Chapter Thirteen
I stare at him, my eyes wide, my mouth hanging open, each feature portraying my surprise. I swallow hard, and think of something to say, but I don't think that anything that comes out of my mouth right now will make any sense. However, I can't just stand here and do nothing. I do the first thing that comes to mind.
Run.
I don't stop once as I make it to the fence, which I quickly crawl under, before continuing to run through the meadow and into the streets that lead to my house. As I go, my mind races with the many thoughts that torture my brain.
He wants to marry me.
He wants to raise our child together... under the same roof... as husband and wife.
This cannot be happening.
Once I reach my home, I barge through the front door and run into Gale, who just so happens to be on his way out. His hands go to my shoulders to steady me and stop me from falling.
"What are you doing here?" I ask as I try to catch my breath.
"It's great to see you too, Catnip," Gale says.
"I'm sorry. I'm just in a rush. I don't want to be late for school," I reply.
"Are you okay? You seem... different," Gale says, showing his concern by pressing the back of his hand against my forehead to feel my temperature.
"Is something wrong?" my mother asks, coming into the hallway. "Are you feeling okay, Katniss?"
"I'm just out of breath," I say. "I need to sit down."
Gale leads me into the living room and sits next to me on the worn and tattered sofa as mother runs to the kitchen to get me a glass of water. Prim comes running from our bedroom and sits on the armrest beside me.
"Where were you?" Gale asks, rubbing a large hand up and down my back.
"The woods," I whisper, completely forgetting that Gale doesn't know about Peeta or the baby.
"Did you nearly get caught? Is that why you look so frightened?" Gale questions.
I don't answer until mother comes into the room and hands me the water. I thank her and take a large gulp while she kneels in front of me. "No. I was talking to Peeta."
"Peeta Mellark? He was in the woods alone with you?" Gale asks. I look at him and quickly remind himself about all that he doesn't know. I shake my head, knowing he will find out later anyway, and look at my mother.
"We talked about the baby. He wants to help raise it. We were discussing where I would live."
"You would live here, of course," mother says.
"I said that, but there really isn't any room and the baby will wake everyone up at night."
"Where else would you go?" Prim asks.
"Peeta and I talked about that. I told him we couldn't afford a house and he said..." I trail off, unsure of how to break the news. "He suggested that we marry."
Silence falls upon us. I look at the floor, afraid to look at anyone's face. "What did you say? What are you going to do?" Prim asks, breaking the silence.
"I ran away," I whisper. "I didn't know what to do. I panicked. I don't want to get married. I never wanted any of this."
"You're pregnant," Gale says, as if the news had only that second sunk in. He drops his head into his hands.
"Yes," I whisper.
"I thought you had only done it the night I was reaped," Gale says, his words accusing me of doing more and his tone of voice giving away his frustration.
"I did. It's complicated, Gale," I say. I'm about to explain further, when somebody knocks the front door. My eyes widen. "Peeta," I whisper.
Before I know it, Gale is off the sofa and stamping towards the front door.
"Gale!" I yell, jumping to my feet before running after him. I quickly realise I am too late. I hear Gale yell profanities, just as I make it to the door. I should have known Peeta would come after me.
"What are you doing here, townie?" Gale growls, pushing Peeta so he stumbles backwards, which grabs the attention of both my neighbours and both younger and older children heading to school.
"I need to speak to Katniss," Peeta says, his voice calm and collected.
"Gale," I say, a warning in my tone. "Leave him alone."
"Don't you think you have done enough already, Mellark?" Gale yells, and raises a fist. I watch as Peeta stands taller, a frown taking over his face. I watch with wide eyes as he easily blocks Gale's punch.
"Gale!" I yell, but my friend ignores me again, and instead tackles Peeta to the ground before they both start throwing punches at each other, rolling around in the dirt.
