Here it is! I've finally finished putting together this new story and I am so excited to share it I love being able to share my writing and have been patiently but furiously wanting to share this on Fan Fiction.
As noted in the summary this story is based on Suzanne Collin's Characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy, but will be set in an alternate universe and will be out of character from the books. This note is just for the people who will point out this is their reviews and may not like this change, which I support if it is going to be constructive criticism, but if they have nothing nice to say they shouldn't say it at all. In my previous story I received comments that were not very nice but I am all for constructive criticism whereas some were not, therefore I want to address the problem before it happens. I'm sorry for my little rant but I hope you enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it :)
P.S. The story will be told from both Katniss and Peeta's POV's and I will also include dates for each chapter so you can get a better feel of how much time is passing. So please review, favourite and share this story!
Katniss POV – Monday 3rd January
I can't believe how fast winter break went by, only one semester left of being a junior! It felt like only yesterday I started high school, I was so eager to get to high school when I became a freshman but now that excitement has turned into boredom and dread in the past years but hopefully this year is going to be better. Even though I met Leon Cronin, who has been a really great boyfriend, it wasn't what I would call a memorable year. I definitely haven't missed these early mornings but homework and assignments would have been the worst part about school. Although as much as I hate the work I love school in a way, I get to see my friends' each day. More like my one and only friend who is also my best friend, Madge Undersee, we have some of the best times at school together.
"Katniss are you up? You should be leaving for school soon." My mom says poking her head into my room.
"Yes, just getting ready now." I yawn back to her.
As I get up I make my way over to my wardrobe and pick out an outfit to wear today and since I'm not very fashion savvy I pick out the first thing I see, a shirt with my favourite leather jacket and some skinny jeans; simple, just how I like it. I then pack my bag full of the books that I need for my classes, pack my lunch then I'm out the door off to school. Luckily for me, the high school is just a couple of blocks from my house so I can walk there, but unfortunately for my sister Primrose, she has to catch the bus to her school. As I start to walk towards the school I kind of feel excited. I will get to see Leon and Madge more and maybe this could be my year to have some fun. As I am quite shy, I don't get invited to all the cool parties. But who would want to go to those stupid parties anyway, it's just full of people getting drunk and making fools of themselves, but I would like to say I have at least gone to one high school party and I only have one and a half years of school left and I want to make the most of it. As I reach the school, I see Madge waiting for me by her car in the parking lot.
"Hey Katniss, how was your break?" She says pulling me into a hug.
"It was good, It would have been great if it lasted longer but I missed seeing you everyday."
"Same here! So how was spending some quality time alone with Leon?
"Well the plans changed."
"What happened? You two were finally going to hang out at his house while his parents were away."
"I chickened out, but don't tell him that."
"Katniss you two have been dating for… how long now?"
"Five and a half months."
"Don't you want to take it any further than just kissing?"
"I really don't know I'll give it a little more time."
"Well I say wait as long as you want but if you leave him hanging too long the rope might break, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah I know I just don't feel ready. So how were your holidays?"
"I met someone."
"You did! When we only just talked about a week ago you said you haven't met any guys yet!"
"I know we just met all of a sudden and clicked and speak of the devil here he comes right now."
"Who? Wade? Fergus? … Gale?" I say as she nods her head. "Gale Hawthorne!? Why didn't you tell me straight away?" I say as I look over to Gale who is walking towards us and oh no Peeta Mellark is right beside him.
"Well I wanted to tell you today, but I'll tell you about it later, shhh he's getting closer… hey guys how was your break?"
"It was adventurous." Gale says giving Madge a smirk, I can tell something has happened between them.
"Yeah it was fun not as good as what spring break is going to be like." Says Peeta.
"Yeah I bet you two are excited to be finishing school soon, spring break is going to be crazy." Madge says as Peeta gains eye contact with me but I look down from his gaze at the ground, it still hurts me every time I see him.
"Yeah we're both looking forward to it." Peeta says.
I used to think of Peeta Mellark as one of my closest friends, besides my best friend Madge Undersee. But ever since the middle of 10th grade Peeta and I haven't really said one word to each other. I remember the first time we met. It was my first day of high school and since he was a year older than me, he was assigned to show me and some other new students around the school. We got to know each other really well and we instantly became friends. But soon I started to look at him as more than a friend, I remember I had the biggest crush on him. But that's also when he joined the football team and became a heartthrob to the school, just like Gale so Peeta never showed any interest in me, it was always the more popular girls who caught his attention. Especially when he broke up our friendship that was the worst.
I remember that day at school it was particularly bad for me to begin with. I forgot to study for an exam and I was sure I was going to fail and my hair got caught on fire in science, which wasn't a good look for the rest of the day. During lunchtime I was sitting down with Madge like we usually do and I notice Peeta's new girlfriend coming over to me as he had moved to the table where all the popular people of the school sat. She asked if she could talk to me alone and I agreed not knowing what was going to come out of her mouth.
