The Star-Crossed Lovers from District 12 (Wattys Finalist 2013)

Chapter 32

I’m going to kill Eli. I thought I could trust him but I obviously can’t. He told Peeta our secret before I even had a chance to tell him. I get up and I start to walk away but Peeta catches my arm.

“Katniss, I’m not mad,” he says.

“Who told you?” I ask.

“Does it really matter? I still love you and I always will love you even if you just make some mistakes.”

“Peeta, did Eli tell you?”

“He would never do that. When we were talking it wasn’t about you. I actually knew before you saw me this morning.”

“How did you know?”

“Gale was at the target range. He told me before you came. But don’t be mad at him. He just wanted to make sure that our relationship doesn’t end over a stupid mistake. We both know you, and we know that when I leave your side for more than a day and you can’t find me your wants take over your feelings and you don’t know what to do.” I sit back down next to him and he puts his arm around me and kisses my head. I stay silent. Peeta and Gale both know what happens when I’m without Peeta. Does it happen more than I think? If I’m without Peeta I’m depressed and do things that I would never do if I were with him, like kiss Eli. But if I’m with him all the time the more I will want to be with him when he isn’t with me. I need to figure out a way to never hurt Peeta again but still be alright without him. We eventually go back to Thirteen after the stars come out. We lay there in the meadow for hours, enjoying each-others company and watching the beautiful stars. When we get back it’s around midnight. We get to my room Dawn is in her crib and Johanna is already asleep with her ear plugs in her ears. Peeta and I both change into some t-shirts and change our pants and crawl into bed. The bed is so small though we take the mattress off the top and the bottom bunk and put them on the floor and lay on those. He wraps his arms around me and for the first time since I’ve been here I feel safe. I start to feel some small kisses going up and down my neck. My heart starts pounding. I turn around and I put my arms around his neck and he pulls me in close. His breath radiates down my neck and soothes me.

I fall asleep and when I wake up I’m still in his arms. I start to stroke his hair. I know when he’s awake when I feel his hand going up and down my back. I open up my eyes and I look around. Dawn is still sleeping but I don’t see Johanna. I look at Peeta and his eyes are still closed. I put my hand on his face and he opens his eyes and smiles. We just there looking at each other when we hear a knock on the door. We ignore it. Eventually the person outside the door just walks in. We look up and we see Gale.

“Peeta, I’m sorry but I have to take Katniss from you. It’s urgent about Paylor,” he says. I look at him.

“Well Peeta is just as important in this as I am,” I say.

“Well Peeta won’t be fighting because of his ankle. Only people who have been training to go into battle can come. I’m sorry but Katniss you need to change and come right now. I will be waiting outside for you.” He leaves the room. Peeta begins to stroke my hair.

“Go, you need to,” says Peeta.

“Will you be okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’ll go see if I can find Beetee or Eli. The question is, is if you’re going to be okay?” I nod my head.

“Yeah, I will be fine.” He gives me a kiss then I get up, change, braid my hair down my back and leave. When I get out there I see Gale waiting for me. He grabs my hand and starts walking very fast.

“No questions until we get there,” he says. He drags me into the elevator and presses the button that brings us to the Head Quarters. When we get there I see Johanna, Beetee, Annie, Oskar and Haymitch. I’m so confused. Why is everyone here and why do they all looked like they’ve seen a ghost. Gale sits me down.

“Katniss you are not to talk until we are done,” says Haymitch. I nod my head. He takes a deep breath. “We know you have been training very hard but we are not fighting Paylor and her army.”

“Our security system has been breached so we can’t tell if anyone has entered or left Thirteen,” says Oskar. We have intruders. Shoot. I don’t know what to think. We are all going to die.

“But right after our security system got breached Paylor surrendered,” says Beetee.

“Then after that five out of ten people on the upper level got shot by some people recognized as Peacekeepers from survivors that were taken from the scene for questioning,” says Johanna.

“We don’t know how many Peacekeepers are actually here. We haven’t arrested anyone yet because they are disguised as Thirteen citizens. You and Peeta were the only exception to the dress code because that will be the only way you would fight,” says Gale. Then the whole room goes silent. I don’t even know what to say. What are Peeta, Dawn and I suppose to do. This is our only place as refuge and it’s over taken by Paylor’s Peacekeepers. Then it all adds up.

“What am I suppose-to do? It’s not my fault Paylor is so much clever than all of you,” I say.

“What do you mean?” asks Gale.

“For a bunch of rebels I thought you would’ve figured it out already,” I say. They still look confused so I explain. “Paylor knew that Thirteen would be the only place where Peeta and I would find refuge. She sent in hundreds, probably thousands of Peacekeepers to breach the security system and then she would surrender because she knew that you would fly her in here to execute her while in reality she is doing all of this so she can kill everyone. So I suggest if you have Paylor being flown in here re-route it to Twelve and we will execute her there. And Oskar, in the mean time you might want to make sure that every citizen in Thirteen has ID and a room so then you can make some arrests. Gale, have Claudia stay here with Dawn and Kiri and put them on the Level Four lockdown floor until this blows over.” Everyone looks at me like I’m speaking a different language.

“You’re saying with the little information we just gave you, you came up with that?” asks Oskar. I nod my head. “That’s funny. Katniss you obviously don’t know what you’re doing. I knew we should’ve left her at her dorm.” That makes me mad. I’m about to say something, but Gale beats me to it.

“Can it Oskar. You’re the one who doesn’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve only been president here for a few years. Katniss at least has a plan of action while if you were in charge we would all die. The least we could do is do her plan because for all we know she could be right,” says Gale. Oskar is laughing. I thought he would be better than this. He said he wasn’t like Coin and Paylor. Well I know never to trust someone like him again.

“Everyone who wants to stay here and figure out a better plan stand by me, everyone who wants to follow Katniss’ plan go stand by her,” says Oskar. Everyone in the room comes and stands by me, except for Annie. One of only two of my friends is betraying me.  I don’t know what to say but “Why?” She just looks at me.

“I don’t think your idea is good, and if I die I will finally be with Finn. Alin will be with me the entire time so if I die he dies,” she says.

“So you want to die?” I ask. She nods her head. Then out of the blue Beetee goes over.

“Katniss you know I can’t fight. I feel safer here in Thirteen,” says Beetee. Oskar is beginning to smile. Then Johanna leaves my side also.

“I haven’t been training. I’m not in any shape to fight so I will stay here until I know I can come out of safety,” she says. I look at Haymitch and Gale and Haymitch starts walking over to Oskar but passes him.

“I’m no help to you sweetheart. I can fight but I’m not picking any side,” he says. Gale looks at me and shakes his head he whispers to me that he will always be on my side.

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At least she has someone on her side. Comment what you liked and disliked and vote if you liked the chapter!

Love, Bookjunkie001