Peeta's POV
I couldn't believe Katniss had invited me to her house and that I had enough air to respond with actual words.
I was going to go to her house tomorrow. Friday night! July sixth 2002, is it creepy that I remember the exact date?
I guess that didn't matter so much. The date I mean, what happened there, now that is a story worth telling. I drove up to the apartment complex and locked all my belongings inside, as this side of town was rather... Untrustworthy. Though all of Seattle was rather untrustworthy in my opinion.
Finnick and Annie arrived right as I had. Together we embarked on the perilous journey up the stairs. Seriously I thought Annie was going to die when she stepped on one of the wire stairs and found it wasn't there.
Katniss stood on the balcony watching us with an amused smile.
"Are you making fun of me?" Finnick asked.
"Not at all." She laughed. "Come on."
Let me remind you, that, her apartment was one of the most interesting and most memorable places I have ever been.
But in that moment I was confused as to why she'd allow herself to live in a place that was falling apart at the seems.
"So, I've got the Game of Life, and a whole bottle of wine. Who wants to play?" She asked closing the door to the outside and walking into the kitchen area.
"Fuck yeah let's play!"
"Oh lord Jesus." Annie sighed.
"What?" Katniss asked.
"Finnick gets very competitive, very quickly." I responded.
"Oh this should be good." She commented. We set up the board on the floor of her living room and proceeded to empty the entire bottle of wine.
Finnick figured he was winning, even though he was a teacher and had a salary of fifty thousand dollars. "I spun a ten! Again! I'm on fire!"
"Ten thousand dollars please." Katniss laugh as she was the police officer.
"Catch me if you can!" Finnick shouted running around her apartment.
"Finn!" Annie burst out laughing.
"Sit your ass down!" I laughed with Annie. Katniss chased Finnick into her bedroom, where Annie and I followed with our alcohol.
Katniss managed to tackle Finnick to the bed. "I'm not drunk I promise." He said under her weight.
"I didn't think you were, but I also thought drunk you and sober you were the same."
"Maybe I am drunk, because I think we're sinking." Finnick said.
"Oh we are." Katniss laughed standing up. "This is the hole."
"Why is it called that?" I asked cautiously.
"Jump on my bed." She dared me.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, jump on my bed."
"Um... Okay?" Wine in hand I jumped up on her bed and fell down immediately.
"Oh my god Peeta are you okay!?" Annie asked out right.
"Yeah..."
"I think someone stole the springs." Katniss laughed.
"No kidding," I said taking a sip of wine.
"Oh Peeta, you got red wine on her bed." Annie said gesturing to a blotted line across the bed spread.
"Sorry Katniss."
"Oh that's another reason I call it the hole." She laughed, "Come back in an hour it'll be gone."
"No way," Finnick laughed.
"Yes way, and you owe me ten thousand dollars." She laughed as we headed back to her game.
She heated up a frozen pizza before we started another round when her phone went off.
"Hello?... Hi Cray, what is it?" She put her hand over the phone, "I'll be back in a minute." She said heading into the bathroom.
I watched her latch the door, and then I watched it swing open. She was crouched in front of her laptop... Weird, putting your laptop in the bathroom.
"What do you mean?... But I just did! Cray... What do you mean you did everything you could?"
Both Finnick and Annie stopped setting up another round of the Game of Life to listen in with me. I felt better knowing I'm not the only one eavesdropping.
"Put him on the damned phone!" She demanded, "Hello?... Yeah I'm mad... That's why you shouldn't be... No I'm sending it... We do have a problem! Shut up...
"No you listen to me you fucking cunt," I knew someone was absolutely screwed then if they had Katniss fuming like that, "I sent it, but that doesn't change the fact that you are a sick, greedy, no good, son of a bitch, and I hope you rot in hell like the rest of them. Give the phone back to Cray!"
Finnick and I exchanged fearful glances. An angry woman is something to fear, "Cray, I sent it but if they keep this up, I will send them to hell personally." She hung up then and cupped her face for a moment.
Then she looked up and saw us staring. "I should really fix this door." She laughed standing up and walking over to the couch. "So you heard all that right?"
We all nodded, "Fucking economy." She sighed plopping down on the couch.
"We all know the economy can go fuck itself Katniss. But what in the name of hell was that?" Finnick asked.
"Well you see, my dad took a bunch of loans out from the bank, back in '83, because the farm wasn't doing so well. He loved that farm more than anything. I've finally paid off most of the debt on it.
"But now the bank is getting down my throat trying to get me to pay it quicker. Even though the economy is finally getting better, they're still trying to cover their own asses.
"And they just called to raise this months payment. Technically I should be a month ahead of the game now, but they're a bunch of bastards and won't count it as another months payment."
"So what are you going to do?" Annie asked.
"Probably? Not eat for a week." She laughed, "Kidding it wasn't that bad, It's just a thing. A really fucking annoying thing."
"Can I ask a question?" I spoke up.
"Shoot." She said taking a sip of wine.
"Why is your computer in your bathroom?" Finnick cackled at my question.
"Because if it's in there, people will think it doesn't work. Therefore they will not steal it." Which was true, never once was her laptop or anything in her apartment stolen.
"That is genius! Annie we are putting all of our computers in out bathroom when we get home!"
"Do you see the ideas people put in his head?" Annie asked Katniss gesturing to Finnick.
"Oh guys! Come here!" Katniss said running back into her bedroom, "The hole has done it again." She laughed.
I felt right where I'd spilled my drink. Nothing remained not even a stain.
"Damn." I said.
"That's not possible... Ew. And you actually sleep on that?" Annie seemed appalled.
"Oh yeah of course. This is sick right?" Katniss laughed.
"Sick is right." Annie grimaced.
"Are you a wizard?" Finnick asked still laughing. "Can you enchant my bed to do that?"
Katniss and I laughed at this, "You caught me, I went to Hogwarts."
"Wicked!" Finnick laughed again.
"Alright lets see if I can win the Game of Life three times in a row."
"You are so on!" Finnick declared. Annie won that round. The next time I won, and the third time we cheated so Finnick could win.
It was perfect.