I hope you enjoy chapter three and thanks for the 13 reviews! I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES! Feel free to review, favorite, and follow!

What are We?

The weeks after the football game, follow in the usual way. Madge and I continue to stay under the radar, and Peeta continues to be the rising star. He did get in trouble for vandalism again, but Coach Abernathy talked with the sheriff's department, and they let him go for the team. Peeta still says hi from time to time, but not as much. He's constantly swept away by the team or his friends, and he only really talks to me at the end of a game or when I walk home. Still, he watches me like a hawk every day. It's like he's protecting me, just in case something happens again.

I go to all the football games in the three weeks time, and so far Panem High is undefeated. The star Quarterback never fails to throw a great pass or run the few yards to make a touchdown, and I'm always there to cheer him on. I always wave to him when he looks at me or give him shy smiles. At the end of the game, Peeta always comes to talk to me about anything. Sometimes we get caught up talking about the most random things, that I forget that we are at the football game, and that the whole stadium already cleared out.

I visit my father one day, using the ring, to get back up to heaven so that I could talk to him. Sometimes I just miss his presence and I want someone who hears me and understands me. I just met him, and I want to know that I'm not alone, and that he knows the troubles I face. I walk to the field and through some of the trees, where I first met I father on my birthday. It's also secluded so no one can see me go from the physical world to heaven. I take a deep breath and look at the ring. I take it off and hold it in my hand. The little stone on the ring hits the sun and creates a little spark, and all of a sudden, a cloud comes to greet me. I step on the cloud and place the ring back on my finger.

The cloud takes me up to heaven, and my clothes change almost immediately. "Micah?" I call out. "Micah?"

"Now who's calling my name?" Micah says teasingly and comes out. I clumsily run to him, as best as I can in my dress, and hug him. "What's the matter baby girl?"

"I just want to talk to you," I tell him. He smells like rosemary and lavender. "I feel lonely down there because no one understands the pressure that's on me. Sometimes I just need a break, so I come here to get a hug and to relax." I hold onto his strong frame and he hugs me back. His presence envelops me like a thick blanket, and I immediately relax in the environment around me.

"I think that you are doing just fine," Micah says. "The boy cares a lot about you, and it would be good to get him to start becoming a better person." I release from his hug, and plop ungracefully onto the soft cloud.

"It's just…" I start to say and trail off. "Sometimes I feel like my brain says that I should be doing one thing, and my heart is telling me to do the exact opposite. Like, my mind tells me to tell him that I'm an angel, but then he'll leave me, and my heart tells me to reveal myself later." I know I already discussed this with my mom, but I want to get an angel's point of view. My father knows what I'm feeling, and must have gone through something similar before too.

"Did I ever tell you about my journey becoming an angel?" he asks. I shake my head no and he sits across from me. "Well, I was as a fully fledged angel. Micah, meaning the angel of miracles." I nod my head in agreement and he pops out some Katniss flowers and puts them in my hair. "Well, I was born here, but I had the power to become human to witness the miracles that I helped create. I watched ill people get better, poor people become rich, and disasters becoming life savers." I smile at the thought. I would love to watch people become immensely happy because of the miracles that my dad helps create.

"So like when Madge's mom almost died from her throat cancer, but the tumor removals worked?" I ask and he smiled. He placed the last katniss flower in my hair.

"Exactly," Micah says. "Well anyways, I was just roaming around a small town, finished with an assignment of saving a grandmother, when I see this beautiful young lady walking on a small path to her house. She was the most beautiful creature in the world, even more beautiful than some of the angels back in heaven." I already know where this is going.

"It's mom right?" I ask and he laughs.

"You know, I think that you're too smart for these stories Kat," he says between breaths. "But yes, it was your mother. I watched her for a long time, and came up with a plan to finally meet her. So I pretended to be walking on the path, but I started to sing. All angels are born with a voice of their own, so I tried to use mine in my benefit. Before I knew it, I was in love with your mother."

