A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm really happy with the response to this story! Here's chapter two for y'all! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.

Chapter Two: What is there to lose?

"Peeta!"

Peeta paused as he looked around for the source of the voice. It was the end of the school day and his mother was parked just a couple of yards down from the school. He knew better than to keep her waiting but also didn't want to ignore whoever was calling him. When he turned around, he was greeted by the sight of Katniss pushing through groups of students to get to him.

"Hey!" she said as she reached him. "I thought I'd lost ya!"

"I didn't even know you were looking . . ." Peeta trailed off and frowned. Why was she so concerned about finding him anyway?

"Since you're like, the only friend I've made, of course I'm going to try and find you," Katniss stated as if obvious. "I was wondering if you had any other of those books written by the english dude I could borrow."

"What? Shakespeare?" Peeta frowned. Katniss nodded, flicking her braid behind her shoulder and planting her hands on her hips.

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "The english teacher, Miss. Trinket, has told me to get some sort of book to read to do a report on for Monday. I mean, can you believe it?! First day and I've already gotten an assignment! I probably won't do it anyway but I might as well show that I've made an effort . . ." She paused, gazing over his shoulder.

Peeta looked behind himself and rolled his eyes at the popular bunch that stood by the gates, a couple of them staring at him in distaste. Most people called them the Careers because only the select few got into the group. One of them was Glimmer Sparkles, captain of the cheerleading squad. The girl had transferred from District 1 and had taken an immediate disliking to Peeta just because he didn't want to go on a date with her when she asked. Sometimes he wondered if that would have been his gateway into having friends, even though if that was the case he still probably wouldn't have taken the oppurtunity. Cato, the captain of the football team, leaned into the girl's ear and whispered something obviously amusing. Glimmer's face broke into a wide grin and she laughed, turning her back on Peeta.

He was relieved.

"What's that all about?" Katniss asked, a frown furrowed on her face.

Peeta rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Ah, nothing. Sure, I'll bring in one of those books for you tomorrow. I think I'll . . . uh . . . go out the back way . . ." He turned on his heel and went to head around the back of the building when Katniss grabbed his arm.

"Hold on," she said. Peeta stopped and watched as the girl dropped her bag onto the ground and rummaged inside. "I'm sure I left them in here somewhere . . ."

Peeta studied Katniss' profile carefully as she dug inside her bag for something. He wondered if he'd be able to capture it when he was back home and sitting infront of a blank canvas.

"Ah-ha!" Katniss grinned, pulling a clear plastic packet full of smaller coloured packets inside. She produced a water bottle out of her bag as well.

"What are they?" Peeta asked cautiously as Katniss ripped the bag open with her teeth and grabbed a blue packet, filling it with the water from her bottle.

"Water balloons," Katniss replied.

"Uh . . . and what are you planning to do with them?"

"Chuck 'em at the assholes over there," she replied flippantly. She'd now filled and tied off five different coloured balloons.

"Who? The Careers? You can't throw water balloons at the Careers!" Peeta exclaimed. Was this girl suicidal? Katniss just scoffed.

"Why not?" she replied, standing up and throwing one into the air and catching it again.

"Because they're the careers, you just can't!"

Katniss raised her eyebrows, turned and fired the first water balloon in the direction of the careers. It landed and burst by their feet, sending a spray of water everywhere. She picked up another and chucked it as well, this one flying in a wide arc and landing right on Glimmer's head. The girl shrieked as water exploded over her. Peeta could only stand by and watch as Katniss threw the rest at them, each one hitting at least one member of the four careers. It was hilarious watching them get soaked and he fought back a smile as Glimmer dove into freak out mode about her hair.

The smile dissolved as Cato locked eyes with him and Katniss. The water balloon firing girl continued to laugh, grabbing Peeta's hand and dragging him round the back before Cato could come after them.

"Oh my god, that was hilarious!" she cackled. "Did you see that blonde girl? 'My hair! My hair!' Priceless!"

"Uh . . . but, you know, you could get in trouble for doing that," Peeta replied nervously, glancing around the school wall to where the Careers were angrily yelling at each other, dripping wet. "I mean, water balloons are against the rules and all that . . ."

Katniss studied him carefully for a moment with a frown. "Are you a goodie goodie as well as a loser?" she asked.

Peeta's heart sank. "Kinda. Yeah."

The brunette grinned. "Even better," she said. "I love goodie goodies. You're all so innocent. So much more fun to play with." She smiled brightly and popped her head around the wall to look at the careers again.

"Play . . . with?"

"Shit," Katniss cursed. "Mr. Abernathy's coming . . ." She whirled around on her heels to face him again. "Meet me at the Seam later?"

"Uh . . . I can't," Peeta said. "My mother doesn't let me . . . out . . ."

Katniss pursed her lips, looking thoughtful. "You got a bedroom window?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then use it. Eight o'clock. Be there P-Peeta," Katniss grinned.

Their form teacher appeared a millisecond later with an angry frown on his face. "Miss. Everdeen, Mr. Mellark, sources tell me that you've brought an arsenal into school," he said.

"Oh yeah," Katniss replied. "We've got some pipe bombs in our backpacks and a machine gun in the truck." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "We're planning on blowing up the school." Mr. Abernathy's frown deepened, not sure whether she's telling the truth or not.

"That's not exactly what was reported," he said.

"Oh, you're talking about the balloons, aren't you? Whoops, my bad," Katniss said. She nudged Peeta. "Looks like that's our plan up in smokes, eh?"

"Quit with the sarcasm Everdeen. Get out of here, both of you. Different directions. Go," Mr. Abernathy ordered. Katniss winked at Peeta before turning and walking in one direction. Peeta turned and went to walk in the oppisote directon when Mr. Abernathy grabbed his arm. "You be careful kid. That girl's not good for you. You're a good kid Mellark. Don't let her posion you."

"I w-won't," Peeta replied. Mr. Abernathy smiled and patted his back.

"Good," he said.

Peeta suddenly remembered about his mother waiting on him and he internally cursed, running out of the school grounds and skidding to a stop on the pavement, looking for where his mother was parked. When he spotted the car, he wasn't fond of the look on the driver's face.

"What happened you?!" his mother demanded as he climbed into the car.

"Um, Mr. Abernathy held me back to talk about the assignment I missed last week when I was sick," Peeta lied. He hadn't really ever lied before and he hadn't thought it'd be this easy.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you stay off," Mrs. Mellark muttered. "I'm too good to you."

"I know mom," Peeta sighed. "I know."

~xXx~

Half seven. It was half seven.

Peeta sat cross legged on his bed, staring at his bedroom window. Should he sneak out and meet her? What if his mother discovered he'd gone? She'd kill him. Not just kill him, probably kill him and put his head on a spike.

But Katniss was the only person who'd ever shown any interest of becoming his friend. His thoughts were consumed with her ever since he got home from school. The image of her mysterious grey eyes were burned into his mind. So much so that he had to sit down and sketch them out into his sketchpad before he did anything else when he arrived home. It unnerved him how this girl could get under his skin so fast and root herself there.

Did it matter though? Peeta couldn't remember the last time someone actually took an interest in being his friend. Even if there was a part of him that didn't understand how she could possibly want to hang out with him. In the Seam of all places. Katniss was cool, loud, brave and beautiful while he was boring, quiet, cowardly and average. They were polar oppisotes. Katniss seemed to fit the Careers more than anything.

Peeta got off his bed and fiddled with the lock on the window, pushing it open and peering outside. Apart from losing his head if his mother ever found out, what else had he to lose?

A/N: Let me know what you think! :)