Chapter 6: My Friend, Finnick Odair!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games.

Johanna:

What was everybody's problem? Katniss and Finn were living in lala land because of Peeta and Annie. Clove was busy reading some old book. And Gale...Gale was wallowing more than usual. Shouldn't he be all excited about the homecoming game? That was only a couple weeks away.

Johanna knew the cause of Gale's anger. Katniss had started her new job at the bakery that Monday and all she could talk about was Peeta. She was completely smitten! Gale hated every minute of it.

"Mason don't come in unless you have a question about schedules!" Haymitch said.

Johanna came in anyway. "What am I supposed to do about Gale? He's infatuated with Katniss and she doesn't even notice."

Haymitch glared at Johanna, hoping to scare her off, but Jo didn't move from her seat.. He should have known it wouldn't work. Nothing ever made those kids leave him alone. Eventually, Haymitch gave in and offered some words of wisdom. He'd never admit it, but they weren't as terrible as he made them to be. He didn't have any children and they made him feel...useful.

"Maybe Katniss knows how Gale feels and she doesn't want anything to change between them." He told her.

"Well it has to because Gale's being annoying! All he does is sulk and frown when Katniss is around."

"We both know you're not here because of Gale. You're here because you don't like seeing him get this way over Katniss. You'd rather it be you."

"Of course I'd rather it be me!" Johanna didn't bother to lie to Haymitch. She came here for answers and she would get them.

"What would you suggest they do to move on with their lives?"Haymitch asked.

Johanna though about it. "Katniss needs to make a move on Mellark! I don't care if he's dating that Sparkle bitch, she has to do something. And Gale has to get over her already! It's been like this since middle school."

"He can't just decide to get over her. Emotions don't work like that. You can't chose to stop loving someone." Jo knew he was thinking about his late wife. "He has to see there are other options."

"Gale won't move on until Katniss agrees to go out with him." A brilliant idea entered Jo's head. It was right there the whole time! "He has to ask her out! Katniss will say yes because it's Gale and they're best friends. Once he sees how awkward it would be to go out with her, he'll let her go."

"Next time, don't interrupt my work. I have schedules to fix, Mason." Haymitch said, but Jo missed it.

They're like brother and sister, dating would be so wrong! She was a genius. If this didn't work then nothing ever would.

Johanna realized that she couldn't be the one to give Gale the push he needed, he'd question her. It had to be another guy. Finnick. Johanna smiled to herself. Finally, their friendship come in handy! He owed her a favor anyway.

Clove:

Wednesday had come much too soon for Clove. Monday after school had not gone well. Cato had shown up late, claiming he had lost his book. When Clove asked if he had read the chapters the answer had been no because, like he said, he lost the book. Clove yelled at him for being an asshole and for being unorganized..After about ten minutes of yelling, she told him to leave and come back on Wednesday. This time she added a threat: If he didn't read the chapters, she'd have a talk with Effie, who would then talk to Snow. Snow did not approve of athletes letting their grades slip because of sports. If Effie insisted that football was going to cause Cato to fail English, Snow would have him taken off the team. Needless to say, Cato had immediately agreed to reading the chapters, but not before calling her a 'heartless bitch' who needed to 'get some'. Clove couldn't care less what he thought of her. She just wanted to impress Effie with her amazing teaching skills. Then that recommendation letter would be golden!

There was a loud knock on the door and only Cato would be obnoxious enough to knock that loudly.

"Come on." She led him into the living room. No one was home, as always. Her father was on a business trip in Boston and her mother wanted to go see some new fashion line in Milan.

All of her notes were laid out on the coffee table.

"Okay. So I prepared a practice quiz for you to take. Effie said she'd let you retake the first ones, since you failed. She'll have the first one for you tomorrow, so let's see how you do on this one." Clove was trying to be patient.

"Fine." She handed him the paper and told him to get to work.

He was done in five minutes and Clove checked it.

"What the hell? Did you even read the right book?" The answers were all wrong.

"What time period does the novel take place in? The 80's?" Clove read off the paper. "You didn't read anything!"

"I told you, I have better things to do!"

"Don't you get that I'm trying to help you! The least you could do is try!" She yelled.

"You're not doing this for me, you're doing it for yourself! What are you getting out of this? Extra credit, service hours, a college letter?" Clove narrowed her eyes at him when he mentioned the letter.

"The letter, huh? See! You get something out of this. I don't. It's a waste of time!"

Clove felt anger begin to rise. She had taken the time to reread the novel, take notes, and create quizzes. And this guy didn't bother to do anything!

"You are an asshole! All you have to do is read the damn book, it's not hard! This is so you'll pass and you don't want to?"

He shrugged. "Work isn't my thing."

"Right, you just mooch off your parents. Think they'll buy you a high school diploma? Then what? You'll be stuck with them for the rest of your life because you don't know how to function without their money!" Clove saw his jaw clench and knew she was making him angry.

"I pity you. You, Marvel, and Glimmer; and everyone else like you people! You don't know anything, really. You all just depend on your parents and do nothing. Walking around like you own everything! Good for you, you've got it all figured out!"

He remained silent and Clove actually felt disappointed. She wanted him to say something. Deep down, she didn't really want to hate them forever. She thought maybe one of them would be mature enough to admit they were wrong. Clove gathered her notes from the coffee table.

"Leave. I'll tell Effie to find you another tutor." She heard the door slam as he left. The nerve.

Clove ran up to her room and locked the door.

Clove had changed in high school. She realized that it would take a lot of hard work to be successful and no amount of money or high school popularity would get her a spot in the real world. She learned that from Katniss and Johanna, who weren't wealthy yet they still had incredible ambitions. They both knew it'd be hard, but they didn't mind trying.

Clove felt privileged. She had it all because of her parents, but she didn't want to depend on them forever. She didn't want to be known as the daughter of Robert and Sarah Kentwell. No, she wanted to make her own name. Accomplish things herself.

I'm right in pitying them. Them being the didn't know what's out there. Neither did she at first...

Should she have given them a chance to redeem themselves back at the beginning? Maybe tried to talk some sense into their empty heads?

"Ugh!" She threw a pillow across the room and heard something break.

For the first time, she felt guilty. She was partially to blame for the end of those friendships. They were wrong to turn their backs on her, but she was wrong when she thought they'd get her reasoning. She couldn't expect them to just understand. She changed her views only after she got to know Johanna and Katniss. Only after she had lost her place in that prestigious social circle.

They weren't going to change unless someone forced them to. It could have been her who did it. Then she might still have all of her friends.

Great. Now she wouldn't be satisfied until she fixed this whole mess. So Finnick was right. It was time to face the Careers and tie up those lose ends.

Gale will ask Katniss on a date! Katniss is still completely hooked on Peeta Mellark. And Clove is going to try and fix her broken relationships. Until then, REVIEW! Also, if there is anyone you would like to see more of, let me know. I have an outline but I will try to work them in if you guys want me to.