Vindictive | Chapter 15

“Katniss, i-i-it’s not what you think!”

The brunette steps closer, ignoring my attempt to deny what she just heard. “And as a bait? What are you, a fisherman?”

I back away but I hit the railing. “Katniss, please.”

“Please what? Please pretend I didn’t hear you? Please don’t tell Clove? Cato, I think I have every right to let her know how much of a fucktard you are! Yes, you made her love again but you were only using her for your own benefit.”

“Katniss, no. You don’t understand.” I tell her.

“I do, Cato. You made it clear when you said you were only using Clove as bait. But for what?” Katniss screams.

I only hope the closed glass doors is enough to muffle our words from the inside. I don’t want Clove to hear this. I don’t want to ruin the relationship we just barely had.

“I’m afraid that’s one thing I can’t tell you.” I reply, my eyes looking straight into hers.

The brunette jabs a finger on my chest. “You’re a self-centered douche and I won’t allow that Clove has no fucking idea about this!” She shoves me hard, her eyes burning with fury.

Katniss turns around but I grab her arm to stop her.

“Let me go!” She screeches.

“I will, if you promise not to inform Clove about this.” I propose.

“Then what? Have her find out by herself but by the time she realizes all this, it’s too late? Wow, I guess Dan’s not the asshole here after all—it’s you.”

Clove suddenly comes out to the balcony resulting for the brunette and I to jump in surprise, her gaze switching from Katniss then back at me. I can tell she’s already sensing something wrong.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she speaks slowly. “Did I miss something? Because both of you are looking weirdly at me right now.”

“Well, Romeo here is only usi—”

I cover Katniss's mouth as fast as I can to refrain her from blurting out the truth. She continues with her sentence though but at least it’s incoherent now. She struggles to remove my hand from her mouth, as Clove looks on amused by our childlike actions.

“Okay,” Clove giggles. “What is going on?”

“Darling,” Katniss says. “I need to tell you something.”

Clove signals the girl to continue.

“Cato is—”

“Leaving,” I finish, sending a glare towards Katniss secretly. “Not leaving like leaving forever but leaving like I really have to go home.”

Clove opens her arms wide and gestures for me to come. I step closer and she wraps her arms around my torso. Hearing her sigh in content, I smile to myself. Add to that, I catch sight of Katniss smiling at our embrace as well but she drops it the instant she sees me looking.

“I’m not going to be the clingy girlfriend so I’m gonna let you go.” Clove beams at me when we release each other from the hug.

Ah, girlfriend. I really love how that sounds especially if it’s coming from Clove herself. When she bumped into my back the day we met, I never thought that I’m not only looking at my worst enemy’s daughter, but also my future lover. I never thought that our loathsome feeling for one another would blossom into something romantic. But the most unbelievable of this all, is that Clove and I wouldn’t be standing here together as a couple if it weren’t for Brutus.

That’s probably the only positive thing the syndicate has ever given me, even if he’s oblivious to it.

“Come on,” Clove cups my face before letting her smooth hands travel down my arms to my hands. “I’ll walk you to your car. You’re not drunk, right? Because if you are, I can drive you.”

I shake my head, happy with her concern for me. “I only had three slips.”

“Good boy.” She pats my head like I’m her puppy, which makes me chuckle.

We say goodbye to Katniss, who’s persistent about giving me a hug. I’m confused for a moment why she would want to do that since she’s pretty infuriated with me, but when I reluctantly cage her in my arms, I understand why. She whispers menacing words in my ear while she pinches my back. My face contorts ludicrously as a reaction from the pain.

When we pull away, Katniss innocently smiles at Clove as if she didn’t just whisper baleful threats to her boyfriend.

Clove loops her arm around mine and we finally make our way to my car with Katniss following closely behind. We sooner lose the brunette amongst the wasted crowd and I’ve never been so relieved. I swear, I feel her intense gaze burning a hole in my back.

We get to my car and after Clove showers me with sweet quick pecks (she can’t control herself), I receive a text message from Katniss.

