You guys are far to nice with reviews/follows. I appreciate it each and every one.
This chapter we finally get to see Gale. He's been a good boy, focusing on college and stuff. He's here to stir some trouble though so beware.
To answer my guest question regarding the length of this fanfic, it's looking like 18-20 chapters.
I intend no copyright infringement at all. The story is my own idea. Characters are owned by the awesome Suzanne Collins and all other incorporated parties.
Thanks Again.
"We're going to the mall." Johanna says.
"I'm going to pass." Katniss replies.
"That wasn't a question, Katniss."
After a long Saturday practice, all Katniss wanted to do was go home and sleep. Her friends had other plans.
"Jo, I'm not going to the mall dressed like this," They were still dressed in their practice gear. Pretty much short shorts and tank tops. "and I know you're not going dressed like that either."
"That's why I brought 'us' a change of clothes."
"I am not wearing anything you wear on a regular basis." Johanna wasn't known for dressing conservatively.
"That's why these are your clothes," Johanna says while pulling out one of Katniss' green t-shirts and her favorite pair of jeans.
"What the hell?! I've been looking for these for the longest time! What did you do, steal my clothes?"
"She's been had those." Rue says while walking out of the gym with Annie.
"Yea, I kinda have a confession." Johanna says. "You remember that night we went to that party at Annie's last year. Well, you and Delly were such party poopers and went to sleep upstairs."
"Yea…"
"We'll, I fell into the pool and needed a change of clothes."
"YOU'RE THE REASON I WOKE UP IN MY BRA AND UNDERWEAR THE NEXT DAY?! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST ASK ANNIE FOR A CHANGE OF CLOTHES?!"
"I couldn't find her and you were the closest one to my size."
"Jo, I woke up that morning next to Delly thinking I was a lesbian! You know how lucky I was that Delly was still asleep when I woke up?"
"I'm sorry. I washed them."
"I can't believe you, Johanna." Katniss went over to Rue, "and what you knew too?"
"I didn't know. I thought you let her borrow them."
"So, you thought you were a lesbian, huh?" Johanna asks Katniss with a smile.
"What was I supposed to think when I wake up half naked next to one of my girlfriends?" Katniss says with a laugh, "You are so lucky you're my best friend Jo."
"Alright, then. Let's hit the mall, girls."
Katniss hated going to the mall. She only went when it was absolutely necessary. What was worse was that Johanna always had to go to Victoria's Secret. Without a doubt, every time they went to the mall, they just had to go to that store. Katniss wouldn't mind it, but something about Victoria's Secret made her uncomfortable. Maybe it was all the underwear. Katniss wasn't necessarily a prude but she just didn't feel right with all the variations. Johanna, on the other hand, had no problem looking through the racks and pulling out certain pairs and showing them to Katniss.
"How bout these?" Johanna says pulling out a hot pink thong.
"I don't know what you want me to say…"
"For you," Johanna comes over to Katniss pulling them next to Katniss' crotch area.
"Johanna get out of here!" Katniss says while grabbing the thong away from her.
"Oh well excuse me, Miss innocent. Let me just go take a look over there at the granny panties rack."
Katniss stood there shaking her head at Johanna as she walked to another rack.
"That's a nice color for you."
Katniss froze at the voice. There she was in Victoria's Secret holding a hot pink thong in front of Peeta. It just couldn't get more embarrassing.
"You should pick up the matching bra too." Peeta says while holding up a matching color bra to her breast. He cocks his head to the right trying to see if it was the right size. Katniss snatches the bra from Peeta.
"What the hell are you doing here Peeta?"
"Browsing."
"What are you some sort of perv?" Katniss knew something had to be wrong with Peeta. He was just too perfect. He was too beautiful, too smart, too everything. She had figured it out. He was into some freaky stuff.
"No, but don't laugh. I like their lotions."
