Their lap was almost completed, and by now, they were running at the same pace. Katniss still felt embarrassed at being so exposed to Peeta, but it helped that he was also showing a fair amount of skin.
Katniss glanced behind her and her eyes widened; there was no one in sight. That's when she saw the dark figure waving a flashlight around.
"Peeta!" Katniss said breathlessly, grabbing his arm to halt his running. He stared at her confusedly before turning his head toward the bleachers. He too widened his eyes at the realization.
"Hey, you two!" a man shouted, his voice ridiculously familiar.
"Shit," Peeta mumbled, slowly making his way off of the track. Katniss' heart began to race as they came into view of Haymitch. Out of all of the teachers that could have found them, it had to be the one who despised her. She knew they'd be in trouble for sure.
Haymitch stood in his heavy coat with a silver mug in his hand that he was eagerly trying to pass off as hot chocolate. Now that the two weren't running anymore, their half naked bodies were endlessly shivering. All Haymitch could do was chuckle as Katniss and Peeta stood before him.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here," Haymitch grumbled, looking over the two teens. Katniss instinctively covered her chest with her arms, receiving another laugh from Haymitch.
"Can we put our clothes back on, sir?" Katniss asked, her teeth chattering.
"Please do," Haymitch recommended, grimacing. Peeta and Katniss stooped down to retrieve their clothes, but were halted by Haymitch's foot slamming down on Peeta's shirt. "And once you do, report to the office."
…
Thankful for the warm air that consumed them, but fearful for their principal's wrath, Katniss and Peeta were experiencing some mixed emotions. They were waiting agitatedly for principal Snow to make his way to the building, so they were left staring at a very tired Mrs. Coin until their principal decided to make his presence.
"I just don't understand..." Mrs. Coin said, rubbing her tired eyes. Due to the crazy schedules, it was mandatory for all teachers to live on campus. There was a whole building for the faculty members to bunk in, so it wasn't completely irrational to see her standing in some silk pajama pants and a revealing top that was shielded by a thin jacket.
"We're really, really sorry," Peeta said, guilt dripping from his words. He was now beginning to dread being sucked into Katniss' dare, but in all honesty, he still felt that it was worth it.
Seconds later, principal Snow strolled into his office, peering darkly at the two teens as he took a seat behind his big desk. He excused Mrs. Coin, and she thankfully exited back to their dormitory. After a minute of silent, deathly stares, the principal spoke up.
"Who wants to tell me exactly why you two were running around the track, half naked, after school hours, in the freezing cold?" Principal Snow asked, dragging out the words as if they were purely disgusting. Katniss opened her mouth to confess, but Peeta beat her to it.
"We were exercising. I read somewhere online that if you ran a few miles in discreet clothing, you'd burn more calories than if you were wearing something like sweats. We decided to try it out when there would be no one around to see us," Peeta lied, staring at Snow with serene eyes. Katniss' mouth dropped, but she quickly picked her mouth back up before anything became obvious.
"I have a right mind to expel you two," he began, his voice gruff and serious. Katniss immediately began to breathe heavily as her stomach sank.
"No no, please, sir, you have-
"But I won't," he interrupted, giving her an annoyed expression. Great. It was only her second day on that campus and she already had numerous teachers who hated her guts.
"Thank you, sir. You don't know how much this means to us," Peeta thanked, relief passing over him.
"Don't thank me. Just... don't do it again," Snow warned, staring at them darkly. "So Peeta... discreet clothing instead of sweats?" Peeta chuckled lightly and nodded.
"Yup. They say it's better for your sweat glands or something," Peeta responded. Principal Snow was a bit heavy set, so it was actually pretty funny to see him asking Peeta about their fake method of exercising. If Katniss wasn't so consumed with fear, she would have busted out laughing.
"Right. Off you two go... and not in the same dorm room," he said quickly. This made Katniss slightly uncomfortable.
"Of course not, sir. Thanks again," Peeta said, standing from the chair. Katniss stood as well, thanking the principal as well. He just shot her an irritated glare and turned his attention toward some paperwork that sat on his desk.
