water.
"Asshole," she called, pouting, before turning to the girl next to her. "Glimmer?"
"Nope," she shook her head, laughing.
"Ugh," Katniss groaned, slipping out of the hot tub and making her way over to the dessert tray. "I hate you all."
"We love you," Marvel laughed.
"Peeetaaaa," Katniss moaned as she took a bite of a blueberry muffin. "I officially love you."
Clove whipped her head in his direction to find him struggling to hide the light blush that overcame his features. She was the only one in their group that knew about his little crush on Katniss, and she teased him about it incessantly. Diving into the pool gracefully, she swam towards him quickly, smirking knowingly at him.
"Loverboy," she whispered, "you're blushing."
He glared at her, "There is nothing I regret more than telling you that I like her."
"I thought your biggest regret was that haircut you got in sixth grade?"
"Yeah," he laughed, recalling the day he had decided he wanted to be bald, "that too."
"You know," Clove smiled, "I'm starting to think she likes you back, Peeta."
"Really?" he whispered hopefully.
Clove couldn't help but smile at the way his face lit up, "Yep."
So maybe she was stretching the truth a little bit. Katniss had been talking to her the other day about how she wanted a boyfriend, but she hadn't exactly mentioned anything about a blonde baker who was part of their group. Still, stranger things had happened. Take her and Cato, for example.
"Clove, I have a serious question to ask, so promise you won't laugh?" Peeta said, raising his eyebrows at her.
"I make no promises," she giggled. God only knew what was about to come out of the kid's mouth.
"I'm serious, Clove. Promise me?"
"Fine," she rolled her eyes, "I promise."
"Do you think Katniss would go to homecoming with me if I asked her?"
"Of course," Clove smiled happily, not even hesitating. "Just make sure she doesn't get a boyfriend before you ask her, Loverboy."
And then she swam off towards Cato, who wore his hard-earned six pack proudly. "Hey babe," he greeted, grabbing her firm torso and pulling her close.
"Hiii," she smiled, pecking his cheek.
"That's all I get?" he complained.
"Cato, there are people around. And I don't suppose Katniss' parents would react well to us making out in their pool with their twelve year old daughter and her friends just inside."
"I don't care," he groaned. "Football practice was a bitch yesterday, and I'm tired."
"Aww," she mocked, pinching his cheeks, "poor baby."
He glared at her. "Fine. But I'll remember this next time."
"Okay," she rolled her green eyes, smirking.
"You don't believe me?" he said incredulously.
"I didn't say that," she tried not to smile.
"It was implied," he argued.
"I'm just saying, you can't resist me," she smiled, tracing a finger along his shoulder blade.
"I can too."
"Can not."
"Can too."
Leaning forward quickly, she kissed him, and as soon as he kissed her back, she pulled away, smirking. "Can not."
"Bitch," he mumbled.
"Asshole," she spat, resisting the urge to smile.
"Get a fucking room," Johanna called from across the pool.
"He wishes," Clove called back, smirking.
"Damn right I do," he agreed, kissing her once more.
Glimmer and Marvel watched them from a distance, smiling. There was no denying that the two of them loved each other, and Glimmer was beyond happy that she hadn't screwed up their relationship. "They're cute together," she whispered to Marvel, and he nodded.
"Think it'll last?" he asked.
"Maybe," she considered.
"Ooooohhh," Katniss squealed from her spot by the dessert platter, " I love this song."
She jumped into the cool water, splashing Finnick in the process. "You'll pay for that, Everdeen," he challenged her.
Katniss, never one to back down from a challenge, splashed him again, giggling at his stunned reaction. Peeta swam over to her, splashing Finnick as well. "Two against one," the baker chuckled. At that, Marvel and Glimmer swam over, followed by Johanna, then Clove and Cato.
"You're not afraid of a little water, are you, pretty boy?" Clove laughed.
"N-no," Finnick said. If there was one thing in this world he absolutely despised, it was getting splashed. As the bronze-haired football player searched for an escape route, the rest of the group inched closer and closer to him before bombarding him with splashes. He squealed like a little girl. "No, not the hair. Please. Ahhh. Stop! No please, stop!"
The crew erupted into a fit of laughter at his outburst, and the sun started to set, marking the beginning of the end of another perfect summer day. School would be starting back up in less than a week, but in that moment they were free, if only for a little while longer.
AN:
Sorry that this chapter is a little on the short side. I know that this update is long overdue so I wanted to get it up by the end of this weekend :)
By the way I would just like to express my excitement that Catching Fire comes out in less than a week!
Anyway, please be awesome people and review! I'm kind of lost as to what I should write for the next chapter so please leave me your thoughts and ideas!
~xoxo~