Author's Note: This is my first Hunger Games story so I really hope you enjoy it. So, this chapter sort of just states how Katniss and Peeta are in their friendship. It just shows how close they are and the tiny chemistry they have between. Please Review, I sort of feed off of them.
Chapter1
I fumble with all the junk in my arms while trying to keep the phone pressed to my ear. It is so extremely hot, I cannot remember the last time it was this hot in this winter-obsessed town. I nearly drop the box of pizza while I attempt to grab my keys from out of my bag. I re adjust it on my hip as I unlock my 5 year old car. I yank the door open and drop the pizza box and my backpack purse onto the passenger seat.
"God Prim, yes, I remember," I say into the phone with slight annoyance. I hop into the car and close the door, it's 4,000 degrees more in here. I immediately turn on the air conditioner, but it only blows hot air, I groan. My sweat has my shirt sticking to my skin, I've always hated this exaggerated weather.
"Are you sure Katniss? You're very forgetful," she stated.
"No, I'm not!" Although I am.
"Yeah, yeah you are. Remember my birthday 2 years ago when you were in charge of taking all of us bowling? You were 30 minutes late."
"Hey, that was only one time, plus traffic," I say defensively. "God, it's so hot!"
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just so hot here!" I complain.
"Try being here, it's probably 20 degrees hotter than wherever you're at," she says back. I hum as a response, grateful that she has forgotten the subject. Although, that does not last as long as I hoped.
"Come on Katniss, mark your calender, tell Peeta and Johanna and Finnick, try to remember please," my little sister begged through the line. I grumble, I take full offense although I can't argue, I do know the incidences that my terrible memory have caused in the passed. I don't blame her for triple checking.
"Don't worry little duck, I promise to be there, and I'll drag them with me, calm down," I reassure.
"I still don't trust you." I let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll remind you every day until the even present's itself, anyway how's school." I laugh, I knew the conversation must have been over, but Prim's attempt to continue the conversation only told me she was bored and needed a way to fill her time; I was that way.
To answer her question, I really don't know how to. School is school. I have an 11 o'clock class, get to my apartment at around six, procrastinate on some sort of homework by watching endless, pointless TV, check the time and freak out because I procrastinated, force feed myself because I'm too distracted by homework to be hungry, and then go to sleep.
"Nothing really, just the same, what about you? How's Rory?" Prim went silent for a milisecond too long before answering.
"Umm, he's fine," she said casually with a slight crack her voice. I laugh at her awkward response. I knew she was developing feelings for her long time best friend, although they're both oblivious to the subject.
"Is he treating you ok?" I ask, even though that was a pretty obvious question, of course he was, he was her best friend. I just couldn't help the teasing I had to add.
"Mhmm," Prim said absent mindedly. I smile with amusement and catch something at the corner of my eye. A police car was parked at the curb and the the officer sat there scowling. I stop at a light, dangerously close to being spotted.
"Hey Prim, talk to you later there's a cop nearby." I practically hear her nod.
"Don't forget. Next. Saturday." I groan again and being to complain. She let out a defeated sigh and what she said next came less frantic.
"Ok, I trust you, and wear something pretty," she jokes, before saying her goodbye and hanging up the phone. I click End Call and exhale deeply, the smell of the pizza on the passenger seat making my stomach rumble. The funny thing was, I had totally forgotten about Prim's graduation party. I was only reminded when Prim had called at the pizza place and began to blab about the details I had already written down. Even though the constant reminders are agitating, I'm grateful for them, I usually would have forgotten by the time I get the next call, text, or visit. But she doesn't need to know that.
My car slows to a stop in front of the red light and the cars at the sides begin to accelerate.
Graduation Party. Next Saturday. Tell Peeta, Johanna, Finnick, and Gale. Avoid Cato at all cost. Ugh, Cato. Same college class together. Damn it, homework! Don't procrastinate.
I press to a slow stop in front of the apartment building and turn off the engine. I gather my backpack purse, and phone, and grab the pizza box from the passenger seat. I walk up to the apartment building. Waltz inside. Into the elevator. Walk to the door. Fumble with the keys. Open the door. And step inside.
"I'VE GOT THE PIZZA!" I yell into the small apartment complex. I hear water running from the kitchen sink and the television blasting a resturant commercial. It's a cheesy, hearty jingle that can become glued to your head every time. I close the door shut and place everything occupying my arms onto the mahogany dinner table. Please don't ask me how I was able to afford that stupid table. The water abruptly stops running and footsteps are nearing my area.
