Everybody Talks (Hunger Game Fanfiction) #Watty's2014

Chapter Thirty Two: Worse Graduation Ever

LAST CHAPTER! Until the sequel that is. By reading this chapter you have agreed not to sue Lauren or I if you explode from feels.
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I wake up the morning of graduation, which is at the end of May. I'm still at Johanna's house because we didn't want to move until after graduation. The first thing I do is slide on my promise ring, as I do every morning before anything else, and then the bracelet that matches the ring, the one I got for my birthday. Lastly, I check my phone. I will put on my locket after I shower. On my phone, I see I have a text message from Peeta.
My Baby! <3 <3 <3 : Good morning beautiful! Hopefully you are up early enough to see this. I will be over there at 8:30 to pick you up. My family wants to have breakfast with us. See you soon! :)
I look at the clock and it is 7:58. That's enough time to shower, so I quickly reply, already on my way to the bathroom.
Me: Hey babe! :D I will see you soon. Hopefully I can shower quickly enough! lol. Anyways, I'm excited!
After I send him that, I get into the shower, where I quickly clean my body and wash my hair. I get out and change into a flower printed skirt and a plain white top, seeing as it is 80 degrees outside. I slide into my flip flops and rush downstairs to Johanna and her family. I guess now is a better time than any to talk to them all.
"Good morning everyone." I say. They all say good morning as well as they can with food in their mouth. "I um, I just wanted to say thank you for letting me stay her since my mother passed." I stutter a little because I'm always horrible at speaking. It makes Johanna laugh a little, but enough that she is choking and has to drink her orange juice to calm herself down.
"Wow, never thought I would hear you say that brainless."
"Johanna! What have we told you about that?" Her mother yells.
"It's fine Mrs. Mason, really, it's her nickname for me." I smile.
"Well it doesn't sound nice." She spits at Johanna. She just rolls her eyes and they all look back at me.
"Almost thought you would have Peeta write you a thank you speech." Johanna says smirking again.
"Nope, this is coming straight from the heart." I say, getting an idea. "So I think this calls for a hug Jo." I open my arms and start walking towards her.
"Katniss I swear."
"You swear what? You swear you want a hug? Aw!" I move closer.
"I will stab you!"
"With your spoon?"
"These things are lethal! Maybe that's why Liam Payne is afraid of them." (A/N To any directioners out there, Don't freak out on me because of that. I know Liam isn't afraid of the spoon itself but he is won't use them because he doesn't know where they have been. Like at restaurants.)
"Ha ha." I say sarcastically, finding my chance to wrap my arms around her, making her complain loudly. "Hush, you love me."
"Whatever." She starts hitting me with the spoon, so I decide to let go.
"But in all seriousness, you have all done so much for me and I could never repay it."
"Of course Katniss. You are welcome here anytime." Mr. Mason says, his paper lowered so he is looking at me.
"Would you like some breakfast dear?" Johanna's mom says, starting to stand up.
"No thank you, I'm going to Peeta's house for breakfast actually." I look at the time and I see it is 8:25, and Peeta is never late. In fact, he is usually early. He has this saying, If you aren't ten minutes early, you are ten minutes late. So I guess I should head out.
"He will be here any minute, so I'm going to go ahead and wait on the porch. I'll see you soon Jo, remember the girls are coming over and we are getting dressed for graduation."
"Don't remind me. Annie picked out that stupid purple dress."
"It looks great on you. And it doesn't even matter because you will have your cap and gown on anyways." I say starting to walk out.
"Exactly! So why can't I wear shorts?"
"Because you can't."
"Says who?"
"Says... me. And God. You can't argue with God." I wink at her.
"Just go suck off your boyfriends face."
"Sounds good to me." I laugh as I exit the room. I go out the front door to see Peeta's car waiting there, but he didn't honk his horn. I check my phone and I have no message from him. I walk to the car and when I open the door, I hear he is listening to the news on the radio.