I smile at the thought of my mother falling for Micah fast. I could see it happening in my mind. Micah is handsome, as my mom would say, and the voice just completed the package."It was a little before we saw each other for a year, when your mom came running to me. Noelle was hysterical. She was crying and hyperventilating. So I asked her what was wrong, and she told me that her parents disowned her. I asked her why, and that's when I found out about you for the first time."

"Wait so Grandma and Grandpa disowned Mom?" I asked. I never knew that part of the story.

"They did at first, but when they saw you, they forgave your mother," Micah said. "They loved you ever since you were born. So when I found out, I told her not to worry and that she would be safe with me. Noelle already knew that I was an angel and trusted me with all her heart. We lived in a small secluded house, where no one could find us or take you away from me. God knew that you were an angel and he also knew that you were special. I was so thankful the day you were born, because you were my little miracle. I never loved anything so much until I saw you."

"If you loved me so much," I start to say. "Then why did you leave? Mom needed you and you left her. You left us." I felt the anguish that my mom was talking about.

"It's complicated," Micah says. I can tell he doesn't want to talk about it, but I came here for answers.

"I have time," I reply and he gives in. We all know who's more stubborn here.

"I lived with you until you were about one," Micah says. "My physical world experience was coming to an end, and I was needed back in heaven. Your mom knew that I had to leave one day. But Katniss, you have to understand that I never left you. I was always there for you. On every birthday, piano recital, speech, performance, you name it I was there. So when I saw you physically again, I got really excited and forgot that you were completely oblivious to everything that was going on."

"I know," I say. "It would just be nice if you came to visit sometimes. I can tell that Mom needs to talk to someone besides me and her friends sometimes." He smiles.

"I'll try my best honey, I will," he says. I continue to bask in the peace, until I realize that I should be getting home.

"I have to go Micah," I say. "My mom might be worried. Or even worse, Madge." I laugh at the thought of Madge calling me again in a full on panic attack.

"Okay Katniss," he says and hugs me. "It was nice to talk to you again. And remember do what feels right to you." Of course he says the same thing as my mother. No wonder they are the perfect couple.

"I will," I say and I take out the ring. "Bye Micah." The sun catches the stone and a cloud appears, but before I go, Micah stops me. He scratches his arm nervously, and pauses before he speaks again.

"If you want to…" he starts of nervously. "You can call me Dad. I mean you don't have to, because you don't really know me. It doesn't matter to me, only up to you." I taste how it sounds on my tongue.

I envelop him into one last hug before going on the cloud. "Bye Dad," I say and he smiles. He waves me down, until I reach my spot when I first left. It's still light out, so I continue to walk back home.

I open the door to see my mom back from work. She took a few days off from the hospital to watch me, so she wants to make up all the hours that she missed. It looks like she just got home a few minutes ago. "Hey Sweetheart," she says when I walk in. "How was your day?"

"Normal," I say at first then I start to elaborate. I tell her why I was more late than usual. "I just needed to talk to my dad, sorry I was late. I hope I didn't scare you too much." I set my book bag down on the table and sit on the couch.

"Is everything okay Katniss?" Mom asks and sits next to me.

"Yeah" I tell her. "I was just feeling a little under the weather and lonely, and I needed someone who could understand the pressure that's placed on me." I snuggle into her side, feeling the warmth of her body radiating to mine.

"You know if you need to talk, you can always talk to me," she says and kisses my head. "I'm always here to listen to you." I hug her and sit up again.

"I know," I start, "but my dad knows how I feel and the pressure that I carry for being an angel." She sighs. "And I also tell him about you and he says that he'll try to visit soon." She smiles and pushes the hair from my forehead back.

"I've been waiting for sixteen years for him to come back," my mom says. "I love him and I couldn't imagine being with anyone else, but I just lost hope." I can hear the sadness in her calm voice. My mom always tried to be strong for me. She's raised me as a single mom for as long as I could remember, and not once, have I seen her really sad. "I waited 16 years for him to say something or at least see me for a few minutes. I needed him and one year was just not enough time. I love him, but I needed to take care of my daughter, rather than just sit here waiting for him to show up."

