Peeta POV
I've been sitting here for an hour. Apparently I wasn't the only one arrested but this other person is taking so much longer in the interview room than I did. How am I going to tell my mom? I am going to get the shit beaten out of me when I get home.
After sitting in an interview room by myself for an hour and a half an officer walks in with the other person that was arrested. He's talking to them but I can't hear what he's saying. He comes in and sits down in front of me. I turn my head to see Katniss sit down in the chair next to me. She was the other person that was arrested?
"My name is Officer Abernathy. You can call me Haymitch. I've done what I can for both of you and you've got community service for six weeks. I fought especially hard for you Miss Everdeen, considering it's your second arrest in three months. You're lucky I like you. Your community service will commence in one week today. Monday to Saturday. Your school has already assigned your guide the homework you need to complete. I've spoken to her already. Her name is Effie Trinket. You are expected to be at the town hall at 8am next Saturday. Tardiness will be punished. I will be there myself on the first day to make sure that you fit in okay. You will also be expected to come see me once a week."
I look over to Katniss and see her staring at the floor. I don't know if she's going to say anything so I reply for us both. "Thank you Haymitch" I say to him. He gives us his card as he walks out.
"Call me if you have any trouble" he says as he shuts the door. I've just been put on community service for six weeks and all I can think about is that fact that I'm in a room alone with Katniss.
"Do you want me to walk you home?" I ask her. She just looks at me. She doesn't say anything before she gets out of her chair and walks out the door. "I'll take that as a no" I say even though no one's around. I hesitate before I get up. I really don't want to go home.
The next week goes by pretty fast. I got a lot of people looking at me since I have a black eye. I would too. Gets arrested on a Saturday night and comes to school on the following Monday with a black eye.
Before I know it, I'm standing on the town hall stairs at 7:45. Effie is already here. She came and spoke to me about our plan for the coming week. She said that we'll be out in the woods collecting trash for three weeks. She also said that Katniss and I are to remain together at all times. I think I'll enjoy this community service thing.
I see Katniss walk up to Effie and me. She's got jeans and a black T-shirt on. Her hair is done up in its usual braid. She looks amazing. I like her better like this. Not with all the makeup and pretty dresses. Effie informs Katniss about what we'll be doing and then we're taken to the edge of the woods to start.
"I'll be waiting here at 5 o'clock. Don't be late" Effie tells us.
Katniss POV
Great. Last time I was doing community service I only had two weeks of it. And Gale was with me so it wasn't so bad. They don't actually check to see if you've picked any trash up so I'd rather spend this time hunting.
I take Peeta into the woods with me. Lucky for him I know my way around in here pretty well. I take him straight to the lake that my father used to take me to. I show him the little shack that sits just on the edge and tell him to do whatever.
"I'll be back in about an hour. Do whatever you want. But if you could start a fire that would be awesome." It's not cold but he starts the fire anyway. I don't think he knows I'm bringing him back some lunch that we need to cook. We share a rabbit in silence.
The next week is a blur. Hunting every day. My family is pretty well fed though. Peeta started bringing painting supplies with him slowly so that Effie wouldn't notice. He spends his days painting the beautiful scenery. I didn't know he could paint. We still don't talk much. We spend the days apart and have mostly silent lunches. His birthday was a few days ago. That's literally everything I know about him. I think it's time we change that. We'll be spending all of our time together anyway for the next 5 weeks. I still see Gale on Sundays.
As I walk up to the shack with a beaver in my hand, I see that Peeta has painted the trees. You can see birds flying through the branches of a willow tree and the wind pushing leaves to the floor. It's amazing how he does that.
"I have lunch" I say to him. He looks at me with a smile on his face. We cook the beaver and start eating. "So, we'll be spending the next 5 weeks together, we may as well get to know each other" I say. He seems relieved that I've said this.
"Good idea." He says to me. "What's your favourite colour?" he asks. I'm surprised by the fact that he asked such a simple question.
"Green" I tell him. "What's yours?"
