Author's note: I would just like to thank my beta reader: Is That All You See, I would have to say she is the best for being there. This would be the first chapter she has beta for me but I don't know about the rest. And I think you should read her story, New Life Old Obliviousness. She has a pretty good summary but I myself have enjoyed reading it.
I would like to thank BabyMidgetCukie, jackyb, Horsecrazy141, TruIdentity, TatianaMellark, GingerJoker, fangirl4520, BleedtoLoveHer, peoplearestrange96, Joshhutchersonlover, dgirlm, cheergirl96, StayingAlive223, pricegirl316, LeslieMellark, mcphersonraina, tuvabjrndal, and bchampagne and others I can't mention anymore because you are all too much for listing me on their story/author alerts. I feel like crying. And also, Sille, pricegirl316, LeslieMellark and Is That All You See for listing this story on their favorites.
StayingAlive223: Yes, I know. Sorry for my randomness and good question. I preferred using stuff that would distract me and stop to look at/listen to instead of like using those horizontal lines indicating there would be a time skip or something.
Anonymous: I hope you would make an account. Thank you for supporting me and I hope this chapter would answer your question.
TatianaMellark: I also hope that this chapter would answer your idea.
peetame: I would have to totally agree.
Chapter 3: The Revelation
KATNISS' POV
There are men in black suits and burglar masks surrounding the bed. By instinct, I get my feet under the guy who is on top of me on his belly and launch him flying backwards. I start kicking, scratching, biting, thrashing and anything I can do to keep them away from me. Only if I had my bow and arrows. I scream for help and I hear the door to the bathroom open. Out comes Finnick in a towel wrapped around his waist down to his knees and comes rushing forward. I pin the guy, who is nearly unconscious, that I kicked earlier on the wall and reveal his mask. It's a blondie with blue eyes. The rest remove their masks and Finnick pulls me off him.
"What the hell is going around in here?" Finnick shouts.
"It's a Saturday. We always prank you and go to the gym afterwards." A blonde reasons out.
"We figured it was you still asleep on your bed 'cause she's wearing your clothes." A brunette states matter-of-factly.
"Who let you in?" Finnick asks.
"Your mom." The blonde who was on top of me says.
Mrs. Odair comes rushing up and sees all the 4 men bleeding with a couple of bruises here and there, Finnick in a towel and me in his arms. Now that I'm fully aware that Finnick isn't even dressed, I take a step away from him.
"What is happening up in here?" she asks.
"Nothing, mom." Finnick answers, smoothly.
He shoos her out, closing the door and locking it.
"Damn! Your girl knows how to take a punch." The one who was quiet the whole time finally speaks up.
"You got a feisty one there. Who wears the pants in the relationship?" The first blonde said.
"Obviously her. She is the one wearing his boxers." The blonde ass jokes.
I'm in a total shock right now. I'm about to hurl myself at them when Finnick pulls me back and defends for me.
"You guys are asses. She could have –would have- killed you right then and there." Finnick states. Yes. I could have… I would have… I should have… I could tell the court I did it as self-defense. I look at him from top to bottom. He's still only in a towel. This is the time I do speak up.
"Why does this… disturb you?" he says in a seductive purr, posing. His entire friends guffaw and I just glare up at him. I thought he was on my side. I head back to his bed, burying my head in his pillows. I wish this was just ALL a horrible nightmare.
"Guys, I think you should step out. We gotta change."
I hear the door snap shut.
"You know you can be a pompous jerk around them." I shout under the covers. I know he knows that he crossed the line joking at that time but I also know that he is like that. He is Finnick. He jokes at times when things are serious. I would know better. We've been together through good and bad and I can see right through him at times. I understand all his emotions that dance across his face at any given time, in any given situation. I feel the bed shift next to me but I do not dare peep. Who knows if he's naked right now?
"I'm sorry, Kat. I was only joking. I'm done changing." He says as if reading the question that is disturbing my mind.