"Troops are beginning to station in..." Ugh, why is he always listening to the news? It is so boring. Can't he be normal and just listen to music? Then again, I never wanted a normal person.
"Good morning." I say. He didn't realize I was here, but he quickly shuts off the radio.
"Good morning cutie." He smiles as I sit down. I shut the door and he starts driving.
"So, Peeta, is um...." I trail off.
"She going to be there? Yes, but she won't say anything. She will just sit in her chair and eat her food." He says.
"How did you know I was talking about that?"
"Because you always stutter when you are nervous." I think back to just ten minutes ago, when I was stuttering in front of the Mason's. I laugh a little.
"It's true." We drive the rest of the way to his house, which is only about 5 minutes, in silence. At some point he turned the radio back on but I shut it off.
"The news is so depressing. If you keep listening to it you will destroy your brain."
"I know, I was just listening to a specific report." He says, "But it doesn't matter because we are here anyways." When I look up I see his house in front of us. I have been in there a few times but not recently. We both leave the car and I grab his hand as we go up the steps. When we walk inside, I'm hit with a delicious smell, the sound of palates being set out and spatulas hitting a skillet.
"What did they make?" I ask.
"A feast." He smiles and pulls me into the kitchen. His dad and his older brother Riley are making the food, I see James setting the table. But I don't see his mother.
"Hello Katniss!" Mr. Mellark says. I haven't seen him since Peeta was in the hospital.
"Hi Mr. Mellark." I give him a hug.
"So, today is the big day you two." He smiles. "Then it's off to college."
"Yeah, Peeta, where exactly are you going?" I ask.
"I'm not really sure, probably something I should have decided by now. I have the whole summer to think."
"Well make sure it isn't to far away." I hug his arm.
"Never."
"Alright, who is ready to eat?" Mr. Mellark says. Peeta and my hand both shoot straight up. Then we race to the dining room, which I would say we tied, even if he was an inch ahead of me. We sit down as Riley brings in the last plate of food, sitting down with the rest of us. Peeta's dad says grace and we all dig in, filling our plates with waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and Peeta made cheese buns. I think I have three before Peeta laughs at me. I hit his arm and then take another bite, eating it obviously in his face. He kisses me when I do and I roll my eyes. About 5 minutes after is when Peeta's mom walks in, actually looking nice today, but I know better than to say anything to her. I find Peeta's hand under the table and squeeze it as the laughter from only 10 seconds ago has stopped completely. The only thing you can hear now is the sounds of forks and spoons on plates.
"Good morning." She say stiffly.
"Good morning mom." Peeta says, not looking her in the eyes. She doesn't say anything back to him but puts some eggs on her plate. After a few minutes, James speaks up.
"So Katniss, have you met with your lawyer yet?" He makes conversation.
"I actually have." I smile at him, "I get my first check the June tenth."
"You must be excited."
"I am. It is a great way to start summer vacation." There is a silence after that and it is very awkward. It's because Peeta's mom had to show up.
"We actually, uh, have something to announce to everyone." Peeta says. Everyone's head turns to look at him. I didn't know he was announcing this now. "Dad, James, and Riley know I gave Katniss a key for her birthday but I didn't tell you what it was for. As everyone knows we went to beach over spring break and while we were down there we looked at some houses. We found one in a nice price range and so I put a down payment on it. After graduation, probably when Katniss gets her first check, we will probably start moving." He tells them. His dad is the first to congratulate us, hitting Peeta on the back and smiling widely. James stands up to come around the table to us, and we both stand to hug him and Riley. After a few minutes of some small talk, and we talk about it, the sound of glass hitting the floor fills the room. Everyone looks over to where Mrs. Mellark is, still sitting in her chair, her glass of juice on the floor. Everyone is silent as she stands up. Peeta's dad and brothers all sit down but I stay standing with Peeta. His mother walks around the table to stand directly in front of us.
"You're what?" She asks.