"I know," I say. "But maybe it's different and he will come back. Don't lose hope on him Mom." She sits up, getting ready to leave the couch.

"Tell me if he does," she says while smiling. "I would love to give him a piece of my mind." And with that, my mom gets up and walks over to the kitchen.

The next day, I walk to school as normal, but then I see someone in the field. I start to braid my long hair, as I try to figure out who's standing there. My soul searching gift starts to work, and I see the person's soul. The light emanating from the spot blinds me, and I could only think of one person with a soul as pure as this. It's Peeta. I watch him pacing back and forth near the trees. It looks like he's arguing with himself or just really flustered. It's kind of interesting seeing him walking back and forth, when on the field he's so sure of himself. I slowly creep up behind him before I carry out my attack. I stay unseen before I scream "Booh!". He jumps soon after I yell.

"What the..!" he starts to yell and calms down when he sees me. "Shit you scared the holy crap out of me." I start to laugh at his constant labored breaths.

"It doesn't feel good to be scared," I start to say. "Or have labored breaths, does it?" He takes a few deep breaths and relaxes. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"I just came to…uh…walk you to school," he gets out nervously. "I uhh…also wanted to give you this." He holds out another dandelion, like he did when he was little. "I knew that they were your favorite so I thought of you when I saw it there." I smile so widely, that it stretches from ear to ear.

"It's beautiful," I say quietly and smile up at him. "Thank you so much." I go on my tip toes and hug him. At first, he seems really uncomfortable and frozen, but ten melts into the hug. He smells like cinnamon and vanilla, but I can tell that he's trying to cover it up with the musky smell of his cologne. His broad shoulders warm me to the bone, and he rests his head on my shoulder. We break the hug a few seconds later and he rubs his neck.

"I'm glad you like it," he says with a shy smile. "I'm sorry it's not something special or anything."

"It's perfect," I reply. "It's absolutely perfect." I look at the lovely golden petals and feel their softness on my fingertips. I smile thinking that he could be as sweet as sugar around me. It's been 12 years since he got me the dandelion when I was five. I wonder how he could remember such a measly detail from so long ago. How has he been able to remember the smallest things about me? We continue to walk through the field together.

"So are you feeling okay today?" he asks after the relevant silence. "Or should I watch you just in case?"

"Don't you do that already?" I ask, intentionally trying to catch him. He blushes furiously and averts his gaze from mine. "I'm fine Peeta. I don't think that my hearts going to fail today."

"Good," he says with a sigh of relief. "I hope you're feeling good today." Pretty soon, we make it to school, and it's time to go our separate ways.

"Peeta," I say before I leave. "Thanks for the flower again, and for walking with me." He smiles and his eyes draw me in with the beauty of his pure form.

"No problem," he says and starts to walk towards the back of school again.

"And Peeta?" I ask again and he turns around. "From what I said before, it takes two to stare." I leave him with a small smile and walk inside the building, glancing back to see him standing at the exact same spot as he did before. I take in my hands that I must teach this person to forgive and love again, but I don't know if my heart could take the break if he rejects my offer and love in return.

I walk over to Madge who is standing at her locker, reading one of those gossip magazines probably containing something about her love, Finnick Odair. I walk up to my locker and place some of my notebooks and binders in my bag. "Well look who came to join me?" she says and closes her magazine.

"It's nice to see you too Madge," I say sarcastically and she snorts.

"It looked like you were getting comfy with Mellark there," she says nonchalantly. "Don't worry, I won't say a word or anything." I count to five seconds, and she starts to ask her questions again. "Why were you with Mellark so early today?"

"He came to walk me to school today," I tell her truthfully. "He also gave me this." I pull out the golden dandelion from my pocket.

"No way," Madge squeals. "He got you a dandelion. He remembered about your favorite flower and what he did when he was little. Peeta is so in love with you." Sometimes Madge says the craziest things.

"Madge, we aren't even together," I tell her. "He probably just saw it and picked it up. I doubt that he even remembers that day." I shut my locker close and secure my bag around my shoulder.

