Panem High School

Chapter 3

I awake the next morning and head down to breakfast by myself. It is another clear morning and has just been a day since the big fight. I don't know how Gale is feeling. I hope he's feeling alright though. He will most likely be the laughing stock of the school due to the fact that he got beat up by a unpopular nerd. But now Mellark's rep is probably going to increase a lot because he beat up a football player. A strong one may I add. 

Sure enough people are still watching the video of the fight and showing there friends when I get to the dining hall. I don't know why people even care. Gale's just gonna kick Mellark's nerdy ass when he can get his hands on him. There is still dry blood on the floor from the fight yesterday. Mellark, Thresh, and the rest of the hockey team walk in and some walk over to me. "Tell your boyfriend to stay away from Peeta and us." One says. "Why should I do that?" I shoot back. "Can't you see? You and your bitches of friends bully anyone in the school who isn't a football player or cheerleader. Just because they have lower popularity." Another says. "So? Why does it bother them?" I ask, getting annoyed.

"You know what Everdeen?" another says. "Just feel lucky your a girl. Otherwise we'd have you in a coffin in a minute." 

"Yeah I'd like to see you try." I say.

"Guys drop it." Mellark says returning from the breakfast stand.

"Aw how sweet. Mellark trying to stop his friends from getting hurt." I say in a babyish voice.

"Go cry to Gale." Mellark retorts, and him and the hockey team walk away. I see someone steal a piece of bacon from Mellark and he gets kind of angry and everyone starts laughing. "You fucking Pig." I hear Mellark say, and he stands up from the table they're at, and go's to get a new piece of bacon. 

I'm sitting and eating when Gale, Finnick, Cato, Marvel, Clove, and Glimmer walk in, get their breakfast and sit down with me. All of the boys have bruises and black eyes and look nothing like themselves. "I'm gonna kill Mellark." I mutter. "Count me in." Gale says. "Same." Everyone else replies. I start to get a bit worried that they actually will but not that I care. The school would be better off without him. 

"Okay but we need to get him alone. Maybe behind the school." Marvel says. "Sounds like a plan." Cato says. We wait until free period and then we look around for Mellark. Change of plans. We split up and look for him individually covering more ground. I look around a corner and find him sitting on a bench, reading a book. I run back to the others and tell them I found him.

We all come around the corner and he looks up and seems terrified. "Look whose scared now." Finnick says. Mellark closes his book and puts it in his backpack and stands up. "Your in for it now you son of a bitch." Gale says as we all walk slowly closer to him. Mellark takes a few steps back and then turns on a heel and sprints away towards the forest. 

We all break into a run in attempts to catch him but he is faster than I thought. He darts into the forest and we follow but he is making tons of turns and we can barely keep up. He manages to ditch us. "THAT FUCKING BITCH!" Gale screams. I decide to let him thinking it's better he does it here than in school. "WHERE ARE YOU MELLARK! COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!" Cato says. "MELLARK COME OUT AND PLAY!" I yell. I hear something in the distance that I make out to be the voice of Mellark. 

"No." he says. And we realize it came from where we were. Back at the school. He really got us. 

"He's back at school." I say. And then I hear the bell. We all sprint back through the forest and when we get back to school, it's already halfway through the period. Shit. We walk into Science class with Mr. Beetee, trying not to be seen. Unfortunately he see's us because of the damn door. "After school detention with me after school. All of you." He says. I can see everyone start sniggering and we all glare at Mellark. 

"Don't look at Mr. Mellark." Beetee says. "Take your seats or it will be a week of detention." he says. God I hate that guy. After class ends, some random kid walks up to me in the hallway. "Do you know where the math classroom is?" he asks. "Get lost kid." I say. "Find it yourself." 

"Please just help me." he begs. Gale punches him in the face and his glasses fall off. "HEY! MR. HAWTHORNE! COME HERE RIGHT NOW!" Great now Gale's in trouble now to. "You too Ms. Everdeen." She says. "Uh Oh! Guy's look! Everdeen and Hawthorne are in more trouble. Finally paying the debt for how long they have bullied us for!" some kid screams. Of course it's Mellark. Unlike him to call someone out in front of a teacher. Especially Mrs. Coin. OOOH!'s go out throughout the hallway. "OH NO! EVERDEEN! WHY SO SMUG!" someone else shouts. "You thought you and your boyfriend could find a way to smuggle out of all you've done?" "We aren't dating!" I yell blushing. "Sure you are! Your blushing." Another person says. "HOLD ON! EVERYONE CALM DOWN!" Coin screams. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT REPAYING DEBT!" "Oh yeah! The teachers were to blind to see that Katniss, Gale, Finnick, Cato, Marvel, Clove and Glimmer have bullied everyone in this school for about since middle school!" Mellark shouts out. "SHUT UP MELLARK!" Marvel says, clearly indicating that this was true. "Is this true?" Coin says. Everyone nods. "You 7 in my office now." the principal says. "Actually what do all the students think the punishment should be?" she asks. FUCK THIS LADY!

"Hm let's just keep it simple. The girls can't do anything to boys physically so I would just say a month of detention. Oh yeah and for the boys, no football for the rest of the year." Mellark says. Everyone agrees as they start to chatter. "Fair enough." Coin says. "WHAT! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" Cato screams. "You've bullied them, it's there choice." Coin says. "YEAH SURE! BUT THAT DOESN'T JUSTIFY YOU TAKE AWAY OUR FOOTBALL PRIVILEGES FOR THE YEAR!" Gale screams. "One more word from any of you and it will be for the rest of you time hear. This goes on your record by the way." Shit. She then takes us to her office where she has us right the line "I must not bully others." Until the end of the day. Celebration of another victory for the losers over us can be heard in the hallway outside Coin's door. This is gonna be one long year I think.