Hiya everybody! I missed you all so much! I'm super pumped because this is my second full story, first using real chapters, and my first shot at Modern day stuff. It basically how Peeta and Katniss can get together and fall in love with all the chaos of senior year around them and proof that they can fall in love without the hunger games. I for one am nowhere near senior year (I'm not even in high school) so I'm super sorry if it's screwy. It starts in the summer so there's tons of time for them to get together and junk like that. Hopefully it won't be as long as my other one was but I kinda want it to be since it is a chapter story. Please review and favorite!
Also, Katniss's dad is alive and everyone is the same age.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. My birth certificate clearly states that I am not Suzanne Collins and I couldn't come up with such genius as is The Hunger Games Trilogy.
Me: I'm so pumped!
Katniss: Why? It's just a story.
Me: I could kill you.
Katniss: One, I'm not really alive. Two, you need me to keep Peeta happy.
Peeta: It's true.
Me: fuck you all.
Katniss: If you wrote the trilogy you could write that but you didn't so you can't.
Me: bitch I'm from Brooklyn. I can take you.
Katniss: I survived two games and a war. You couldn't stand a chance.
Me: Why don't you go shoot a squirrel or something?
Katniss: Okay, bye! *walks away*
Peeta: What about me?
Me: You are coming with me *grins evilly and walks away*
Peeta: *gulps and follows me*
Katniss's POV
I nervously twiddle my pencil on my desk and stare at the clock in a High School Musical 2 fashion. Johanna is writing the time until no more school on a paper plane and flying it around the classroom while Mrs. Barkley reads some poem by Edgar Allen Poe about an evil eye. I for one love her class but when it's 87 degrees in New York on the last day of school you get antsy.
The plane falls on my desk and I open it to see '1 minute' written in Johanna's sloppy writing that contrast from my calligraphy script writing. I fold it and make sure to match the creases exactly so it doesn't miss its intended target. I look up to see her writing on the board so I fly it over the heads of a few people and it lands on my friend Finnick's table. He opens it and looks at the clock before crumpling and whispering '30 seconds' around the room. When then to a HSM2 count down and I literally jump out of my seat when the school bell rings. I grab my summer homework which is only a few questions on the poem. I read it already so I can do all that tonight. We're having an after school concert and I'm supposed to be performing. Finnick, Johanna and I find Gale and Annie who were currently in Math for the last time.
"Goodbye Juniors, hello seniors," Gale says slinging his arm over my shoulder. He's basically my brother so stuff other people think is relationship type of things are just normal acts for us.
"I know right. I can honestly say I can't wait for summer to be over," I say grinning.
"Yeah, I haven't even started applying to schools but Julliard seems to make me," Johanna says and we all nod. About a week ago we all got letters from Julliard asking us to apply. I honestly think it's because of all the YouTube videos I posed of me singing songs I like and wrote and posting them on Facebook and Twitter. As of right now over a million people have heard me sing so it didn't surprise me when Julliard said they heard of me from the principle who's daughter sent him a link to me singing Beyoncè's déjà vu. They principle fell in love and when found out I could dance and play the violin, piano, drums, guitar, and flute hand-delivered to my mom. She was so excited she even hugged the principle.
We are basically the popular group of the cool that everyone wants to date or be. We occasionally stop to sign year books and have our own signed.
We sit outside the school for a while and I see my friend, Peeta Mellark, hanging out with some girl.
"Hey Jo, who's that chick Peeta's hanging out with?" I ask and nudge her. She informs me that she's his new girlfriend, Delly Cartwright. She's supposed to be from his home state, Carolina, and they were friends before he moved here. Apparently she confessed her love for him and now their dating. I'm just about to start cursing because he didn't tell me when she says it started a week ago. I nod and she walks over to him and I follow.
Peeta and I have been friends since we were 10. I didn't do my homework and our teacher would've failed me so he let me copy all of his work. In return for this act I asked him what he wanted and he said nothing and somewhere along the lines Gale and I became his friends. We met Finnick, Annie, and Johanna a few months later. He wasn't as close with them as with us so they don't really hang out with them but Johanna.
"Hey Buff 'n Stuff," Johanna says. That's another thing; Johanna calls him Buff 'n Stuff. She started last summer when she saw him sport his 6-pack when he was at our local car wash. He also saw me sport a bikini so it doesn't feel awkward like for other people.
"Hey, what's up Kat?" he says and opens him are for a hug. I love hugging Peeta. He's soft yet hard at the same time and if I could spend my life hugging him I would.
