Today has been a living nightmare. Everything that could have gone wrong has, and it's only noon. All I really want to do is go home, watch a cheesy movie, and pig out on whatever food I have left. But I have to find some dress that I feel somewhat comfortable in for Madge's birthday party tomorrow.
This proves to be a serious problem for two reasons: 1. I absolutely hate dresses, and 2. I'm broke. Being straight out of college and unemployed can do that to a person. However, I force myself to keep looking because Madge is too important to me to flake because I don't want to buy a dress.
After about a half hour of searching the first floor and coming up empty handed I decide to check out the fourth floor. Most of the stuff up there is more girly, but I'm desperate at this point.
As I approach the stairs my feet scream out in protest so I keep walking to the elevator. The doors open as soon as I press the button and just as I'm about to wish to be the only person in the elevator a young man jumps in next to me.
My eyes are immediately staring at my feet, but I steal a glance to the man on my left and a tiny gasp escapes me as I take him in. He is hot. Simple as that. Shining waves of blonde hair, the bluest eyes I have ever seen, and a body that has no match. This better be a short trip or I don't know if I can contain myself.
I stare intently at the sign above the door telling us which floor we are on and am ecstatic when I see the number 3. One more floor Katniss, you can do it. And with that the elevator comes to a screeching halt, but the doors never open. And as if it couldn't get any worse, the lights cut out and we are submersed in darkness.
This situation would cause discomfort to most, but for me this is my living hell. I can already feel the panic attack starting, see the images of my father in the mines, the sounds of the explosions, people screaming, and all at once it becomes too much.
I fall to the ground and crawl into a fetal position. I hear someone screaming, and I'm pretty sure it's me, but I'm so far lost in the attack that I can't do anything about it. I am in the mines with my father, gasping for air, desperately trying to find my way out. But I can't see the light; it's so dark.
After what seems like hours of searching I see it, the faintest of lights, and voices, no, just one voice calling for me. So I run, run towards the voice that is beckoning me out of my certain death. The light gets brighter, the voice louder, and that's when I come to.
The light turns out not to be the surface, but coming from a cellphone, and the voice belongs to the man with me on the elevator.
"Shhh, hey, hey, you're okay. Nothing is going to happen. I'm here, I will keep you safe."
He repeats that numerous times until I finally register what is happening, and I throw my arms around the stranger. I need something real to hold onto and he is it for now.
After a few minutes of holding me, he finally breaks away and looks at me.
"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" He asks.
"I've been better. I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. I'm not very god with dark, cramped spaces."
"No worries. I've had my fair share of panic attacks, so I just applied what usually works for me with you."
As he talks I start to take in my surroundings. Two adults currently sitting on the floor of a dark elevator with absolutely no way of getting out. I can start to feel the panic building, and I think he can notice it too because he grabs my hands and starts talking more directly to me.
"Hey I have an idea. Since we are stuck in such a shitty situation for god knows how long, let's get to know each other. What's your favorite color?"
I'm caught off-guard by not only his question, but his genuine efforts to try to help me through this. Most people would have just ignored the panicky girl in the corner, but he is going above and beyond for me. And because of this I decide to answer him.
"Green. How about you?"
He smiles at my response, "orange."
"Orange? Like the walls of this elevator?" I ask in response.
"Not quite that orange. More like a sunset." He says with a chuckle.
I contemplate his answer for a little, but before long he is asking me question after question about myself. Trivial things like what my favorite movie is to more intense stuff like my family. Before long he has even gotten me to talk about my father and why I had the panic attack, and he tells me about his abusive mother and his prosthetic leg.
The mall maintenance crew eventually rescues us after about two hours and I have never been more relieved to see a room full of dresses before. He gives me the biggest hug and I truly feel like I have made a relationship with this man that goes deeper than friendship. So as we say our goodbyes and I begin to leave I stop, spin around and chase after him. When I eventually catch up he seems surprised to see me. I decide in that moment to be bold for the first time in my life.
"I have something to tell you. We just spent two hours in an elevator together and I never even asked what your name is."
He gives me this heart melting smirk and responds with, "I'm Peeta, Peeta Mellark. And now that I think of it, what is your name?"
"Katniss Everdeen." I take a gulp of air and say the one thing that matters. "Peeta, I have one more question for you. Would you like to go on a date with me?"