Chapter 17: Boys, Boys, Boys

Disclaimer: I don't own THG.

Katniss:

Katniss and her friends were celebrating the holidays by spending the day at her place, exchanging some late Christmas gifts and recounting previous holiday disasters.

Not everyone had shown up, though. Gale and Johanna were missing. Katniss didn't expect Gale to show up, not since their break up. Johanna's excuse was a mystery. Katniss thought she'd be mad at her after what happened with Gale, but Johanna never expressed any anger. She had mentioned going to the party, but disappeared last minute. Everyone there had been trying to reach her. No answer.

"Nothing?" Clove asked.

Katniss shook her head. "Nope. Maybe she'll call back later."

The girls left the kitchen, Katniss carrying a cake she had made especially for this occasion.

"Oh, Katniss it's so cute! Look at that snowman, he's waving at us!" Annie cried, pulling on Finnick's arm so he would admire it with her.

"Thanks. I try." Katniss said with a laugh.

"When did you get so good at baking and decorating? Where's the real Katniss?" Clove joked.

"Peeta's been helping me out." Katniss focused on not blushing. "I wanted to learn to decorate so I can get more involved at the bakery. I want to be more useful, you know?"

Clove smirked. If Johanna had been there, she would have laughed in her face and called her a liar.

"He should teach Finn how to bake. He's hopeless." Annie lamented.

"Hey! You weren't here last year when Finch tried baking those brownies. I still get chills just thinking about them." Finnick said.

Finch, who was sitting nearby chatting with Thresh, had heard him.

"Take it back, Odair!" She said. "You and Thresh ate the whole batch, don't even try denying it!"

The argument went on and Katniss actually felt bad for having such a good time while her best friend was absolutely miserable. It was tearing her apart, the distance, couldn't Gale see that?

"Okay, present time!" Finch announced.

They had all been friends for years now and finding the perfect gift was always a challenge. That and not all of them could afford the most expensive stuff. They had agreed to get each other only gift cards this year. At least they'd be able to pick something they liked.

"You can use that card to buy yourself a pair of heels." Clove said. She had gotten Katniss a DSW gift-card. "You'll need them."

Katniss was confused. "And why would I?"

"Because you're coming to my parents' New Year's party." Clove stated.

"Um, I don't think so. I'm not on the guest list." Katniss said.

"You are if I say so. No excuses." Clove said. "I don't want to have to talk to all those boring guys. It's all about business with them. And the creeps who try and hit on anything with legs. Ugh."

"Finn will be there. Hang out with him." Finnick's parents were always invited.

Clove frowned and pointed to where Finnick and Annie were currently living in la-la land. "He's taking Annie. Look at them, I can't even tell where one ends and the other begins. Would you want to be around that? I'm not going to be a third wheel, Kat. You're going."

Katniss sighed. "I don't have a dress and I can't afford anything pricey."

Clove waved her hand, dismissing the issue. "You can borrow from my from closet, we're about the same size. Come over the morning of, or spend the night. Pick."

"No. Clove, I appreciate it, but I'm not going to suffer at that party. You hate it, don't go."

"Katniss!" Clove whined.

Katniss sighed. "Besides, I have to stay and watch Prim. My mom has the night shift."

"Fine." Clove huffed. "You'll be sorry, there'll be tons of food."

"Kat, I just remembered! I have an extra gift for you." Finch said. "Peeta Mallark is single."

"We don't get anymore gifts?" Thresh asked.

"How do you know?" Katniss asked her. Her heart was racing, was it true?

"Facebook. Glimmer changed her status to 'complicated'."

"Complicated?" Finnick laughed and Thresh joined in. "Annie, your a girl, translate." Annie smacked his arm and told him she didn't speak idiot.

"It's obvious guys!" Finch cried. "Glimmer always dumps her guy and changes her status to single. This must mean Peeta dumped her. Poor girl, still hoping he'll want her back."

"Hey, how are you even friends with Glimmer on Facebook?"

Katniss tuned out the rest of their conversation. Peeta had gone through with the plan. Katniss smiled to herself and began cutting into the cake.

"Kat, you're not saying anything?" Finch asked. "You know what, come on." The redhead stood and grabbed Katniss's hand. She led her into the kitchen, asking the other girls to join them.

"Do we need something from the kitchen?" Annie wondered.

"No, Annie." Clove said. "This is a special meeting. Katniss has been keeping secrets."

"Psh. No. No I have not." Katniss lied.

"Kat. You break up with Gale, Peeta breaks up with Glimmer. He wants to teach you how to bake, you actually make an effort. What's up?" Finch asked.

"Guys, don't." Katniss pleaded. "It's nothing, just work."