"Nothing much, just excited about being a senior. Who's she?" I ask pointing to her who is flashing me a death glare. Little does she know I'm the princess of the bitches and I can give her a death glare so bad she will literally die. Johanna is the queen and I will tell anyone who asks me that. I've seen her angry and I don't want to be at the end of that disaster.
"This is my new girlfriend Delly. Delly, this is my Best Girl Friend and honorary sister Katniss and my friend Johanna," he says and I wave. She still seems mad so I decide to play with her and snuggle into him.
"Honorary sister is right. I know every single embarrassing secret and I could ruin his rep in a millisecond," I say.
"It's true. She can and will ruin me," he says.
"Aww baby you know I'm not going to that," I say sit down on the steps while extending my arms which he walks into gratefully. He rests his head on my chest and I play with the tiny stubble on his cheek. Whenever he's sad or chilling we always can be found in this position. Delly asks if this is a norm for us and we both nod. She obviously looks uncomfortable so I decide my work is done.
"I've got to get home now. Are you coming to my graduation party tonight?" I say as we get up.
"Sure," he says to me.
"If you want you can come. I'm got enough room for one more," I tell Delly and she nods.
"Okay, see ya Peeta, later Delly," I say and Johanna says 'see ya at the party Buff 'n Stuff'.
We get into my black Jeep Grand Cherokee and Finnick and Annie say bye was they walk in the direction to the café owned by my family friend Greasy Sae.
We drive to the house and I get a text from my baby sister who is 13, Prim, saying she's at Gale's house hanging out with his little brother Rory.
The house is empty since my mom is a doctor and works late hours and my dad is cop. My parents don't get home until 9 o'clock at night and I'm basically a mother to Prim.
I throw my keys on the table and run upstairs to change into my jeans shorts and white spaghetti strap shirt. When I get down I hear my favorite song start to play.
Suddenly, my choice is clear
I knew when only you and I were standing here
Gale walks in and starts singing the male part.
And beautiful, is all I see
It's only you I know it's true it has to be
The music picks up and we start singing again.
That money isn't worth a thing if you didn't earn it, you don't deserve it
True love doesn't cost a thing and if you try to buy it, you can't return it no no no no
Your friends are doing all the same things
My friends say look at what you're wasting
Well it doesn't matter if we change their minds
Suddenly I can see what I didn't before
And I don't care what they say anymore
Cause I'm falling falling
Finally falling falling
Well I don't need all the finer things diamond rings and nothing so show me something
Cause love is all I need, all I ever wanted, and now I've got it
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
My friends are wondering what you're thinking
And your friends are probably thinking the same thing
But it doesn't matter if we change their minds
Suddenly I can see what I didn't before
And I don't care what they say anymore
Cause I'm falling falling
Finally falling falling
If you can't find love when you're in it
Don't forget it
It would change your mind once you get it
Don't you get it?
Cause we did it
Yeah we did it
Well we did it
Suddenly I can see what I didn't before
And I don't care what they say anymore
Cause I'm falling falling
Finally falling falling
Finally falling falling (falling)
Finally falling falling (falling)
Finally falling falling (falling)
It's now that I notice the song is over and Johanna was recording us singing.
"Are you going to upload that?" I ask her.
"Yes," she says and hits send. She puts it down while it uploads and I watch TV. I look at my phone and see that I need to start setting up. I tell this to Johanna and Gale and we get ready.
Peeta's POV
I shrug on my jacket and take Delly's hand as we walk up to Katniss's house. She opens the door and is wearing a gold colored top (Like the one in "Sweet Dreams" by Beyoncé), dark jeans, and some black heels. Her hair is in soft waves and she has little makeup on.
"Hey you guys," she says. She has a Pepsi in her hand and hugs me with one arm.
"Hey Katniss," Delly says.
"Nice to see you mad it. Finnick and Gale are in an arm wrestling challenge and want you to join," she says to me. I nod and start to walk away when Delly grabs my arm.
"Can I talk to you first," Delly asks me and I nod. Katniss says she's going to find Johanna and Annie. I take her into the far back of the house where Katniss's room is and lock the door.
"What?" I ask.
"I don't like how you act around her," Delly says.
"How do I act around her?"
"Like she's your girlfriend and not me," she says.
"Delly, we've been friends since I first moved here. We always act like that," I tell her.
