CHAPTER 2

Katniss' POV

I turned my head only to see Peeta at the door, with an entire batch of his cookies. He lay the tray on my table, pretending not to notice how tense I was. I stared down at the cookies. Each one of them is beautifully decorated with icing of different colors - pink, yellow, green, blue. "Thank you, Peeta. These are lovely."

There was something in his eyes that told me he wasn't just dropping by to deliver cookies. I braced myself for what was coming next. It was like he was trying to avoid the topic too as he poured a cup of hot chocolate for the both of us. He set the cups on the table, right next to the cookies. He took a seat; I did too.

I reach out for a cookie but his hand stops me., holding me there. He looks me in the eye and I try to avoid them. I knew what was coming before it hit me. Peeta whispers, "You love me. Real or not real?"

He looks me in the eye, not pressing, not crazed like it was when he tried to kill me, but genuinely curious. Those blue eyes... the memories they bring back... when he confessed his love for me in the interview with Ceasar... when we were in the cave in the first Games... those blue eyes had always stayed the same. Never changing.

But I felt a lump in my throat and tears welled up in my eyes. The words that came out of my mouth were barely audible, "Peeta, I'm sorry." Hot wet tears rolled down my cheeks as I released his grip on my hand. I ran out the door, not having a place in mind to go. Only knowing that I had to get away. From Peeta. From those sad blue eyes. They weren't disappointed, just sad, longing.

I scolded myself for the way I reacted. No, that was my decision, but not that way. Breaking his heart, running away.

"Because... because... she came here with me."

"I know what blood poisoning is, Katniss, even if my mother isn't a healer."

"Oh let's see. I guess the first day of school. We were five. You had on a red plaid dress and your hair... it was in two braids instead of one. My father pointed you out when we were waiting to line up. He said, 'See that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner.' And I said, 'A coal miner? Why would she want a coal miner if she could've had you?' And he said, 'Because when he sings... even the birds stop to listen.' So that day, in music assembly, the teacher asked who knew the valley song. Your hand shot right up in the air. She stood you on a stool and had you sing it for us. And I swear, every bird outside the windows fell silent. And right when your song ended, I knew - just like your mother - I was a goner."

Everything he had ever said played in my mind like a broken recorder. The tears stream down my face profusely.

Before I even knew where I was, I found myself boarding a plane to District 2.