Author's Note: Guys this is my first fic. So please bear with me. I do plan on making this a long fic but only if you want me to. For a while it's gonna be Katniss's POV. But later I am gonna mix it up.

CHAPTER: One

***KATNISS***

The alarm went off at six am , marking the start of yet another monotonous day. My hand landed on an empty bed side table. Huh? I peeked from under my pillow to see the clock placed on the other side of the room. Of course if it wasn't far from me I knew I would end up snoozing it a hundred times. Then again I could just get up snooze it and come back to this warm, comfy bed. The hand that was outside the blanket told me that it was cold outside of my cocoon of happiness. I could afford be late for a single day or I could just skip college or give up on studying altogether? Take up some small job? May be go back to England? My chain of thoughts was broken by the buzzing sound of the alarm indicating that it was six thirty! Already? I knew if I fell into the hole of 'why I should give up on life' I would probably surface back at six thirty at night.

"Holy shit" I groaned, jumping out of bed. Six thirty tonight! It's the masquerade ball of the Charlottesville High School. Of course, that's why the alarm was so far!

I sprinted to the bathroom, looked in the mirror and saw a pair of grey eyes staring back at me, my face hidden under a layer of makeup and my hairs curled below my shoulders. I looked so different! Who is this girl staring at me? Who am I?

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I live in Charlottesville, Virginia. I was born in London. I am 22 years old. I am a student of University of Virginia Charlottesville.

I never wore makeup. So why was I under so much of it? And my head feels like it's gonna explode. That's when it hit me. I went to a party last night and I was hung-over. I mentally cursed Glimmer for dragging my ass there.

Glimmer was a girl from college who lived next door. She was a party animal and a fun girl to be with.

To her and everybody else for that matter, I was a fun and outgoing girl too. But nobody knew that I was hurting inside - that whenever I smiled I mentally cursed the person in front of me, that I had to drag myself everywhere just so that I don't look like a slug – except for the girl I saw sprawled across her bed when I came out of the bathroom.

Madge Undersee, my best friend and roommate. 'Damn, that girl can sleep through a storm.'

She knew me well, better than others you could say. She knew me enough to know that I was not interested in going to this stupid ball.

'Wait a minute' I thought. 'I am not even invited to this stupid ball. I just have to help with the arrangement of this stupid ball because stupid Glimmer's stupid sister was going.'

I sighed. I was wronged into volunteering by Glimmer as her sister was in High School and her sister begged her to help. And Glimmer didn't want to be tortured alone.

I walked into the small kitchen of our studio apartment. It wasn't a luxurious apartment but it wasn't small either. It has enough space to accommodate two single beds, a small couch, and two bar stools next to the kitchen counter, two study tables and a T.V. table. And still it wasn't crammed. Also it has the one thing that I absolutely loved. A view. One side of the apartment had huge slanted almost floor to ceiling windows that gave a breathtaking view of the green mountains.

After starting the coffee maker, I plopped down on the couch watching the local news. A while later Madge did the same. Madge had spent months trying to scare me but she gave up once she realized that I had sharp senses.

She knew that I was in no mood to go but she couldn't help me. She had an assignment she was running late on as she had a cold for a week or so.

After a while she got up and walked to the bathroom. I decided on making French toast for breakfast and started grabbing ingredients from cupboard. I heard a knock on the door as I placed the food and coffee on the counter.

I rolled my eyes, 'Just in time for breakfast as always.'

Glimmer walked in, in true 'Glimmer' fashion. She was always not just fashionably dressed but also fully caked with makeup. I never got the point. Who are you trying to impress this early?

She skipped to my side and with a smile plastered on her pretty face "Oooo…French toast!"

Glimmer was pretty, beautiful actually. There was no doubt about it. She had emerald eyes, long curly blonde hair and clear pale skin. She was tall and had a great physique.

Me? I wasn't even a looker. Grey eyes that always had a sense of doom in them, slender form, unruly, messy black hair that was always in a braid. I had olive skin like my Dad's, the only thing that I liked about myself because it reminded me of him and cheek bones sticking out, right under my eyes and thin lips with a permanent frown loosely masked by a smile.

My response was almost automatic, "Help yourself."

I watched as she skipped to the couch and gracefully lowered herself onto it.

"Come here Katniss. I wanna tell you something." She beamed. 'Someone's awfully happy today.'

I walked over to her and sat with a coffee mug in my hand. "O...kay. What is it?"

"I have a date tonight."

"You are not planning on ditching me are you?"

"Of course not, I would never do that to anyone!" 'Ummm…yeah you would.' "I am gonna leave right after I finish with the decoration. I was thinking I should just carry my dress there and change in the washroom. It'll save me a trip back home."

"Sure that's great."

"I know right? I can't wait!"

"Glimmer you go on dates more often than anyone I know and I have never seen you quite so happy about it."

"That cuz tonight's date is specialll." She chirped. I raised my brows questioningly.

"Oh Katniss, it's with the cutest boy I have ever seen! His name's Peeta. He is two years older than us. I saw him the other day at a party. You remember Cato? He set me up with him. And God! You wouldn't believe I couldn't keep my eyes off him. He is blonde and so fair! And sooo rich and his body! That broad chest. I wouldn't call him too muscular but he is not lean either. You know the well build types. And that jaw. Swoon!" she gushed in one breath.

Madge choose that moment to walk in on us and enquired about the glow on Glimmer's face. Glimmer without missing a beat jumped right back into the description of this 'Peeta'.

Huh? Who names their child after bread? I bet he is as arrogant and egotistical as Cato. Cato was a senior in college. He also happened to be the most popular guy, the football jock, tall, blonde just like this Peeta guy. He has these hazel eyes that have something disturbing about them. They are almost menacing. I am sure Peeta would be just like him.

