Panem High School {COMPLETED}

Chapter 49 - Johanna

(Johanna's POV)

"What do you mean, you 'made up with her'?" I ask, staring in shock Clove.

Clove sighs. "We aren't fighting anymore. So there's no reason for you to fight with Katniss either."

I roll my eyes. "Right. I'm just going to forget what she said to you, just like that." Clove looks a bit hurt by my blunt sarcasm but I ignore that. "Katniss doesn't deserve your friendship, Clove."

Clove shakes her head angrily. "Fine. Whatever. I don't care." She turns and storms off, leaving me stunned. I blink, then shrug and walk to sixth hour.

Finnick is on stage performing his overly dramatic song, "Agony," with the other prince, Chase Latire. I sit down next to Gale, and I see Katniss on the other side of him rolling her eyes.

After a few minutes, Gale has to go do a scene with Glimmer, and Katniss and I are left alone. Not smart, if you're trying to avoid fighting.

"So," I say casually.

Katniss rolls her eyes.

"That's no way to respond. I just say 'so'," I say, feigning hurt.

"Well then stop talking and I won't have to offend you," she says icily.

"Poor baby, wants me to shut up. So do all my teachers. Do I? Never."

"That might explain why you're a failure," she growled.

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Really? She wanted to go there? I most certainly am not a failure. "At least I'm better than you," I hiss.

"You wish," she says with a small laugh.

"Why would I wish for something that's already true?"

"At least you have a happy, loving family, I guess," she says, rolling her eyes. "I don't see how Clove can stand you."

"Happy? Loving? My family is neither of those things."

"Least you've got a dad," she says, trying to act pitiful.

"Yeah. Right. I really want parents who can't stand the sight of each other."

"IT'S BETTER THAN NOT HAVING ONE!"

"I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, AT LEAST YOUR PARENTS LOVED EACH OTHER!"

"MAYBE IF YOU'D STOP BEING A FAILURE YOURS WOULD TOO!"

"OH, SO THAT'S HOW YOU-"

"ENOUGH!" Ms. Cressida shouts. "What is going on?"

At this moment, I realize we're both standing inches from each other, fists raised, screaming at each other. Great.

Neither of us seem intoned to answer, so Ms. Cressida sighs. "Fine. Office. Both of you. Now." She turns back to the class as we trudge out of the auditorium and down the hall, not looking at each other.

~~~~

"Sit down, sit down," Mr. Snow smiles venomously at us as we walk into his office. We each sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk, and Katniss looks a bit sick. The whole office smells overwhelmingly of roses, and it's not very pleasant. There's something else, too, but I can't quite name it.

"So, tell me, why were you disrupting your class?" Mr. Snow glances back and forth between us. Again, neither of us seem inclined to answer.

"Oh, come now, there has to be a reason. Just tell me, and you can both go on your way."

I highly doubt that. Probably, whoever spills will get to go on their way. The other will probably get detention. There's no way I'm talking, though. Katniss seems to have the same idea.

After a few more unsuccessful attempts to get us to talk, Mr. Snow sighs and his smiles vanishes. It is replaced by a cold, hard look, and I wonder if he's going to suspend us.

"You two leave me no choice. I'm going to have to give both of you after-school detention. For the next two weeks."

I shrug. I could care less. I have detention quite often, and it doesn't bother me much anymore. Katniss looks a bit green. Probably wondering what her mom will say when she discovers that her perfect angel got in a fight.

"Ms. Everdeen, you may go back to class now." Katniss shoots out of the chair and leaves the room as quickly as possible. I glance at the principal curiously. Did I do something else wrong?

"Ms. Mason," he says very seriously, and I feel a little apprehensive. "Ms. Mason, you have received several detentions already this year, correct?"

"Yep," I say casually.

"You realize that at a certain point, we will have to resort to suspension? Or even expulsion." He pauses to let that register.

"Wait...expulsion? I haven't done anything that bad!" I protest.

"Ah, see, but what you have done is many minor misdemeanors. And those do add up. I can't have an unruly student like you tarnishing this school's reputation."

I can feel myself go white. Expulsion? I can't be expelled. I can't.

"You do understand, don't you? Another fight like this, and I will be forced to expel you."

I blink. I can't say anything.

"I hate to do this, but you've forced my hand, Ms. Mason."

What would Clove say if I got myself expelled?

"This is your only warning, Johanna," he says sternly. And saying my first name is more frightening than calling me "Ms. Mason."

"You will wait in the office for the rest of the class period."

I frown. What? That would mean today would be counted as an absence. That's not fair. He's already talked to me. "Why?"

"Ah, for the simple reason that I can," he says, smiling the same poisonous smile he gave when I walked in. "Maybe now you'll learn not to question me. Go."

I get up and stomp out. I fling myself into one of the chairs, glowering at anyone who looks at me. At one point, Mr. Snow cones out to talk to the receptionist. I stare daggers at him the whole time, and he pointedly ignores me.

When the bell finally rings, he walks out again, and I quickly get up to go. He shakes his head. "Sit down, Ms. Mason. You need to improve your attitude."

I make a point of kicking the chair, then slump back into it. Great. Now I'll have two absences today, so detentions for those classes as well. I entertain myself by imagining all the horrible ways I would like to kill Principal Snow.

Finally the last bell rings, and I quickly walk out of the office before he can stop me.

Clove runs up to me as soon as she sees me, looking worried. I guess she forgot about being mad at me about Katniss, which is the only good thing that's happened today. "Are you ok? Where were you? Is everything all right?"

I nod, and quietly tell her what happened. Her eyes widen with horror as I explain about my being near expulsion, then Mr. Snow unfairly keeping me from going to class, simply out of spite.

"That's terrible," she says as we pull our books out of our lockers.

I shrug. "I wouldn't put much past our fine principal. Anyway, what'd I miss in English?"

"Vocabulary test. But really, Johanna, aren't you going to complain to someone? The school board, maybe? That's not fair, and he shouldn't be allowed to do that."

"Clove, it's fine," I say quietly. I don't want to make a big deal out of this. "No harm done."

"But you could be expelled!" she yells.

"Shh! Don't broadcast that too the whole school!"

"Sorry," she whispers.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter now. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

(Doesn't Principal Snow just make you want to throw him in a boiling pit of lava? If you couldn't tell, major filler here, but I'm working up to the musical and Christmas break and lots of fun, so enjoy!)