So I was scrolling through tumblr last night and came upon some prompts for Everlark fic ideas, at least I think it was Everlark... anyway, I was inspired by one that said 'Katniss and Peeta sharing a textbook and exchanging notes'. I immediately envisioned a story in my head, had to get it down in print, and here it is. This is only part . Part 2 is finished and will most likely be beta'd in the morning and posted sometime after that. I hope you like it! Thanks to ct522 for getting on this quick and for her amazing encouragements! Please review. It makes me very happy to hear your thoughts. I also posted this over on tumblr, where I have one follower. Not gonna lie, I would love some company. :)
"Settle down, class!" Mrs. Trinket's command echoed over the students. Katniss hated Literature, but having to learn it and being subjected to Mrs. Trinket's shrill voice at the same time was cruelty made manifest. Thankfully, it would be her last class of the day. "Let's get started, shall we? In your textbooks, turn to Chapter one, Greek Mythology."
A series of groans resounded across the room, earning a sharp look from the tangerine-headed teacher. Whatever stylist suggested that particular hair color for her should have been sued, or fired at the very least. It did accentuate her emerald green eyes, though, making them seem even more piercing than her words.
Katniss did as she was told, opening her textbook while strictly declared to the group that they should not write in them, and that the books were to be left on the desks after each period for the next class. Fine by her. Maybe that meant less homework.
"We will begin with the myth of Persephone," Mrs. Trinket stated with sharp and proper English. Her eyes scrolled through the text, not paying much attention to the blonde jock that was unfortunate enough to be chosen to read for the class.
Flipping the page, Katniss noticed a drawing of a dandelion near the inner crease of the textbook. It was good. Perfect, actually. She studied the bend in the stem, and the sway of the seeds as they were about to be swept away into the wind. She traced the weed lightly, memorizing it with her pencil. She decided it was lonely and drew, very poorly, a ladybug on its stem for company. Katniss also added a bit of grass and a sun wearing shades with a scowl on his face, providing the growing weed with much needed nourishment. She smiled at her work, not near as perfect as what it was before, but more complete.
The bell rang and the students were emptying out of the room before she comprehended the time, so engrossed in her little drawing she was. "See you tomorrow!" Mrs. Trinket let out in a sing-song manner, causing Katniss to roll her eyes. This was going to be a long year.
Katniss dreaded returning to Lit class again. It was more about feeling inadequate in social breeding anytime Mrs. Trinket, or Trinkie, as the students had already dubbed her, opened her mouth and spewed her polite, mannerly speech, and less about Literature itself. Besides this, it still held little interest for her.
They were continuing to study Persephone, so Katniss happily opened up her book, having thought earlier during history what she could add to the little picture. Her eyes narrowed slightly at a large question mark near the collage with two arrows leading away from it. One pointing to her sun, the other to the hunch-backed ladybug. She glanced around the room, suddenly fretful of being caught breaking Trinkie's rules, but then dismissed the thought. Most likely it was another student and not the teacher, herself.
She stared at the punctuation for most of the period, wondering what to make of it, and if she should add more. She decided on a second question mark with an arrow pointing to the first question mark. It was vague and didn't give her handwriting away, so she left it, satisfied that it was communication enough. When class dismissed, she gave it no further thought.
The third day of Literature did, indeed, bring a reply. Katniss almost didn't remember to look for one, as they had moved on to Helios, the Sun God. Turning the pages back, she observed some very artistic handwriting. The letters were in all caps, the first one being slightly larger in size than the rest, and in concise, block-like form. I like your sun and ladybug. A smiley face accompanied the script and Katniss scrunched her face in displeasure, wondering if this person was mocking her. Whoever they were, they were infinitely better than her at drawing, and were most likely pointing it out.
In a sudden fit of resentment, Katniss scribbled back on the page. I don't like being mocked. She darkened her period in an attempt to seal her irritation onto the page, as if it would reach out and bite the reader. Satisfied with her angry reply, she shut the book defiantly and left class.