"Katniss you need to stop doubting yourself," Madge says. "Peeta loves you, and he looks at you like you're the sun on a winter day. If he didn't love, or at least like you, he wouldn't have stayed with you at the hospital when you were sick." She does have a point, but it's in my blood to doubt things.

"Thanks for your help Madge," I say as we start to walk to class. "But I think that I'll believe it, when I see it." We endure through our first four periods together. I sit there thinking about Peeta's kind gesture, while Madge is reading her magazine in class.

We sit under the tree at lunch, and Madge starts to build her "I'm on my period" sandwich. She first takes her normal peanut butter and sugar sandwich, and adds peanut butter cups and Cap'n Crunch on top. She's addicted to peanut butter, and to her, the more the merrier. I eat my granny smith apple, as normal, and listen to her as she rants about Finnick Odair and his new girlfriend who is supposedly pregnant. "I mean, what does he see in Annie Cresta?" she asks me. I try to block her complaints as I focus on my apple.

"Maybe she's not a crazed fan like you?" I suggest and she slaps me. "Ow."

"I am not crazed," she says with her chin in the air. "Just a little obsessed." I laugh at her comment and fall back on the grass. I watch a bunch of birds fly away from the trees and away together.

"Madge?" I ask and she looks at me. "Have you ever wondered why birds fly together?" She shakes her head no and I sit up.

"I think it's because they don't want to get hurt," I hear someone say and I notice that it's Peeta, but he's not alone. I see Blight behind him, and Marvel to his right.

"And did I ask you?" I tell him and he rolls his eyes. "What are you doing here?" I pull the sleeves of my jacket over my hands as he answers the question.

"I thought I would come talk to you," he says sweetly after. He comes close to my ear and whispers, "I didn't know that they were going to come along." I smile and sit closer to Madge.

"Hey Katniss," Marvel says. His voice drips with arrogance and his robust earring stands out from his perfectly gelled blonde hair.

"Hi Marvel," I say and Peeta sits closer to me, as if he's marking me as his.

"So what are you doing later today?" he asks right in front of Peeta. "I mean, we can do something later today if you want?"

"Marvel I…" I start to say, but Peeta interrupts me.

"We were doing something today Marvel," he says with venom seething from his voice. If they really don't like each other, why are they even friends? Before I can interject, he starts to talk again. "Katniss and I planned to do something today after school." I roll my eyes and place my arms across my chest.

"Oh did we?" I ask and Peeta turns to me smiling.

"Yes, we did," he says and I go back to my original position. "We thought of it earlier this morning right? Sorry dude, I didn't know you wanted to hang out." Peeta is using me as a tool of revenge, and I don't like the way he is right now.

"No worries man," Marvel says with fake acceptance. "We'll talk later." Marvel leaves and Madge and Blight leave to leave us alone.

"What the hell was that?" I ask him angrily. "Since when did you start answering for me? I am perfectly capable of answering my own questions!" I can feel the redness in my cheek come back and blare the fiery color.

"What was I supposed to do?" he asks. "You were already going to say no." I roll my eyes.

"How do you know?" I ask. "I can say yes or know if I want and you wouldn't know. You know what Peeta? I think that you should just leave me alone okay? You obviously have some rivalry going on with Marvel, and I am not the prize to be won. Find someone else to control, because I am not one to be told what to do." My breath starts to become erratic and I can hear my electrocardiograph beeping out of control. I take a few deep breaths trying to control it, but nothing happens. "Great."

"Do you need help?" he asks a little quieter and more reserved.

"No," I say standing up. "You're the last person I want help from." I storm off angrily, and to my next class, even though it's too early to go back. I spend the rest of the day thinking about my sudden outburst, and I regret it. Still, it's my life and my choices are my problems, and I don't need anyone to make my decisions for me.

Madge and I walk to our spot before parting ways. "Sorry about what happened today," she says.

"It happened for a reason," I say. It probably did, and one of the angels meddled in my life. That reminds me, I'm going to have to tell Madge about my little secret too.

"See you later," she says and walks away.

