Chapter 18
The Party
…
"To Peeta and Katniss," Gale says with his beer raised in the air.
"To Peeta and Katniss," everyone else in the bar repeats, raising their glasses along with Gale. And just as easily as everyone raises their drinks, they soon come back down and the party continues.
The party.
So instead of having a bachelor and bachelorette party along with a rehearsal dinner for the wedding a week following, Peeta and I decided to have just one big party two days before the wedding. One party, simple. Really Peeta and I didn't want bachelor and bachelorette parties because of two things: One, Peeta and I weren't that party hard type of people. Two, every time we usually got dragged out by the gang, we usually drank way too much than we would on our own and wake up the next morning on the bathroom floor. Another reason we were having the whole one-party-thing was because we didn't see anything going wrong at the wedding. All that had to be done for the wedding was everyone show, some of us had to walk down the aisle, say our vows, and then everyone had to the after party. So with not much to go over, there was not that much of a reason to have a dinner-party-rehearsal. So here we all were, all our family and friends hanging out in the bar.
Stepping down off the chair he was standing on, Gale gave me a smile as he approached to where I standing.
"Still can't believe you're getting married, Catnip."
I smile, "Me either."
He smiled, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and kissing my cheek. "Aw, look at you growing up," he teases me.
Rolling my eyes, I shoved him playfully and he laughed. His arm is replaced by one in a blue shirt and the smell of vanilla and cinnamon fills the air, Peeta.
"Hey," he smiled at us as I titled my head up to look at him.
I smile back like an idiot. At this I hear a gagging noise followed by an ohh. Looking up, I see Madge had taken her spot beside Gale.
"Congrats," she says as Gale wraps his arm around her waist.
"Thank you," Peeta replies politely. Gale gives me the nod of his head, telling me to go and talk and whatnot with everyone else here. And I give him a smile back, telling him I'm happy that he's here, thankful that he decided to come all the way down her for me, and overall joyed by the fact that shit was going okay for once, that we were happy and safe and love and just okay. Nevertheless so giving one another a simultaneous nod of the head, I excuse Peeta and I and Gale tells us to go have fun. And then Peeta and I venture off into the bar.
"I still don't get your guys' unspoken language of nodding," Peeta says as we walk pass small groups of people, close first cousins of Peeta's I think.
I shrug my shoulder and before I can say anything, Marcus is crushing me into a hug.
"Mar- can't- breath."
Letting out a laugh, he lets me go. I suck in a deep breath. I will never get use to those "bear-hugs."
"You're getting married," he nearly shouts.
"Yeah," I nod.
"Well, congrats."
Nodding our heads, Peeta looks to me with apologetic eyes. He's sorry that Marcus is drunk. It's not something bad or something he should even be sorry about. I've seen Marcus drunk, but I suppose Peeta had expected better from him tonight.
"Sorry," the girl between Marcus and Cinna says. I look to her along with Peeta with suspicion. She looks familiar.
"Katniss and Peeta, this is my sister Portia," Cinna says, "And Marcus's girlfriend."
I nod my head recalling the conversation between Marcus and Cinna the day I left when Cinna came to relieve my babysitting duties.
"Nice to meet you," Peeta says to her.
"You too," she says shaking his head.
"Good luck with him," I say motioning to the smiling Marcus as he loops his arm around her shoulder. Portia laughs, "Best of wishes with that one."
Peeta smiles with pride and I laugh, "I'll need it."
"Hey," Peeta says in protest and Portia and I just smile. Butting in, Cinna shakes his head, "Go talk to everyone else before you rub off on my sister." Peeta laughs dragging me along as I stick my tongue out at Cinna.
"I'm not that bad," I say in protest as Peeta leads me over toward the booths. He laughs, "You're fashion sense is from what Cinna tells me."
"Is not," I say nudging him with my hip, "Plus you like what I wear."
He nods, staring down at the black and scarlet, semi-skintight cocktail dress with my black lace-ups shoes. "Well, I suppose I'm not that fashionable either, but I don't care cause fashionable or not, you always look fine."
Blushing, I nudge him again with my hip. He cracks a smile and then next thing together we break out laughing.
"We - are - awful," I say between breaths.
"I thought I was pretty cool," Peeta winks, giving me a squeeze, "Super fresh even."
"Ha," I laugh, "You're worse than me."
"Hey," he cries in protest. We continue to laugh at our stupid comments and joke toward one another. In time we finally make our way over to the booth where Rye and Clove, Finn and Annie are seated.