Katniss and Peeta exited the office, out of the double doors, and back into the frosty air. Katniss wouldn't be surprised if she woke up that morning and there was snow covering the campus.
"I'm so sorry," Katniss said as they began to make their way toward the co-ed dorm. Peeta just shrugged and stuffed his frozen hands into his pockets.
"It wasn't your fault. Plus, it was kind of fun anyway. Tell me it won't be hilarious seeing principal Snow running around in a speedo," Peeta laughed, receiving a grin from Katniss.
"Yeah, that is pretty funny," Katniss agreed. "Although, I probably won't be joining you guys for another game of Truth or Dare anytime soon."
"Understandable," Peeta said, nodding in understanding.
"Why did you lie about why we were out there?" Katniss wondered as they strolled into their dormitory.
"First rule of Truth or Dare. No one knows about it. If you get caught doing one of your dares by a higher power, it's completely your responsibility to get out of it," Peeta said, as if it was meant to be automatically known. Katniss scoffed as they hopped on the elevator.
"Another thing I was completely oblivious to. Man, you guys should just write a rule book on this game," Katniss said, clearly annoyed. Peeta stared over at her and couldn't help but laugh. He thought it was kind of cute, actually. She looked over at his laughing face and narrowed her eyes.
"Shut up," she said quietly, trying her hardest to hide the grin that was on her face. He laughed again, and this time she joined in. As the elevator doors opened for the second floor, Katniss began to step out. She stopped when Peeta grabbed her arm softly, turning her back to face him.
"So, that was a pretty close one tonight, huh?" he asked nervously. Katniss nodded slowly and studied his face.
"Sure was," she said softly. For some reason, she felt her heartbeat take an irregular turn.
"Well, we made it out barely scratched. I say that calls for celebration," he said a bit more confidently. Katniss was unsure to what he meant, but she put two and two together.
"Celebration... hm. Why not?" she agreed, a small smile playing at her lips.
"I'll meet you at your room tomorrow at 9:30? Wear something formal," he said, pressing the buttons on the elevator. That gave Katniss a millisecond to respond.
"S-sure," she stuttered, her cheeks turning the shade of scarlet. She noticed the excited grin on his face as the doors of the elevators closed.
She soon realized that it had been a few minutes as she stood in the hallway in a daze. Had she just been asked out on a date? No. It couldn't be a date. She barely knew Peeta, but, what did that have to do with anything? He was very attractive, funny, sweet, almost dreamlike. So if it was a date, she surely didn't mind. But... was it a date?
She slowly and confusedly trudged into her dorm room, noticing Madge sitting on her bed with a blank look on her face. She instantly rose to her feet as she saw Katniss coming into the room. She flew over to her roommate and wrapped her arms around her neck, receiving a few pats on the back from Katniss. As Madge pulled away, Katniss noticed the worry lines plastered on Madge's forehead.
"Oh my god, are you okay? I didn't want to leave you, but Gale was pulling me in a million different directions. Everyone fled, and I ran to the room as soon as possible. What's going on? Did you get caught? Are you in trouble? What happened to-
"I'm fine, Madge!" Katniss interrupted with a look of horror. It made her happy to see her roommate so worried about her, though. Madge took a much needed breath and smiled back.
"Okay, good. I still feel awful. Where's Peeta?" Madge asked.
"I'm sure he's in his room by now," Katniss answered, plopping down on her bed. She looked over at the clock and groaned at the time; 12 am. She knew she had to hurry up and shower if she wanted to get up at a reasonable time so that she could look presentable. She trudged into the bathroom and immediately began to run her shower water.
"So, Peeta wasn't pissed about having to do your dare with you?" Madge asked, grabbing for her phone so that she could text Gale. Katniss swiftly walked out of the bathroom and grabbed some sleeping wear and a towel.
"No! He invited me to celebrate 'not getting into trouble' with him tomorrow night," Katniss said, mentally cursing herself. The words just came out so quickly; she didn't think about the consequence of telling Madge. Her stomach dropped when Madge's eyes lit up.
