Chapter 2

Katniss Everdeen POV

Gale and I pull up to school after taking Prim and Gale's younger brother Rory to school. Gale finally got his dad's old car to drive to school, even though it barely works. His mom doesn't need it as much.

"Are you ready, Catnip?" He asks me. I don't feel ready, I honestly just want to go home. He's a junior this year, which means he'll be graduating before me. I don't know what I'll do when he's gone.

"I guess," I say, opening the car door and stepping out. "Thanks for driving me."

"Of course," he says. "Will I see you at lunch."

"I'm not sure," I say as we walk into the building. "I may want to eat the girls. You can eat with the guys, right?"

"For sure. I'll see you after school if I don't see you then." He'll be taking me home after school today, and probably most days this year.

"Bye," I say. "Good luck out there."

…

For lunch I end up eating with Madge and Annie, I find them sitting alone in the cafeteria. "Hey guys," I say as I sit down. "I thought you'd be eating with the cheer team today."

"They weren't exactly very welcoming to Annie during the first summer practices," Madge says. "We thought it would be best to eat by ourselves."

"What happened?" I ask. A lot of people think Annie acts weird, and it makes me sad that they don't give her a chance. She's one of the sweetest people I've ever met.

"I guess they just think I'm too weird because I'm quiet and I have OCD," Annie says. "They were laughing at my OCD patterns." That crushes me. Annie does have really bad OCD, and she doesn't need other people drawing attention to it.

"It was mainly Clove and Glimmer," Madge says. "They were the ones laughing."

"Of course it was them," I say. "They piss me off so much. Where's Johanna?"

"She went out for lunch," Madge says. "Probably to smoke cigarettes. She can't get away with that here."

"I'm sorry you had to deal with those bitches," I say to Annie. "I hope it doesn't discourage you from cheering."

"Well, I'm definitely getting ready in the bathroom istead of the locker room," she says. That makes me sad, but not surprised. Annie gets really anxious when anyone notices her OCD, even though she can't help it and it's nothing for her to be ashamed of.

"Annie," Madge says. "You don't have to do that, you know Johanna will fuck anyone up who messes with you again."

"That's even worse," Annie says. I can tell she's getting more and more anxious about the situation. "Just let me get ready in the bathroom, please. It's better that way."

Madge gives me a pleading look, but I just shake my head. It's better to not argue with Annie when she's in this mindset, she'll start crying and panicking when you push her too far. I know she really struggles with her mental health, and I relate to her sometimes. I just wish she would accept more help from her friends, she's a beautiful person (inside and out) and she deserves that.

Peeta Mellark POV

The guys and I went to a local burger place for lunch to celebrate the first day of school, it's something we usually try to do.

"Oh, I almost forgot," I say, reaching into my backpack. "I have these for you guys." I pull out a bag of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies from the bakery that my mom didn't want to sell. The guys all reach for them at once.

"So is this year finally the year you bang Katniss Everdeen?" Cato asks me.

"I don't know," I say. "Is this finally the year you bang Clove?"

He knows I have a crush on Katniss, I have since we were kids. I've just never had the courage or the time to do something about it. I can clap back at him when ge makes fun of me, because he has a crush on Clove. He keeps saying he's going to get with her, but I know he's all talk.

"Touché," Cato says. "Maybe I will bag her this year, though. You never know."

"Bro," Marvel says to Cato. "She would literally claw your eyes out if you went near her."

"Maybe I'm into that," Cato says, winking. I jokingly make a gagging sound. I love my friends, but I swear sometimes they act like cavemen.

I've also never said I wanted to "bang" Katniss Everdeen, I've said I had ancrush on her. To them I guess that means the exact same thing. She's really beautiful and seems very strong, and we've talked a couple times. I've seen her play her guitar and sing behind the school when she thinks no one is watching, she's actually really good.

"God, sometimes I wish they would leave me alone about Katniss," I say to Finnick after we get back to school and the other guys have walked off. "It's getting old."

"Well, you've only been crushing on her since we were little," he says. "We're just saying you should do something about it, or find someone else."

I roll my eyes. "Whatever, man," I say. "Like I'd take advice from you anyway." He playfully shoves me.

It's true, I do have a crush on Katniss Everdeen, but she barely even knows I exist. Plus I'm pretty sure that guy she's always hanging out with is her boyfriend. Even if he wasn't, I've never had a chance to really talk to her. I've always been busy with school, wrestling, and the bakery. Maybe the guys have a point, maybe I can make this the year I actually get to know her more.

Johanna Mason POV

I'm getting ready in the locker room for the first cheer practice of the school year. We did some practicing during the summer, but we need to finish getting ready for the first football game on Thursday. They really waste no time getting into the football season.

Clove and Glimmer walk in, they're best friends and they're massive bitches. Glimmer actually isn't so bad, Clove is the one that'll claw your eyes out slowly if you get on her bad side. She and I constantly butt heads, she's a flyer and she wants to be head cheerleader. Somehow she got it into her head that I'm her biggest competition, I guess because we have similar personality types and we take no bullshit.

"What's up, Hoanna?" She asks me. She loves calling me that, as if she has any room to talk.

"Original," I say while putting my hair up. "As if you can say anything. I heard you were making fun of my girl Annie, and it's not going to be pretty for you if you continue to pull that shit."

"Is that a threat?" Clove asks.

"Damn straight," I say, turning around. "She's the sweetest person, and she just wants to fit in."

"Then tell her not to be so weird," Glimmer chimes in. "You'll honestly be doing her a favor, the bullying will only get worse if she keeps it up."

I stand up and get in Glimmer's face. "What did she ever do to you?" I ask her. "Can't you just leave her alone?"

"Get out of her face," Clove says to us. "Or I'll rearrange your scowling face."

"Oh, I'd like to see it," I say, coming towards her. As I'm about to throw hands, our Coach Wiress comes in with Ms. Trinket, one of the assistant principals.

"Girls, girls," Coach Wiress says. "Step away from each other and let's calm down." I don't know why they're both in here, but I guess someone from the team went and got the coach and then she called for backup.

"She was making fun of Annie," I say. "That's not okay."

"Well we all need to relax," Ms. Trinket says. "And watch our manners, this isn't ladylike. Ms. Mason, come into the hall with me." I follow her into the hall.

"This isn't the first time I've had to scold you for your behavior," Ms. Trinket says to me. "If I have to keep doing this, you'll be kicked off the team."

I just roll my eyes. She isn't wrong, I've fought with Clove and Glimmer before because they're always trying me. I would argue they deserve it, but I'd rather not get kicked off the team. It looks good on my transcript.

"Should I just never defend my friends?" I ask.

"You can do it in a more ladylike fashion," Ms. Trinket says. "Remember, you're on thin ice." Shr always talks like we're high society girls, it's probably because she used to be an administrator at a posh boarding school.

I just walk back into the locker room and get ready in silence. When I start walking towards the gym, Annie is doing the same.

"Why weren't you in the locker room?" I ask Annie.

"I was getting ready in the bathroom," she says. "Mainly to avoid Clove and Glimmer."

"I almost fought them in the locker room," I say. "Coach Wiress and Ms. Trinket had to come in and stop me."

"Why did you do that?"

"They were talking shit about you, and it's not okay," I say. Annie stops and her eyes start to water. "Hey, no crying. We're going to practice and you're not going to show them it bothers you."

There's a pause before Annie just nods. "Okay," she says, starting to walk back in.

"I always have your back," I say to her. "No matter what." And I truly mean that.