So this is going to be the date chapter.. Or just hanging out with Peeta chapter, as Katniss would probably try and call it.
This is in Peeta's POV!
Disclaimer- I don't own the characters, songs, or brands mentioned in this story, past chapters or future.
I look into Katniss' eyes, glimmering like silver. She almost looks sad, but she gives me a small smile and so I squeeze her hand and look back at the movie screen.
I definitely messed up the other day when I said "every girl I hang out with", and she had thought I had played with girl's hearts. I didn't want to follow her out the house, I knew she would have slapped me or told me to never talk to her again. She needed her space.
But eventually, I needed to give her an apology and explain myself. My speech practically told her that I had feelings for her, but she doesn't seem to notice it.
Soon enough, the movie starts. I grab a handful of popcorn, barely paying attention, instead looking at the beautiful raven-colored hair girl sitting next to me, her grey eyes focusing on the movie.
"Y'know, this plot is so unrealistic that it's kind of sad," Katniss suddenly says, turning her head toward me. I quirk an eyebrow, a signal for her to explain her statement.
"I mean really! How are you going to fall in love with a guy, not see him for years, lose your memory then it just so happens that you two are in the same nursing home? It's so fake," Katniss exclaims.
"It's a movie, calm down Kat," I laugh, teasing her. She fights a smile and rolls her eyes, turning her head back to the movie.
Even though I'm supposed to be glad that I've gotten Katniss almost trusting me again, I'm a little sad that our conversation ended so quickly. But a little conversation is better than none with Katniss, right?
An hour into the movie, which I'm barely watching, Katniss decides to start talking to me again. It's nice to know that I finally don't have to do all of the talking with her, pushing her to say something.
"Do you want to grab something to eat? I mean, I'm not trying to be rude but this movie is really boring," Katniss asks. I sigh in relief and she laughs.
This is why I love Katniss Everdeen.
"Let's go," I say, getting up. She smiles and takes my hand. She slips on her shoes and we walk out the yellow chipping door, and slide into the worn out seats of her rusty red truck, a Chevy C10. I remember her telling me about it, and how she had gotten it from her father, and he had gotten it from his father when he had purchased it in 1968. Anything that could be potentially boring Katniss makes interesting. Almost valuable, really. Katniss doesn't talk to people much. She shuts most people out. But for being naturally hard to get, she's popular to many guys.
"I need to clean this car," Katniss murmurs, throwing an old fast food wrapper to the ground. I chuckle as she knits her eyebrows in frustration trying to start the old car up repeatedly. Eventually, we hear the roar of the engine and she begins driving.
"Where would you like to go?" I ask, switching the radio stations to find one that Katniss might like. I end up with the station of today's hits, the only station that I know of that isn't playing commercials.
"Just know you're not alone, cause I'm going to make this place your home," Katniss sings, ignoring me, not paying any attention to the fact that I'm there. I remember the last time I heard Katniss singing was eleven years ago, when we were five years old. It's refreshing to know that she still sings as beautifully as she did when we were little. Not that I wouldn't love her any less.
"You're really good at singing," I blurt. She looks at me and blushes before looking back at the road, driving a little faster than she should be. Angry. I've managed to make Katniss angry yet again. I look down and hope I don't say something remotely stupid again.
We continue to drive in silence until we stop at an old shack at the end of town. Surrounded by trees, but doesn't seem deserted in the least, the parking lot nearly full. The flickering sign reads The Hob.
"Come on," Katniss says, swinging the truck door open and stepping out. I walk outside with her, opening the creaking wooden door for her. She mutters a thanks before we are settled into a table. The waitress and Katniss have small talk while I patiently wait until they finish.
"That's Seeder," Katniss explains. "I've been coming here since I was a little kid, so most of these people know me.." She looks down and begins to pick at her nails.
"Oh.. That's cool," I reply, not knowing what to say. She looks up and raises her eyebrows, as if she didn't know whether I was trying to be nice or just lying.
Suddenly, a woman with greying hair wrapped up in a faded floral bandana, wearing a cotton white shirt under an old brown vest, comes out of a swinging door and meets eyes with Katniss and instantly smiles and comes walking over towards our table.
"So has my girly finally found a boyfriend?" The woman asks, teasing Katniss.
"We're friends, Sae," Katniss blushes, looking down. But she looks up just enough to look at me and rolls her eyes.
"Aw, what a shame! She's a one of a kind though, isn't she, boy?" Sae asks me. I give her a small smile before nodding.
"Yep, I'm sure any guy would be happy to date someone as great as Katniss," I say. Sae gives me a knowing glance, as if she can see that I like Katniss just through my facial expressions. Sae winks at me before walking away, leaving Katniss and I alone again.
"She's embarrassing, sorry," Katniss apologizes quickly. A blush spreads through her cheeks. She fiddles with the end of her braid, embarrassed.
"It's alright," I say with a smile.
"After Cato, who she hated, she was hoping some guy would sweep me off my feet," Katniss laughs, as if it were the dumbest thing she had ever heard. "But I'm still sixteen, I doubt I'd meet the love of my life anytime soon.."
"Doesn't mean you can't search," I say, sipping on a glass of cold water.
"I don't know, I don't really think that the guy I really like would ever like me back anyway.. He makes me so frustrated.. I can open up to him and I hate it," Katniss says, her face turning red. "Do you know that feeling? When you know that the person you like is someone you know you'd never have a chance with?"
Does she like Gale?
