Sparks

Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

I walk into my house to find Johanna petting Buttercup. "Cute little guy." she smiles.

"He's going to be the death of me." I mumble under my breath.

"I take it you aren't a cat person." Johanna smirks.

"This one particularly. I wouldn't have expected you to be a cat person." I say.

"I'm often attached to them. I used to have one back in seven. Unfortunately he was in worse shape than this one." she says.

"It gets worse?" I ask rolling my eyes.

"Tell me, if you hate this cat so much, then why don't you get rid of him?" Johanna suggests.

"Because he's a reminder of my sister." I say.

"Oh yes. The sweet little innocent, loved by all sister. Tragedy about her accident." Johanna says with a hint of sarcasm.

I ignore her comment. "But he doesn't deserve to die. He's a good cat, he's just stupid." I say kneeling beside her to tap Buttercup on the nose forcing him to hiss back. "Plus, I'm not sure he's terribly find of me either."

"Obviously." Johanna says. "So, hows your tasty cousin?"

"What?" I ask.

"Don't play brainless with me. Your little secret lover." she raises her eyebrows.

"Johanna, I'm married. There is no secret lover and there never was to begin with." I say looking down because I felt as though I was about to cry.

"Oh hello Peeta." Johanna smiles.

I turn my head to see Peeta standing in the doorway looking straight down at me with almost tears in his eyes as well.

"Peeta?" I stand. He shakes his head then heads out the door. "Peeta!" I call after him. I run out the door and catch up with him. "Peeta?" He looks away. "Peeta please talk to me."

"What do you want me to say Katniss? I saw you two. He kissed you. Do you know how that makes me feel?" he says.

"It was on the cheek Peeta, I didn't kiss him he kissed me." I say. I walk straight in front of him stopping him in his tracks. "Listen! Your my husband. Not him."

"How am I suppose to believe that Katniss? Think about it, my entire memory of our relationship was wiped clean and your suppose to expect me to believe that you chose me? That your not off with Gale, regretting the words 'I do' that came out of your mouth on probably the worst day of your life?" he says.

"How could you ever think that Peeta?" I whisper.

He shakes his head. "I have to go." He stomps away.

"Peeta," I call after him.

"Katniss, please stay away from me." Peeta says.

"Peeta please." I call again.

"Katniss! Go now! Run!" he yells while he runs away.

He was having an attack. With that I run back into my house with Gale talking to Johanna.

"Katniss what's wrong?" Gale asks coming up and trying to take my hand but I refuse his comfort.

"Peetas having an attack." I say.

"Katniss let me go talk to him." Gale says.

"No! You'll only make it worse!" I cry. "This is all you fault! He was completely back to me until you had to do that stupid kiss! Now he refuses to believe that I even have feelings for him."

"Katniss," Gale tries.

"Just please, leave me alone!" I scream.

"Come on Katniss." Johanna says taking me into the kitchen before shooing Gale out of the house.

The rest of that night Peeta never returns. I know not to go search for him because be needed to be alone. He's never had an attack this bad since the rebellion. And I hated it. I hate Snow. I never thought I could hate some one as much as I despise Snow. He ruined my life. From the very second I said I volunteer, the whole world went down in fire. And there's only one person to blame. Snow.

The next day Peeta still isn't back. I decide to confront Haymitch. I knock on his door and he opens with hatred in his eyes from our previous conversation, but he was surprisingly sober. "What?"

"I need your help." I say. "Peeta ran off yesterday and he still isn't back."

"That's because he's with Paylor." Haymitch says.

"What?" I ask.

"He came to my house last night practically screaming his head off asking me for help. So I took him to the Capitol to speak with Paylor. They are going to run through the same procedure that they did when he was first hijacked. They are going to run some clips. The ones when you were pretending to love him and the recent ones when you two got married and blah blah blah. So he can see the difference. He's going to be staying there for a couple of weeks." he says.

"What? What about our plan?" I ask.

"The baby boom? Hmm I hear there's another available bachelor in town." he teases.

"How could you even say that?" I snap.

"Darling, do you want to take down Snow or not? Its either have your little baby or wait for Peeta to come back in about two months then see what happens by then? I don't think so." he says.

"Are you suggesting I have my baby with Gale? With Peeta in the Capitol trying to regain his memory?" I say. He nods. "You make me sick!" I say running out of the house.

"Where are you going!" Haymitch yells.

"To go see Peeta!" I shout.

"Young lady you get back here right now! You'll only make it worse!" he shouts.

"I'll be making it worse by staying here and proving to him that I don't love him by not coming after him." I shout running faster to the train station.