"I'll talk to you later," I say and walk to the direction of my house. I pull out the flower that Peeta gave to me this morning. I guess he was right about me declining Marvel's offer, but it still bothers me that he thinks he has complete control over me. I walk to the beginning of the field, and I see him again, waiting for me. I try to walk past him as quietly as I can, but he sees me.

"Katniss," he says desperately. "Katniss can we talk please?" I continue to walk away, but he catches up with me soon after.

"No," I say. "You said what you needed to say earlier, and I think that, that's enough." He grabs my arm and pulls me back so I stare at him face to face. Eye to eye. The azure color searches my dull gray eyes and he places his forehead on mine. I turn my head away and he falls forward a little.

"Katniss," he says sincerely. "I am so, so sorry." I turn my head away from his.

"Whatever," I tell him. He sighs exasperatedly.

"Why are you so damn stubborn?" Peeta asks. "I'm trying to attempt to make amends here, and you keep turning me down. What am I supposed to do?" I scowl at him like when I was little.

"I don't know," I say to him. "But if you find out, tell me." I start to walk back home again, and he stays in his place. I know that I'm going against my values about forgiveness and everything, but it irks me about he has the nerve to do that to me.

I walk into my home angrily and sit down on the couch with a big huff. My mom comes into the room after and notices my anger. "Why are you so angry?" she asks.

"I don't want to talk about it Mom," I say. She stands in the door frame and gives me one of her reassuring smiles.

"You shouldn't get too worked up," she says. "Your heart'll go crazy. Maybe even crazier than that mind of yours?" I smirk a little. The little things my mom say always helps me get over whatever I'm thinking.

"I know," I say. "I think I'm going to go take a nap." She lets me go and I fall asleep upstairs in my room soon after.

A few hours pass, and I wake up at around seven. I rebraid my hair that got messy and fix my shirt and sweat pants. My mom is watching some news channel downstairs, and I walk into the kitchen to get some water, and take some of the pills I need to take. I join her on the couch not so long after. "Hi Mama," I say.

"I haven't heard Mama since you were little," she says and shares her blanket with me. "How was your nap?" I rub the sleep out of my eyes and yawn.

"It was good," I say. We continue to watch the news channel, when someone knocks on the door. "I'll get it." I get up clumsily and walk towards the wooden front door. I open up the door, and it's none other than Peeta.

"Hey Katniss," he says shyly again. "Could you come out and talk for a second?" I look back at my mom, who nods her head in agreement, then I walk out the door and close it behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. He messes up his blonde locks before talking.

"I just wanted to apologize and show you this," he says. He takes out a small painting out from his backpack. "I thought that you'd like it." Peeta takes the cover off the canvas, and I see his beautiful masterpiece. It's a picture of me in the sun. My hair is braided, with little dandelions in the weaving. One that hasn't bloomed yet is in my hand and I'm blowing the seeds away in the painting.

"I didn't know that I looked like that," I say quietly and feel the dried paint on the canvas.

"You do in my eyes," he says and lowers the painting from my hands. I envelop him into a really big hug and squeeze him. I back out of the hug, but he doesn't let go of my waist. I hold in a breath that enters my lungs and wait for what's next, but nothing comes. He lets go of my waist soon after and we go back to the awkward small talk. "I am really sorry, and I hope that you'll forgive me?"

"What kind of person would I be if I didn't?" I ask him and he shrugs. "You are forgiven Peeta Mellark, but don't you ever pull something like that on me ever again." I point my small finger on his strong chest and he laughs.

"I won't ever do that again for the rest of my life," Peeta jokes. A gush of wind blows through the little porch and through the trees. I shiver a little, since I'm only in a t-shirt and some baggy sweats. I cross my arms and place my hands on my sides trying to get the warmth from my core. "Here take my sweatshirt." Peeta takes off his sweatshirt and hands it to me.

