Panem High: Freshman Year

Chapter 15

After she had paid for her five-dollar admission, Johanna took a deep breath and walked through the streamers taped to the frame of the open double doors leading to the gym, the girls close behind her. Glimmer, Madge, Annie, and Delly instantly began gushing animatedly about how nice the gym looked, and Foxface shot Johanna a tentative smile before joining them. Clove and Katniss rolled their eyes, and Johanna scowled.

"It looks exactly the same, but with streamers and balloons and shit," she scoffed.

Johanna looked around the huge gymnasium. There were hundreds of white and blue helium balloons floating against the ceiling, white and blue crêpe paper streamers hung on the walls, round tables with standard school plastic chairs arranged in a half-circle along the back, fold-up tables against the front wall draped with cheap blue plastic tablecloths and covered in food and drinks: mini cupcakes, cookies, brownies, cans of soda and, of course, the ever-generic punch bowl.

"Basic," Katniss grumped.

"Whatever," Clove muttered. "Let's just go. I mean, food is food."

Johanna laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

Clove grinned at her and the three of them made their way over to the food table as pop music poured over the speakers.

"This music is ass," Clove muttered as she stuffed a chocolate cupcake into her mouth.

"I know," Johanna groaned. "Hey, I bet you five bucks that I can put two cupcakes in my mouth at once."

Clove laughed. "Bullshit."

"Wait," Katniss asked, "me or her?"

"Both of you."

"Damn, okay."

"Oh shut up, I got this."

Clove grinned at Johanna. "Make it ten, then."

Johanna briefly weighed the pros and cons before shaking Clove's hand. "You got a deal," she smirked.

"Excellent."

Johanna picked up two cupcakes, took a dramatic breath, and unsuccessfully attempted to shove both into her mouth, the icing smearing her lipstick and crumbs falling everywhere.

"Ooohhhh," Clove laughed. Then her face turned serious. "Cough it up," she said, holding her hand out.

"What, the cupcake?" Johanna asked sarcastically through a mouthful of chocolate cake and icing.

"No, believe it or not, I was not talking about the cupcake, you dipshit," Clove said scornfully. "I meant the money."

"Oh shut up," Johanna scoffed after swallowing the last of her cupcakes. "I'll give it to you after."

"Okay," Clove grinned, high-fiving Katniss.

"I'm gonna go get all this cake off of my dress," Johanna sighed.

"Okay," Katniss said, heading over to Madge.

"Come with?" Johanna asked, raising her eyebrows at Clove.

"Sure." The girls walked through the streamers once again, tickets in hand to show they had paid already, to the girls' bathroom. Johanna got some paper towels and began trying to rid her dress of the crumbs and icing covering it.

"So," she grinned. "You're gonna dance tonight."

"I have to," Clove sighed. "I promised Cato."

"Ha."

"Shut up. At least I won't be alone on the side like you will."

"I can ask someone," Johanna said defensively.