"Are you sure? Because when she found out I was your girlfriend she started to shoot my daggers. Did you guys ever date or something?" she asks and my blood runs cold.
"Fuck. We dated last month before I told her I just wanted to be friends," I say.
Exactly. She still has feelings for you."
"She was so calm. I expected her to lash out at me or something. I should've known something was up," I say to her.
"Girls mask their feelings very easily. I had a crush on you for years and you had no clue," Delly says.
"I just wished I known sooner. She's going to be so crushed," I say as sadness washes over me.
Delly leans in and kisses me softly, "She'll be fine. We should head back to the party so you can tell her. Don't want to lead her on any longer right?" Delly says and I nod. She takes my hand and leads me down the corridor and back to the party. I look and see Finnick and Gale arm wrestling and Annie cheering Finnick on and Katniss doing the same for Gale. Johanna is playing announcer and is letting everyone know whose winning. Right now it's Gale and you can literally see the veins in his arms pop.
"Come on Gale you can do it. Take all your energy and push down okay?" Katniss says to him. He simply nods and with one push down he is the winner. He picks her up and spins her around.
"Thank you so much Katniss! You're the biggest sweetest most amazing life saver ever!"
"No offense, but I don't like being compared to candy," she says. He's face goes stone and he starts throwing her up in the air causing another screaming fit. He puts her down after a minute and she smacks his arm and screams at him. After a while she goes to have some drinks and Delly tells me to go. I walk over to her and she smiles.
"Hey, I didn't see you at the fight," she says.
"Yeah, I was with Delly," I tell her and she grins.
"Making out?"
"Something like that," is say shrugging and she shoves my arm.
"You're so bad! I hate to see what happens when you guys get serious."
"Katniss?"
"Yeah?"
Here goes nothing.
"Do you, do you love me?"
Katniss sputters her drink and bursts out laughing.
"I…love you? That's fucking hilarious!" she says and puts her drink down. She bends down on the floor and almost falls down laughing. Once she sees the expression on my face gets up and fixes her hair.
"Look, I do love you. I love you with all my heart and more. But not in the way you think."
"Then why were you staring Delly down this morning?" I ask her confused.
"Because I hate her," Katniss says so simply I'm taken aback.
"What? Why would you hate her?"
"It's not me. It's Gale, Johanna, Finnick, Annie, Madge…"
"But Madge hates me."
"Exactly. If all these people, including ones who hate your guts feel like she's bad news, you should probably take the hint," Katniss says.
"She's not well. There's something going on in her cranium that's not good. I mean this as a friend when I say you should dump her," Katniss tells me.
"Katniss, are you sure you don't have feelings for me? You sound ridiculous."
"Okay, that's it," she says and takes my hand and drags me through the crowd. We come across Johanna gambling and Katniss stands in front of her.
"Johanna? What do you think of Peeta's new girlfriend Delly?"
"I think that she's a crazy bitch who is cheating on him," she says not even looking up.
"Are you sure?" I ask.
"Positive. Now move I'm going to lose."
Katniss grins and walks out the room only to find her as of late ex-boyfriend Cato Barns staring at her.
"Hey Katniss, didn't expect to see you here," he says.
"This is my house, Cato. I'm obviously going to be here," she says obviously getting fed up.
"Look, I'm sure you know I didn't come here for shits and giggles. I think that you should be with me. We made an awesome couple, until you broke up with me."
"You cheated on me. You just want me back because Leevy dumped your ass for Caleb Harrison," she retorts before asking some guy next to the drinks to toss her a bottle. He does and she catches it before popping of the seal and drinking.
"Since when do you drink?" he asks quizzically. If he knew her like I do he would know she drinks when she's either pissed the fuck off or fed up and is about to make you look like a dick.
"If you knew me like Peeta does, you would know I drink when I'm either pissed off, which I am, or when I'm fed up and about to make you look like a dick, which I am as well. So I suggest you get out of my way and leave before I show you exactly why I'm called the princess of bitches," she says and I see Johanna come up next to her.
"And I'll show you why I'm called the queen of bitches," Johanna says. Cato noticeably backs up and I fight the grin that wants to show on my face.
"What do you have to do with any of this?" he finally asks.
"Katniss is basically my baby sister. You fuck with her you fuck with me and no one fucks with me."
"You got that right."
Johanna bitch slaps him across the face and an evil grin appears on my face.
"So that's why they call it a bitch slap," Katniss says.
"That was not cool," he says.