"Good! You should be sorry." I say furiously. I'm guessing he nuzzles his nose on my face above the covers. And I can't help but laugh at him. He always knows how to cheer me up. That's how he got his other nickname from little Katniss back then, Finn the pup. He would pretend to be a puppy at times to get my attention. That's a way he can be like Prim. They won't give up making me happy again. I come out of the covers and look at him. We're so close that we might kiss.
"C'mon. Get dressed; we're going to the gym." He murmurs softly. And my fury against his friends comes back again. "I'm not staying in a car with them." He chuckles at my statement, lying next to me.
"They got their own cars. Don't worry about it. I'll wait for you outside." He leaves a soft kiss on my cheek and walks out.
I rush over to his bathroom and strip my clothes. I take a quick 20 minute bath and get dressed. I comb my hair in its intricate braid and walk out. When Finnick said he'll be waiting for me outside, he wasn't kidding. I thought he'd wait downstairs with his friends but he's sitting on the top of the staircase, looking out the giant window. His house is practically made of windows. I shut the door behind me making a click sound, revealing my presence. He turns around and offers me his hand but I choose to ignore it. We walk to the dining room in an uncomfortable silence. He's usually the one starting the conversations. When we get to the dining room, all his friends are eating breakfast with no shyness which proves to the fact that they have been going to the gym every Saturday for who knows how long. They're all joking around as if nothing happened upstairs. They don't even notice us come in until we take a seat. I sit in between Finnick and Mrs. Odair. The table then goes silent. Mrs. Odair notices the tension but doesn't say a word so Finnick loosens it up a bit.
"Mom? You remember that crazy little girl who wore a dress in boots all the time who I got lost with?" he asks.
"Of course. How can I forget? Katniss Everdeen." I walk over to her and give her a hug.
"Oh my! Katniss? From 5 years ago?"
"I'm not staying in a car with them." He chuckles at my statement, lying next to me.
"They got their own cars. Don't worry about it. I'll wait for you outside." He leaves a soft kiss on my cheek and walks out.
"Yes. The one and only." I reply, laughing.
"You're so big now. And you filled in." I can feel the heat rush to my face. Well, this is rather embarrassing.
I don't say a word and take my seat. We eat our food in silence. I don't mind it being quiet but Mrs. Odair clears her throat and speaks up.
"So Katniss, how's your stay in California? Do you prefer staying in France?" she asks politely.
"It's alright I guess but I still prefer New Jersey." I say. I mean I don't mean to boast but she is asking.
"Oh! I thought you last transferred to France?"
"Uhm. No. Actually that was 3 years ago."
"So you transferred from New Jersey to here right?" "No. Russia." I say, simply. With that the conversation ends and I finish my breakfast. I excuse myself from the table and head upstairs. I brush my teeth and bring my backpack downstairs where all the guys are waiting for me in the living room.
Finnick introduces me to all his friends. Peeta was the ass who was on top of me. Cato was the other blonde. Gale was the quiet one earlier. Marvel was the brunette. They all apologize but that doesn't ean I accept it. What are they? Feeling lucky enough to get on my good side? Not gonna happen with the attack earlier.
"We better go to the gym." Finnick say, standing up.
"You sure Katniss you can handle the gym?" Cato challenges.
"Well, judging from the state of your faces with all those bruises and scratches, I think I can handle getting dirty." I retort.
They all laugh. I allow myself to smirk a little, seeing how red Cato can get once he's humiliated.
"I like this girl." Marvel says, throwing an arm around my shoulder. I give him a death glare causing him to pull away his arm slowly as if I was a bomb about to explode. Finnick ushers me to his car and the rest take theirs.
JOSH HUTCHERSON'S HOT BOD
We arrive at the gym. Finnick covers my eyes the moment we step in the gym and guides me in.
"Don't worry. Just trust me." He whispers into my ear. He's talking so close to my ear that it tickles which makes me laugh.
Once he removes his hands, I see an archery station. I jump on him, wrapping my hands around his neck and my legs on his waist. I give him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you. For bringing me here." I whisper in his ear.