"I'm uh, I'm... moving to uh, North Carolina." Peeta stutters. I know he isn't really afraid of his mother he is just afraid of what she will do.
"Oh are you now?" She comes a little closer. "Did you ask?"
"Mother I'm 18 now. And I'm graduated."
"But as of now you are still living under my house, under my rules." She says. "And I would appreciate you ask permission before you do something."
"Fine, mother may I-" He is cut off.
"Why would I want you to leave Peeta?" She puts her hands behind her back and starts walking around us.
"Why would you want me to stay?"
"Well, most families with three children, I have learned, has two smart kids and one, how do I put this nicely... Oh wait, I don't care if I'm nice." she laughs but I know she was insulting Peeta.
"Alright I think that's enough." I step between her and Peeta. She puts both hands on my right arm and shoves me in the other direction of the table. I stumble and I end up on the floor. James and Riley come towards me to help me but stop when they see what is going on. That's when Peeta charges her, pushing her. She stumble back but doesn't fall. I stand up.
"Don't you EVER touch her again!" He roars at her.
"Don't talk to me that way. I am your mother." She says much to calmly. But I know what she is doing. As a kid, when I would do something and get in trouble, I always waited for the yelling to start. When one of my parents started yelling I finally felt relieved because I knew that it would be over soon. But say we were In a public place, my parents would speak calmly but with the right amount of bitterness in their voice to tell me that I was going to get it when No one was around. And that's what she is doing now.
"The closest you have ever been to my mother was giving birth to me!" Peeta snaps back.
"Peeta Mellark! Do not say that." Her voice beginning to raise. "I've been nothing but good to you."
"By beating me?"
"I do not! Don't say such lies with a guest around."
"The one that you just shoved!?" Peeta screams this. I think his mother had finally had enough. She know that she had been caught, though I don't understand why considering I already knew about this. She raises one of her hands and I know she is about to backhand Peeta across the face.
"Stop!" I yell as I run for her. Her momentum doesn't stop though, and her hand comes in contact with Peeta's cheek. But before it hits hard enough that is would leave a bruise, I tackle her onto the dinner table, covering her and myself in a big mess of scrambled eggs and orange juice. I hold her down and she gasps when she sees what I have done.
"If you were going to treat your son like that you should have just put him up for adoption! I'd rather see him grow up with a dead look in his eyes than with bruises all over his face!" She struggles against me and ends up flipping me over so that my hair gets covered in syrup.
"He's my boy, why don't you mind your own business girl!?" She has me held down down, arms on either side of me and leg on each side of mine. I decide to take a risk and I lift my legs, flipping backwards off the table, bringing her with me. I can feel my hair all stick, my shirt obviously ruined now with grease and ketchup. We both land on the floor and I get up. I can feel the 4 pairs of eyes on us right now. Mrs. Mellark stand up but I'm quick to shove her against the wall, making sure she has to listen this time.
"He is 18 and he can do what he wants. He doesn't need you permission anymore and from how you've always treated him, I would say he has never needed your permission." I spit at her. She just stands there as I walk away from her, saying nothing to that. I go to Peeta but I only grab his hand and pull him outside to his car. I put him in the passenger seat while I get in on the other side. That's when I realize the keys aren't here, which means I have ruined a perfectly dramatic walk away.
"Stay here, don't come back inside. I'll be right back." I say to Peeta. I don't give him the chance to answer before I walk back to the house. I spot the keys in the kitchen, but I look in the dining room. Peeta's brothers are cleaning up the mess, his mom is still standing against the wall, and his dad no where to be found.
"Sorry about the mess guys." They turn around to look at me.
"It's fine. About time someone stood up to her." James says.
"I'm right here." She mutters.
"Yet, no one was talking to you." Riley says.
"It's fine Katniss, but why don't you and Peeta get out of here." Someone says from behind me. It's Mr. Mellark I course. "She isn't done, she will explode again soon. Best if y'all were far away." I nod, turning and ignoring eye contacts until I was outside again. I get in the car and Peeta still hadn't moved. He looks like he wants to say something though.