After all, Gale and Katniss are best friends. I heard that he was the only one who made her laugh when she was eleven, or even smile for that matter. He's dating Madge, meaning she couldn't have a chance with him. For now. She opens up to him easily. I always see them walking down the halls together to get to classes, always laughing or smiling at him.
It all makes sense now.
"Yes," I say simply, taking another sip from my water.
"Doesn't it suck? Knowing that the person you like is way too good for you? It's a horrible feeling, really. You aren't the pretty blonde girl that he likes, you're just that ugly, guarded-" Katniss says, but I quickly interrupt her.
"Katniss, first of all, you aren't ugly. You're beautiful and kind, you aren't guarded. People need your trust before they should just start hurting you, and that's alright. And I doubt that the 'pretty blonde girl' is prettier than you," I argue.
"I don't wear makeup or wear anything pretty like Annie does. I can't open up to people and make friends! Do you know how hard it is to except people with me? It took years for me to let Gale help me with anything. And even now, I feel as if I need to owe him something in return, each and every time. Do you know who the guy that I like likes? She's actually one of the most popular girls in the school. She's much prettier than me," Katniss says, looking down in shame.
"Stop putting yourself down, please? For once Katniss?" I plead.
"Why? I'm not perfect like Cashmere or Glimmer! I never will be! I can't be that girly girl that he probably wants! I don't wear skirts! I'm rude, and mean, and silent! He defends this girl even when she's just a slut!" Katniss erupts, her face red.
Katniss thinks Madge is a slut?
"Katniss, if you truly think that, then maybe this guy isn't right for you. If he won't like you for who you really are, then you guys aren't meant to be. It's as simple as that," I say, but immediately regret it. Am I talking her out of liking Gale so I could have her all to myself? Am I really this manipulating?
"Thanks Peeta," Katniss rolls her eyes and sips her water, making everything completely silent. But then she looks at me again with her piercing grey eyes and asks, "Do you like Glimmer or Cashmere?"
"What?" I ask, confused. "I don't like any of them.."
"It's alright if you do.. I'm not going to judge you for liking those girls. They're popular and pretty, everything a guy wants, right?" Katniss asks, sounding mad.
"No.. Not every guy," I say slowly, "only the stupid ones." Katniss smiles a little, looking down.
"But you like one of them, right? Which one?" Katniss demands, raising her eyebrows for an answer.
"Katniss! I don't like any of them! Really! I don't! How many times do I have to tell you? I like someone else!" I finally snap. Katniss looks at me with hurt eyes.
Great, you've done it again Peeta. You're worsening your chances of ever dating Katniss Everdeen. Congratulations.
"You're always defending them.. And you seemed pretty happy making out with Glimmer in the closet last weekend," Katniss replies sourly. You can practically feel the conversation going from warm to freezing.
"Think what you'd like, Katniss," I answer back a similar amount of bitterness.
Shut up, Peeta. She probably hates you now. Don't be surprised if she slaps you.
"I'm just telling you that if you like Glimmer or Cashmere, that your secret is safe with me," Katniss rolls her eyes and sits as far back as possible in her seat.
"I don't like them. Who do you like then? Hm?" I ask.
"No one. I just realized that after your little speech that the guy I like is a dumb ass," Katniss replies coldly.
"That's great.. Good for you. Hope I didn't ruin your guys' friendship.. I know you guys have been friends for a long time," I say. I quickly bite my tongue realizing what I've just said.
Prepare to get punched.
"Who the hell did you think I liked, Peeta?" Katniss says, her cheeks suddenly turning bright red, despite the warm air coming from the kitchen.
"Gale?" I answer, my response sounding more like a question rather than a reply. Her face turns back to its normal shade.
Katniss begins to laugh, laughing so much that her face quickly turning back to a bright red. "Are you serious?" She asks, holding her stomach, giggling.
"Yeah.. You were talking about how she was blonde.. And how the guy you liked was someone you could open up to.. I figured..." My answer suddenly sounds stupid.
"You really are clueless, Peeta.. I'm still not telling you who I used to like though," she says, her voice back to her regular husky yet sweet tone.
"Hey, I'm blonde.. Don't judge me!" I say, running my right hand through my hair and swaying it in a Justin Bieber like way. She gives out a loud laugh, people sitting near us smiling at us.
"Hey, don't order the Winter Special. Trust me.. You don't wanna know what's in there," Katniss warns, her voice light again.
"I don't think I want to," I say. Katniss laughs. Seeder, the waitress, comes up and asks for our orders, Katniss asking for lamb stew and I ask for the rhubarb stew, something Katniss said was delicious.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier," I apologize after we get our food. "It was rude and wrong. I'm sure that my actions probably showed how I could have had an interest in Glimmer or Cashmere.."
Katniss has a mouthful of lamb stew in her mouth as she hears me confess. "It's alright," she replies, shoving another spoon of stew into her mouth. I laugh and take a bite of my food, and it does actually taste good. I wonder if I could make lamb stew for Katniss someday.
If I don't screw anything up with Katniss, maybe there could be a someday.
So Katniss is finally warming up to Peeta again, and they definitely have Greasy Sae's approval for dating. And if this wasn't clear when I wrote, "..., people sitting near us smiling at us." It meant that many of the people who go there are regulars like Katniss, so they know her and know that she isn't one to open up to people and laugh, so they were happy to see that she was laughing with Peeta.
By the way, the song Katniss was singing in the car is called Home by Phillip Phillips.
So what did you guys think? Good or bad? Any suggestions? Just a warning, next chapter is the last chapter, but I'll be writing an epilogue too, so don't worry, you guys will see what happens when they all graduate from college.
Thanks for reading! Please review!
