Putrid air immediately fills the air as I pull away from the kiss. Despite my best attempts, I choke and end up hacking into my arm.

"Are you alright?" Peeta asks, his eyes full of concern. As he speaks I receive a whiff of bad breath again and can only cough slightly while my eyes water.

"I'm fine. My...uh…I had a tickle in my throat," I lie. Darn it, Katniss! Why couldn't you have been blessed with the talent of acting?

"Oh, okay," he replies, the apprehension fading. He leans in again to kiss me, and I cop out my turning my head to kiss his cheek. Haymitch must be cursing me now for missing this opportunity. I'm sorry Haymitch, but you try to kiss someone who hasn't brushed their teeth in days. It ain't easy.

"How come you cheated me out of a perfectly good kiss?" Peeta whispers into my ear. I hold my breath this time, determined not to gag.

"Um…uh…" I stutter.

"Am I a bad kisser?"

"No, no it's not that it's…" I fumble. Try not to breathe it in, try not to breathe it in. It's my life-saving mantra.

"It's what?"

"Breath," I blurt out.

"What?"

"Beth," I rectify.

"Who's Beth?" Peeta asks, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "And what does she have to do with the quality of my kissing?" I panic and start thinking of scenarios. Anything to get out of another kiss.

"Beth…she…kissed a squirrel." A squirrel? Really?

"Who's Beth?"

"My friend, you know, the one with the curly hair," I respond swiftly, making a curly motion with my hand.

"No I don't," he responds, genuinely interested.

"She's really pretty," I say.

"Pretty, huh? You know what?"

"What?" I inquire, hoping it doesn't involve any more lip action.

"I think you're more beautiful," he says as he leans in. Quick! Think of something! I fake a sneeze, a dramatic one to stop his puckered lips. In doing so, I spewed spit all over his face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I think I got the itch out now." I can tell that Peeta's slightly disgusted by my sneeze and wipes it off on his shirt.

"I have a good idea. Why don't we lay off on the kissing for a little while?" Thank God.