"No talking until we get to the lake." I say and he nods. I start the car, skidding out of the driveway. I speed along country roads, doing at least 60 mph in a 45 mph zone. But I don't really care if I get picked up by a cop, it won't even matter. I take my last turn until I'm going down the lane towards the lake. I park and get out, sitting next to the water. The syrup in my hair had started to harden, completely grossing me out. Peeta is next to me in a few minutes.
"So, that's her best behavior?" I ask smiling. He says nothing.
"Peeta?"
"Katniss, I don't think you understand what she is capable of. What if she hit you? What if she left a bruise on you? Or a scar that would last forever?"
"Then I have a scar. It's not like I don't have a million from hunting."
"But this wouldn't have been from hunting. I would do nothing but star at it everyday of my life knowing I didn't stop her from doing it."
"But she didn't." I say taking his hand. "And you have to admit, seeing her covered in strawberry jam had to of been funny." I say trying to the lighten the mood. The corners of his mouth move up slightly and he looks at me.
"Not as funny as seeing you flip over the table. Or the syrup in your hair." He touches my hair.
"No, that was not funny." I smile.
"I thought it was. And you have a little bit of a waffle right there."
"Where?"
"I'll get it." He leans forward and kisses my lips.
"I'm pretty sure you were just looking for an excuse to kiss me." I say.
"Maybe."
"So are things okay now?"
"Yeah, things are just great." He says so I lean my head on his shoulder. We talk for a few minutes but not long.
"Peeta, I still have to teach you to swim in this lake. It is supposed to be warm next weekend, we can then." he nods an kisses the top of my head.
"Promise not to let me drown?"
"I can't promise that."
"You better or I'm not doing it." He says.
"Ugh, fine. I won't let you drown. I know CPR anyways."
"Doesn't matter." After a little while longer, we decide it's best if we left to get ready for graduation which starts in three hours. Peeta drives me back to Johanna's house, but before I get out of the car I ask him,
"Are you sure you will be fine? She is sure to be mad." he knows exactly who I mean.
"I'll be fine. I will probably get ready then go hang with Marvel and Cato."
"Alright, I'll see you at graduation then." I kiss him once and get out of the car. The girls are all here when I walk in and all have their make up done.
"About time you got back. What where you and Peeta doing?" Glimmer asks wriggling her eyebrows. I swear she can be like a female Finnick.
"Well, we were having breakfast until I tackled his mom. Then we went to the lake." I say nonchalant. They all stare at me with big eyes, asking what the heck happened, but I just shake my head and go for the stairs. They follow behind me and we go to my room. Everything that is mine is packed already, I guess you could say I'm a little anxious to get into our new house.
"So, who is painting this barn?" I point to my face and they all laugh.
"I will." Clove says, reaching for her make up pouch.
"I got your hair!" Annie reaches for a straightener.
"And Kat I have was looking through your closet earlier and I found the dress that you are wearing." Glimmer squeals excited.
"Oh great..." The girls all start to get to work. After they finish my hair and make up, they move to Johanna because she is just as bad with this stuff as I am. Both of us just their rag dolls to dress up. I wonder what my dress will be. I mean, I know all of my dresses which isn't many, but it will still leave me wondering. Clove does my foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and my eye shadow. My hair ends up completely straight and reaches my mid back. I hadn't realized how long it had gotten. I look at it in the mirror and I smile.
"It looks great."
"Time for your dress! It's hanging in your bathroom, now go change." Glimmer shoos me away. I walk in and I see the dress, I light yellow with orange and red surrounding the last 4 inches of he dress. Oh I haven't with this in a long time. I slide into it, careful not to mess up my make up or hair. After I am done I look in the mirror. I will admit, I look stunning.