"Like a date?" Madge asked excitedly.
"No! I mean yes! I mean... I don't know," Katniss said honestly, staring at Madge in the doorway. Madge smiled widely, and all Katniss could do was frown. She didn't want Madge to make a big deal out of nothing, unless it was actually something.
"Okay, tell me what his exact words were," Madge said, sitting up straight on the bed and crossing her tanned legs.
"He was like that was pretty close, this calls for celebration. So I was like yeah, sure. Then he was like wear something formal," Katniss responded. She grimaced when she heard Madge squeal like a two year old.
"He totally asked you out, Kat! I have to help you get ready tomorrow. I have the perfect dress that you could wear. Do you have any idea where he's taking you?" Madge asked. Katniss had never seen her this enthusiastic before.
"No clue," Katniss admitted.
"Do you have any classes with him? I remember him saying that he had morning classes awhile ago," Madge said.
"Yeah, I have art with him," Katniss responded, watching as the steam from the shower began to fill around the tiny bathroom.
"Oh! Okay, try to get some hints out of him tomorrow. Text me during your lunch break once you find out," Madge told her, her face glowing with genuine happiness for Katniss.
"You seem more excited than I am," Katniss remarked, laughing lightly. Truthfully, Katniss hadn't even had the chance to process that she very well could be going on a date with Peeta tomorrow, let alone let herself get excited. She knew those happy butterflies would show once she knew for sure.
"Oh, shut up. Go take a shower so you can go to bed," Madge said, laying back in her bed. Katniss thanked her internally and excused herself, jumping into the shower. She couldn't help but feel herself anxiously anticipating tomorrow.
…
Katniss woke up early the next day, the three hours of sleep draining her. She trudged into the bathroom and plugged up the curling iron, looking at herself in the mirror. Her new bedtime was 9 o'clock; she was already tired of looking like a walking zombie.
She brushed her teeth and washed her face, watching as the curling iron heated up. She gave herself a quick wash-up and put on the stylish outfit that she had picked out before bed; a Hollister long sleeve, and some dark blue skinny jeans. She noticed how tired her eyes looked, and dabbed on some concealer and some eyeliner. She began to redo the waves in her hair, and by the time she had finished, she had 10 minutes to get to class on time.
"Fuck this," Katniss muttered, grabbing her bag from her bed. She looked over at Madge and noticed that she was fast asleep. She quickly exited the room and ran into the elevator. She refused to be late to Haymitch's class today.
Once she was out of the building, she began to sprint to the main building.
"Running with your clothes on this time?" a passing classmate muttered, receiving laughs from his group of friends. Katniss ignored him, checking the time on her phone. Three minutes. She quickly entered the building, stopping to catch her breath. She felt a light sweat covering her face, and she grimaced. She reached in her bag and pulled out a napkin and some body spray. She dabbed her face and then sprayed herself with the delicious smelling fragrance.
She then power walked the rest of the way until she stood in the doorway of Haymitch's classroom. The bell rang right after. She saw the delighted look on Haymitch's face as everyone else hurriedly shuffled into the room. Peeta was already seated at his seat, as Katniss expected.
"Looks like you're on time today, Ms. Everdeen," Haymitch taunted. Katniss smiled weakly and hurried to her seat beside Peeta. He gave her a small smile before taking out his portfolio.
"Alright class, today you're going to put your talent to the test. Do we have some painters out there?" Haymitch asked excitedly. The class expressed their enthusiasm as a huge grin spread across Peeta's face. Katniss slumped in her seat; she couldn't paint to save her life.
Haymitch passed out large sheets of white paper, and instructed for everyone to pick up their own individual canvasses. When Katniss stood to get hers, Peeta halted her.
"It's okay, I'll get one for you," he said quickly, walking over to where the canvasses sat. She took her seat again and smiled lightly. She locked eyes with his portfolio, and couldn't help the curiosity that consumed her. She swiftly opened it, revealing beautiful drawings much like the one that he made of the Mockingjay.
