Forever and Always
We lay in bed with the lights off, Peeta's strong arms wrapped around my waist. Goosebumps rise on my arms as the cool air from the night rushes in from the open
window. I sigh and smile to myself because this moment, right here, right now, is where I want to stay for the rest of my life. Happy and content.
"What are you thinking about?" Peeta whispers, resting his chin on my shoulder and tightening his grip around me.
"When forever started," I tell him with a smile. I turn around in his arms and gaze into his bright blue gorgeous eyes. Peeta smiles at me and places a kiss on my
forehead. "Can you tell me the story again?" I plead. "It's my favorite bedtime story."
Peeta places a gentle kiss on my lips and tells me, "Nothing would make me happier, sweetheart."
It's finally my first day of school. Father said he would walk me and make sure I got to my class okay. When we leave the house and start to walk, panic washes over
me for the first time. I never really thought of what school would be like up until now. What if everyone thinks I'm weird? Will I make any friends? And suddenly the
air around us becomes hot and suffocating. Father looks down at me and sees the panic showing on my face.
"Don't worry son, I'm sure you will have a great time at school. Maybe even meet some pretty girls," he moves his eyebrows up and down and gives me a little nudge.
I start to giggle at the ridiculous idea. Out of all the things to worry about on the first day of school and he thinks about meeting pretty girls? Typical father.
We finally reach school grounds and stop in front of the building. I take in my surroundings. Kids my age and older run around the front lawn of the school with smiles
on their faces. Some kids just arriving and running up to their friends that they haven't seen all summer. I look up at my father and notice he is staring intently at
something. I follow his gaze to find a mother holding on tightly to her daughter's hand and looking worriedly at her.
"You see that little girl, Peeta?" my father asks pointing to the little girl. "I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner."
"A coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner if she could've had you?" I ask with annoyance in my voice.
"Because when he sings . . . even the birds stop to listen." I'm confused as to what my father is saying but I pretend to understand and give him a small smile.
The school bell suddenly rings and all the panic rushes back, the girl and her mother long forgotten. Father bends down beside me and puts his hands on either side of
my shoulders.
"Now listen to me, you are going to have a great time in school and make tons of friends. And since it's your first day, don't tell your mother, but I put an extra cookie
in your lunch. Enjoy it." My father kisses my head and then pushes me towards the school building. Taking one more look at my father, he gives me a quick thumbs
up and I walk into the school smiling to myself.
My first class is music assembly. Once everyone takes his or her seats the teacher starts to speak.
"So, I thought we could start off the school year by singing a song. Does anyone know the valley song?" The same girl my dad pointed out to me not that long ago put
her hand up in the air with excitement. This time as I look at her, I pay more attention to her appearance. She has long dark brown hair that is put into two braids,
her skin is dark, and her eyes, like all other Seam people have, are gray. But although her eyes are similar to everyone else's in the Seam, I can't help but admire
them, like there is something different with her eyes that I just can't put my finger on. She wears a bright red plaid dress that ends right below her knees.
"Only one of you knows the valley song? Well, sweetie why don't you come up in front of the class and sing it for us?" the teacher asks in a polite voice. The girl gets
up from her seat and walks to the front of the class. The teacher gives her a stool to sit on and she gladly sits down on it. "What's your name sweetie?" the teacher
asks.
"Katniss. Katniss Everdeen."
"Well, Katniss Everdeen, why don't you go ahead and sing the valley song to everyone in the class."
And then, she starts to sing and my heart skips a beat. I now completely understand what my father was saying earlier, because I swear that all the birds outside
have stopped to listen to her, just like her father. Her voice is like a lullaby that is luring me in. And I can finally put my finger on why she, to me, is so different from
all other girls. She is the most beautiful and prominent girl I've ever laid eyes on. The sun glints off her beautifully long brown hair, making me have to blink a couple
of times before I go back to gaping at her. Her smile, never fading off her face, is exceedingly bright and happy that it makes me smile along with her. Her red plaid
dress is like no other. It makes her look bold and fearless. And for her gray eyes, they are so cheerful looking, unlike anybody else's. Her eyelashes so naturally long
and luscious that they sweep across her cheeks when she blinks. And as she smiles, her eyes squint making them even more striking. Her eyes are the kind that you
can look into and feel like you are getting lost, and I have.
All too soon the song is over and the teacher is asking Katniss to sit back down in her seat. My eyes follow her back as she walks back to her seat. And for the rest of
the day I do not even dare to look away from her.
At the end of the school day father comes to pick me up, but I don't feel like going home. I want to follow Katniss wherever she goes, do whatever she does, and
never take my eyes off her. I want her to sing me to sleep every night, maybe even kiss me… but I know that will never happen in my whole entire life – not unless I
build up the courage to go and talk to her. And that's when I realize, just like Katniss' mother, I was a goner. I will never find anyone as beautiful as she. I will never
love any girl but the girl that I can never take my eyes off of.
Ever since the first day of school I have tried to go up and talk to Katniss Everdeen, but just as I build up my courage enough to walk up to her, something always gets
in my way.
After school one day when my father is walking me home, I decide to tell him how I truly feel about Katniss Everdeen.
"Father, remember on the first day at school when you pointed that little girl out to me and told me how you wanted to marry her mother? Well, I think… no, not I
think, I know I am in love with her."
"That story gets better every time you tell it to me," I tell Peeta as I lean in to kiss him. He puts his hand over my heart and stares into my eyes.
"Your heart is beating so fast," he mumbles.
"I guess it's its way of telling me how much I love you." I lean in to kiss him again and join his gesture by putting my hand over his beating heart. I smile up at him
when I feel how fast it's beating.
"You have no idea the effect you can have on me," he says putting a lose strand hair behind my ear. I put my head on his chest and close my eyes. Peeta strokes my
hair for a while and right as I'm starting to drift off to sleep, I hear him talk. "I love you Katniss Everdeen. Forever and always."