The end of the week brought a pop quiz, in which the students were allowed to use their books. Katniss hadn't returned to the beginning pages since leaving the angry note. Turning back to the myth of Persephone to aid her in her answers, she was surprised to find more script underneath her frenzied writing. I wasn't mocking you. I like your sun. He looks like he's having a good time. :) Your ladybug, however is a different story. You mind if I fix it?
Katniss thought it seemed an odd situation, trading secret messages through a textbook during different periods. She had no clue who this person was, and it was very likely he... It was a he, right? He didn't seem like a she... had no idea who she was, since she had transferred into this district recently and this was her first, and last, year at school here. She really had no intentions of making friends her senior year, as she would be leaving for college shortly after graduating and didn't see the point. A secret friendship might be just what she needed to keep her from being too lonely.
The timer Mrs. Trinket had set signaled that there were ten minutes left to finish the test, and Katniss needed to focus or she could end up failing her first quiz of the year. She jotted down her answers quickly, just in time for the final buzzer. The bell rang, indicating the end of school, but before Katniss closed her book she hastily scribbled an answer below the person's question. Be my guest.
Monday arrived and Katniss was curious to see how Dandelion, as she began to think of him, had fixed her grotesque ladybug. She smiled at the sight of the cute, spotted bug, no longer gracing the stem of the dandelion, but in mid-flight, its wings seeming to flutter on the page. It was perfect. Feeling generous, which was rare for Katniss, she resolved to let Dandelion know exactly how she felt.
It's perfect. I love it. You're extremely talented.
Wow. Perfection… that's a pretty lofty compliment. Don't know if I can top that.
I bet you could probably draw anything.
Do you have a suggestion?
How about a spring meadow?
Instead of a drawing in the book, Katniss was amazed to find a quartered piece of notebook paper, tucked into the pages of Persephone's myth. Unfolding what she thought must be a note, she drew in a sharp breath, highly impressed at the picture before her. This person was truly talented. The entire page, top to bottom and edge to edge, was covered in the scene Katniss had tasked to Dandelion. There was a slight rolling hill in the meadow, blanketed by new spring grasses and bursts of little yellow dandelion weeds. Amazing, she thought.
Katniss grabbed her notebook and began to write a note to Dandelion. Brilliant. It's so serene and pure. Hope you don't mind if I keep it. She tore off a large portion of unused paper and placed it discreetly in the crevice of the same page they had been using to communicate.
Katniss looked forward to the daily interactions between her and her secret friend. The notes and pictures Dandelion left for her had become a delightful part of her day, and she even found herself missing the contact over the weekends.
They communicated like this for months, never venturing too deep, content to leave encouraging words and smiley faces, and every now and then an innocent joke about Mrs. Trinket. She knew Dandelion's favorite color was orange, and she couldn't help but mention Trinkie's hair.
No color is ugly to me, but that particular shade isn't my favorite. It's more of a sunset orange, when it's blended with the bright yellow's and dark reds of the evening's light. What's your favorite color?
Oh. I'll have to check out a sunset sometime to see it exactly. Mine is forest green, but not the crayon color like you might think. It's all the shades of green that can be found in the woods, because when I see them altogether I know I'm home.
Katniss found another quartered piece of paper the day after their disclosure of favorite colors. Dandelion had written on the outside of it, That sounds incredible. And yes, you will have to see a sunset. But in case you don't, here is one that I sketched last summer.
The scene took Katniss' breath away. She never knew orange could be so striking, and if it weren't for the tranquility of the woods of her home, this splendid shade of sunset would easily challenge the green she favored as her color of choice.
I made sure to see yesterday's sunset, and while I thought it was pretty, this is much better. I think because you drew it. :)
Katniss didn't hear from Dandelion for a whole week. She left a few notes, saddened further every time she found them unanswered. She hoped she hadn't offended him, but when her apology note seemed to be untouched, she felt certain she had lost him. Her secret friend was gone, with no explanation and no way to know why.
Katniss had been happy to stay oblivious as to Dandelion's identity, keeping things simple, and so never thought to seek out ways to know which other students shared her seat. It had been for the best because now that it was over, she didn't feel any need to creep through the halls in avoidance. Although she did feel an acute sense of loss, since Dandelion had been a part of every one of her week days for 5 months, she did not harbor any resentment or bitterness.