I saw how happy she was with you tonight so I didn’t say anything. Now do me a favor and tell her yourself – Katniss

I frown. I actually think she’s finally seeing the good side of not telling this to Clove, but then the last sentence was a total buzz kill. I throw my phone on the passenger’s seat, not bothering to send Katniss a reply before turning the engine on and backing out of the driveway.

* * *

Three weeks after the party, we – the seniors of Panem High School – had finally seen the last of our high school days. In other words, we graduated.

My graduation day is a bittersweet day for me. It’s mainly because my parents aren’t able to witness me wearing that maroon toga, being called to the stage and accepting my diploma. Even Ryan and Savannah aren’t able to see me as well. But at least, I have my third family to support me.

Rue was the most supportive one out of the bunch. She was standing on her chair video taping every second of my precious moment, snapping at anyone who told her to sit down. Finnick, Fox and Johanna came as well and they provided me with numerous thumbs up and seemingly endless wolf whistles. Although he’s still slightly disappointed with me, Thresh attended and stood as my father we both know wouldn’t come. He told me he was proud of me and that was enough to somehow ease the still ever present tension between us.

But as the school days came to an end, so does Rue's time in the Capitol. She was supposed to leave two days after my graduation but she begged for an extension. She wanted to celebrate her fourteenth birthday with us.

As I drive to the hangout place my group of friends established as ours, my thoughts revolve around how my life is right now. A year ago back in District 2, I wouldn’t have seen myself living this kind of lifestyle: excellent education, good life, has enough food and clothes. Now, I can never imagine how I survived back then. At least I have everything I can ever ask for presently: great family and friends, I finished high school with an average of B, and of course, an outstanding girlfriend.

Every day is a struggle for me in our relationship however. Just because Katniss didn’t say anything to Clove the night of the party doesn’t mean that she won’t try anymore. It’s probably her primary goal now to inform my girlfriend about my doings behind her back. To keep her from saying anything, I either have to call Katniss or Clove. Most of the time I will call Clove and will do my best to stay on the line with her just so Katniss won’t be able to reach her if ever she calls.

When I park near the hangout spot, I curse myself for wanting to be on time as I see Katniss sitting alone on one of the many benches there. Her brunette head turns to every direction, waiting for anyone’s car to arrive. She sees mine and her expression hardens.

She acknowledges me with the same harshness in her tone of voice. I barely even whisper my hello.

“So what’s your game here, Cato?” Resting her arms on the table and entwining her slender fingers together, Katniss spats.

“What are you talking about?” I reply in the nicest and friendliest way possible.

“I think you know what we’re talking about here,” she answers. “I know you’ve been calling Clove every day for hours just so I won’t be able to reach here. Smart thinking, by the way. I like it.”

“Won’t you just let me be? I plan on telling her anyway.”

Katniss fakes surprise. “Oh really, and when is that? When you’re down on one knee presenting her an expensive looking diamond ring and your speech will be about you using here?” She laughs. “Brilliant.”

“Will you stop it? You don’t know the story so don’t act like you fucking know everything!” I yell at her, my face inching closer.

“Then tell me.” Katniss suggests.

“I told you, I couldn’t!” I grit my teeth as my fist hit the wooden table that’s keeping us from literally killing each other.

We hold our lethal glares and I’m pretty sure if it weren’t for Clove squealing excitedly from the distance, we’d still be at it. Putting on our fakest smiles, we turn to the direction where we last heard our friend.

Clove jumps into my lap and greets me with a rough kiss. We haven’t really had the time to go out together as a couple so I’m guessing that is what brings out the girly side of my girlfriend.

“I missed you.” She whispers when the need for air is strong and we have to pull back.

“I missed you too.” I smile up at her since she’s a little elevated because of her sitting on my lap.

We’re about to engage into another kiss when Peeta clears his throat jokingly. I’m happy that he’s one of the first to approve of my relationship with Clove. He was upset with me before because of the wrong move I did to his "little sister," but at least he didn’t have to think twice about forgiving me.

“Enough with the PDA!” Peeta exclaims, which earns him a playful smack upside the head from his girlfriend Katniss.

We all burst out laughing and in a short amount of time, Madge and the rest of our friends arrive.