If life was a cartoon, Katniss would have been on the floor laughing her ass off. Instead, she kept her composure, leaned against one of the racks and just couldn't stop laughing. Peeta had his hand behind his head trying to contain the blush that just wouldn't go away.
"Thanks for not laughing."
"No, Peeta. You have no idea what was running through my head before you said that."
"What like I had a panty fetish or something?" Peeta says with a laugh. They're both laughing when one of the sales clerks comes over to them.
"Oh that's a nice choice, miss. I'm sure your boyfriend here will like it very much." Katniss and Peeta were both blushing at the clerks assumption. They must have looked real cute laughing and blushing together. Quickly they both tried to make the situation less awkward.
"She's not…"
"He's not…"
They both tried to explain.
"Oh, no? We'll then, Hi I'm Cashmere." She grabbed his arm possessively. "Oh wow, you're really strong."
"Hi, I'm Peeta. This is Katniss." Katniss opened her mouth to introduce herself but Cashmere was more interested in Peeta. She continued talking to him, completely ignoring Katniss. Cashmere kept running her hand up and down his arm then went on to do the same to his chest. Katniss couldn't help but feel a shot of jealousy go through her. She had no right to do that to her Peeta. But, he wasn't her Peeta. They were just friends. Katniss could only hope that her face didn't show her hurt.
Peeta widened his eyes at Katniss hoping she would save him. Katniss looked at Peeta helplessly. What could she do? They had already established that they were not together. He had no out. Until Johanna showed up.
"Baby," Johanna came barreling from the other side of the store. She then embraced Peeta, pushing Cashmere out of the way, and gave Peeta a kiss on the mouth.
At this point, Katniss wasn't sure who she wanted to kill more, Cashmere or Johanna. If she thought the jealousy was bad before, it was ten times worse now.
"Whose this tramp?" Johanna said directing her attention to Cashmere.
Peeta was quick to recover from the shock of Johanna.
"Sweetheart, manners. This is Cashmere. She works here." Cashmere extended her hand out clearly embarrassed. Johanna just gave her a curt nod.
"I'm sorry baby you know how I get when it comes to your sexy ass." With that Johanna grabs Peeta ass.
"Enough, Johanna." Katniss says clearly irritated.
"I'm gonna go back to work," Cashmere excuses herself.
"You do that." Johanna says trying to hold back her smirk.
"I guess I should thank you, Johanna." Peeta says.
"Trust me, the pleasure was all mine, stud." Johanna places a quick kiss on his cheek.
"We'll we're going to get out of here." Katniss says dragging Johanna away from Peeta.
"Right, I'll see you later, Katniss." Katniss gives a quick wave to Peeta and heads out of the store still dragging Johanna out of the store.
"Not so tight Katniss."
"What the hell was that?!" Katniss yells at Johanna while they make their way through the mall to find Rue and Annie.
"I knew it. You're such a fucking liar."
"What are you talking about now?"
"I knew you liked him."
"What…"
"Don't 'what' me, young lady. You don't like him like that my ass. You should have seen your face when that trick was all over your man." Johanna looked at Katniss with a knowing smile, "Know that I did that for you and not Peeta."
"We've only been friends for a couple months and it just feels weird. Like we shouldn't be friends."
"Damn straight. You should be fucking."
"Jo…,"
"Alright, alright. Not yet, but you should definitely ask him out."
"I can't."
"Why not? You said, he said, you call the shots. So that means if you tell him you're going to strip him naked and tie him to the bed, he has to comply." Katniss is ready to retort, but Johanna stops her, "So, then ask him out."
As she starts thinking about it, her phone buzzes.
Gale: I hear you're at the mall.
Katniss: Yep.
Gale: Come to the food court.
Katniss: Where's the question?
Gale: No question, just come.
"Who are you texting?" Johanna asks.
"Gale."
"What does he want?"
"He's at the Food court. Wants me to join him."
"He's such an arrogant prick."
"You just don't like him because he competes with you for my best friend affection."
"Ah, not at all, because I win by default. Being a girl and all."
