Through These Doors (PeetaxCato)

Chapter 6- Dark Paradise

Cato

I walked to second with Clay. Apparently, he had art too. That was great because he and I had finally talked it out. This girl named Hannah Baker was his best friend from their summer job at the movie theater and he had fallen for her. But shit went down all around her and she finally took her own life because no one cared enough about her to listen....to listen to her problems and her ordeal. I would never let Peeta do that to me, or me to Peeta, because I always wanted him to listen and be a listener, and same the other way around.
  "Peeta, this is Clay. Clay, this is my boyfriend Peeta Mellark." I said as I introduced them to each other.
  "Wow, you two are gay. No offense. My best friend is gay."
  "Yeah, we are madly in love with each other..." Peeta said as we kissed.
Ms.Cresta cleared her throat loudly and we seperated and sat down.
"By the way, this is Courtney Crimsen." Peeta said as she introduced this pretty Asian girl who seemed to know Clay.
   "I know Clay. We went to school together at Liberty." Courtney smiled, confirming my suspicions. Her eyes were awful red though.. She must have cried a lot earlier or something.
  "Look at that painting Peeta made." I pointed at the painting on the wall to change the subject.It was a very beautiful portrait of the ocean, complete with a coral reef and matching fish.
  "One could say that its a dark paradise..." Courtney whispsered as she observed it more closely.
  We all looked more closely at the painting. How true it was...what a dark paradise we lived in....

Peeta

We walked home with Courtney when school let out. Turns out that she lived up the street from Clove. As we walked home, I noticed how much more happier she was.
  "Thanks for talking to me today, Peeta. I really appreciate it." she told me.
"What did you guys talk about?" Cato asked.
  "Courtney shared her story with the class in first period." I said flatly.
  "Oh, I see...did it have to do with a girl named Hannah Baker?" Cato asked.
  Courtney gave him a look that meant yes, and I said "Cato..."
  "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Cato apologised sincerely.
  "The one thing me and Clay both share is that we both loved her...I was just too cowardly to admit it and he didn't know it until it was too late."
"I think he's bi to be honest. He's a nice guy and all and I like him a lot, but I think..." Cato stopped.
  "You think what?" I asked.
  "I think he likes me." Cato replied.
"Clay? Nooo hes straight. I know he is." Courtney chimed in.
  "Yes, and everyone also thought you were too...." I replied.
  This made Courtney go quiet.
"I don't know what to say, but he needs to back off if he does." I said defensively.
"He won't. He's struggling with his demons over Hannah..." Courtney said as she waved goodbye and walked in her house.

Song of the Day; Dark Paradise by Lana Del Rey