"Work? Who else is getting one-on-one baking lessons?" Annie inquired.

"No one." Katniss whispered. "Okay, fine. He may or may not have confessed to liking me."

The girls cheered.

"Katniss, this is so great! Congratulations! We should go on a double date!" Annie cried.

"I don't think so, Annie." Katniss said.

"And why not?" Clove questioned.

Katniss looked uncomfortable. "He hasn't mentioned anything about breaking up with Glimmer. He told me he would. I don't know if it really happened."

"Of course it did. Finch, show her the status thing." Clove said.

"So she changed her status, that means nothing until I hear it from Peeta." Katniss declared. "Besides, I think I want to wait and see how things are with Gale. I don't want to make it seem like I don't care about him."

"The thing with Gale wasn't your fault, you can't help how you feel." Annie soothed. "And I think he can find someone else. Am I right when I say that Johanna seems to be very concerned with him?" Annie was fairly new to the group and even she saw that Johanna cared for him.

"You're absolutely right. Anyway, Katniss, you should go for Peeta." Clove said.

"Wait and see what he says. I'm positive he'll tell you about the break up soon." Finch added.

"That's what I plan to do, guys. I'm not completely hopeless with this stuff." Katniss said.

"Right, but we helped. You're welcome." Finch waltzed out of the kitchen and the other girls followed.

The rest of the day was spent eating cake and complaining about having to go back to school for one last semester.

Johanna:

The door to the Hawthorne residence opened and Johanna was greeted by Rory, Gale's younger brother.

"Jo! Hey. You came to see Gale? That weirdo hasn't left his room all day." Rory complained.

"That's why I'm here." She walked right in, being a frequent visitor.

"Johanna! Happy holidays, dear." Mrs. Hazel Hawthorne greeted.

"Same to you, Mrs.H. I'm gonna go see Gale for a sec." She said.

"Go right on in. I thought he'd be over at Katniss's today, but he said he was sick." Hazel said.

"That's too bad. I'll cheer him up, then." Johanna walked right down the hall and tried opening the door to Gale's room. Locked.

"Damn." She muttered. "Gale! Open up!" She turned the doorknob and knocked.

"Gale! Stop being a baby and open the door!"

It took him a couple of minutes of pounding on the door, but he let her in. Johanna was ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"You need to stop being so pathetic! It's sad. Not funny or annoying, it's plain sad. So one girl turns you down, big deal? Get over yourself because not everyone is going to want you." Johanna said boldly.

"I'm not upset because of 'some girl', Johanna." Gale said. "This girl is Katniss, the girl I was in love with. I did everything I could to get her to feel the same for me and it wasn't not good enough! You think that's easy? Chasing someone for years and they don't even notice you?"

The irony. Of course I know, brainless!

Johanna took a deep breath to get her anger in check. She did know. That's what she was going through with Gale. They met in middle school and since then, Johanna found that he was someone just like her. Passionate and determined. Stubborn and loyal. They fit together. He couldn't see it that way, not when Katniss was around. Johanna had nothing against Katniss, she too was an excellent friend. But Katniss should have made it clear that she saw Gale only as a friend.

"Your an ass, Gale. Wake up and look around you. Katniss is not the only girl on the planet. You're blinded by this hope that one day Katniss will wake up and just love you, but she won't. Not ever. And I'm sorry you're upset about it, but we all need Gale back. Katniss needs her best friend back. I need you, too." Johanna willed him to understand that she needed him the most.

He was processing her words..And then he lunged at her, pressing his lips against hers. Johanna loved every second of it. This proved how well they fit.

Yet, she pushed away, even angrier than when she arrived.

"No!" She yelled. "You can't just use me as a rebound, Gale! That's not what I want. I care about you, I really do. But you're still caught up on Katniss and I don't want to be second best. Am I not worth more than that to you?" She ran out the instant she saw his mouth open to reply. She didn't want to hear him reject her.

"Jo? What happened?" Hazel asked, watching the teary eyed girl rush by. She shouldn't have to ask, the woman probably heard the whole thing, she was just too nice to tell her.

Johanna pulled open the front door, ready to make her escape. "He's sick. I don't want to catch it."

Johanna Mason. Determined, sarcastic, strong, Johanna Mason. Cried over a boy.

Katniss heard the news. Glimmer changing her status on Facebook, don't think its because she's some airhead. She's lost and alone and worrying about trivial things, like social networking, is better than facing real problems. Its a distraction for her.

Johanna confessed her feelings to Gale, in a Johanna like way, and Gale did not meet her expectations right now. That doesn't mean he won't, it will come. Keep reading guys! Thank you for giving this story a chance. Reviews would be great, so leave me some!