"You're disgusting, you know that? You took advantage of her!" I hear Gale growl, and I feel my face grow red with anger. "You had to get her pregnant, didn't you? You won't be laying another finger on her when I am finished with you!"
I cough and splutter as I realise Gale has just made my pregnancy known to several members of the Seam. This is just what I need. The news will spread like wildfire and, by tomorrow, the whole of District 12 will know. More people stop to watch the fight, as I stand frozen, not knowing what to do.
"I didn't mean to," Peeta grunts.
"I bet you loved it!" Gale yells.
My mother and Prim come to the door and watch as the two boys have it out, Gale butting Peeta in the ribs with his knee and Peeta somehow managing to get Gale in a headlock. Gale is taller, but Peeta is stronger.
"Do something," she whispers, as she turns to me, elbowing me in the side to grab my attention.
"Stop it!" I yell, but my order is ignored once again. A crowd of people are now blocking my view of them and I start down the path, anger making me red in the face.
"Katniss! Stop! You could get hurt," my mother shouts after me. I continue down the path until I have nearly reached the crowd that surrounds Gale and Peeta.
"Hawthorne!" a drunken voice slurs loudly, stopping me in my tracks. The crowd splits in half to let the man through and I see the boys freeze, Peeta on top of Gale with his fist an inch from Gale's nose.
They both turn to look at the one and only Haymitch Abernathy.
Haymitch stamps towards the two boys, and grabs them both by the arm and lifts them with surprisingly good strength for a drunk, until they are standing. "What's going on?"
"It's none of your business," Gale snaps at the only other living Victor.
"It is if it involves you it is my business. I bet it has something to do with that Everdeen girl," Haymitch says, his voice deep and rough.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Peeta snaps, his defensiveness over me making something in my stomach stir. I notice as I walk up to them that he has a nosebleed and a red mark covering his cheek.
Haymitch ignores Peeta's question and instead looks at the crowd that has formed. "Get out of here!" he yells, watching as everyone quickly moves away.
He looks at Peeta again and sighs. "Get one of the Everdeen's to clean you up before you go home. We don't want your mother finding out about this now, do we?"
Peeta looks at me, his desperate eyes meeting mine, and my eyes quickly drop to the floor. "I'll come inside in a minute," I say, my voice quiet. He nods and walks up the path towards my mother and Prim who usher him inside.
I turn to Gale sharply, my hands coming up to rest on my hips. "Why the hell did you do that, Gale? Don't you think I have enough to deal with right now?" I hiss, loud enough so only Gale and his mentor can hear me.
"He deserved it," Gale growls.
"No, he didn't. He's just trying to do the right thing," I snap. "And now everyone knows. His mother is going to find out. Do you know what that means for him?"
"I don't care what his mother does to him. He should never have taken advantage of you!"
"He didn't take advantage of me, Gale! I made the first move!"
"Well, that just makes me feel so much better, Katniss! You don't know what it's like to know that the person you love has been sneaking around with a merchant!" Gale yells.
"I thought we went through this already! It was one time! I wasn't thinking straight!"
"And now you are pregnant," he mutters.
"You're only a kid yourself, right, sweetheart?" Haymitch grumbles from beside me.
"You don't know me. You don't have any right to judge my actions, you drunk! Besides, it's none of your damn business what I do," I snap, as I feel the need to defend myself.
"No need to get all defensive!" The drunk turns back to Gale with a serious expression on his face. "You behave. We wouldn't want any Peacekeepers reporting trouble to the Capitol." The drunk looks at me one more time, and tips his head, before he stumbles away.
"Look, I didn't mean for-"
I cut him off. "It's done. Stop talking. You have done enough damage already. Go home," I hiss, turning on my heel and heading back to the house without sparing another glance at Gale.
Peeta is sitting at the kitchen table while Prim cleans his bloody nose with a wet cloth, and mother looks at his ribs to see if there is any serious damage. His shirtless appearance makes me blush, but I compose myself when his eyes meet mine and I force myself not to look away.