They were so unique, so unlike the other drawings that Katniss had seen in her life. She didn't even realize that she was grinning until Haymitch stood in front of her desk.
"Wipe that grin off of your face, sweetheart. Time to get to work," he muttered, giving her the lazy eye. She quickly closed Peeta's portfolio and looked over at him. He was still grabbing the canvasses. Katniss looked up at Haymitch and gulped. It was still awkward being around him after last night.
"Just waiting on my canvass, sir," Katniss said, clearly annoyed with his presence. He noticed her snappiness and raised his hands in surrender. He scurried off to the other desks, leaving her a little more relaxed.
Soon enough, Peeta brought the canvasses to their desks. Katniss stood up to set her paper on the canvass, and grab a paint brush that sat in the bucket connected to the canvass. There were also an assortment of paint in the bucket. They all wrapped the protective aprons around them and went to work.
"What are you going to paint?" Peeta asked over his shoulder as him and Katniss stood back to back, facing their paper. Katniss tugged at her bottom lip and dipped her brush into the brown paint.
"Uh... a tree?" she said, making a line across her paper. Peeta chuckled.
"Keeping it simple, huh?" Peeta asked, already thoroughly started on his painting of a sunset.
"No, not really. I'm just painting what I know. I know the wilderness," Katniss responded, trying her hardest to add detail to the trunk. Peeta nodded, and they were silent after that.
After about a half hour, Katniss peeked over her shoulder. She noticed the beautiful horizon that electrified from the paper; the dark orange melting into the bright yellow, surrounded by the purple sky. The dark blue water glistening with sparkles... who would've thought that you could make something so plain appear to be so extraordinary.
"Wow," she whispered, breaking his attention away from his painting. He turned to face her and smiled.
"You like it?" he asked, studying his painting once more.
"Like it? Peeta, I love it," Katniss admitted. He smirked and took a glance at her painting. It was a basic tree with branches that were unevenly extended. The grass was just a plain straight line, and the sun looked disfigured. Katniss noticed the look on his face and laughed embarrassingly.
"It's okay, you can say it," she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. He instantly felt bad.
"Oh, no no, it's fine!" he lied, looking back over at her painting. He tore his eyes away from the painting and began to focus on his once again. Katniss itched her head and walked around so that she could see Peeta's face. He looked over at her as he pressed his brush against the paper in slow strides.
"About tonight," Katniss began. "I can't wait. Any hint at where we're going...?"
"Nope! It's a surprise. Just wear something formal," he said, a dominant grin on his face. She huffed and folded her arms.
"That means a dress, right?" she asked. He nodded slowly.
"Yes," he said, chuckling lightly. Katniss laughed at herself and chewed on her bottom lip. This guy was a tough cookie to crack.
"Fine. Just as long as you don't take me to some cheesy-
"Getting your work done over here?" Haymitch asked, interrupting Katniss. She was silently thankful for this.
"Sure," Peeta responded, trying his hardest to focus on finishing his painting. Haymitch nodded at Peeta's painting, and frowned when he saw Katniss'. She rolled her eyes and prepared herself for criticism.
"Well this looks..."
"I know, I know. It looks like a first grader did it, next please?" she responded. He laughed and took a swig from his cup before returning his eyes on her painting.
"I wasn't going to say that. Who am I to criticize an artists work? But if that's how you feel, well, I'm just assuming that you should do something about that," Haymitch grumbled, giving her a smirk and a wink before walking off. Katniss considered his words as the bell sounded off. Peeta grabbed his canvass and set it off in the corner, allowing his almost completed painting to dry. Katniss didn't even bother trying to save her awful painting, so she just grabbed the paper from the canvass and crumbled it up. Peeta widened his eyes at her.
"Why did you do that? That's for a grade," Peeta said. Katniss looked down at the wet, crumpled, ruined painting and groaned.
"Now I have to redo it," she groaned, throwing the ball of mess in the nearest trashcan.
"I could help you. I would say that we could do it tonight, but I'm kind of busy," he said, giving her a shy grin. He was so adorable.