Though as the second week of silence began, she did find herself wanting to know why Dandelion had abandoned their friendship. It wasn't as if they had to endure the pressures of their peers, not that Katniss had any, or the stigma of class distinction.
These were the thoughts that Katniss was destined to have unanswered, and so resigned herself to never having closure.
Three weeks after receiving the sunset picture from Dandelion, which she kept tacked onto a cork board above her dresser, the picture too beautiful to discard no matter the dissolution of Dandelion's and her friendship, she found a note in her Literature textbook. All the questions came rushing back, hope renewed that at least she would have an explanation and, at the very most, maybe her apology had been accepted.
Hey. Sorry I haven't been around much. I had to stay away from school for a while. Just not feeling well. What did I miss? How have you been?
Relief flooded through her, easing the tension that unknowingly built up over the loss of Dandelion's contact. He was back! Katniss immediately began composing a response, thrilled at having a distraction from the dullness that was Moby Dick.
Oh my gosh! I thought you didn't want to talk to me anymore! There were so many unanswered notes I left you, I thought maybe you were mad at me for keeping the sunset picture. I even brought it back to school and left it in the textbook to return it to you, but you never took it. So it's at home hanging on my wall.
Were you sick? What did you have? Three weeks is a lot of missed school.
Katniss went on to tell Dandelion what he had missed around school, the uneventfulness of her life, and how she was so happy to have him back. Sleep found her easily that night, but before she drifted off she laid in bed, thinking about how much she had come to rely on and look forward to her connection with Dandelion.
I wasn't sick really, just couldn't come. It's not important. I was able to get all my lessons from school, so I stayed caught up. I'm sorry I never got your notes. I would have answered everyone of them. I'm glad you kept the sunset picture. I meant for you to have it. I have a question for you, but I'm afraid to ask it.
This last part confused Katniss. They hadn't been afraid to say much to each other in the six months they had been relaying notes. Of course, they had stayed on pretty safe topics, nothing too revealing about the other. It caused some nervousness to float to the surface of her emotions, but at the very least she could just say no, right? Things didn't have to change just because Dandelion wants to ask a question. She had every right not answer it if she didn't want to. Katniss carefully formed a reply.
Well, I hope you don't have to miss school like that again and I'm glad you're not behind. What is your question? Don't be afraid to ask, but just don't be disappointed if I don't want to answer, okay?
Sleep was not so accessible as it had been the night before, when Katniss found out Dandelion was still her friend. The many assumptions of all the questions he could ask kept jumping around in her head, like sheep over a fence. Would it be too personal, crossing a line they hadn't dared to go near yet?
Katniss waited until close to the end of class to peek at the note she knew would be folded up towards the front of the book. She slowly untucked its neat edges, steeling herself for the worst.
Can we meet?
Yes, this was definitely the worst. Three small words, insignificant on their own, but together like a punch to her blissfully, ignorant gut. Why would Dandelion ask this? Did he want to ruin everything? The fear of losing her fun, easy friendship, the only one she had at all, was front and center in her mind. The bell rang and she had no time to leave a reply. Just as well, she thought. She needed time to compose something truthful, yet unoffensive. Katniss didn't want to hurt Dandelion's feelings, but most likely things were going to change anyways.
It was this thought that rolled through her mind for most of the night. She had brought the note home with her, staring pensively at the block script for what seemed like hours. She had ended up going back and forth, listing in her mind the pros and cons for agreeing to the encounter.
Katniss couldn't deny the flurry of excitement she felt when she thought about saying yes, but the trepidation was present also, wrestling with its counterpart until she thought her belly contained one hundred unslippable knots. Unable to make a decision, Katniss resolved put it out of her mind, and see how she felt closer to her Literature period.
Katniss wasn't surprised to find no communication from Dandelion that day. Possibly her silence had given him an answer, but ever since she had begun to entertain the idea of saying yes, Katniss couldn't get past the idea of it. It thrilled her and terrified her, and she knew that, even though she still had her doubts and reasons not to do it, she may regret it if she declined.
Yes. We can meet.