"I didn't think you would follow me," I say.
"I wasn't going to, but I changed my mind before I arrived at the bakery. I should've stayed there. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," he replies, and I know he is sincere.
"You have more things to worry about, like your mother. Everyone will know by tomorrow morning and she will…" I trail off.
"The worst she can give me is a few broken bones," Peeta admits, smiling slightly at me even though nothing about this is funny.
"What about your dad?" my mother asks, straightening up so she is face to face with Peeta.
"He'll take it better than my mother. He'll be disappointed but I think every parent would be if their son got a sixteen year old pregnant," Peeta admits, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink at his words.
My mother nods. "Well, you don't have any broken bones, just a few bruises here and there. If you put ice or something cold on your injuries it should help with the pain a little," she says, handing him his shirt.
"Thank you," Peeta replies as he puts the shirt back on. He looks at me and I swallow hard, wondering if he'll bring up what he suggested in the woods in front of my mother and Prim.
"We'll talk some other time?" he asks, standing up to leave. I nod, secretly relieved that we don't have to talk for much longer.
"Will you be in school today?" I ask.
"I have to go home first, but depending on what occurs at the bakery, I may or may not come in. I will be in tomorrow. I better get home," he says, before turning back to look at my mother and Prim. "Thank you for fixing me up."
"Come back if you have any more injuries," mother says, coming over to shake Peeta's bruised hand.
"I will," Peeta replies, his eyes giving away his sadness.
The Next Day
I didn't attend school yesterday, using the day to prepare for what is going to happen today. However, I don't think anything could prepare me for the task of going to school. Prim stands at my side and I can feel her eyes on me every couple of minutes. I look at her and offer her a weak smile.
"I'll be fine," I say. "Just ignore what they say."
She nods and gives me a quick hug before she leaves me to join her friends. I take a deep breath, readying myself for the name-calling and spiteful remarks I know I will get, and start climbing up the stone steps. The whispers start before I have even stepped a foot through the door.
"There she is," one girl says, not even trying to disguise the fact that she is talking about me. I walk past her group of friends with my head held high, my face void of emotion.
"We should have guessed she'd get knocked up sooner or later. She's just a Seam slut, all of them are," a merchant boy whispers.
"I wouldn't mind a piece of her. She acts all wise and strong, but I bet I could make her weak at the knees," another boy says, earning a chorus of laughs. "Do you reckon it was Hawthorne?"
I thought everyone would know by now that it was Peeta. I should have known that people would twist the story and spread lies. As I continue on my way, I listen in on people talking. Most think I went to Cray and that it's his. Some even think it's Gale's. If only they knew the truth…
I'm sure they will find out soon enough.
"I heard that Gale and Peeta had a fight because the Seam slut doesn't know which one is the father," an older girl says, looking me up and down as I pass her. "Peeta's mother will go crazy if it is his, though I doubt that very much. Peeta is way too good for her. Look at her. I think it's Cray's and he paid her to keep quiet."
I try not to let the comments get to me, and instead think about Peeta. I wonder if his mother did find out, after all. I wonder if his friends will abandon him or if they are loyal enough not to care that he got someone from the Seam pregnant. I wonder if-
My thoughts come to an abrupt stop when a familiar voice speaks up from behind me. "Katniss," is all he says.
He's here. I sigh in relief. Maybe his mother doesn't know after all. Maybe he is okay. I realise the voices that had been so eager to speak before have died down, the hallway now as silent as night. I turn around.
A loud gasp escapes past my lips as I take in Peeta's appearance. Both of his eyes are surrounded with deep, purple bruises. A red mark litters his right cheek. A harsh cut sits high on his forehead. I notice as he walks towards me that he is limping, and one of his hands clutches his stomach. It's obvious that he is in horrific pain.
I don't have to ask. I already know the answer just by looking at his appearance.
His witch of a mother knows.