"What do you mean you sprained your ankle?!" I hold the phone a little farther from my ear as my director, Johanna, screams into the phone. She can be pretty great if she likes you, but when you piss her off man... Let's just say I'm glad I'm not telling her face to face.
"Yeah, the people I'm with treated it, but she said I won't be able to put too much weight on it for a week or two. It's just a sprain, I didn't break it at least." Thank God.
She groans "Well Peeta, I guess we'll make due without you for now. We'll just go ahead and get Finnicks scenes done till we get you back. Don't forget we're on a schedule. You call me the moment you're in town. And I'll send someone to get you. Hopefully this storm blows over in an hour. You never really know with the mountains unfortunately."
I nod into the phone while she speaks. Just as Mrs. Everdeen finished wrapping my ankle, little rain drops started falling. Making me laugh and again thanking God for letting me trip under the tree Katniss was perched in. "Yeah of course Johanna, I'll see you soon." I hear a click on the other end, and put the phone back on it's perch on the wall. I huff out a sigh of relief and lean my head against the wall. I'm sitting in the living room of the home. I look up to the high arched ceiling and study the rafters. The balcony of the second floor is off the the left side and looks out over the open room. I haven't really seen this style of home before. But all the windows are south facing, and leaving the living room completely open makes sense. I sigh and am just about to get up and find Katniss when Prim, the little bouncy thing, pops up in front of me and almost knocks me backwards off my chair.
"I knew it!" She cries, her eyes are sparkling and she's a little too close for comfort. "You're the Peeta Mellark! The movie star right?!" She's got this big grin on her face, and I can't help but smile. At least she hasn't professed her undying love for me, or started to cry.
"Yeah that's me." I say with a weak smile, but I'm not really one for boasting about myself. It makes me uncomfortable. She just continues to bounce around on her toes, and chatter non-stop about her favourite movies that I was in.
"I told you Katniss!" she suddenly calls to the high arched ceiling. Prim points, and I spot Katniss. Perched in the corner of the loft laying on her back in the rafters. She's got a book on her chest, and even from here I can tell she's not impressed with Prim. And shoots her a sour look. "She's just in a bad mood because it's raining." Prim giggles, "she can't hide outside when it rains. Come on Peeta. Let's get some food, I'm starving."
I just smile and nod while she leads me to the fridge, chattering non stop the entire time. She tells me to sit down while she runs around gathering things to make a snack. It's amazing she can talk so much and not run out of breath.
"So uhh, when do you expect your dad to be home?" I throw in when she breaks her speech to taste test whatever concoction she's making. Her eyes widen a bit, and she just smiles a little.
"Haymitch isn't my dad." she states as she shakes her head. I kind of give her a confused look and am about to open my mouth when she continues, "Katniss just says that when she's talking about him to people we don't really know. Keeps people from asking to many questions, she says. But I like you, so I'll tell you Peeta." She smiles, and sets a mix of cheese, crackers and some sort of dip in front of me. It's a homemade dip that smells of dill. I take a cracker and try it eagerly, realizing how hungry I really am. She just smiles as she takes a bite. "Haymitch will be back when the rain stops hopefully. He owns the mine in town actually. So he goes in every week to meet with the managers and stuff. I don't really know too much about it really. But he won't fly back up in the storm, too dangerous. So whenever the rain stops and stays clear for a few hours, that's when he'll be back." She shrugs and takes another bite.
I just nod and look out the window to see a crack of lightning in the distance. It won't be for a while then. I'm too absorbed in watching the rain that I don't see Katniss creep up behind me and steal the piece of cheese I was reaching for. She just smiles and hops up on the counter. She gives me a hard look before taking some of the dip and kissing Prim on top of her head. "Delicious as usual little Duck." Prim giggles and gives a little quack. I can't help but smile them. And whenever Katniss smiles at Prim I can't help but smile too.
Katniss turns back to me. The soft look she had on her face when she looked at Prim has completely disappeared. And I immediately feel like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Listen Peeta. You're our guest and we'll treat you as such." she says, popping another cracker into her mouth. "But." She gives me a pointed look. "Mind your own damn business." She steals another piece of cheese and struts out of the kitchen just as quickly as she appeared. I can't help but glance at her butt when she walks out though. She stops, throws a menacing glace over her shoulder and shoots daggers at me. "And if I catch you staring at my ass again, you will wish that you never stepped foot into this house." And with that shes gone.
Prim giggles as I try to stutter out a response and my face turns to flames. "Don't worry," Prim gets out. "She won't actually hurt you. She just doesn't like people checking her out. She gets all embarrassed."
Prim gets a confused stare from me. And she just smirks. Like her sister, her eyes tell of an older soul then her 13 year old frame. But her eyes are blue, like the glacial lakes I'd seen when I came north to film.