He puts me down and pushes me towards the bow and arrows.
"Go on. Let's see you shoot." He says.
I sprint over to the bow and arrows like a little baby who just found her toys. A guy comes over and assists me.
"I'm Haymitch and I'll help you. Are you sure you can handle that, sweetheart?" I grab a silver bow and two sheaths of arrows.
I step forward on the platform and shoot an arrow right on a target 20 yards away, hitting the bullseye. I'm getting used to the bow and arrows because it's much lighter than the one I'm used to. I use the one my dad made me. I've tried numerous times replicating his artful work but I never got to make one as good as his. Once I get more confident that I can shoot farther, I start shooting from 50 yards to 100 yards radius not missing one target. Seeing that I'm good, Haymitch starts throwing these angry birds stuff toys up in the air. I shoot each one in the eye. It's a good kill if it were real. He picks up his pace and throws 2 at a time, multiplying them each round. I'm having so much fun that I can hear each one fall. I turn around, facing Finnick and his friends. All of them have their mouths wide open, staring at me with awe. I feel the heat rushing to my face again.
"Word of advice. If I were you, I would shut my mouth. I wouldn't want a fly to come in." I throw a smirk at them and they start applauding.
I hear footsteps coming from my back and I turn my gaze back to Haymitch. He's now in front of me. The beads of sweat are visible on his forehead. He gives a low whistle handing me the arrows.
"I'm impressed. I didn't think you had it in you. Where did you learn to shoot like that kid?" he asks.
"My dad. We used to hunt in the woods." I say, casting my eyes on the floor.
"What'd you get?" My eyes snap back to him in confusion. We actually have the same gray eyes but his hair is a dirty blonde.
"What?"
" . ?" He asks again as if I didn't understand English.
"Squirrels, birds, turkeys, and deers usually if I come across them."
"A pack of wolves and a bear." Finnick says, putting an arm around my waist. And he said I couldn't keep my hands off him. It seems the opposite way around.
He and his friends have gathered around me. I nudge him in the stomach with my elbow, releasing his grip.
"Are you for real?" Gale asks.
"Yeah. Like I said earlier. She's crazy. She brought a bow and arrows to camp grounds. All the counselors were horrified with her. She was running around with a bow in her right hand and a sheath of arrows slung on her side. I thought she was a lune." He answered, chuckling.
"Shut up, Finn! And I'm sorry I can't be the normal paranoid person like you." I shout.
"How did she shoot a pack of wolves and a bear? Was she running in the woods with meat or something?" Haymitch jokes.
"We got treed by those mutts. She got scared 'cause she thought I was going to die. I got bit on the leg and she saw the blood draining out of me."
"You're making me regret it now." I mutter under my breath.
"How about the bear?" Peeta asks. As if I am not here. Isn't anybody listening to me? "Shut up Finn! I got a bow and arrows. Don't think I won't shoot." I cut in but that doesn't stop him from talking or laughing. Probably the only way to shut him up is by piercing an arrow in his throat.
"She challenged it to the rights of having the bee hive." They all start laughing which turns me red with red with anger. I walk away from them. I take one last look and out of the corner of my eye, I see an apple sitting perfectly on top of the table a couple of feet away from them. I release my arrow and letting it fly into the apple, making a loud thump when it sticks on the wall. It's juice dripping to the floor.
"I wasn't kidding about using these." I say, gesturing to the bow and arrows. "Next time, I won't give a warning."
I look at each one of them in the eyes. Fear is evident in all their eyes except for Haymitch and Finnick. I can visibly see Peeta and Marvel shaking. Finnick and Haymitch burst into fitful laughter. I can't help but join in. Looking at Cato, Marvel, Peeta, and Gale's faces in complete horror makes us laugh even harder. Haymitch puts an arm over my shoulder.