"No I don't want you to be cold," I tell him, trying to give back his sweatshirt. "I'll be fine." He insists and I put it on. The residual warmth from his body is on his sweatshirt, and the sweet scent of cinnamon and vanilla are stuck on it. Since he's much bigger than me, the arms are way too long and the bottom ends at my mid-thigh region. I look like an oompa loompa. "I look ridiculous." I wave the ends of the sleeves in the air as I make my point.

"I think you look cute," Peeta says and starts to laugh. I follow his lead, and we end in a few heavy sighs as we try to catch our breath. "Are you going to the game tomorrow?"

"I don't know Mellark," I say playfully. "I might just have a previous engagement. We'll see how my schedule works out." He stands still, taking the words all in.

"Oh okay," he says sadly. "I'll be going now." I stop him before he leaves.

"I was just kidding," I tell him. "What kind of person in Panem doesn't go to their football games? Especially since I know the quarterback." He smiles and leaves. I forget to give his sweatshirt back, so I decide to give it to him tomorrow.

I walk inside, to see my mom waiting for me. "That was interesting," she says and drinks a sip of her tea. I roll my eyes and go to my room. His sweatshirt says Mellark 58 on the back, like his jersey, but it's in a faded navy blue color. All of a sudden, I am summoned back to heaven, where my father is waiting for me with open arms.

"Katniss!" he says and runs to me. I give him a hug back.

"Hey Dad," I say. It's still a little weird calling him that, but it seems to make him really happy. "Why did you summon me?"

"Well, I just came to say that I'm proud of you sweetcake," he says and kisses my forehead. I stand there stunned.

"For what?" I ask and he laughs.

"You taught Peeta how to forgive Katniss," he says. "You just got him to accept forgiveness, and now he just has to carry it on." I stand there still confused.

"So what you're saying is that I made him forgive because I was mad?" I ask and he nods. "So am I supposed to pretend that I like him so that he can learn to forgive?"

"No sweetheart," my dad says. "That's all on its own. You are helping that boy in more ways than you think."

"So it's okay for me to like him?" I ask. "And to teach him how to forgive at the same time?" My dad places his arms around my shoulder.

"Now that is where you need to choose for yourself," he says seriously. "I can't tell you, because that is entirely your decision." Before I leave a few minutes later, my dad adds, "And if he dares hurt you, I have my backup." I roll my eyes and go back to my room where I originally started.

I lay down on my bed, spent from the whole day I just endured. My eyelids droop lower and lower, and I fall asleep to Peeta's gentle smell.

The next day at school, I walk up to Peeta and his group who are leaning against the fence with his arms crossed over his chest. "Hi Peeta," I say shyly.

"Hi Katniss," he says and removes himself from his group. I take out his sweatshirt from my bag and give it to him. He holds it in his hand eyeing it.

"Thank you for your sweatshirt and sorry for not giving it to you last night," I tell him. I start to walk in the direction of my locker, when he calls me back. "Yeah?"

"I want you to wear it," he says. I give him a questioning look and he starts to explain. "There's the game and I want you to wear my sweatshirt." He puts his sweatshirt back in my hands. I feel the weight of his clothes in my hand and I look up at him.

"Aren't girls supposed to wear the jersey?" I ask. He smiles.

"Unless you want the one I'm wearing now…" he says trying to take his shirt off. I laugh at his willingness.

"No, you can keep that," I say and put it on. I adjust a little in it, and get comfortable. "I still look like an oompa loompa." I pout and his smile fades.

"But now, you're my oompa loompa," he says quietly. I give him a shy smile and leave. Madge seems to notice my new fashion statement and doesn't forget to bring it up during lunch.

"I see you're sporting his clothes," she says slyly. "That is so cute!" Madge is the person who loves to be swept off of her feet with cute gestures and poetry and serenades and all that girly stuff found in cheesy movies. I continue to eat my apple and attempt roll up the sleeves that extend over my hands.

"It's huge!" I say when I try to roll up the left sleeve. "I wish that it was just a little smaller than this." I struggle to lift up my sleeve, and finally it stays up.

"That's what happens when you date a football player," Madge says. I roll my eyes. What are we? Are Peeta and I just friends or does he want something more with our relationship?