"Hey," Clove says as I slid into the empty space beside Finn as Peeta follows.
"Nice party," Rye comments, taking a sip of his beer, "Smart idea."
Finn shakes his head though unlike the others who nod their heads in an agreement with Rye. "Still say we go out tomorrow night and have a bachelor party."
"Finn-" Annie says in a cautious tone as if she is warning a child not to do something.
"Hey," Finn says raising his hands up in defense, "You girls could go out too. Drink or have some chick flick movie marathon or have a sleep over or talk about whose significant other has a bigger ding-dong."
At this both Annie and I slap Finn's shoulder.
"Ahhh ah," he cries out, "That hurt, ahhh, like shit."
Clove smirks and elbows Rye who is laughing his ass off.
"Idiot," I barely hear Annie mutter as she rolls her eyes at her obnoxious boyfriend only ignoring his childish complaints as she drinks from her glass of water.
"Good," I mutter, stealing his beer, "It was supposed to."
Peeta laughs, standing up out of the booth. "Well, okay then," he smiles, helping me out of the booth, "We are going to talk to others before Katniss decides to kill Finn and we have to spend our wedding in the county jail."
Taking a sip from Finn's beer which I still hold in my hand, Peeta lead me out of the booth and over to where Haymitch, Eric, Chaff and Seeder stand against the back wall.
"Sweetheart," Haymitch smiles.
I smile along with Peeta. "How are you," he ask them.
"Having a great time," Chaff and Seeder smile, "Everything's good."
"That's good," I nod and Seeder reaches over and gives my hand a squeeze.
Eric takes a sip of his drink nodding his head in agreement with what Chaff and Seeder had said. "I'm happy for you kids."
"Thank you, Eric," I smile as Peeta agrees, "Thanks dad."
Standing there, everybody makes small talk, but I don't join in. I stand there watching Haymitch sip his scotch. And so tilting my head back, I finish off Finn's beer before leaning over, tapping Haymitch's elbow with the beer bottle.
"Haymitch, what is it?"
He looks to Peeta. "Boy," he says catching Peeta's attention and causing him to turn to face him.
"Haymitch," he smiles, "How are you?"
"Pissed," he said, "You boy are the reason I have to dress in a tux in two days."
"What," I say surprised. That wasn't part of the plan we talked about two weeks ago. We were going to cut the bridesmaid and groomsmen and have none. Eric was inviting some cousins of the family who owned a restaurant in the city and would help prepare the food with him between the thirty to sixty minute bag between the ceremony and the reception. And Haymitch was going to wear his black suit that he wore to my graduation with a white colored shirt and no tie if he felt like it.
"I thought you were just wearing your black suit."
"Hm, me too," he grunts pointing toward the bar where Effie Trinket stands in her too-high-high-heels and her insufferable, bring pinks dress, "My girlfriend says otherwise."
Chaff lets out a laugh which causes her to shoot him a glare, but her herself you could tell was holding back laugh. It still got Chaff and Seeder that Haymitch and Effie were dating.
I say, "We'll fix that."
"Huh," he grumbles, "How you suppose that?"
"Peeta." Peeta turns and looks to me, but before he can say anything in protest to what I am proposing Haymitch cuts in with a cautious warning of, "Boy."
It takes a moment before Peeta responds. He and Haymitch stare at one another in that time. But Peeta is the one that folds as he lets out a breath, takes my beer and points at Haymitch like a scalding parent. He opens his mouth and then shuts it only to open it again.
"If I'm not back in fifteen," he says to me, "Go for help."
And with that, Peeta walked away toward the bar. Haymitch grunted in pleasure most likely, Eric and Chaff smiled like children, and Seeder laughed, "That lady loves that boy, such proper manners, he'll live."
Nodding my head I smile, "Well, I'm going to go hang out close so I can save him if he calls for an S.O.S."
They all laugh expect for Haymitch who shows a smile, waving me to go on. So taking my leave, I head to the corner of the bar near the door. I take a seat on a lone bar stool seated beside the wall; I sit out of view from Peeta and Effie making sure I don't make myself obvious. And as I sit, I watch as Effie smiles and laughs as Peeta talks to her. Seeder was right, that lady does like Peeta, probably because he was a "proper, young gentleman" as she had called him during one of our weekly dinners at Haymitch's house. Smiling to myself, I continue to sit unbothered, looking out for an unexpected S.O.S. from Peeta when I feel someone's presence beside me.
