Hey guys! This idea just came to me, so I had to write about it. Review if you want me to carry on, otherwise I'll just stop the story. I'm sorry if you already had the idea before, but I didn't mean any harm!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games or any characters.

The Baby Project

There is a reason I hate Mrs. Beacon's Health class.

It's hard to stay awake in, and to my right is Bradley Higgins, the most annoying kid in my year. The windows are bolted shut, and someone has carelessly painted a lumpy coat of cream paint over the handles, leaving Room 201 steaming like a sauna. Mrs. Beacon's okay though, if you look past the piles of homework she gives us every Monday afternoon.

I flip my pencil up and down in my calloused fingers, eyeing the calendar behind Mrs. Beacon's greyish-tinged hair. June 18th. Just one more month until school ends; then I could go home and practice archery in my backyard.

I smiled as I remembered my mahogany bow, crafted by my father's clever hands. Ever since I was seven years old, I've been practicing. I can shoot far distances and tiny targets high up in the sycamore trees. Way better than any other sixteen year-old in Panem.

If only I could be there right now; with the plush green grass underneath my soft leather boots.

Mrs. Beacon gets up and starts talking about our new assignment while a group of kids troop in, but I don't care. I dig my fingernails into the scratched tabletop, where people have engraved stupid messages like "Joey tha BOSS" and "MS B IS HOT".

"Katniss Everdeen, are you listening to me?" Mrs. Beacon asks. I'm jolted out of my weird thoughts, and immediately my attention snaps back to Mrs. Beacon. That's one of the cons from sitting at the front of the class.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Mrs. Beacon," I reply meekly, ducking my head and looking down at my worn jeans. A small stray thread catches my eye, and I pick at it. Mrs. Beacon visibly relaxes when she hears my reply.

She smiles widely at me, white teeth glinting in the June sun. "Good. Because I was just telling you all about our newest assignment, which will be called..."

Everyone in Room 201 starts biting their lips anxiously and drumming their fingertips on the table, hoping it's not anything stupid.

"The Baby Project." Mrs. Beacon finishes. She beams at us, like it's the best thing since sliced bread. I'm wary. I don't really like children, unless it's my little sister, Prim; and I certainly don't want to take care of a baby doll that pees.

"Awwwh Katniss! How cute! Our own little baby!" My best friend Madge squeals, stamping her feet excitedly on the ground. Madge sits on my left, so I twist my body round in my chair and face her.

"Far from it. I can't be bothered to feed a peeing doll. You're only excited so you can bag Gale for your partner!" I snort.

Madge huffs, but turns around in her seat to sneak a glance at Gale Hawthorne, the tall, dark-haired boy that sits at the back of the class. His little brother Rory is in Prim's class.

"But...Katniss, he's gorgeous," Madge sighs, leaning her elbows on Rue's desk behind her. Rue, a polite, dark-skinned girl who is tremendously small for sixteen, turns around and looks in the same direction.

"Not really," she remarks, earning a swat from Madge. She ducks, laughing, "Thresh is a total cutie!" "Oooh, Rue's got a crush!" I laugh. Thresh Rowland is incredibly sweet; he's in mostly all my classes and we get along.

But I'm not looking at Thresh.

I'm not looking at Gale either.

In the far right corner of the room, I can see a blond boy sitting back in his chair, balancing on the back legs. He's wearing a plain white t-shirt underneath a blue checkered shirt, and blue jeans with the ends tucked into his black and white hi-tops.

He has a strong, defined jaw, and his skin is creamy smooth. His blond hair is dark, unlike my friend Peeta's. His head snaps forward and before I can turn back around, his eyes are focused on me.

I hold in my breath as a stream of electricity shoots through me. His eyes are a cool, icy blue, and they look far, far away. Like he's not really focusing on Health class.

I wonder if he could feel that spark too?

I turn back around as his eyes flick towards the window.

But I'm gutted that I had to look away so soon.

Mrs. Beacon, who had been sitting at her desk all this time, clears her throat loudly. "Okay, class!" she hollers, and we all shut up.

She reaches underneath her desk and pulls out two fishbowls. They are both filled up halfway with slips of paper. "The girls' names are in the bowl on the right. The boys' names are in the bowl on the left. I will call you up, and you will "reap" a slip from the bowl of the opposite gender. The name on that slip is the name of your partner in the Baby Project."

We all gaze intently at the ball, scared of all the possibilities. Mrs. Beacon calls out the first name. "Madge."

Madge swallows, and stands up, her chair legs screeching against the smooth stone floor. She stumbles up to Mrs. Beacon, and sticks her hand in the boys' ball. She swishes it around a bit before grasping one in her fist. She lifts her arm out, and carefully unfolds the paper. The class wait with baited breath.

"Gale Hawthorne!" she says, and she breathes out with relief. I don't look behind me as Gale gets up and walks forward. You can hardly hear his footsteps; it's like walking on a bed of goose down.

He and Madge collect the baby doll from Mrs. Beacon's desk, who has four lines of the horrific toys laid out for the new "parents" to choose.

"I want that one," Madge mutters bashfully, pointing at a doll in the second row. Gale nods and picks it up by its ankle, dragging it carelessly to his desk. Madge gasps as the baby's head smacks into a table.

"Gale! Our baby!" she squeaks. Realising what she's said, her cheeks heat up and she says, "Oops."

Gale eyes her with his cool flinty eyes, and holds the baby properly. I sit back in my seat and watch the task unfold.

Thresh comes forward and picks Rue; Peeta runs up and selects Clove, Delly shuffles towards the front and grabs Marvel; and Glimmer snarls when she manages to snag Bradley Higgins.

Then it's just me, the blond boy, Cory Deakin, a boy who picks his nose freely when he thinks no one's looking, and Foxface, one of my friends.

I look behind me to see if Blond Boy's mad about being picked near to last. But he looks cold, unimpressed at the scene in front of him. I'd like to get to know him.

"Marianna." Foxface gets up at the sound of her real name and swishes up to the front, where she eyes the two boys' slips warily. She picks one up and reads out in a clear voice, "Cory Deakin."

Cory Deakin jumps out of his seat and hugs Foxface, his hands all over her back. She shoves him off, annoyed, and grabs a baby off the desk before stomping back to her seat.

Suddenly, it dawns on me.

I'm the only girl left. And Blond Boy is the only boy left.

I spin around and look at him just as his steady gaze lands on me. Our eyes connect, and I can only comprehend one thing.

Blond Boy and I are partners.

Looking after a baby.

For a month.

Oh, Katniss. You thought your life was difficult? Well, it's about to get a whole lot worse.

Review please? So I know if I should carry on?

Thanks!

- The Answer Is Love