Troubled One

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Since he wasn't allowed to drink his way to death in the house, Peeta decided to leave that damned house and drive himself to a bar. He got into his car, not bothering to buckle up, and drove away to the furtherst bar he could find.

He found one at the brink of District 12. The bar was almost teetering into District 11. It was called The Hob, and Peeta had never gone there before. It looked dark and grungy. However, when Peeta entered, the place was brightly lit, it was clean, and the place was littered with people. He squeezed his way towards the bar and settled down before ordering his alcohol. He pulled out his phone and laid it on the glass counter, awaiting anxious messages from his mother and oldest brother.

Although people normally only got drunk at places like this, there was a small dancefloor by the side, and Peeta saw a skinny blond dancing right in the middle of it. Her light blond hair caught the light and made her hair look like it was glimmering. She turned and locked eyes with Peeta. She kept dancing as she winked and smirked at him. He finally tore his gaze away when the redheaded bartender slid his drink towards him. To his surprise, the girl he had been eyeing had appeared beside him.

"Hey, handsome," she purred, hopping onto the empty stool beside Peeta. "My name's Cashmere. What's yours?"

Peeta had no mood for any conversation, so he figured if he spoke bluntly, Cashmere would get the hint and go find another guy to bother.

"Peeta."

"Oh!" Cashmere gushed suddenly. "Aren't you the one who lost his girlfriend?"

She placed a hand at her heart, sighing deeply.

"Poor little Peeta Mellark."

The words bothered Peeta, so he looked up from his drink and scowled at her.

"Who are you?" He asked, being as straight-forward as possible.

"Oh, just someone who comes here regularly for a drink or two," Cashmere held up her hand to signal the bartender. "Didn't expect to see such.. hot stuff here."

She winked again at him, and Peeta looked away, and back at his drink. He was planning to drown in his own tears in haziness of the alcohol, so he hoped Cashmere found another eyecandy before he ran out of time to be by himself before his family came looking for him.

"I just came to drink, Cashmere." Peeta replied.

Cashmere threw her head back in laughter, and her eyes twinkled when she gazed at Peeta. She showed off her pearly white teeth as she beamed.

"Clearly," she gestured her head to his drink. "And maybe.. we could spend some time together."

She scooted closer towards him and nudged him, then laid a hand on his thigh. As attractive as Cashmere was, Peeta wasn't looking for anything at all. Especially not a hookup.

He just wanted to get drunk.

"Look, Cashmere, you're a nice girl, and you're beautiful, but I'm not looking for anything but to get drunk," Peeta explained. "I don't even know you."

"Oh, okay, enough with the games!" Cashmere giggled. "Peeta Mellark, don't you remember me at all? I'm Cashmere Schlund."

It took Peeta a moment to rethink. He finally recalled knowing a Cashmere Schlund during high school, where he and Katniss were finally officially a thing. Cashmere and Katniss had despised each other, the reason being Peeta. Cashmere had a raging crush on Peeta, and Katniss had already claimed him, causing the blond and brunette to constantly have a rivalry.

"Oh," Peeta downed the last of his drink. "You're Cashmere Schlund."

He wasn't really excited to see her. Seeing Cashmere brought up even more memories of a fiesty Katniss, and how erotic it was when she got mad. Everytime Katniss got angry, Peeta ended up taking her repeatedly against the walls of their seperate dorm rooms.

"Yes, I was hoping you'd remember!" Cashmere giggled again.

"Yeah, well, now I do," Peeta answered. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Fuck. Peeta was way too polite for his own good. He hadn't brought much money and now he had offered the girl a drink. Why was he so nice?

"Sure!" Cashmere grinned widely.

After the bartender slipped Cashmere her drink, she reached forward to grab it and kissed Peeta suddenly. He pushes her off, startled.

"Cashmere, I.." Peeta ran a hand through his blond hair. "I just.. I can't."

He silently watched as the bartender moved away from them to the other side of the counter to serve somebody else. Peeta felt Cashmere's emerald eyes bore into the side of his face. He had no idea what Cashmere felt, her expression was so unreadable.

"It's okay," Cashmere slid a piece of paper to Peeta. "Fine. Here's my number. Call me when you can."

She walked off immediately. Peeta felt bad for rejecting her that way, but he wasn't mentally and emotionally ready to replace Katniss. He closed his eyes, feeling hot tears build up. He couldn't cry, not here. It would be utterly embarrassing.

"Uh, dude?"

Peeta blinked furiously to make the tears disappear as he looked back up at the bartender, whose nametag read 'Darius'. Darius slid another bigger piece of paper in Peeta's direction.

"This came from the girl I was serving right before your blond left," Darius said. "She passed me this and pointed at you before walking away."

Peeta picked it up, and frowning, he skimmed over it quickly. His heart almost stopped.

Don't fall into her trap. Or you'll fall into your grave.
-A

It was no joke. The handwriting looked just like Katniss's. The similarity was uncanny.

"What did she look like?" Peeta asked Darius urgently.

"Couldn't really see her face," Darius shrugged. "Girl refused to look up. But I could tell you what she was wearing."

"So tell me, please." Peeta pocketed the note and his phone.

"Blond, red coat, black tights and black heels." Darius listed down.

Blond.

There was no way it was Katniss, she died a brunette.

But the handwriting begged to differ.

Peeta got up and exited hurriedly before he passed out right there in the bar.

🔪🌟👑🌠
oo controversial 🌝

so who do you think slipped peeta the note? keep in mind katniss hated cashmere 😛

blond, red coat, remember that too 😈

let me know your thoughts 👼🏼

Boy, don't try to front, I know just what you are 🌸

-A ⭐️