"Well, I wouldn't want to get in the way of your plans," Katniss laughed. "Thanks, Peeta."
"No problem," he said, strolling out of the room. He turned to give her a soft look before disappearing into the halls. She couldn't help the blush creeping up her neck.
…
Katniss sat in the chair by the vanity as Madge continued to draw all over her face. Katniss groaned as her stomach began to rumble; she hadn't eaten all day.
"Are you almost done painting me like a circus clown?" Katniss asked after a minute.
"Will you stop complaining?" Madge asked, giggling lightly. She continued for another five minutes before pulling away. "Walla!"
Katniss rolled her eyes and turned toward the mirror, gasping lightly. She looked... beautiful. No, she looked gorgeous.
"Wow... thanks, Madge," Katniss said, touching her face lightly. Instead of making the make-up obvious, Madge blended it into her features to add emphasis on her beautiful eyes, full lips, and more. She made her look naturally flawless.
"Don't mention it," Madge said, grinning confidently. She knew she was great at things like this. "Now for your hair!" Madge brought out the straightener, and Katniss hesitated.
"I've never straightened my hair before," Katniss admitted. Madge narrowed her eyes as she plugged it in.
"Never?" Madge asked. Katniss shook her head and shrugged.
"I like my waves," she said quietly. Madge smiled and waited for the straightener to heat up.
"You're going to look great with straight hair, don't worry," Madge reassured. She ran into the closet and pulled out the dress that she mentioned last night. It was a stunning red dress, strapless, and ended mid-thigh. It had a bustier, so it would make Katniss look pretty busty. It would definitely compliment her curves.
"Peeta will love you in this," Madge said. Katniss smiled lightly and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I appreciate you letting me borrow your clothes like this," Katniss thanked. Madge nodded and lay the dress across Katniss' bed.
"It's cool! I borrowed one of your tops for class today," Madge remarked nonchalantly. Katniss examined her further and noticed that she was wearing one of Katniss' shirts. She just smiled in response.
"Wait, aren't you supposed to be in class right now?" Katniss asked, checking the time. Madge shrugged.
"I skipped the rest of the day. This is important," she said, even though she truly skipped just for the hell of it. She really had to stop doing that. Katniss rolled her eyes and noticed the green light on the straightener.
"It's ready!" Katniss said. Madge ran over and grabbed it, going to work on Katniss' thick, pretty hair. By the time she was finished straightening it to perfection, Katniss looked like an entirely new person. Madge was right; she did look great.
Katniss then changed into the dress, and oiled down her legs to give them that shine. She looked absolutely radiant. Her and Madge stood in the mirror, admiring Katniss.
"You're so pretty," Madge said, smiling widely.
"Thank you," Katniss responded, tugging at her bottom lip. She was excited to see what Peeta would think. Seconds later, they heard a knock from the door.
"It's him," Madge whispered, motioning for Katniss to go sit down casually. Katniss sat on her bed and began to tap around on her phone. Madge opened the door and gave Peeta a brief hug.
"Lookin sexy!" she told him, receiving a chuckle from him. He had on a white, long-sleeved linen shirt with a black tuxedo vest over it, and some matching black tuxedo pants. He had on a dark gray tie, and his blonde hair was pushed up with gel.
"Where's Katniss?" Peeta asked. Madge stepped aside and Peeta stepped in, his eyes resting on Katniss. They lit up instantly as he looked her over. She stood up, exposing her gorgeous attire to him.
"You look amazing," he breathed, a look of awe on his face. She smiled shyly, and he greatly returned it.
"Thanks. So do you," she responded. His smile spread wider. They stared between each other for a while, and Madge was enjoying every bit of it.
"Okay you two, have fun on your date!" she screamed, pushing them out of the room. She closed the door, leaving them to stare at each other awkwardly. Why did she have to say date?
Author's Note: Alright haha, what did you guys think? PLEASE leave reviews, because they're the only things that tempt me to update sooner! ._. Also, check out my new one-shot "Safe and Sound" and show it some love? Thanks guys!