"What? You're mad because you look like the dick you are?" Katniss says in a baby voice before taking another swig.
"You know you really shouldn't be drinking that. Hand it over," Cato says extending his hand.
"Okay," she says and pours the whole bottle over his head and it splatters all over the floor.
"There you go," she says and turn to the boy standing by the drinks, "pass me another," she shouts and he does. She opens it and takes a long swig before cocking her head and putting a sly smile on her face.
"Now if you would excuse me, I have a party to host," Katniss then pushes him to the side like a door and her heels clicking in the mess as she walks back out front and Delly watches her.
"Watch her Buff 'n Stuff, she's a flame. And flames work best when they burn," Johanna says before walking back out into the party. We dance for about another hour before Delly says that she wants to leave.
We say bye to everybody and Johanna hugs me along with Katniss. She playfully scolds me for leaving them to clean the after party mess and I just say that I have things to take care of and she calls me a pig. We talk for a few minutes and I realize two things.
Katniss is a bitch,
And I'm in love with her.
…
…
"You what?"
"I think I love Katniss," I tell Gale as calmly as possible. Gale is a tall muscular man and I know from experience to never get on his bad side.
Except now.
"Dude you have a girlfriend," Finnick says from his position on the couch. Mom is out with her book club and my Dad is in the back with my eldest brother, Bannock, and my youngest older brother, Rye.
"Don't you think I know that? That's why I came to you guys. I can't even hang out with her without thinking about her," I say.
"How long has this been going on?" Gale asks.
"Ever since the graduation party."
Gale and Finnick go in a riot for a few minutes and Finnick looks at me like I'm the dumbest person on Earth.
"Fucking douchbag!" Finnick screams and chews me out.
"This has been going on for a month. A fucking month! Delly must know by now!" he shouts and I retort.
"No she doesn't."
"Yes she does!" Gale and Finnick shout in unison.
"Girls can hide their feelings easily. If you would just open your eyes you would know that," Gale says and my phone rings.
I look at it mouth 'Katniss'. Finnick mouths speaker so I answer it and put it on speaker.
"Hey Kat," I say masking my feelings.
"Hey Peeta, what's up?" she asks.
"Nothing much. Just sitting at home," I reply.
"Can I come over? Prim's hanging out at the beach with mom and dad so it's just me and Mandy.
Mandy is Katniss's German Shepherd. Her full name is Mirada but everyone calls her Mandy like everyone calls Primrose Prim.
"Sure. Are you bringing Mandy?"
"Yeah, I think she misses you," Katniss says chuckling in that cute way I like.
"Okay, see you then," I reply.
"See you," she says and hangs up. Gale and Finnick say they're going to leave and I nod. Katniss comes about 5 minutes after and Mandy pounces on me while licking my face.
"Hey Mandy, how are you doing?" I ask and she barks. I laugh at her enthusiasm and notice Katniss sit next to me causing goosebumps to break out on my skin.
"I have good news," Katniss says in a sing-song voice.
"What?" I ask anxious to know what happened.
"I have a performance at the town square this weekend!" She says quickly.
"Oh my gosh that's awesome! What song are you singing?"
"That song by Pink called you and your hand. It describes my experience with Cato perfectly. I also heard that some guy from Julliard is coming. If he likes me then I might get an even better chance to get in," Katniss says. It's been her life-long dream to go to Julliard. Ever since she went to one of their shows she knew that was the school she was supposed to go to. Or at least that's what she told me.
"That's so awesome Katniss I'm really…" I don't get to finish my sentence because my mother walks in with her eyes full of rage. She hates Katniss because she grew up in the ghetto before her dad and mom got better jobs. She says that no matter where she goes or what she does she will still be a hood whore.
"What are you doing here?" she asks. Mandy growls in return and Katniss raise a hand and she stops. I get up and stand in front of Katniss.
"Mom, Katniss did nothing wrong. You shouldn't be mad at her for anything," is say and she pushes me aside. I hit something hard and the day turns into night.
Katniss's POV
I run to Peeta's side after he hit his head on the table next to the couch and the lamp fell on his head. I find that he's unconscious and rage swells in me.
"What the hell? He did nothing wrong!"
"Shut up you worthless bitch! He is none of your concern," she says and shoves me. Mandy runs to Peeta, desperately trying to wake him up and I turn to his mom.
"He is every bit of my concern. I love him and I would rather die that let you hurt him again!"