"Kat come on! We wanna see!" Glimmer yells, pounding her fist on the door so hard that I think it will break. I open the door to see they had all changed as well. Johanna wearing the dress that Annie picked up, the purple one that ends right at the knees. Annie is in a bright pink one with a black buckle, clove has a tight fitting red that shows off her curves. Maybe a little to much. Madge and Delly, who must have shown up with I was in the restroom changing, has a simple black dress but it still fits her great and Delly with blue one identical to Madge's despite the color. But I think Glimmer looks the best, maybe just because she is wearing my favorite color. Hers in a light green that goes to her knees, her hair an make up so beautifully done.
"Wow, you all look amazing." I say.
"Not as good as you do! Oh I love the dress!" Delly squeals. Everyone else agrees. I don't really like attention like this so I slide my feet into black heels, as well as everyone else, and we go downstairs to wait. After only twenty minutes the guys are knocking on the door. They all smile widely when we open the door, Peeta comes in last.
"Well look at you." I say, his dark dress pants, red shirt and black tie look amazing.
"Look at me? Look at you." She grabs me by the waist and give me a kiss.
"What's your honest opinion? I ask.
"Well, I don't think you are pretty." He says.
"No?"
"And you aren't beautiful." I'm taken back by his words.
"Then what am I?"
"You my dear, are as radiant as the sun." I blush and even through all the make up, I am sure he say it.
"I think we should get going!" Finnick says.
"Yeah, we have to be there in 15!" Glimmer basically runs I the cars. We drive to the school seperatly, and we are there with 5 minutes to spare. Graduation starts in 20 minutes so we all quickly get into out cap and gowns. We are taken to our seats by Haymitch- we are on first name basis now- and Mrs. Trinket. Our graduating class is t very big so we will get through it fast. All of the parents, siblings, grandparents, and other family members start sitting behind us. I always thought I my dad being here to watch me graduate. Or my mother. But mostly Prim, watching my every step so she would remember how to for her own graduation. Which will never come. I get my mind away from that as the music starts, and the first person goes up for their diploma. I watch all of my friends get theirs. All the girls go up, smile widely, and go back to their seats. The guys, well.... Finnick tripped going up the stairs, Cato refused to go up without Marvel, so he ended up getting a piggy back ride. Gale decided it would be funny to try and dance with Effie, getting a huge laugh from the crowed. Peeta is the only one that went up normally. I'm last, though I'm not sure how that's possible. But when my name is called I walk up like everyone else did. I shake hands first with Effie, giving her a true smile.
"Thank you. For being a great teacher." I say.
"You know, though you were annoying, you were always one of my favorites." She says.
"That's the nicest thing you have said to me." I laugh and then move to Haymitch.
"Nice job sweetheart." He shakes my hand and gives me a diploma.
"So, when I'm bored, do you think I could come hang out at the school? We could share a drink in your office." I smirk.
"Not util you are twenty one. But you are welcome to talk anytime."
"I'll keep that in mind." I smile for my picture and then I walk off the stage.
"The graduation class of 2014!" Haymitch says into the microphone. Everyone throws their caps into the air, many people including Peeta and I kiss. For once in my life everything seems normal. But that doesn't last. You can hear a single cellphone start the chain reaction. One by one, each smart phone in this place goes off. Everyone looks to see the same thing.
BREAKING NEWS: The Capitol has declared war on the United States. The coast guard had failed and only Marine soldiers have started to station. Prepare for a drafting.
My heart sinks when I read this. A draft? Peeta will have to go into a draft since he is 18. All of the guys will. No one picks up their caps, which lay pointlessly on the floor. Graduating seems useless now. Out entire future seems to come crashing down as only one things makes sense. We are going to war.
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HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF FINNICK!!!

Was anyone expecting that??? Did anyone notice when Peeta would listen to the radio? The little hints??

I guess what I really wanna say in this authors note is: muhahahahaha!!! ;) jk!

This book was so much fun to write and thank you all so much for your support! We really appreciate it! 30,000 reads! :D

Love you all <3

~Hannah