As soon as the first light started coming through my east facing window the whole room lit up, causing me to groan and pull the covers over my eyes, it was useless though, there was no going back to sleep. "At least I'll probably be the first up," I thought as I pulled on the jean shorts I wore the day before and grabbed a fresh tank top, I could grab something quick and head outside, my Mom was leaving this afternoon and I'd rather be away as much as possible until she leaves.

I finished braiding my hair as I quietly went down the steps, as I was passing a large fruit bowl I grabbed an apple. My hand was on the door knob of the back door when a voice from behind me made me jump.

"Little early to be sneaking out."

I spun around and Uncle Haymitch was standing in the corner of the kitchen holding a large cup of coffee.

"Just going for a walk."

He gave me a long look, "Do you have money on you?"

"Um, no… I'm just going for a walk."

With a sigh he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet and handed what looked like a few 20 dollar bills, "There's a few little places you can stop at to get something to eat if you get hungry."
I was momentarily dumbfounded, "Um, thanks."

The day was a beautiful one, it would have been even prettier if I had been home. The gate that led to the beach squeaked slightly as I open and closed it. A few people were already milling around the beach, some running or walking, one lady was doing yoga and a small group of guys were preparing to surf. I slipped out of my shoes and walked along the surf, I felt myself relax slightly at the feeling of the water washing over my feet.

I kept my gaze a head of me as I kept walking further and further down the beach. I stopped and grabbed something to drink at a little beach shack after I had been walking for a hour or so. I wasn't ready to return back, not by a long shot, but I didn't want to wander too far so I started walking the other direction. There were several more people on the beach by now, mostly surfers. The houses that lined the beach all started burring together, it's not that they all looked exactly alike but they all had that "beach house" vibe making them look too similar in my eyes. A vague thought of not being able to find Uncle's house again entered my mind but I wasn't too worried about it, if I really did get lost I had the money Uncle gave me and that might even be enough to buy me a bus ticket back home. I had to smirk at the thought of the look on Mom's face if she got a call from Gale's mom saying that I had turned up on their front porch with the excuse that I had "gotten lost" and so I had just gone home.

"Heads up!" A voice called out, breaking me from my thoughts, a Frisbee came spinning right for me. I've never played Frisbee apart from a random gym class round of "Frisbee golf" but I couldn't resist reaching up and catching it. I looked over and saw the group it had come from, one of the guys was jogging over.

"Sorry my friend's aim is totally off," He said to me and lifted his hands waiting for me to toss it back. I didn't trust myself to throw it back (because it'd probably end up in the ocean or through the window of someone's house) so I flicked it vertically back to him where it landed in the sand a yard or so away from where he stood.

I saw the guy I had tossed it to give me a smile, probably amused at my clear lack of Frisbee skills, he had blonde hair that curled at the ends and was long enough for him to have to keep brushing it out of his eyes.

"Want to join?" He asked.

"I don't play." As should be obvious after my throw.

"I can teach you."

I shook my head no and kept walking forward, from the corner of my eye I saw him coming closer to me. I gave a scoff and turned and sent him my (much perfected) "Go Away" look, which he ignored and sent me another smile, he was close enough for me to notice his bright blue eyes. He had the typical "California surfer boy" look to him.

"I've never seen you around here before. New to the area?"

I gave another scoff, trying to show my irritation before answering with a short, "Yep." I picked up my pace a bit but he matched my pace completely undeterred.

"So you just moved here?" He asked.

I didn't answer.

"What school are you going to?"

I just gave a shrug but didn't answer, I honestly didn't know the name of the school that I would be starting at in two weeks at the beginning of fall term, but even if I did know the name I wouldn't have told him.

"I'm Peet," He said after I didn't give him a verbal answer to his last question.

"Hi," I said and continued walking.

I heard him give a good-natured laugh and he was about to say something when Prim appeared a few yards away walking towards me.

"There you are, I've been waiting forever for you to get back," She said once she was closer, she then looked over at the guy next to me with obvious interest and surprise (I've never been one to make new friends).

"Hi, I'm Peet."

Prim gave him a smile, "I'm Prim, Kat's sister."

"Nice to meet you, Prim," Peet said with a wide grin.

"Damnit he knows my name now," I thought angrily.

Then he lifted the Frisbee in his hand up slightly, "I was just trying to get your sister to join our game," Then he motions back in the direction of his friends

Prim raised an eyebrow as she tried to suppress a smile at the thought of me willingly socializing with others. It seemed she was unable to control her self as she said with a small laugh, "I can guess how much luck you were having with that." She gave me a side look, "Don't take it personally, she isn't nice to anyone."

"Come on, Prim," I said and pulled her along with me as I continued to walk.

"It was nice to meet you, Kat," Peet called after me, I felt like he was taunting me with the fact that he knew my name.