Turning to see who it is, I turn to look into Cato's eyes. "Hey," he smiles, bringing the bottle of beer in his hands to his lips. Cato, we haven't talked that much since he told me he had "feelings" for me, just short conversations when he came into the bar for a drink or when I ran into him around town.
"How are you," I ask.
He shrugs his shoulder, "Been better."
I nod my head and we fall into an awkward silence. As I sit there, Cato drinks his beer. I can smell the liquor on him and am sure he drunk for right there on the edge. And as we sit there, I swear I feel him grow closer. It's then when I turn to look at him that my face is less than an inch from his face.
"Cato," I say leaning back to my head rest against the brick wall, "What are you doing?"
He shrugs his shoulders, taking another long sip from his beer. "Don't know," he says between drinks, "What are you doing?"
I give him a sad look shaking my head. What was he doing? "Cato-" I begin but he cuts me off, pointing his finger at me.
"What are you doing Katniss," he says resting his arm again the wall beside my head so he is able to lean forward without toppling over, "What the hell are you doing?"
And I know what he's asking me. He's asking why I am having this party… going through with this… marrying Peeta.
"I'm marrying Peeta." I state.
He laughs, shaking his head, "'Cause you love him?"
"Yes," I say firmly, "Yes."
He snorts, washing back the rest of his beer. "Well you're real convincing," he says sarcastically. That at asshole. Way to be a dick. Way to be a douche.
God. Ahhh.
Looking to him disgusted I stab his chest with my pointer finger. "Screw you for thinking you're all high and mighty. You're not. I don't have to convince anyone, but Peeta about my love," I tell him, standing up from seat so my chest is only a few inches from his as I look up at him in an authoritative manner, "I don't care if you're not convinced that I love him because you don't matter. You don't have to be convinced. The only one that matters is Peeta. Only Peeta. He is the only one I have to convince. He is the only one I care enough to convince. And I don't give a shit about you or anyone else who doesn't think I love him 'cause I do. I love Peeta Mellark. I love him so much that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him. And in two days I'm going to marry him."
My chest is heaving by the end of my rant. Cato looks down at me pissed as shit. And I know around us people are watching. Cato is steaming. I know everything is boiling to the top now and any moment now it's going to pop. He clinches his hands into and unclutches and at some point he clench the beer bottle a little too hard and it snaps. Glass is on the floor and more people are watching. His breathing has picked up and I can tell he's trying to control his anger, but its boiling over.
"Cato," I warn him again seeing now as the people near us turn to look, "Don't make a scene."
"Fuck you," he murmurs in a low tone, "You screwed me over."
At this point the commotion has caught Peeta's attention. He stares at me with concern, but I shoot him a look, telling him to stay back.
"You screwed yourself over," I tell him. He gives me a glare, stepping forward and banging me into the wall. Peeta jumps forward, but thankfully Cinna and Rye step in front of him and hold him back.
"You said you "liked" me right?" He doesn't respond, but continues to glare. "Then why did you sleep with Glimmer that day following your mass confession?" I ask. He remains silent, still staring, but stunned. I smile letting out a short laugh. "Exactly."
Standing there in a dead stare, I watch in the corner of my eye as a hand clamps onto Cato's shoulder. He jerks the slightest bit at the touch, but quickly recovers. Then turning to his side, I watch as Haymitch stood behind him, a glass of scotch in hand.
"Time to go boy," he says nodding his head toward the door. Cato looks from Haymitch to the door and then back to Haymitch. Haymitch nods his head, taking a sip of his drink. "Go."
Cato stands there for a moment, contemplating what to do. And after a minute, he pulls his arms away from me so I was no longer pushed up against the wall, nods his head at Haymitch, and then makes his way to the door. Watching as he left, Haymitch asked in a low tone, "You okay, sweetheart?"
I nod my head, "Fine."
He takes another drink form his glass before turning to the bar. "Shots!" And even though I'm sure half the bar is confused and muddled, they broke into cheers, raising their glasses into the air.
Shaking my head, I let out a laugh. "Thank you," I say in a small voice to Haymitch.
He smiles pointing behind me. Thus turning around I see Peeta. He looks upset yet happy, fazed.
"I'm fine," I assure him as he pulls me into a hug. He doesn't say anything, but rubs circles on my back. "I'm fine," I repeat, "Okay."
He nods pulling away from the hug, but leaves his arms wrapped around my waist. "You don't have to convince me," he says, "I was a goner from the start."