okayso. hi. hello, haha. i am a little nervous posting. this is the second story i have posted on ffnet. i did not and will not be finishing the forst story i put on here because i was unaware of what i was doing and my story really didnt have a plot. but i hope you enjoy this new story.
DISCLAIMER: i do not own the hunger games or its characters.
"So. This is where we are going to be living from now on?" I turn to my mom for an answer. She just looks at me with a cautious smile on her face and gives me a small nod. I look at the beautiful beach house surrounded by trees in front of me and sigh. Well at least Prim is excited. I turn to prim to look at her face. Surprise, surprise. There is a painful looking grin embedded in her face.
I bend down to give her a kiss on her forehead and smile at her. She doesn't need to know how unhappy I am about this. We moved to North Carolina for a new start in a new place. Why? Because my mom couldn't bear to live in the same house my dad used to. My dad died in a car accident 2 years ago and it crushed my mom. Her kids too, but she was too worried about herself. After he died all she would do is sleep in her room and cry in the dark. I resented her for it. She abandoned her kids when they needed her most. I am trying to mend my relationship with her this year as she is trying to mend this family.
I walk into the house and my eyes go wide, how we could afford this house? Not sure. I mean, we have a good amount of money but it's still breathtaking. It's a two story typical North carilina beach house. Bed rooms with balconies that open to the beautiful, infinite ocean. Open bathrooms with a vintage flair to it. Actually, the entire house has an old vintage flair to it. The kitchen, rooms, bathrooms, porch, and family room. It has a certain warmth and coziness to it.
As I start walking out of one of the bedrooms; I look up and notice that there is an attic. Curiosity takes over and I open the door then pull down the stairs. When I crawl up, I look around and immediately fall in love. The walls and floor are wood panels and there is a large window in the front of the room. It's simple but holds this calming aura. I walk up to the window and feel this sudden urge to climb out onto the roof. So I do.
When I climb out the ocean breeze instantly hits me. I get onto the roof and start to stand. As I do I raise my arms up and take a deep breath.
"Ahhh… I'm not sure you should be doing that…" this voice startles me out of my calm state so when I search for the voice I lose my footing and fall on my butt.
"Oh dear lord, I'm so sorry!" he has a slight English accent, its endearing. I stand up and wipe my butt to get the dust and dirt off and look around. Finally I am met with bold blue eyes filled with concern. I stare directly into his eyes for a moment too long and clear my throat.
"No, its fine. I-I'm fine." I blow out a gust of air and try to ignore the fact that my face is burning. "Well I do believe I at least deserve to know your name"
He blushes and grins shyly. Why is he blushing? I'm the one who fell on my butt.
"Hi, I'm Peeta. Your new neighbor, I suppose. And you are…" he trails off, waiting for me to complete his sentence.
"…Katniss…my name is Katniss." I look up to the ocean again and take a deep breath.
"That is a lovely name…katniss." The way he says my name, with his British accent, is so smooth and soft.
"Umm…how about I come down. It might be easier to umm introduce myself, I suppose." He looks up to meet my eyes and nods.
As I climb back into my room I take a deep breath and look down at myself. I look presentable enough. I'm wearing an over-sized army green jacket, black tee, high-waisted shorts, over the knee tights and black combat boots. I'm not sure why I'm so 'dressy' for a moving day but hey.
I climb down the attic stairs so fast not knowing that prim would be right below me and I almost knock her over. She grunts and shrieks a bit.
"Whoa, slow down speedster. Where are you going so fast?" she chuckles a little, rubbing her head were my foot skimmed.
"Oh god, sorry prim. I'm going downstairs to meet our new neighbor… or our new neighbor's son, that is. Wanna' come?" she taps her lip for a second and shrugs.
"Is he cute?" she gives a suggestive smile and nudges my shoulder. I laugh.
"Well I only saw him for a couple short seconds and I was on the roof so I dunno'." I smile "let's go find out."
When we walk outside we see him sitting on our porch swing whistling a familiar song. His golden curls shine in the sunset light.
"Breezeblocks?" I question the song he is whistling. He looks at me wide eyed, surprised by both my voice and probably the fact that I knew the song he was whistling. Alt-j, the, band that sing breezeblocks, isn't very known.
"Oh! Yeah-… you familiar with alt-j?" I nod.
"Well, nice to properly meet you, Katniss." He looks to prim and smiles warmly. "And you are?"
"I'm prim, Katniss' little sister." "Well hello, prim. Lovely meeting you."
"Two questions...are you British? And why'd you move here?" she giggles a little. I slap her shoulder lightly. She sticks her tongue out and I roll my eyes trying to keep the smile from forming.
"No, it's okay katniss. I was born in Britain where my family owned a bakery. I was only there for 6 years of my life. It's a beautiful place to visit but the weather is terrible. Always gloomy, it tends to affect your mood so we moved to California for awhile and i…" he hesitates, Then shakes his head. "Then we moved here, in North Carolina, last year for… new scenery. California was a bit too much. My family wanted to live in a private small town so here I am." He smirks slightly.
"Prim, katniss! What're you doing out there? - oh." She looks at peeta confused. He immediately stands up and wraps her hand in his and shakes softly.
"Hello ms…?"
"Everdeen."
" ." he says. He gives my mother a soft smile.
"I'm assuming you are our new neighbor?"