"I know she said not to pry. But she thinks someone knowing her eye colour is too personal. But obviously I'm going to be a good host, and answer your questions." she smirks and her eyes are mischievous. I just smirk. This girls smart. And she's good at playing what she's dealt with. I don't want to play poker with her. Ever.
I gather my thoughts and let out an exasperated breath. Trying to think of a simple question. I just let out a chuckle and say simply "Bee?"
Her eyes widen. "You got to see Bee today? I haven't seen him since last summer. Lucky!"
She puts her chins to her hands and smiles. "My daddy was a wildlife researcher and photographer. Mom said he was half wild himself, and belong in the woods." she starts, pointing to a photo of a bear cub clinging to a tree, and getting a far away look on her face.
"One day, he was trailing a lynx and trying to find a good spot to set up a photo hut. And he hears this sound, and he finds this bear cub. Trying to get to this hive. And my dad panics. Because sure enough. Mama is probably just around the corner." She smirks, and tries to looks scary. Her face getting very animated as she speaks. "So he starts back tracking. And finds a different track, and sure enough. He finds mama bear. With a tag in her ear, and being hauled loaded into a truck." she frowns. "I mean there's nothing he could do about it. It was open season, and the hunters we're being completely legal about it. It wasn't poaching or anything. But still." She shrugs. "I mean, we like deer and rabbit. But trophy hunting is stupid. Katniss says it's a waste of good meat."
"So he calls up a friend who runs a rescue station outside of town, and tells him about this bear cub, and asks him what to do. So Mr. Hawthorne agrees to come and grab the cub so he could get cared for, and be re-released when he was old enough, right?" she grabs a cracker and pops into her mouth, mulling over the rest of the story. "So Dad calls Mom, and tells her what's going on, and to bring something big to catch the cub. And he goes to make sure the cub stays treed so he doesn't wander off."
"I was 8 at the time, Prim was only 3" Katniss voice comes from behind me. She's leaning against the wall. Looks like she didn't make it very far away. She can't seem to stop eavesdropping on us. I don't mention this though.
"Mom has to take us with her, because we're still pretty little." she says. A small smile on her lips. "We get to this tree, and we see this bear cub. And dad pours honey all over the instead of barrel we found. We walk away and we wait. And sure enough the little guy slides down the tree and into the barrel to get all the honey. We throw a lid over top of the barrel and catch him. Dad carries it down the trail, the poor guy is wailing the entire time. When we got to the truck, we eased the barrel onto it's side, and Mom and I got to sit in the box and hold on to the barrel, while dad takes us back to town to wait for Mr. Hawthorne to come get him." She puts her hands out in front of her, as if the barrel is right there. "I can hear him crying, and it was making Prim sad," she smiles at Prim. Who just quacks back. "so I started talking to him, and he calmed down and stopped crying while we drove to town. When Mr. Hawthorne got to town to get him. They found out I let him out, and was sleeping with him behind the fence. He was my buddy. So I got to name him. And I picked Honey Bee. Bee for short." she smirks quickly, realizes she's telling me her story, and it's gone as quick as it came. "now you know. That's my bear."
"You lied Katniss." Prim scolds. "She sang to the him. She would always sing to him whenever we went to go visit. And when he got old enough the released him back onto this mountain." Prim smirks as Katniss face goes an adorable crimson and scowls.
I can't help but smile. As cold as she put herself to be, I grin as I imagine an 8 year old Katniss curled up with a little bear cub for a nap. I put my chin to my hands and gaze at her. "That's a really cute story. I'm glad I wasn't his lunch." Prim giggles, while Katniss fronts a sarcastic smile, and a fake laugh. Her cheeks flood again though. Just like Prim said. Easily embarrassed. Adorable.
"Only an idiot runs from a bear." She scowls at me again, and gives me a hard stare. I try not to be enchanted. "Learn your shit if you're going to be out here dumb ass."
"Language Katniss please." As Mrs. Everdeen turns the corner. Frowning at her daughter. "And be polite. Just because he has to stay with us a while doesn't mean he's going to bite. And I'm sure that you'll be able to teach him about how to properly approach bears hmm?" She smiles, and the colour drains from Katniss's face. "Who better a teacher if he's going to 'learn his shit'" she smiles as she uses air quotes. I turn and smile at Katniss. She looks at me and scoffs. Fleeing the room again.
Prim and her mother share a look and sigh. I grin and wink at Prim, which sends her into a fit of giggles. I won't burst their bubble and tell them that I actually do bite.
I just want to thank everyone that has taken the time to read my first Fanfic! It's also the first time I've done any creative writing since high school! Any and all reviews are welcome. Sorry if I don't respond. Still trying to figure everything out.
I also apologize for the lack of updates. Between work and life in general, I don't have much time to write. And when I do, I seem to suffer chronic writes block. I have lots of things stewing in my mind for this little fic, and I'm excited to share it!
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