* * *

Katniss and I managed to be civilized the entire time. We didn’t try to strangle each other but we really can’t avoid the usual exchange of daggers and trying to secretly harm one another.

I remember from a while ago, I replaced Marvel as the cook since he has to drive to the store to buy something that was needed for our picnic. I was flipping the barbecues on the small grill that Clove provided, when Katniss suddenly came up behind me and smack me upside the head like she did to Peeta before. But when she did it to me, it’s not meant to be coltish and I almost burned my hand trying to balance myself by holding on to the sides of the grill.

As those moments kept on occurring, Clove had taken notice of it. At first she laughed along thinking Katniss and I were just horsing around, but it kept happening that she’d appeared jealous. I tried to explain to her that Katniss was only getting back at me for something I did to somehow put my worried girlfriend at ease. I’m just glad she’s a very understanding person.

Everyone has already finished packing up and is currently loading their items into their cars. I stay behind, quickly finishing folding the picnic blankets I brought when I feel a pair of tiny arms circle my waist from behind. I smile immediately knowing its Clove.

“Do you need help with that?” She asks, breaking the hug.

I shake my head no. “I’ll be done in a few.”

Clove grabs her small grill and returns my smile sheepishly. “Forgot about this,” she announces. “Be right back.”

Watching her walking to the parking lot where most of our friends are currently having a chat, I finally finish the last blanket. While I place them in a neat stack, all of a sudden I feel a gloved hand clamping over my mouth as the person attempts to drag me to who knows where. I start thrashing in his firm grasp, my hands findings its way to the ones on my mouth to remove it.

“Hold still, kid, or someone's gonna get hurt!” He threatens but I remain fighting. 

I hold my right leg up and give him a hard kick in his groin causing for him to release me. Grabbing the blankets as fast as I can, I sprint to escape. Two more men tackle me to the ground by the time I manage to grab Clove's attention. My eyes widen when I realize both of them are armed.

“Let me go!” I shout.

“Cato!” I hear Marvel calling my name.

His shouting distracts my attackers and seeing that their attention is not fully on me, I punch the one keeping me on the ground and I trip the other.

“Marvel, Peeta! Take the girls with you and leave!” I instruct as both men advances toward me once again. I punch one in his stomach while I elbow the other in his face. I hear a satisfying crack and I know I’ve broken his nose.

As I notice my two friends completely frozen in place, their mouths agape, a van screeches to a halt in front of us. I mentally whine in vexation realizing more black-wearing men will ambush me, but the feeling immediately fleets away when Thresh and the rest of my team (except for Johanna) unloads the vehicle.

Knowing that my team has the situation under control since they outnumbered the men in black attires, I run towards Marvel and Peeta. My presence apparently wakes them up from their awestruck trance.

“What the hell was that?” Peeta asks.

“I’ll explain later. Take the girls to safety. Drive as far as you can from here.” I command, the two boys nodding as I speak.

They don’t argue any further, sprinting towards the parking lot to retrieve the girls.

I turn around and I see James and Jessica cuffing both unconscious men, ready to dump then at the police station. I breathe out a sigh of relief.

“Are you all right?” Thresh inquires.

I nod my head. “Y-yeah, I guess.”

“Who are these people anyway?” This time, it’s Fox who questions. She tightens her grip on the man she has as captive, even though he isn’t trying to break free.

“I don’t know. They came out of nowhere and just attacked me.” I respond.

“Must be Brutus's men.” Finnick hypothesizes.

As if on cue, the syndicate’s daughter comes running in my direction. She envelops me tightly as soon as she reaches me.

“Are you hurt? Oh my gosh, who are those people?” Clove bombards me with questions.

I’m about to open my mouth to answer all her queries when Thresh separates us, hardly grabbing on Clove's shoulder. He smiles at her though I know there’s a bedevil meaning behind it.

“You must be Clove.” Thresh states. With the way he stares at her, I suddenly don’t feel good about this unexpected interaction.

“Yep.” Clove replies proudly.

“Well Clove, I have something for you,” Thresh starts. “Your father ruined your boyfriend’s life. Let that sink in and have a nice day!”