Panem High

Chapter Thirty-One - In The Night

%Katniss%

The rest of the day passed, not a text or a call from Peeta, or anyone for that matter. Feeling bored out of her mind and lonely, she succumbed to binge watching Glee again, laughing when nothing was funny. If you'd told her last year that she'd be spending a Saturday by herself watching Netflix without her friends, she'd have laughed in your face. But here she was, picking at a bowl of popcorn and watching Santana roast Kurt.

Haymitch, her mother, and Prim were at some fancy art exhibit Prim's class had been invited to, leaving the entire house to Katniss. She could've invited as many people as she wanted over, but she didn't have that many friends anymore. Gale and Annie were certainly enough company, but she didn't know if she deserved them. And forget about Peeta, it was still too soon to be inviting him over.

When her phone vibrated against her hip, a flare excitement was set ablaze in her chest. But it was trampled on the second she looked at the screen.

From: Haymitch 🍺

hey kat, we won't be getting home until real late if this thing
keeps going at the speed it's going. sorry

That would've been the most exciting news ever, but considering the fact that she didn't have any plans on getting up from her incredibly comfortable position sprawled out on the couch, it wasn't too thrilling.

She clicked her phone off, hoping Haymitch would get the message without her having to respond. The only person who texted her that day was her mom's boyfriend. No friends, not even Prim, had contacted her.

It was just her and Rachel Berry.

~

Hours passed and no sign of the family.

But somebody did ring the doorbell.

She contemplated screaming at the visitor to go away, but she realized that maybe it was Annie, coming to the rescue. So, Katniss scrambled out of her pile of blankets and wobbled over to the door, her legs both asleep.

"Well, don't you look stunning," came Johanna's dry voice. "Here I am, all dressed up, and you're in...Cinderella pajamas?"

Katniss' entire body tensed, leaning against the doorframe in effort to look casual. All the grogginess was sucked out of her at the sight of her...friend. "I didn't expect company."

"That's very un-Katniss," she noted, brushing past Katniss and granting herself permission to enter the house, "yet I'm not surprised. I heard about how you ditched Gale, poor thing had to watch Orange Is the New Black by himself. No emotional support from the girl who can't make up her mind."

Katniss clenched her jaw, "What do you want, Jo? If you've come over only to insult me, I'm not in the mood. Try tomorrow."

Johanna feigned shock. "You think I'd stop by your house in the middle of the night to just insult you? Rude." She paused, took a deep breath, and Katniss saw her façade crack. "I came by to apologize, okay? I'm not here to drag you, that's only for when people are around to hear it."

"I'm touched that you care so much." Sarcasm dripped from her words.

Johanna sighed. "I suck at saying sorry, Everdeen. Close that door or I might be tempted to run. I wanna do this right, so sit down on your couch and turn off Glee. Blaine gives me a headache."

"Who says I want to hear your apology? Maybe I don't want to forgive you."

"Tough shit, Brainless. I drove all the way over here because I felt guilty. I never feel guilty, so this is important." She ran a hand through her wind tussled hair. "Please? Hear me out. I promise it's more sincere than how I sound right now."