"Yes as a matter of fact. I am" he grins. He looks back at me and wiggles his brows. I furrow my eyebrows and smile a little, shaking my head.
"Is your family here?"
"Yes, my father and siblings are here."
"Your mother?" she questions. His face hardens slightly at the mention of his mother. Odd.
"No longer in the picture." he gives her a tight smile at which I'm taken aback. "Would you like to meet my family? We knew we had movers so we made some goods. Bakers instinct, we'd love if you came in" he laughs, no longer tense.
She smiles at him and nods softly. She walks over to the house with prim and I see her knock. I turn away to look at peeta.
"So, what's California like?" I ask. He visibly tenses.
"o-oh…umm. It's crowded. Full of talent and culture. It's a beautiful place if you appreciate the beautiful things but then it begins to be…too much. Where did you live before here?" he changes the subject.
"Well, I lived in a small town in Maine for awhile. It's nice there. Sunny weather, interesting people, culture. It's nice. My mother was a surgeon and ended up getting a great job offer here."
"Oh, wow. Is that why you guys moved here?"
"Oumm…no. the year my mother got a job offer my father got in a car accident and died…we moved…Because-"everything started to get foggy. Then a car cleared in my vision. It was on fire. i can hear bystanders' cry for help. Cries of pain. I can smell the burning rubber…the blood. I can feel the smoke burning my eyes-
"Katniss!" I look up to peeta who is gripping my face and looking at me with an intense look of worry. I squeeze my eyes shut for a second. Not now. I pull my head gently out of his hands.
"Oh sorry, did I not finish what I was saying? We moved because our old house...Was uhh… haunted with too many memories of my dad. So mom took the job offer and here we are…" he's looking at me with wide eyes. Great, I already ruined something that hasn't even started with my craziness.
I look away, uncomfortable under his intense stare.
"Katniss…what was that?" he asks cautiously.
"Umm…hmmm. I think this is a conversation for another day?" it ends as a question. Not knowing whether or not he'll still want to see me after my episode.
He hesitates but lets it go. I see prim running out of the house and towards peeta and I.
"KATNISS! WE CAN'T MISS THE NEW EPISODE OF VAMPIRE DIARIES. HELLO!" I laugh heartily. Prim have an obsession with a man named Damon on a show called the vampire diaries. He is sexy, though.
"Well…I guess this means that I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yup, most definitely. It was a pleasure meeting you and making you fall on your butt. Maybe I can repay you for that by showing you some of the secret places I have progressively found throughout the year." He sounds hopeful which surprises me.
"Yes, of course. I'd love to." He smiles.
"Okay, then tomorrow I will start with two places and then maybe I could introduce you to my friends? It always helps to know a couple people in town. I even know someone who reminds me a little of prim so I can introduce them. She's a sweetheart, don't worry." I'm stunned by his kindness and thoughtfulness.
"Wow…Thank you so much. I don't even know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Good night, peeta"
"Sweet dreams, katniss." I smile and we both stand from the porch swing. Prim runs past us into the house to start setting up the TV in the barely furnished living room. I laugh at her eagerness.
I watch peeta walk to his house and once I see him reach the door, I walk into our house and close the door.
"Where's mo-"I start to ask right when mom walks in.
"Sorry for taking so long, girls…" she looks around the house." We are lucky this house came already furnished or else we wouldn't even have a couch to sit on" she laughs a little when she sees that prim put the flat screen on the floor. "I suppose it's a good thing I also called in for cable and internet beforehand." I share a small smile for her and prim nods gratefully.
I look to my mom then prim and then the house and I can't help but feel this gaping hole in my heart. Dad should be here. Starting a new life with his family. Sitting with a cup of tea in his hand watching the waves ripple. Laughing. Living.
"katniss?" I feel prim's delicate hand touch my cheek. Its then that I realize she is wiping tears I hadn't even noticed were there.
"I thought it was getting better." Prim says. It's almost comical how quickly she goes from being a regular 15 year old to a concerned 35 year old.
I look over to mom and notice a tinge of guilt in her face.
"No, no. I'm fine prim. The medication is working." I lie "I was thinking how much dad would love it here. Especially the forests." I give my most convincing smile. "Let's go watch vampire diaries, shall we?"
Prim's mood changes within seconds and she grins. "Let's change into our PJs first." I nod and so does mom.
Prim speeds up the stairs and before I can do the same, my mom pulls me into a semi awkward hug which is strangely comforting. But it ends just as fast as it began.
She just gives me a loving smile and nods.
But this isn't a moment to be quiet. "We'll try this summer mom. Me and you. I want to be as whole as this family can get. I'm over the tension. I know why you did what you did, though I don't understand. But I'm willing to look over those last months that brought out the worst in us. This summer will be different." I see a tear run down her cheek. "Don't cry" I say with a certain tenderness that I don't think I have ever used with her.
I turn around and run up the stairs to open up the attic. Once I open the loud attic door I climb up the steps and open my luggage. I pull off over my head and wiggle out of my shorts then pull on some sweats and a baggy shirt. It's not until I turn around and see peeta staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth that I realize 1) my window was still open from this morning and 2) peeta sleeps n the attic too and in right across from me. I completely freeze. We stare at each other for a few awkward seconds.
Then he breaks the silence. " I guess I owe you an ice cream now, too. Double- no. triple scoops." And he rubs the back of his neck. I ignore my warming face and start a laughing fit that lasts about 3 minutes.
"Yes. You do."