Panem High School {COMPLETED}

Chapter 44 - Katniss

(If you haven't noticed, I'm skipping Gale. This might happen occasionally, when I just don't have a way to fit a POV in.)

(Katniss's POV)

It's kind of hard to get the game going again after Johanna accuses me of hating Clove. I denied it, of course, but deep down, I honestly don't know. And I don't even know why I don't like her. One thing's for sure: after, you can literally cut the tension with a knife. Cato sighs. "Let's do something else, ok?"

We all quickly agree. I notice Clove pull Johanna aside, but I turn towards the others, headed to the movie theater. I don't care at this point.

Cato waits until they walk in a few minutes later to start the movie. It's a hilariously stupid movie called "Sharknado." Basically what would happen if Los Angeles were hit by a huge water tornado. Filled with sharks. And there were guys cutting sharks open with chainsaws and bashing them with bar stools and being eaten by them only to be saved by chainsaws. Hilariously stupid. I mean, I was voting for a horror movie, but Madge and Peeta were firmly against that idea.

Once the credits start rolling, Johanna jumps up to turn on the lights. "I know what we can do now. Who knows how to play Spoons?"

"I love that game," I says, then realize it's Johanna who suggested it and try to recover. "It's stupid."

Unfortunately, everyone else disagrees. What results is an hour and a half of tensely watching the spoons, furtively cheating, and violently lunging across the table to fight for the last spoon. Johanna wins twice, and Cato and I both win once. Remarkably, no one gets seriously injured. I have no actual idea how that happened. I mean, surely Clove or Madge would have gotten crushed. But no, we all make it out alive. By now it's three in the morning, and we're all beginning to yawn.

Cato suggests, "How about we turn on another movie, but people who want to can go to bed. Sound good?"

We all nod, and as Madge and Clove slip off in the direction of the girls' room, we trudge back to the movie theater. But I can't focus on whatever movie is playing. Why are Madge and Clove not with the rest of us? Are they talking about me? Obviously. Johanna? Obviously. Finally, I can't stand it. I stumble through the dark to the door, then make my way to the girls' room.

I arrive to find four pillows in a circle on the floor. Madge is sitting on one of them, and Clove is on the bed. They both turn to look at me expectantly.

Madge motions to the pillow across from her. "Sit." As I sit down, Clove slides off the bed and join us.

"Katniss, we need to talk." Madge says calmly.

"I'm good..." I trail off. Obviously I'm not. If I can't sit comfortably in the same room as Johanna Mason, something's wrong.

"No. We need to talk," she repeats firmly.

I sigh. "Ok. Talk."

"Why don't you like Clove?"

"Who says I don't like Clove?"

"It's obvious you don't. Why?"

I glance at Clove. She's looking down at her lap, probably a little embarrassed. I know I'd be, if I were in her place.

"Well?" Madge prods.

I sigh. "I don't know...she doesn't like me..."

"Why?" Madge asks, now directing her question to Clove.

"I didn't. That's changed." That's news. Clove continues, "I didn't like her because she wouldn't apologize. I don't care about that anymore."

"Ok, so there's that reason gone." Madge looks expectantly at me. "Why else?"

I sigh again. "I don't know!" Why don't I like Clove? I've never really thought that through. First, it was because I was afraid she was mad at me, so I was defensive. When you're defensive towards a person long enough, you don't like them. But now...I look up at Madge, and Clove sitting next to her. Am...am I jealous? If I am, I'm not going to admit it. "This is stupid."

Madge sighs and sits back. "Well, that failed."

Clove shakes her head. "Lovely." She stands up, picks up her pillow, and walks over to her bag, next to the wall.

I do the same, and pull out my sleeping bag. I roll it out on the floor, and Madge grabs the end to straighten it for me. "Thanks," I say, smiling warmly. She just shakes her head. I don't blame her for being annoyed. I know I'm being stubborn. The thing is, I don't care.

I glance over at Clove before I crawl into my sleeping bag, to see if I need to move it over so I'm not too close to hers. To my surprise, she doesn't have one. She just has an old-looking, patched blanket that she wraps around herself. "Where's your sleeping bag?" The question pops out before I know I'm asking it.

It's hard to tell in the dark, but I think Clove frowns at me. "I don't have one," she says simply. I shrug.

I'm asleep before Johanna comes in, but when I wake up she's dead asleep a few feet away from me. For a moment I consider drawing on her or something, but I'm not going to stoop that low. That's childish.

Madge is already awake, reading a book, and Clove looks like she's in the later stages of waking up. I lazily press the home button on my phone to see what time it is. 7? Really? I got about three hours of sleep. Why do I always wake up so early at sleepovers? I roll over and try to fall asleep again. Unsuccessfully, I might add.