Her hand raises and next thing I know I'm on the ground and my left cheek is burning. Rage swells in me like fire and I turn to her with evil, beady eyes. She looks angry but her face morphs into terror when I speak.
"Did you just smack me?" I ask her in the deepest, most terrifying voice I've ever spoken in my life. She finds her rage again and retorts with a sharp voice.
"Yes I did you pathetic hood whore. I should wash my hand with bleach for touching that mess on canvas you call a face," she says and I lose whatever miniscule bit of self-control I had in my body. I jump on her causing her to fall to the ground with a loud thud and I smack her as hard as I can.
"I am not a hood whore! I am better than that and you damn well know it! You are just upset because you didn't get anything you wanted in life and I, at the tender age of 16, managed to have more good things happen than you have in your entire life! You ever, and I mean ever lay a hand on me, Peeta, or anyone I will personally make sure you die a horrible, agonizing death and make sure you fall into the fiery pits of hell!" u shout as I proceed to hit her, "You know what I can do with a gun! I will make sure you're dead before the next sunrise," I shout and feel a pair of strong arms pry me off of her. I see that it's Rye, Peeta's 18 year old brother and I fight as he hoists me up in the air.
"I won't miss! I swear to god I won't miss. Right through the eye!" I shout. As he carries me away I see Mr. Mellark and Bannock try to wake Peeta up and Mandy fights with Mrs. Mellark's unconscious, bloody, swollen body that I know I've caused.
And I couldn't be more proud.
Rye sets me down in a chair in the back of the kitchen and I explain everything that happened. He wraps his arms around me and I start to cry. I knew that their mother beat them when Peeta told me when we were 13. He had a bruise on his face that he went to my mother for while I was there with her. He told her in private but told her not to say anything or me and Prim would suffer. She eventually told me and I did as he asked and didn't say a word. After my crying fit was done I walked into the kitchen to see Peeta with blood pouring from his head and parts of his body and his face is as pale as snow.
"Katniss, get your mother! He's bleeding a lot on won't wake up," Bannock shouts. Maya is pacing nervously and I pick up my phone and nervously call my mother.
Her calm tone nearly makes me burst into tears.
"Mommy, you need to come to Mellark's Bakery right now. I was over there and then his mom came and yelled at him and then he fell and hit the table and the lamp fell on him and he went unconscious and I beat her and now he won't wake up and mommy I'm so scared please help me please!" I cry to her. By now she can tell something's up because I always call her mama and I have to be really shaken up and scared to call her mommy. I'm crying and shaking as I stare at his lifeless body and Mrs. Mellark who has regained consciousness and is walking up the steps to her room. I hear her tell me an ambulance will be there in 5 minutes and to call my dad. I say okay and call my dad's cell.
"Hey sweetie," he says and I basically tell him everything that I told mom. He says he'll be there in a minute and I hang up. I hold onto Rye while Bannock and Mr. Mellark try and keep Peeta breathing. I feel his tears soak my hair and when my mom and dad bound through the doors I start to cry again.
"Where's your mom?" he asks Rye. He shakes his head no and I tell him upstairs. His voice is so authoritive that I almost don't recognize him.
When he comes back Mrs. Mellark is being supported on his arms and carried to an ambulance along with Peeta. Rye follows the hospital while the others go in the ambulance. He has tears in his eyes and mutters things like 'I should've helped him when it started' and 'she should be dead'. I slightly cringe and out hold the normally happy-go-lucky Rye is becoming darker and darker as the minutes pass. It makes me shrink farther and farther away from him with every comment he makes. I take the time to send a mass text to Gale, Finnick, Annie, Prim, Delly, and Johanna. I make it short, only saying Peeta's unconscious and the address. They know me and him well enough to know that if I'm making it short and snappy so they get the message that something must be wrong.
When we get there we find out Peeta's heart stopped twice. We all sit and wait for word on Peeta and the others while I curl into Rye's embrace. Besides Peeta, he's the only Mellark I will allow to comfort me the way I would expect my dad or Prim to. I won't say my mom because I have never been close to her. This is mainly because of when my dad got shot trying to bring down some guy who was holding 30-40 people hostage in a restaurant and was shooting everything and everybody. Surprisingly one of the hostages died but at least 10 cops died and 20 injured. Gale's dad was among them but he had helped me shoot well so I could support my family and he his. When everyone gets her I hug them and tell them everything that happened. After a while I end up on Gale's lap burying my face into his neck that reeks of pine. He was hunting when I texted him.