Troubled One

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Whatsapp [now]
johanna 🏋🏻‍♀️: hey loverboy, mind coming over and joining us? the rest are here, swing by my place and bring some drinks, will ya?

The vibration of Peeta's phone caused him to jump. It was rather amusing, from an outsider's point of view, the toll A had taken on Peeta. The slightest vibration, the slightest movement could scare him and throw him into a frenzy. It was hard to admit, but he was afraid. He was afraid of A, but he would never say that to anybody, not even his trusted companions like Finnick and Johanna. Peeta sighed and ran a hand through his already messy hair. He paused the movie that was pointlessly playing on the TV before him and stood up, trying to get ready for the meetup Johanna was throwing at her party.

Peeta's inner circle was very small. It included Finnick Odair; Peeta's very first friend since he was a child, Annie Cresta; Finnick's girlfriend, they met in middle school and Johanna Mason; Peeta's close friend, he always found it easy to confide in her.

And of course, Katniss. The four had been inseparable since middle school. Peeta had fallen in love with her and they began their love story in high school. Of course, Katniss was welcomed warmly into their little gang. It was rather short-lived though. Katniss went missing a few years after their pact to grow old together and die while drinking tea and eating crumpets.

Peeta stripped his old basketball jersey and sweatpants off before slipping into a black hoodie and blue jeans. He considered putting some gel in his hair but quickly decided against it. He grabbed his phone and left, making sure to lock his house so that little bastard A couldn't get in. Peeta got into his car and was driving down the road that usually led to Johanna's house then suddenly remembered she had asked him to grab them some drinks.

Dammit, Peeta thought as he stepped on the brakes and did a U-turn towards the grocery store. He found a parking spot near the side of the store and quickly snagged it before getting out of the car and approaching the store. Peeta grabbed two cartons of six packs of beer and joined the queue for the payment. He fished out his wallet and waited for his turn. There were about three people before him, and the store seemed empty. He looked around for a glimpse of anyone else, but there was no one. That was strange. It was 8 pm on a Friday night. Where the hell were the District 12 residents? Lonely and silent places where barely anybody was present was starting to creep Peeta out, and he prayed the queue went faster until he saw her.

A girl in a red coat stood near the entrace of the store. Her hands that were covered with black gloves were jammed into the pockets of her coat. She seemed familiar somehow. Peeta knew he'd never seen her, but he knew he'd heard of her.. but from where?

He didn't realize he was supposed to move a step in front until the person who was first in line had to get past him to leave the store. He apologized to the man and quickly stepped forward before turning back around to take a glimpse of the mysterious but familiar girl.

But she was gone.

Peeta cursed inwardly as he slammed the cartons down onto the counter, pulling out his credit card to pay. This always fucking happened. He turned away for a fucking split second and that bitch was gone.

Peeta seethed to himself as he slammed his car door shut.

***
"I'm here!" Peeta called when the door to Johanna's house was swung open by the woman herself.

"Loverboy!" Johanna yelled, pulling him into a hug.

He hugged her back with one arm. The other was pretty occupied by holding the bag of beer that he'd gotten from the store where he'd seen that girl who he'd now nicknamed Red Coat. Johanna led Peeta to the living room, where Annie and Finnick were cuddled up. The smile slipped off Peeta's face as he recalled memories of him and Katniss doing the exact same thing, cuddling on that same couch and drinking, eating and laughing together.

The second the couple saw him and Johanna in the doorway, they broke apart. Annie stood while Finnick stayed sitting.

"Hey, man," Finnick greeted. "You got the goods?"

Peeta held up the plastic bag. "Right here."

He and Johanna took a seat on the couch, and Finnick took the beer from him. Peeta greeted Annie, who smiled at him and squeezed his hand. He was grateful for the support from his friends, but he wished they wouldn't look at him like he was so wounded.

"What are we watching?" Peeta cleared his throat and rubbed his hands together.

"How I Met Your Mother," Finnick replied, popping open a can of Hennessy. "It's fucking hilarious, bud. I love it."

Peeta made a humming noise to show he acknowledged Finnick's response and leaned back. He couldn't focus on the show, although his friends were giggling and laughing at the jokes made on the show. Peeta's mind traveled back to that girl in the red coat who had been standing there, just watching him. He couldn't see her face, due to the hood she had on her coat, but who was she? Who had told him about her, that is now causing this curiosity? If he hadn't felt that there was a connection to her, he wouldn't have cared. He'd look at her and turn away, but he knew he knew her from somewhere. No, maybe he hadn't seen her in person, but he'd heard about it.

He finally tried to shake it off and turned to the show playing on the TV. The main characters, Lily, Marshall, Barney, Ted and Robin, were gathering at a bar.

A bar?

Peeta looked away from the TV again, and focused on the window across them. It was dark outside, he could barely see anything. The setting on the show made him suddenly remember something. A bar and Red Coat. What the hell? He looked down at his hands and squeezed his eyes shut, trying with all his might to remember who the fuck Red Coat was.

When Peeta opened his eyes back up and looked at the window, he jumped. He felt all the blood drain from his face. Red Coat was standing there, staring at him. Her face was concealed by a mask that was the color of skin.

And then it clicked.

"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.

Red Coat was the girl from the bar that Peeta had met Cashmere at. The one who'd given Darius the note to pass to Peeta after Cashmere offered to sleep with Peeta.

"I have to- I have to go." Peeta stood up abruptly.

"Peet-"

Peeta stepped over Finnick's legs and ran messily to the door.

A was outside.

A was right outside, for Peeta to nab, for Peeta to yank the mask off.

But when Peeta reached outside and looked, she was gone.

Red Coat, A, whoever the hell she was, she was gone.

📜☕️⭐️
please comment your thoughts and who you think A is? who's Red Coat? are they the same person or 2 different people?

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