"Katniss we have to be there in an hour." Glimmer interrupted my thoughts.

"Yeah sure"

"Alright, I'll see you there then." With that she was gone.

Madge brought the breakfast or whatever was left of it to the couch.

"Are you gonna be okay? Maybe I could try to come for a while." A worried look painted on her face.

"I'll be fiiine. Umm…I'll probably just shove a couple of teenagers down the stairs, that's it."

She wasn't convinced. "Look I'll try. If things get out of hand I'll call you." I tried reassuring her.

"Alllright"

We eat our breakfast in silence, watching the local news guy talk about how fall was just around the corner. God I loved fall. The entire landscape turns a beautiful shade of orange just like the sunset. Though I always preferred the plush green of the forests more, there was something serene about this color with the undertones of burning desire and rage in it. I don't know how a color can encompass two such different qualities.

After cleaning up the apartment I took a bath, dressed up in a pair of casual jeans and a button down white shirt and braided my hair.

I walked downstairs to the parking lot, thinking about how it would feel to go on a date. It wasn't like I never went on a date but it has been a long time. Ever since…him. I couldn't get myself to trust anyone and to sit and talk about life and relationship. I knew I would snap at that point.

I snapped out of my haze as I heard a honk from behind me. I turned and caught my left elbow on the back of a Chevy truck. I tried to examine it but it was a bit out of sight. I sighed and gave up. I never really bandaged my wounds. I was never the clumsy kind but every time I started thinking about …him, I ended up hurting myself or tripping over something or dropping something.

I looked in time to see Glimmer gesture me to follow her. She was in her sexy white Audi of course; a gift from one of her old boyfriends, Marvel. Over the years that I was in America I saved up enough money to buy a second hand black Honda Accord. Glimmer was never interested in travelling in that and as she had a date tonight we took our own cars.

We reached the High School just in time to see the decoration material arrive in trucks. The Ball was gonna be held in the Gym.

On the walk towards the Gym, Glimmer kept blabbing about how exited she was about the date, her dress, her shoes, her style of makeup and hair. I had to remind myself to smile and nod at the right moments.

As soon as we entered the Gym my face fell. It was huge and there were only couple of people working. 'This is gonna take a while.'

It was almost five pm when I settled on the stands and looked at what we had accomplished. Madge being her sweet self had dropped by at lunch with tuna sandwiches. Otherwise we were constantly working. No, I was working and Glimmer was bossing everyone around.

From the corner of my eyes I saw Glimmer approaching me and contemplated making a run for it. But then I sighed and waited for whatever she was gonna dump on me.

"Katniss I really need your help."

'Shocking' I snorted but quickly covered it up with a sniff.

"I need you to help me get dressed for the date. Please Katniss? Please?"

"O...kay"

We went to the bathroom and on the way I picked up an orange soda from the vending machines, 'Geeze, they don't have many options.'

She had brought an entire bag full of hair products and makeup and stuff. Figures. She insisted on having a bath and I just stood there staring at the blue/white floors of the bathroom.

The noise outside indicated that it was well past six thirty when we were done with her dress, hair, makeup and the shoes! She wore a black off shoulder dress that ended mid thigh. Black stilettos that had ribbons that came up to her knees. Her hair was even more curled if that was possible and deep blood red lipstick.

'Boy, that's how she dresses for a first date!' but none the less she looked gorgeous. I never had jealousy issues, so I honestly told her how beautiful she was looking.

After at least ten minutes more of her checking herself out in the mirror, we proceeded towards our cars.

I was about to open the door of my car when I heard a loud shriek of despair. It was no doubt that the voice was of Glimmer. My instincts told me to get in the car and drive away and not check what went wrong now but I couldn't do that. So I sighed and stomped my way to her car.

Someone -as a prank of course- had flattened two of her car's tires. I knew what was coming next so I just grumbled "Come on, I'll drop you."

I stopped the car right outside La Haven, the most expensive restaurant in Richmond. Figures. 'Oh, I forgot he's rich.' Throughout the fifteen minute drive Glimmer had a weird face on. Now I got why that was, she didn't wanna step out of an Accord and enter here. 'Oh well.' She thanked me and hastily went inside.

While pulling out of the front of the restaurant I saw that Glimmer had left her purse in the back seat. Great, just perfect! "I could just return it to her tomorrow." I said to no one in particular. But I remember her blabbering about how she never let guys pay the full check on their dates. 'Damn you Glimmer.'

I knew I was gonna look a little out of place here but I didn't expect to look worse than the waiters. My dress was a lot like theirs minus the tie. A person at the desk asked me who I was joining. Even he made a weird face after seeing my face. 'Seriously, aren't they supposed to be polite or something.'

I was directed to a very private table. I saw Glimmers with her back towards me and a blonde head bend under the table on the other side.

He was trying to reach for a spoon, I could see the spoon, but apparently it was taking him really long time to find it. I rolled my eyes. He was probably just trying to get a peek at Glimmer from under the table. Jerk. So I was right. He was a carbon copy of Cato. I could bet everything I had that he too would have those scary menacing hazel eyes.

I decided that it was better to just hand the purse over to Glimmer and leave.

Glimmer looked up when I reached the table. "Here," I said hastily giving her the purse. I was about to turn and leave but the blonde head lifted up at the sound of my voice.

I literally stopped dead in my tracks because the face that I saw was not the face that I was expecting.

Author's Note: I hope you guys liked it if you did PLEASE review. Just let me know if I should continue or not. Or just say it's good or a smiley face. If you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me. It's gonna get really Romantic and Angsty later on.