"Finally, it took you forever," a voice that I know oh-so-well says as it nears me. I look up to see my blonde haired, blue eyed best friend and roommate walking over. I mentally roll my eyes but maintain an emotionless expression.
"No I didn't, Peeta," I say flaty taking out the paper plates and napkins that the flirty cashier had given me. Peeta snatches the stacked paper plates from my hand and fiddles with them on his fingers. He is a bit taller than me, tall enough so when I hug him, my head rest comfortably on the crook of his neck. He has broad shoulders and a chiseled jaw that girls either love or hate. He sets the plates down and opens the pizza box. It's hot, but only a percentage of the cheese is still melted. "I'll take the pizza to the living room, go get the beer."
"I can't drink beer, I have a class later," Peeta reminds me. Peeta manages to catch jobs as a substitute teacher here and there at various schools, grades, and subjects. His teaching gigs are sort of a part time job away from working at his family's bakery. And incredibly, last week Peeta landed a job as a sub at an 8th grade English class for a month.
Peeta only responds with a simple 'Ok' before heading towards the kitchen. I take the pizza boxes and plates over the living room and see the TV playing a television show that requires you to be intelligent in Science in order to understand the jokes. I sit on the couch, place the pizza on the coffee table, and separate the stacked paper plates.
"Fine then, get some soda... and Oreos," I call out to him. I hear the refrigerator door shut and his loud footsteps cross the small kitchen. I look up at the television show and place close attention at their dialog. The character is speaking incredibly quick, rambling about a scientific reference I hardly understand. Other than that set back, the show is entertaining.
"Hydrox? Really Kat?" I hear him say from the kitchen. I turn my head towards the location of the voice, but I don't see him, I only see the wall that blocks my view of him, so I stare at the wall. I squint my eyes at the wall in confusion, Hydrox?
"What?" I question. He appears from the kitchen holding a familiar package of cookies labeled 'Hydrox'. I feel a click of remembrance at the sight of it. Peeta had asked me to buy him Oreos a day or two ago. When I had gotten to the store I found that package with the picture of an Oreo on it. It looked like an Oreo, so I bought it. "What about it?"
"What do you mean 'What about it?' This isn't Oreos," he complains. I scoff at this, but am incredibly amused by his need to be astonishingly meticulous.
"Does it honestly matter, its two black cookies with white shit in the middle, it's an Oreo," I said, turning back to the TV. Peeta huffs and goes to the kitchen and comes back with sodas and his not-Oreos.
"You better not let Finnick find this, he'll go insane," Peeta warns, sitting next to me.
"Oh what is he gonna do? Charm me to death," I smirk. Finnick is Peeta's best friend and have known each other since middle school. He's a total ladies man, and dare I say extremely attractive. He'll flirt even when he's serious or not, even with a girlfriend or not. And whatever girlfriend will have to understand that it's who he is and not to take it personally. And that girlfriend happens to be Annie Cresta, a beautiful petite woman with red hair and probably the nicest person I have ever met.
Peeta flops down next to me and offers me one of the sodas and I snatch it.
"Oh, please Kat, not even a puppy can charm you," he retorts. Wow, Asshole. I gape slightly and furrow my eyebrows.
"Dick," I mutter, taking a bite of my pizza. He tilts his head back and laughs, and I can't help the smirk that grows on my lips.
Peeta and I have been best friends since childhood. We met when were five years old in our kindergarten class, but didn't officially become friends until were 7 years old. We clicked instantly and ever since we've been practically inseperable. After a couple weeks we always raced to my house after school with Prim and we played for hours and hours. Although, we never went to his house for a reason I didn't figure out until we were older. But we did go to the bakery and we always made cupcakes all the time. I was never good at the baking process, I always messed everything up, so he baked and we both frosted. His three brothers have grown on me and become sort of like my brothers as well, so they love to tease me on end.
When we got older onto our pre-teenager stage, my Dad created a rule where we were not allowed alone in a room with the door closed; he had an eye on us at all times. We, obviously, did not like this new rule and started to spend more time in the bakery or in the woods a couple blocks away. Middle school was when we met Finnick and Johanna and our duo became four, but Peeta and I would always have that special bond we don't have with anyone else. But Johanna is a very nice break from boys, and I'm grateful for her. One day while we were eating packed cinnamon rolls against our usual tree in the woods, he had told me his father was divorcing his mother. When I asked him why he told me it was because his mother had abused him his entire life and his brother, Rye, had finally told his councilor about his mother's abuse and the was woman thrown in prison. That was why he never allowed me into his house. At that moment, I was overwhelmed with countless emotions. Shock, sadness, pity, anger, etc. I was angry because he hadn't told me about this previously. I was torn because I wanted to hold him and tell him it was going to be ok, and another part of me wanted to punch and yell. I resulted with yelling at him and then hugging him while he cried.
