You Are My Mockingjay- Watty's Finalist 2013

Hanging at the Diner

The rest of the class period was spent writing about who they were and what they had hoped to do, not only in the class but also for their future.  By the end of the first day the group decided to go hang out at their usual restaurant District's Plate Cafe.  For all of them had too much of an overload of drama and wanted to just have a little bit of their freedom back already.  Katniss and Clove drove in one car while the boys took Cato's truck.  Arriving in Katniss and Clove looked around to find seats.  Usually they could easily order and find a seat.  But like them thinking of a hangout after school would be a good idea, other people took to that idea too.  So the line was enormous and tables and booths were filling up quickly.  "Looks pretty full!"  Said Katniss as she moves up to the end of the back of the line.  

"Hey girls, we're over here!"  Said Peeta from afar where Cato and Marvel had found a booth by a window.  Shuffling through the crowded people they finally made there way across.  

"Gosh it's like a zoo in here."  Clove said almost breathless by the time she and Katniss reached the table.  

"Yeah your telling us, we barely got here ourselves."  Said Marvel as he was playing with the salt and pepper shakers.  

Cato who was looking at a menu and slides over to let Katniss in while Clove squeezes in the middle of Marvel and Peeta.  "So do we all know what were ordering?" Peeta says as he closes up his menu and lays it on the table.  But Clove swipes it off and looks at it.  

"Hey some of us just got here!"  She said as she quickly eyed at him and looks into her menu.  

"I just want a soda."  Marvel said as he tosses some salt behind his back since he had spilled some on the table.  

"I want nachos, or maybe a salad I don't really know yet."  Katniss says with a quick glance and satisfaction.  Clove makes a quirky smile and looks through the sandwiches.  

"I think I'll get some chili fries and a soda."  Just then the waiter comes up and to Katniss's surprise it happened to be Gale Hawthorne.  A dear family friend of the Everdeen's.  

He had been away for months for a family matter and this was the first time Katniss had seen him since.  "Um hey....uh can I take your guy's order?"  Katniss tries not to stare into Gale Hawthorne's eyes but it didn't help when Gale was doing the samething.  "Do you know what you want Peeta?"  Cato says as he looks away from his menu and puts it halfway down on the table. 

 "Can I have some onion rings with honey mustard on the side, oh and water please?"  Peeta says as he ends his sentence by looking at Gale.  Gale twirls his pen up right and writes down Peeta's order.  

Gale looks to Katniss who spoke a little speechless.  "I'll just have some nachos and a water please."  Gale nods and turns to Clove.  

"A strawberry milkshake please with no cherry."  

Cato speaks up after she does.  "I'll have the same except an Oreo shake with a cherry."  Cato then starts to gather the menus from everyone and puts them in a pile.  

"And I will have chili fries and with a Dr. Pepper."  Slowly one by one Gale gathers the menus and try's to avoid looking into Katniss eyes as Katniss looks down at her hands that rested on the table.  

"I'll bring your guy's orders out in a minute."  Slowly he turns around and heads to the kitchen.  

"So did everyone survive today?"  Asked Katniss trying to change the subject.  Cato came right in and blurted out of relief that the day is over.  "Ah yeah I sure am, did you guys here I still have to take that math class?"  

Peeta cocks his head up.  "Oh with Mr. Haymitch?  The one you had taken over the summer?"  

Feeling stupid that it was true he slowly bobbles his head up and down as he crouches in his chair.  "Yeah, isn't that just the stupidest and lamest thing ever?  And get this he's already giving the class a pop quiz."  Peeta felt his sorrow for he too had to take Haymitch's class during his Freshman year.  He thought it was challenging because he always had a point and sometimes an attitude about it.  But it was all for the right reasons.  But Peeta was always a hard and determined worker that maybe that's why he didn't do so bad.  

"Do we have to have physical education classes?"  Said Marvel who was now playing with the straw container.  "I mean what is it really for?"  Quickly Marvel pauses at his friends.  "I'll tell you what it's for, it's for us to suffer and see what we truly can fail at.  NOW THAT'S what it's really why we do it." 

 Clove turns to the right side of Marvel.  "Man you just pick out the negativity out of everything now don't you?  Mr. thought out despair kind of guy!"  Katniss blurts out laughing as Peeta too laughs along.  

  "If you ask me I think it's cause they want us to get away from the books and see the more physical side of us and encourage to take care in spirit and soul."  

Playfully Peeta shrugs his right shoulder onto Clove.  "That's deep girl."  Smiling big she picks up the table knife that laid next to her.  Gracefully she twirls it between her fingers.  "Well you don't mess with me in lost of hope, especially right now for I am a girl with the knife!"  Peeta backs away as he feared that she did have one in her hand.  For he wasn't sure if she could really old the knife well.

"Here we are fella's."  Said Gale who returned with their food soon after.  The group ate slowly and everyone eventually shared their food with the others.  When finished they gathered their stuff and left.  Making it a point that they'll see each other in a few hours again at the school.  

"Bye guys see you all tomorrow!"  Katniss says as she and Clove hop in her car.  

"Peace out my fellow friends!"  Said Marvel from afar who was being shoved in by Cato to climb in.  

"Bye ladies!"  Cato said as he puts on his sun glasses that sat on his head.  And like always when he departs from them he makes a peace sign.  "Peace out!"