I wake up in a cold sweat. My heart is racing as I search the room for Prim. When I see her asleep I start to calm down. Seeing Prim and knowing she is ok is the only way to calm me down from my nightmares. I get back into bed hoping to get some more sleep.
That's when I hear it, or should I say her. My mother on the other side of the wall with one of her 'clients'. In that moment I say a silent prayer to God that Prim doesn't wake up and hear her.
As repulsive as our mother is to me, Prim still loves her. It might be because Prim doesn't know about our mother being a prostitute. I have been able to hide it from Prim, not to protect my mother, because I couldn't care less what people think of her, but to protect Prim.
Prim is too sweet and innocent to understand, and telling her would corrupt that innocence. So I hide what my mother does to get enough money to get high every night, and considering its been happening for the past 8 years I'd say I'm doing a damn good job.
My mother stops making noise and I drift off into a dreamless sleep where all I see is darkness.
I wake up and look out the window, I predict it's about 5:39 am by the sunrise, however I will never know for sure because there isn't a single clock in this whole damn house. My mother has traded everything we have for drugs, which is why I don't keep anything important in this house.
I start getting ready, I brush my teeth and wash my hair in the sink, I comb my hair and put it into a long braid down my back. I get dressed wearing one of my two pairs of jeans, and a black V-neck shirt.
I stuff my other pair of jeans and my two other shirts into my bag. I always bring them to school in fear that if I leave them my mother will sell them.
When I am finished getting ready it is about 5:50 am so I wake up Prim help get her ready. At about 6:05 am we are ready to go.
Step 1 to hiding my mother from Prim – always leave the house early. I don't want any encounters with her 'clients', I am afraid of what they might try to do to Prim if they saw her. She is very beautiful for a girl her age, and I will not let my mother exploit Prim's beauty. So we are always out of that house before anyone wakes up.
When I get Prim to her elementary school it's about 7:00 am, so I bring her to the library and help her with her homework a bit before I have to leave.
"Goodbye Little Duck, have a good day at school!" I say to her.
"Bye Katniss, I love you" She says while hugging me, she has had some separation anxiety ever since our Dad passed was killed so that makes me leaving her at school especially difficult.
"I love you too" I tell her as I walk away.
When I get to school I get the usual looks from my peers, and I can hear them whispering about me. Apparently news of my mother whoring around travels fast, and doesn't go away.
But they have learned to keep their mouths shut ever since I punched out a girl, I think her name is Glitter, for saying I was going to be a hooker just like my mother.
I will never be like my mother, I would rather die than be like her.
I go through my day paying very little attention to class, I never do but I always get good grades. It`s the only upside to having no TV. Studying is my way to pass the time, that and going to the library. So I have read a lot of classic literature. When I hear the bell ring I head to the door for my next class.
"Katniss can I see you for a moment please?" My teacher Mr. Kravitz asks, he always tells us to call him Cinna. He is my favorite teacher, he treats me like a friend instead of a student. He is also the only teacher that doesn't consider me to be a hooker.
I walk over to his desk at the front of the room "What do you need?" I ask.
"Well Katniss, I am a little worried about you." He says. "You have been at District 12 High School for 2 years and I never see you talking to anyone."
"I don't talk to people." I tell him
"Well you're talking to me right now." He says
"Well that's different, I just, I don't want to talk to people."
"Well Katniss, I'm not going to lie, to some people you come off as sullen and hostile." He says
"Good" I mutter under my breath.
"And I know that isn't true, I think you just need to meet some new people. So with that in mind I am sure you will happily accept a task I have for you."
"What is it?" I ask less than thrilled.
"There is a new student that just transferred from District 7, and he will need someone to show him around-"
"No." I say before he finished talking
"I was about to say you would be able to take my class time to show him around so it doesn't upset your personal schedule" He says. "And it would be worth extra credit" He adds.
"Fine, who is he?" I ask
"His name is Peeta Mellark, you will be showing him around tomorrow." He says.
"Ok, I have to go now, bye Cinna." I say as I walk away.
"Bye Katniss" He calls to me.
I have to run to my next class to make it in time, and even though I do, Ms. Coin still gives me the evil eye, or at least what she thinks is the evil eye, it looks more like she's constipated.
Through class all I can think about is Peeta. What will he be like? I hope he won't be like the assholes at this school. What is District 7 like? We could never afford to travel, even when my Dad was alive, so I have never left District 12.
In what seemed like 15 minutes class is finished, so I go get ready to go pick up Prim.