When we were teenagers we nervously squeezed each other's hand while entering our first day of high school. We weren't sure exactly why we were nervous, but the world made high school seem like the best and/or worst time of anyone's life, being nervous seemed extremely appropriate. But high school was an alright expierence. Sure we had problems but who doesn't? I was in a wonderful relationship with a boy named Gale for sophmore and junior year and was absolutely heartbroken when we split. That night, Peeta came to my house with pizza, ice cream, and tons of action movies. I laughed at his clićhe plans and we watched movies until we knocked out on the couch at around three or four in the morning. Of course, after my Dad found us snuggled together on the couch, we had "The Talk" when Peeta left the house. I was absolutely mortified.
When college came around we applied to all the same schools, and if we both got accepted to one, that was where we were going. We both got accepted to Panem University an hour away for our town. But, Peeta also got accepted into Yale, and was tempted to go. I didn't want to hold him back from such a great opportunity but he explained he didn't want to go because he couldn't bare to be so far away from everything he ever knew. So, we ended up going to Panem University with Finnick and Johanna as well. For the first year I was roommates with Johanna at the college dorms, but when the second year came around Johanna had told me she was moving in with Annie Cresta into a cheaper apartment. Finnick told Peeta he had decided to room with his younger cousin who was a freshman in the college. So, since Peeta and I were both living solo and left with a very expensive dorm, we decided to go apartment hunting together. We now have been living in this apartment for the past two years. It's a pretty nice apartment, it's small but it's a living space and it's cheap. That's all we need.
"How are the munchkins?" I ask. He shrugs and smiles lightly. He knows exactly what I mean by 'the munchkins.' They were the middle school kids he was substituting at his month-long teaching gig. He told me they were a handful but wonderful, and he fell in love with them instantly.
"Good, during lunch several kids come in the classroom to eat. I have made such a friendship with the girl that always converses with me. Her name is Brooklyn, and she loves to read and is incredibly intelligent and we always bond over books. And I didn't expect that because her grades are not the best," he explains.
"How is she incredibly intelligent if she's failing her classes," I ask, taking another bite of my pizza. I lean my head on his chest and close my eyes.
"No, no, she's passing English, History, and PE, and she has C in engineering," he says. I nod my head but maintain my eyes shut.
"Well, I guess I got some competition for the best friend position," I joke. He laugh and shuffles to check the time on his phone.
"Hey Kitty, I gotta get going," he says, signaling for me to sit up so he can leave. But I don't want him to leave. I was informed my class was canceled because my professor went to Urgent Care for constipation. For the past couple of weeks he has been complaining about his well being every class, and I feel it was about time he had himself checked out. I don't have work today, so I'll be all by myself. Instead of sitting up to allow him to leave, and straddle his waist and wrap my arms around his neck.
"No! Don't go!" I plead. He chuckles at my silliness but doesn't relax into the couch.
"Katniss I have to go," he says with a sigh.
"No!" I exclaim.
"Alrighty then." He stands and I keep my grip on his waist and I cling to his neck like a monkey.
"Noooo! Noooo!" My words muffle in his shirts and he walks to the door.
"Katniss, I have to go," he says sternly but I refuse to comply. I smile to myself, amusing myself by his growing irritation.
"No you don't." I says, he lets out air through puffed cheeks.
"Come on." He tries to use his hands to pry off of him, but that only tightens my grip to him. "Katniss, seriously, I have to go!"
"Hug me first," he complys exasperated, and puts his arms around me into a squeeze. I decide I have given him enough and set my feet to the ground. I love to irritate him this way, it's how we play, but I always be sure I don't cross any lines. I love to tease him but I also don't want him to be late to his job.
"Alright, now go," I say, pushing him out the door. He laughs and begins to walk down the corridor.
"Bye Kitty Kat!" He calls out from the end of the hallway.
"Bye!" I yell out and shut the door. I turn back to the apartment and look around. Holy crap, does it need cleaning. I groan, and instead I go to the couch and eat the rest of the pizza and a couple of the Not-Oreos.