-Flashback-
"Look whatever your name is Peeta wants you out of his life, he used the words annoying and weird to describe you."
"What? Peeta would never say anything like that I don't believe you."
"Oh really well he told me to come over here and tell you because he is bad with confrontation."
"But I'm his friend he wouldn't get some skank to do the dirty work for him."
"Excuse me miss no fashion sense I am not a skank. But go ask him for yourself."
"Fine I will."
"Peeta can I talk to you for a second?" Katniss says as she reaches the table he is sitting at and they walk over to the corner of the room with Norah following behind.
"So I broke the news to her baby and she's pretty upset about it." She says butting in before Katniss can talk.
"Yeah, and why wouldn't you come and tell me yourself?"
"Look Katniss, I'm sorry you know why I didn't tell you myself and I didn't know how to say it and Norah offered for me."
"Okay I understand, just don't ever talk to me again okay?"
"So just a little thing like this means we can't be friends anymore?"
"No Peeta. I just don't think it will be the same again." Katniss says as she walks out of the cafeteria not bothering to hear what Peeta has to say.
-End Flashback-
But it didn't bother me once I found Leon. At first we were friends when were partners for a school science project but he finally picked up enough courage to tell me his feelings for me about 5 months ago and we have been dating ever since.
As the bell rings Madge and I make our way to our first class, Social Studies. Madge and I sit down at desks next to each other then notice the Gale and Peeta walking into the class as well. Aren't they seniors?
"Now today class I bet you are wondering why the seniors are joining us today in class. This is because today we are going to start our new assessment which is mandatory for both grades to complete." Says Mr Rankine making everyone sigh loudly especially me. "And since this is the first year of the program and the seniors will be graduating in the coming months, they will complete the assessment with us, but don't worry this is not a difficult task, all it involves is talking to someone on a chat site like a pen pal, as well as writing a 2 page essay on how we rely on modern technology and the rising popularity of using social media to communicate with others while including a little bit of what you have learnt about your pen pal." He says making everyone sigh again. "Now you have until the 25th of January to get to know your partner, start on your essay and finish it by the due date because this is going to count towards 50% of your grade and it is very easy to pass so I don't want any fails."
"Who are we going to be paired up with?" Peeta asks the teacher.
"Each one of you will be paired up with someone from another school, we have paired up with a number of schools in different states for this, so it will be someone you don't know."
"Can we tell the people our names so we can add them on Facebook if they are hot?" Says one of those slutty girls, Irena Lockhearst. I swear she has sex with any guy in the school who she finds hot; of coarse she would be interested in finding some new fresh meat.
"No you must not tell people your names, you must not meet them, you cannot ask or tell them where you live or go to school, and you must sign a form for the program that you will obey these rules just for privacy reasons but at the end of this assignment you will be told who you were paired to once this is over, but you can add them on the Facebook and meet up with them after this if you like."
"Sir it's Facebook not the Facebook." Irena blurts out.
"Okay well, lets get you paired up with your partners and assign you all a school laptop."
"Sir can we take the computers home?" Asks Gale.
"No they must stay in this classroom." He says looking at the class.
As we each are handed a piece of paper with our user number and our partners user number along with the agreement form I log onto the computer and immediately go on the site to chat with my pen pal. I put in my user code and I then type in the user code of my partner to become friends with them and they instantly accept.
You: Hey
Partner: Hi
You: Male or Female?
Partner: Male what about you?
You: Female.
Partner: Cool, so since we have to get to know each other what are your hobbies? .
You: Well I don't really have many hobbies, I enjoy hanging out with my friends, I enjoy sports, keeping active and I love spending time with my family because you never know when it could be your last minute with them. What about you? What are your hobbies?
Partner: Well, I love football; but what guy doesn't, I enjoy my friends company, and surprisingly enough I love to bake and paint, but keep that on the down low I haven't told anybody.
You: Who am I going to tell? I don't even know your name, but you can trust me I keep my mouth shut. Why haven't you told anybody you bake?
Partner: Well I know my teammates on the football team would think I was a wimp and I bet my other friends would too.
You: You shouldn't be worried about that! If people can't accept you for who you are you shouldn't be friends with them.
Partner: I know but my whole life is about football and I don't want to ruin it, anyway how about we change the conversation?
You: All right, I'm just curious but why didn't you say anything about your family before?
Partner: I don't spend that much time with my family as we don't really get along, I wish we did though, like a normal family.
You: Oh I'm sorry to hear that maybe you should talk to them about it.
Partner: Yeah, maybe I should, but I doubt it will help…
You: Well I'm always here if you need to talk. You know when you first said that you played football my immediate thought was 'oh great I've been paired with some meat head', but your not, it's good. All of the guys at my school who play football are like that; it's ridiculous. All they care about is keeping in shape and hot girls to have sex with.