"Thanks a lot, Prim," I grumbled.

"What?" She asked, "He seemed nice."

"Yeah, sure, but now he knows my name."

Prim rolled her eyes, "Oh, Kat give it a break already. You'll have to make new friends sometime."

I bit back my retort that "No" I didn't have to make new friends.

"Do you want to go swimming with me. Uncle Haymitch says that we have to be careful of the surfers."

"My suits not unpacked."

"Oh gee and it's absolutely impossible for you to unpack it," Prim said dramatically, "If only there was something we could do."

I rolled my eyes, "I just want to walk."

Prim groaned loudly, "Look at where we are!" She said with clear frustration, "On a beautiful beach, how can you just want to walk around with a scowl on your face… Come on, please. Mom won't let me go without you. I had to stay within sight of the house the whole time I was waiting for you," there's an obvious touch of annoyance in her voice.

"And what is Mom so busy doing that she can't join you."

"Talking with Uncle Haymitch," Prim was quiet for a few moments before saying, "Please."

I looked over at her and she had her lower lip sticking out and was doing her very best to look sad and pathetic.

I finally relented and said, "Fine," with a sigh.

As I followed Prim back to Haymitch's house I gave a discrete glance back in the direction of Peet's friends and saw they appeared to be giving Peet a hard time as he re-joined the group, I saw Peet dramatically bring both hands to his chest and then collapsed spread eagle on the sand, his friends all laughed and one of them pretended to give him a kick in the side. I quickly looked away.

Fifteen minutes later I was being pulled out of the house feeling grossly underdressed, wearing nothing but my swimsuit and my jean shorts. Prim was bounding (yes, bounding) with joy as we neared the water. She dropped our towels on the beach and made a mad dash into the ocean.

I plopped down next to the towels and wrapped my arms around my knees.

Both Prim and I were strong swimmers, we lived right by a large lake and we lived about two and a half hours from the beach and would often spend a day there during the summer months, so we both felt comfortable in the water, my Dad used to joke that I swam before I walked.

Prim talked me into joining her in the water and that was where Mom found both of us when she came out to call us in.

She wanted to take us out for lunch, which I refused but Prim agreed. So they left to go try some diner that Miss. Trinket recommended and I stayed home, feeling happy with my isolation. After showering I went down and fumbled around in the kitchen, looking for something to eat, finding only leftovers from last night and something that was probably leftovers from the night before, settling for some of last nights meal. I settled myself on the balcony with a book, when I heard them return, I slouched low in the lounge chair, hoping that they wouldn't see me and perhaps assume that I was out walking around again, but I heard Mom step out and close the door behind her.

"I'm going to be leaving, Katniss," She said.

"Bye," I said, trying to put as much venom behind my voice as possible.

"I'll call. I gave Miss. Trinket the number I can be reached at."

I continued to stare at the words on the page in front of me, not really reading anymore.

"Please be nice to Prim. Don't blame her."

I slammed my book shut and looked over at her, "Oh, don't worry. I fully blame you."

"Katniss be fair-" Mom started but I cut her off.

"Go, Mom. Just go," I snapped and stood up and walked in and hurried down the stairs and practically ran out the back door. I didn't want to deal with my Mom anymore, who was she to tell me to be fair!

It was several minutes before I realized that I hadn't brought shoes with me and that my book was still clutched in my hand.

I took a seat on the white retaining wall that separated the beach from a parking lot and that was where I waited, waiting for enough time to be sure that Mom would be gone when I got back.

I made my way back, guessing that a few hours had passed, before I went back inside I checked the driveway and found that Mom's car was no longer parked in the driveway. She was gone. She was really gone.

I shook my head and cursed myself as I felt my throat tighten and a few tears threatened to escape me, this was stupid, I knew she was going to be leaving.

I steeled my expression, hiding away any feeling of abandonment, before I walked inside.

Prim was sitting in the living room talking to Miss. Trinket.

"Oh, Katniss dear," Miss. Trinket said, "I was just suggesting to Primrose that I give you a small tour around town."

I agreed to tag along and the next hour was listen to Miss. Trinket rattle on as she pointed out various hair salons or the best place to get your nails done. She also pointed out little boutique shops and the mall. Then drove past and pointed out the schools we would be attending, the high school was only four blocks away from the elementary school.

"The school schedules are posted on the fridge, the first day is two weeks from Monday," She glanced back at me, "I believe that your orientation is next week."

She started saying how Uncle Haymitch already had accounts for both of us for when we wanted to go school shopping, she sounded positively gleeful that she would get to help us go shopping.

"I imagine that you'll want to wait until after orientation to get supplies and such, but whenever you want to go clothes shopping just let me know… Or if you want to go into LA we could make a day of it." She sounded positively giddy at the thought.

I kept my gaze out the window. I. Could. Not. Believe. My. Life.