From the Past
Chapter 1
I try not to think of the painful memories that lurk around this house. Unlike many other people, I am glad to get out of the house I was raised and have leaved in for sixteen long years. We are finally moving from South Carolina to sunny California.
I dig a blue box out of the back of the closet and almost immediately toss it back in. It was a necklace from Cato when I was little. Looking at the box made me feel angry and betrayed all over again. I close my eyes and think of the day when he left me.
"Hey Cato, who is that?" I ask him, pointing at the blonde clutching his arm.
To my surprise, Cato answered with a harsh voice, "It's none of your business, Katniss."
The blonde smiled at me slyly when Cato wasn't looking. I gasped, taken aback. When I watched as Cato and the blonde girl get into a car and drive off, I was even more confused. What were they doing?
Several days later, I learned from my friend, Madge Undersee, that they had moved to California together. The blonde's name was Glimmer.
That was two years ago. You may think that two years isn't all that long, but it is. To me. During these two years, I suffered a lot. My dad passed away. My mom shut down and I had to take over the family, including my little twelve year-old sister Prim.
We don't have enough money to pay for a house, just enough for food and school. So, my mom's sister, Aunt Lisa, was kind enough to let us stay in their house. She has a daughter named Clove who's the same age as me. I've visited them once, and their house is huge. Mansion-size.
"Katniss, it's time to go." I hear my mom call.
"Okay. I'm coming." I sigh and shove the blue box into a pocket of my backpack. I take a last look around my bedroom. Once I step outside, I'm ready for the long journey ahead of me.
My jaw drops when I arrive in front of Clove's house. Prim squeals from the backseat. "Oh my Cheeseballs, this house is huge!" Prim says.
"Of course, little duck. This house is huge." I smile.
We knock on the front door. A woman with a neat bun pulled on top of her head opens it.
"Oh, Jane." She throws her arms around my mom and sobs. "It's so good to see you." She chokes out.
A girl with big green eyes and long brown hair pulled into a ponytail appears behind Aunt Lisa.
"Katniss! Prim!" She says, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Clovie!" Prim squeals and runs up into her arms. I smile shyly at Clove, who gathers me into a hug.
"Clove," Aunt Lisa says, "why don't you show the girls their rooms?"
"Sure thing, Mom." Clove replies and leads us into her house.
"This house is huge." Prim comments.
"Nah, it's not. It only has two stories. You should see those mansions in the rich part of the city. They even have swimming pools in the backyards."
"No way!" I gasp.
Clove nods grimly. "I don't think we can afford those."
I leave my bag of stuff on the floor of my room and go back downstairs. Aunt Lisa comes back into the room with my mom trailing behind. "So, Katniss and Primrose." She smiles.
"Prim." Prim corrects automatically.
"Yes, Prim. I have welcome presents for you." She hands me a box with wrapping paper. I rip the paper open and there's a box that says "iPhone" on the side in silver lettering.
"Oh my god." I gasp. "Are you serious? These things are...expensive! I don't accept this."
"It's a present, Katniss. You can't give it back."
"Thank you, then." I say. "Thanks so much."
"C'mon," Clove says after we open our presents. Prim got a camera. "I'll get you ready for school tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!" I just got here and school starts tomorrow?
"Yeah. Is that alright?"
"I guess..."
Clove skips up the stairs and opens the door to her room. There is purple everywhere. The purple walls, the purple bedspread, even a neon purple iPad case that stands out against the desk. "I want you to meet my friends tomorrow." Clove starts.
"Foxface, Thresh, Peeta, Gale and Annie. Don't mess with the populars, though. Like, you know, Glimmer and Cato, Finnick, Marvel, Cashmere and Gloss." Clove grabs her own iPhone and starts to show me their photos.
I don't even need to see Cato's picture to know that it's the same Cato. Who else can it be? How many "Cato and Glimmers" are there?
The sound of a strumming guitar wakes me up from my sleep. I roll over and bury my head in a pillow.
"Ugh. It can't be seven thirty already!" I turn of the alarm on my phone and sit up. It takes me awhile to recognize the strange room.
I strip off my pajamas and brush my teeth, brush my hair, and all that jazz you do in the bathroom. Then, comes the hard part. What do I wear? There are so many choices! Last night, Aunt Lisa showed me my walk-in closet and man, she bought me a ton of clothes! I mean that literally.
I grab a lace shirt off a hanger and a pair of denim cutoffs. There, that looks good for the first day of school. Well, technically it's not the first day of school, but for me it kind of is. I braid my hair in its usual side braid.
Someone knocks on my door. "Coming!" I shout.
"Katniss!" Clove yells. "School starts in fifteen minutes!" I look at my phone. Shoot, it's already seven forty-five!
I dash down the stairs and find Clove waiting for me with her keys in her hand. "Bye, Mom!" I yell in the general direction of her room. "Bye, Prim!"
"Bye, Kat!" I hear Prim yell back. She doesn't start school until next week.
Clove starts her old Toyota Corolla while I sit in the shotgun. "Pacific West Academy. Great school." Clove mutters sarcastically.
"It can't be worse than my old school." My school back in South Carolina didn't even have proper air conditioning.
"We're here." Clove drives in front of a brick building with two stories and some trees planted in front. Swarms and swarms of kids are crowding around the entrance. I've never seen this many people.
"It's always like this." Clove assures me. She leads me into the school and to the office. My eyes open as wide as saucers when I see the receptionist. She's wearing a pink gem-studded wig with a princess crown. She's wearing a hot pink tutu with glitter. Let me repeat that. A hot pink tutu with glitter.
"Um, Ms. Trinket?" I read her name tag.
"Yes?" She turns toward me. "Ah, the new student. Katniss Everdeen, I presume?"
"Yes, ma'am." I can hear her pink manicured nails tap the keys on the computer.
"Everdeen, Everdeen, Everdeen." She sings while looking through the files. "Aha!" She hands me my schedule and locker combination.
"We've already but your textbooks in your locker." She smiles. "Have fun on your first day of school." I'm preoccupied studying the tiny butterflies on her eyelashes.
"Oh, um, thanks." I stutter.
I rush to my locker when the warning bell rings. First period: Trigonometry. Great. I roll my eyes. Starting the day with math. "Where's Room 267?" I ask myself, looking at my schedule. I dash up the stairs and run down the hall looking at the room numbers as I pass. People are starting to go to class already. Oh no, I can't be late for the first day!
I turn to another hall. 278...280...this school is so weird! I'm about to turn another corner when I hear someone cuss loudly and they seem to be running down the hall...and crashing into me.
Hey guys! So this is my awesome and much better version of Betrayal! I'm so super sorry to those of you who wanted me to continue Betrayal, and I hope you enjoy this story too! Thanks for all your encouragement!
R&R,
~frustratedpopcorn