Partner: Same here, most of the guys on my football team are like that but not me, I hit the gym now and again but I'm not one of those guys who are in there 24/7 and I've had girlfriends but… do you promise to keep another secret?
You: Yeah of coarse.
Partner: Well I'm a virgin and I want to find the right girl to loose it too, but I just can't. I feel that virginity isn't something you should waste on just anybody. I know it sounds cheesy but I at least want my first time to be special and someone I love.
You: Well we are in the same boat there, I'm a virgin too and I'm waiting for the right guy even though I have the right boyfriend I don't know if he is right for me.
Partner: You know guys really respect when girls are virgins because it shows they also have respect for themselves.
You: Well I guess it shows you have respect for yourself too, I don't know many guys who are still virgins. Well I don't know many guys full stop.
Partner: And still a senior.
You: Wow you must be waiting for the right person, I'm glad your doing that.
Partner: Thanks, well I better be going the bell at my school is going to ring soon.
You: All right, talk to you again another time?
Partner: How about tonight?
You: Perfect, see you then
Partner: Awesome, bye
Wow he seems really nice; maybe even after this pen pals thing we can get to know each other more. Even though I hardly know him he seems really nice and genuine, but he probably lives on the other side of the county for all I know. As the bell rings I log out of the computer and walk with Madge to our next class together. Once it is lunchtime I remember I promised Leon I would watch his practise game for basketball when we talked on the phone last night so I make my way over to the gym where he is playing. I walk over to the bleachers and get a good spot where I can see him running around, I spot him in the middle of the players and he notices me, waves and blows me a kiss and feeling slightly awkward I blow him one back. Once the game finishes I walk down towards him as he starts walking towards me.
"Hey sexy." He says wrapping his arm around my waist pulling me into his chest and planting a hard but romantic kiss on my lips, oh and did I forget the butt grab?
"Leon!" I say after pulling away from the kiss and smacking his hand away from my butt.
"You know it's hard for me to keep my hands off you when you tempt me by wearing clothes like that!"
"Plain jeans and a boring old t-shirt?"
"Exactly, you look sexy in everything, but that's not why I think your sexy I'm attracted to you, just everything about you. Anyway, how has your day been?"
"Fine so far, how about you?"
"Better now that I'm with you." He says planting another kiss on me. "Come with me I want to show you something." He says grabbing my hand and pulling me with him.
"Where are we going?"
"You will have to wait and see."
"You know I hate waiting" I say as he leads me underneath the bleachers. I start to think if he has set something up possibly romantic down here.
"I though we could have a bit of 'fun' down here." He says emphasising on the 'fun' and I notice that he hasn't set anything up romantic; he just wants to have fun behind the bleachers. He pulls me closer towards him and squeezes my butt in his hands then starts making out with me. Does he think he is getting lucky here? As he starts kissing down my neck I start to think back of the conversation I had with my pen pal. It made me think about this whole sex thing. I should wait for the right time and if Leon doesn't like it well I can find someone else because right now I'm not feeling like he should be the one.
"Mmm Katniss, how about getting a little kinky?" He says as his hands trail up my sides under my shirt as he leans in for another kiss, this time a lot harder as if he can't control himself.
"Leon! You have got to be joking. I'm not doing anything here!" I say pushing him away from me.
"Wouldn't it be adventurous?" He says pulling off his shirt.
"Leon, I don't want to remember my first time being behind the bleachers."
"Well we can still have a bit of fun can't we?"
"Not here! What if we got caught?"
"That's the exciting part of it." He says as he pulls me against his body once again.
"No I'm not doing anything down here end of story." I say pushing him away from me and as I walk off in the other direction, but he grabs onto my hand and pulls me into a kiss.
"Look I'm sorry, it's just that we have been dating for ages now-"
"Five and a half months, which is still only the beginning of our relationship, why is it so important that we take such a big step?" I say crossing my arms.
"Okay, five months. I'm sorry if it feels like I'm pushing you into stuff but I just want to show how much I love you."
"I understand, but I'm just not ready, but I know I will be and if you really loved me could you wait until I'm ready."
"Of coarse I will wait for you, anything for you." He says as he gives me a soft kiss just as the bells rings and he heads off to the lockers while I walk to my next class. I know I really like Leon and I know he is a great guy for me, I just don't know if I'll ever be ready with him but how can I tell him without hurting his feelings?
What did you think for the first chapter? I really hope you guys like it as much as I do :) The next chapter will be updated on the same day next week just so that I have time to make adjustments etc.
(P.S. not all of the chapters will be this long I just wanted a good introduction to the story, oh and if you are wondering throughout the story where the characters names come from I googled 'Hunger Games Name Generator' and used the one by Vulture.)
