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"We have every class together," Peeta says. "Except math. You have Anderson, I have Mathis."

I nod. "What's next?"

"US History with Mrs. Jenkins," he says. "That's my favorite class. Other than study hall or gym."

I smile. "Anyway, in history, there's never really any group projects. But Mrs. Jenkins doesn't give a seating chart, so you can sit with me."

I nod. "Okay."

Our history class passes quickly and he shows me my math class. "I'll meet you after. We have study hall next."

After math, he meets me at my classroom door and shows me the study hall class. He sits in the back corner and I sit with him. "Want to do the science homework?"

I shrug. "Okay."

He pulls it out and we start the homework. "So, tell me about your sister," Peeta says. "How old is she?"

"Twelve," I say.

"Really?" he glances up from the worksheet. "How's she doing?"

"How's she doing?" I ask.

"I was twelve when my mom died," he says. "I know how it feels. If you ever want me to, like, talk to her or something, I'd be happy to."

"No, thanks," I snap.

He looks at me out of the corner of his eye. "I didn't mean to make you mad."

"I can talk to my sister if she needs someone to talk to," I say.

"I mean, I guess," Peeta shrugs.

"What do you mean, you guess?" I ask.

"My oldest brother Jake was sixteen when our mom died," he says. "I was always really jealous of him because he got four more years with our mother than I did. I never wanted to talk to him about it."

I turn away from him and stare at the chalkboard. "Really?"

He shrugs. "I mean, it seems silly to me now, but I still haven't talked about my mom with him to this day."

I nod. "Thanks for telling me that."

"No problem," he says, putting the worksheet away. "We have lunch next. You're welcome to sit with me and my friends."

"No, that's okay," I say.

"I insist," Peeta says. "My friends are cool, I promise."

"Are they the people I saw on the beach with you yesterday?" I ask.

He nods. "About that," he says. "Why'd you walk away after I nodded at you?"

I shrug. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not really a nice person."

He laughs. "That's not true."

"You don't know anything about me," I say.

"I'd like for that to change," he says. I look at him for a few seconds before turning away. "Look, Katniss. I feel like you've never had a best friend before. Everyone deserves a best friend. I'll be yours."

I laugh. "Don't you already have a best friend?"

He shrugs. "I have a group of friends. But Cato has Clove and Marvel has Glimmer and Thresh and his brother are super close. I mean, you can be my best friend."

"That's ridiculous, Peeta."

He shrugs. "I don't think so. I mean, I like you. You're my friend. I assume you like me. I'm your friend. I think."

I laugh. "You're my friend."

"Fine," he says. "It's Friday. Friends go and hang out at the pier on Friday."

"My uncle wanted to take us to the pier yesterday," I say.

"Come with me tonight," he says. "I'll show you around."

"Fine," I say.

AEAEAEAEAEAE

"You're going where with who?" Haymitch asks that night when I walk into the kitchen.

"I'm going to the pier with my friend," I say.

"Who's your friend?" Haymitch asks.

"Peeta."

"Peeta who?"

"Peeta Mellark," I say.

"Mellark?" Haymitch asks incredulously. "As in, Peeta Mellark, the star quarterback and star forward of the Wildwood High's football and basketball teams?"

"What?" I ask.

"Oh, yeah," Haymitch says. "Peeta's one hell of an athlete."

"I didn't know that," I say.

Haymitch shrugs. "I know this is when I'm supposed to tell you to be home by a certain time, but I don't really care. You're almost seventeen, you're a good kid, Peeta's a good kid. Just don't wake me or your sister up when you come in, okay?"

I nod. I walk to Prim's bedroom to say goodbye. She's sitting on her bed reading a book. "Hey, Prim, I'm leaving."

She waves and doesn't even look up. I frown but I walk to the front door and meet Peeta at the gates to the pier, like we agreed. He's waiting for me, wearing khaki cargo shorts and wearing a Rutgers University shirt. He waves to me.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," I reply.

"I bought tickets for the Mariner's pier," Peeta says. "That's where most of the shopping and restaurants are. I was going to get the adventure park and water park, but I don't think we have enough time to do everything."

"Was it expensive?" I ask. "I have money."

"Stop," Peeta says. "This is my 'welcome to Wildwood' present."

I laugh. "Okay."

We walk inside and he watches me as I look around. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah," I say. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"I've been coming here for as long as I can remember," Peeta says. "We have a membership to the parks and stuff. Speaking of the parks, we should go to them tomorrow."

"The parks?"

He nods. "They're so much fun. Want to?"

"Sure," I say.

He grins and points to a restaurant. "That's the best place on the pier. If you like burgers and fries."

"That's my favorite meal," I say.

"Mine too," he smiles. "Let's go."

AEAEAEAEAEAE

"That dog stuffed animal is adorable," I say as we walk past a game after dinner. He paid for the meal.

"Yeah?" he says. He pulls out his wallet, pulls out a dollar, and sets it on the table in front of the game. He grabs the football and aims for the hole. It sails right through it, all three times.

"What prize do you want?" the worker asks.

"The dog," Peeta says. The worker gives him the stuffed animal and Peeta hands it to me. "Welcome to Wildwood."

I laugh. "That's the eighth Welcome to Wildwood present you've given me today."

"Well, you deserve a nice welcome," Peeta says. We hold eye contact for a few more seconds and then I turn away. "My curfew's midnight, so we should probably head out."

"Okay," I say.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at, say, ten?" Peeta says. "We'll do the parks."

I nod. "Okay."

AEAEAEAEAEAE

"The kid won you a stuffed animal?" Haymitch asks the next morning.

I shrug. "I said I thought it was cute."

"You don't see anything weird in that?" Haymitch asks. "Prim, help me out here."

"Boyfriend's win girlfriend's stuffed animals, Katniss," Prim says. "Is Peeta your boyfriend?"

"What?" I cry. "No!"

"Sounds like it to me," Prim says. Then I hear a knock on the door. I go open it and it's Peeta.

"Good morning," he says.

"Hey," I say. "Bye, guys!" Haymitch and Prim wave and I walk out the door.

Peeta and I walk down my drive and toward the beach. "How are you?"

"Fine," I say.

He turns to me. "What's wrong, Katniss?"

I stop walking. "Why'd you buy me a stuffed animal?"

He furrows his eyebrows. "You said you thought it was cute. It was a nice thing to do, I thought."

"Prim says that's what boyfriends and girlfriends do," I say. "We're not boyfriend and girlfriend. I barely know you."

Peeta sighs. "I know, Katniss."

"And I saw a hell of a lot of couples at the pier last night," I say. "Is that what boyfriends and girlfriends do, too? Do they go to the parks on Saturdays, too?"

"Katniss –"

"You don't know anything about me," I say. "Why are you so interested in me?"

Peeta puts his hands on the small of my back, pulls me against him, and plants his lips on mine.

And I kiss him back.