"Remind me why you don't like Gale again."
"You remember how he was when he was in school with us. Like he was god's gift to the world. Aka arrogant prick. I never did understand why you were friends with him."
"Because he's cute." Annie creeps up with Rue on Katniss and Johanna.
"Annie, my ass is cute. He's just an asshole."
"Well I'm going to go. We haven't talked in a while."
"Friends before hoes, Katniss." Katniss waves at them. "Text us when you're done."
At the Food Court…
"What up, Catnip?" Katniss turns to leave, but Gale catches her hand. "Okay I'm sorry."
"You get one Gale and that was it." She smiles at him, then sits down. "So it's been a while."
"Yea sorry. College has been hell."
"Don't remind me. I'm already stressed out of my mind and I'm not even there."
"So tell me what's been going on with Katniss."
"Let's see…finalizing college apps, finishing high school, spiteful bitches, volleyball, boyfriends. You know typical high school drama."
"Hold up. Boyfriends? Yours or others?"
"Neither actually. Just rumors."
"I don't understand."
"Trust me. You don't want to know."
"Katniss," Gale grabs a hold of Katniss' hand which is resting on the table. "Trust me. I want to know."
The only reason Gale wanted to know was because he secretly loved Katniss. He thinks he's loved her from the moment they met. From the start, she had no problem hanging with the boys. She had no problem getting down and dirt. Katniss was the toughest girl he'd ever met. He loved her for it. He tried to deny it, but then she grew up and was the sexiest tomboy he'd ever met. Gale's problem was he had entered the friend zone. Until he could get out of that zone, Gale had to keep an eye out for Katniss. If any guy was making a move on his girl, he wanted to know.
Katniss, of course, remained as naïve as ever. She refused to believe that Gale liked her anymore than just friends. To her, the fact Gale wanted to know only reinforced the idea she had.
"I think I'm falling for this guy at school."
"What? I mean, how long? You don't fall in love." Gale thought that maybe she was crushing on a guy, but love was a whole different game.
"Well, not in love. Not yet. Like definitely. Anyway, he told me he liked me and we've been friends since. But I don't think I want to be his friend anymore."
"That's good, just get him out of your life. You don't need any distractions from school."
"What, I don't want him out of my life. I want him to be something more."
"What about school?"
"He doesn't distract me, though. I thought the same thing when this started, but he makes me feel better. He actually makes me want to work harder so I'll impress him or something," Katniss shakes her head thinking about Peeta. "I don't know."
Gale was angry. She never wanted anything because school was always so important. Now she was ready to throw herself into some guys arms.
"Well, I don't think it's a good idea, Katniss." The tone he used made Katniss uncomfortable.
"Are you mad?"
"Am I mad?! How am I supposed to feel when you're sitting here telling me about being in love with some guy, when I've been right in front of you this whole time."
"What are you talking about?!"
"Katniss, I love you." Katniss let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"No you don't. You're my best friend."
"Doesn't that make more sense? We've been friends since we were little. We like the same things. We're so much alike."
"Yea, like siblings. Nothing more."
"What about what we had?" Gale pleads.
"We didn't have anything, just a kiss by the lake that one time." Katniss remembered. She hated to say it, but she fell under the influence of peer pressure. Everyone was doing it. So, she kissed him. It was rushed and weird. She was never inclined to do it again. At least not with Gale.
"So some nobody loser has stolen your heart and I'm just supposed to eat that?"
"Peeta is not a loser and I'm not asking anything of you. Just be my friend."
"Peeta?! What kind of name is that?!" Gale exclaims, "I can't do that anymore, Katniss. I love you and this Peeta will just have to take you from me."
"I'm not yours, Gale."
"We'll see about that Katniss." Gale gets up to leave.
"Whatever you're thinking Gale, don't." Katniss yells as Gale walks away.
Katniss' worst fear had just been confirmed. Gale loved her and she loved Peeta. Love triangle much. All Katniss could think was she was glad they didn't know each other.