"I like this girl. She has lots of… Spunk. More than you. More than you'll ever have." He says, pointing at the four men. I grin at their faces and return to the platform to shoot more. I feel better now. I'll pretty much always have the last laugh. Great! Hanging out with Finnick is turning me into an arrogant person. But I can't avoid him. We are partners in crime since I was 10 and he was 12. We would sneak in the cabin where the good stash of food was kept and we would take it and eat by the lake all night. I look over my shoulder to see the four men still standing there, trembling.
"Well? Are you going to just stand there? I thought you were going to 'work out'? What? Can't handle a little sweat?" I ask, teasingly.
They slowly drag their legs out of the archery station, looking at me. As if they didn't trust me to shoot them. An hour more of shooting and I head to the weights station. I walk in silently and lift some weights.
"So what was she doing in your bed? You sure you didn't knock her up, Finn?" Cato asks. What the heck? I'm thinking that 'she' they're talking about would be me. I was in his bed. Before Finnick can answer, I clear my throat. Everyone turns their attention to me.
"You know? It's rude to gossip about people behind their back especially if that person is standing right in front of you and don't play dumb with me. I heard you. And why don't you just ask me?" I point out.
"How long have you been standing there?" Marvel asks.
"Long enough." I simply answer.
"We didn't hear you come in." Gale states.
"She has a tendency of sneaking up on prey." Finnick says, smirking. "How did shooting go, little squirrel?"
"Great. It's just that I missed a target." Your heads to be exact.
"Little squirrel? Are you sure you two aren't dating?" Cato asks, reassuringly.
"Shut up!" I and Finnick say in unison.
"And to top it all off, I don't date." I mutter.
"I caught that. Why? Mommy and Daddy won't allow baby Katniss to date?" Peeta asks, mockingly.
That is it! I have had enough of his bullshit. I launch myself at him. Finnick expects me to and grabs a hold of me.
"Vous bàtard! Ne me parler comme ça! Je vais vous chasser vers le bas. Vous aurez le regretted. Vous ne savent meme pas ce que vous parlez. Ils sont morts, vous écervelé idiot!"
Finnick hugs me and hushes me. Tears are running down my face. I bury my face on the crook of his neck, crying. I haven't had this horrible of a breakdown before.
"It's alright, Kat. He didn't know. They didn't know. C'mon. He's not worth it. Let's go." He whispers, soothingly. I wouldn't know what I would do without him. He gives me a kiss on the forehead and guides me out. "I gotta tell them we're leaving." I just nod my head, unable to speak.
Peeta just crossed the line. What is his problem? Why does he get on my nerves all the time? I should have killed him earlier. What the hell does he even have against me? Yes, I kicked and did a lot of damage to his face but he did deserve it. He was the one who was on top of me. I just did what my instincts told me, stay away from him.
JOSH HUTCHERSON'S HOT BOD
Finnick walks with me hand-in-hand to his car. I instantly fall asleep. When he wakes me, we're in front of McDonalds. I haven't had ate here for a long time.
"Hey, little squirrel. You hungry?" he asks.
I nod my head. I'm too embarrassed to talk. He ushers me to a seat and goes to order food. He comes back with 2 cheese burgers and large fries.
"I'm sorry. I'm an emotional wreck right now. I don't know how you deal with me." I say, shyly.
"No. I know. I understand, you don't have to explain anything. I do after all have these GIANT elephant ears." He says which makes me laugh. He never fails to bring a smile on my face.
After that, he drops me home.
"Thank you for everything, Finn. You're the best friend I ever had." I give him a quick on the kiss on the cheek. He doesn't say another word. He knows that I need my space at this moment.
Prim is probably still at Rue's house. The house is too quiet for her to be around. I crawl up the stairs to my room and crash in my overly-sized bed, not bothering to remove my shoes. Ugh! I hate the people here. It was better having Madge as a friend. I fiddle with the gold pin she gave me. It's some sort of bird holding an arrow in its mouth. I carry it everywhere I go. Exhaustion takes its toll and I fall into a dreamless sleep, clenching the pin close in my hand.