"Orange" he says. "Not bright orange, more muted, like a sunset."
We spend the next two weeks getting to know each other. He's actually one of the nicest people I've ever met. I guess now I know why everyone likes him so much. I don't know why he doesn't have a girlfriend. I thought he was with Delly until he corrected me. When he told me, I was surprised to find myself happy about it.
Peeta POV
I'm finally getting to know Katniss. This was great for me. I've spent practically all of my community service time painting. That has to stop now though. Effie has given us so much homework to do. At least Katniss and I work on it together. She's so smart. Everything about her amazes me. The more I've gotten to know her, the more I think I'm in love with her. I have to tell her. But I'm scared I'll ruin the friendship we've just made.
As Katniss and I are walking down to the lake I start to feel water droplets fall. Great. We start jogging down to the lake to avoid being caught in the worst of it. We manage to get there just before it starts pissing down.
"I guess I'm not hunting today then" Katniss says with a laugh as she looks out the window.
This is our last day in the woods. From now on Effie said we'll be working with other people. I don't want to work with other people. I like being with Katniss. I love watching her soft golden brown hair slowly fall out of its braid throughout the day. I love looking at her body. Her waist is smaller than her hips by a few inches and her legs are long and lean. But most of all I love seeing her face when she laughs. I'd never seen her laugh until about 2 weeks ago. She doesn't laugh at school.
The shack is one room. It has a door, a window and a fire place. Katniss told me her dad used to take her here when she was younger. As much as I'd hate to admit it, today is the perfect day to tell Katniss how I feel.
"Do you want to play a game?" she asks me with a cheeky smile. I look at her questioningly. "Truth or dare" she says to me. I can't see any harm in it I guess. This will give me more time to work up the courage to tell her I'm in love with her. We lie down on our backs with our heads half a meter apart. We pretty much just play truth the whole time. Neither of us ever chose dare. It was fun, until she asked me who I liked.
"What?" I said to her. Shit, how was I meant to answer that? I was not ready for this.
"Answer the question" she said to me.
"I can't" I say to her. She is going to hate me.
"C'mon"
"No!" she's just looking at me. I have no idea what I'm meant to say. "I can't tell you."
"I bet it's….." she stops for a minute to think. "Foxface" she says finally with a grin on her face.
"You mean Elysia?"
"Oh my god, you know her name! You love her!" Katniss sits up on her elbows and throws a twig at me.
"No I don't" I say to her calmly.
"You so do! Don't worry lover boy, I won't tell her."
I don't like the way she said her. As if she's going to tell everyone but her. Oh boy. I can't tell her that I love her now. She'll think I'm lying.
Katniss POV
"It's nearly 5" he says to me. We gather our things and head back to where we meet Effie. It's not Peeta's fault but I can't help feel disappointed that he likes Elysia. I mean, she's a nice girl and she's super smart, but, I can't help being jealous. I never had a crush on Peeta. In fact I've never had a crush on anyone really. But I've always felt a connection with him. He saved not just my life, but my family's life too. After we're dismissed Peeta asks me "Do you want me to walk you home?" it's the same question he asked me when we were arrested. I just smile and nod.
We walk to my house, which isn't that far away and when we get there I ask him, "Do you want to come in? Prim is out with Rory and mom is probably asleep" he nods. I take him up to my room and close the door. "Do you want something dry to put on? I have some of Gale's clothes here I think"
"Sure" he says as he walks around my room.
I walk to my wardrobe and pull out a dry pair of shorts and a T-shirt for myself and a dry pair of jeans for Peeta. "I can't find a shirt." I say to him acting disappointed, but in reality I'm happy Gale hasn't left a shirt here. I get to see Peeta shirtless.
"That's okay" he says. I go to my bathroom to get changed into my dry clothes. When I walk back into my bedroom I see that Peeta has already changed. His back is facing me and I can't help but look at his muscles. As he turns around I see his well-defined abs come into view. I honestly can't believe that I have a shirtless Peeta in my bedroom.
