Be My Shelter

Chapter 3 - Feelings

he next three days went by quickly.

On Tuesday when Peeta came home from school, which luckily ended without any uncomfortable incidents between him and Cato, his father was finally back.
Peeta asked him where he'd been, but he didn't give any real answers instead of excusing by saying it'd been something businesslike or by changing the conversation to any non-essential topics.
Peeta was curious and suspicious about where his father went the past day and night, but anyway he wouldn't find out unless his father would tell him, so Peeta's only option was to wait and see.

The next day on Wednesday Peeta felt sick and ill so he didn't go to school and stayed at home. He laid in bed all day and drew some sketches, but slept most of the time. Peeta noticed that his father wasn't home and once more he'd been alone all day. In the afternoon Katniss came over and she gave Peeta his homework. Then they both were talking about school gossip and Katniss occasionally told Peeta that Cato and Finnick had a fight in the cafeteria. Eventually Cato called Annie a 'whore' wherefore Finnick punched Cato into his face which led to a battle between the two different sides. Peeta was unsure what to think about the current situation; he wondered why Finnick became so easily aggressive around Cato and why Cato called Annie a whore out of nothing. In the evening Peeta's father came back without losing a word on where he'd been whole day and acted as if everything was normal.

On Thursday Peeta was able to attend at school again.
His first four lessons were geography and arts in which both Peeta sat next to Katniss. The lessons were pretty boring and unspectacular.
During the breaks Peeta got to know Katniss' friends closer and he found out that Gale, Finnick, Madge and Annie were very nice people to talk with. For Peeta it seemed like Annie and Finnick had a special connection but who was he to judge two people he yet only knew for two days. Johanna didn't talk much and she seemed to be annoyed by some discussions at the table, but now and then she gave Peeta a small smile. In the meantime Katniss mumbled something about a party on Friday, but Peeta didn't really listen when Katniss was talking about it. He also didn't expect to be invited, but he wouldn't want to go there anyway.
In the last two lessons Peeta had his history class for the first time. Unfortunately no one he knew had this course as well so he had to go to the room alone. When he arrived at the history class almost every student already had a seat, but Peeta of course had no one to sit next to.
By the next two minutes everyone seemed to have found the perfect seat but Peeta still didn't find an empty place. The only empty spaces were next to a red-haired girl, two strangely looking guys and, to Peeta's surprise, next to Cato. The teacher walked in and when he saw Peeta standing in the middle of the room he advised in front of the whole class to "Please sit down next to Cato Hadley." Peeta let out an inner groan and made his way to Cato's table. After the fight, Katniss had told Peeta about, Peeta was once more confused and insecure what to think of Cato.
Was he a nice guy like he'd been acting towards Peeta in moments when they were both alone or was Cato a complete dickhead, who liked to play with other people and was only looking for stress and problems? Peeta didn't know.
He walked towards the empty seat next to Cato and silently sat down. Cato looked at Peeta and made the mysterious smile that Peeta knew all too well by now. Peeta shakily nodded in Cato's direction and then looked back to the front, where the teacher stood. During the teacher's speech Peeta found out that the woman in front of them was Mrs. Cresta. Peeta wasn't sure if it was Annie's mother that stood in front of them, but he would ask Annie later. Mrs. Cresta seemed to be a very nice and lovely woman, Peeta thought she explained well and that she had a good handling with the students. During the two lessons Mrs. Cresta most of the time was holding speeches and showing presentations about the most important historical facts they would have to know by the end of this year's semester. Peeta didn't exchange a word with Cato but instead he noticed that Cato was observing and staring at him very often. It kind of unsettled Peeta and he became awfully nervous every time Cato's eyes found Peeta's face. Of course Peeta never responded the gaze but still he'd been immensely confused why Cato was looking at him all the time. When the bell rang Peeta stormed out of class and made his way home. When he'd been there, he texted Katniss about that but she replied Cato had always been a weird guy so Peeta shouldn't worry about such a thing.
In the evening Peeta did his work at the bakery and when it closed he went to bed.