I feel completely stupid as I lie under the 'electric' fence, camouflaged. It's ridiculous, really, but I just want to hear what Gale and Katniss talk about so bad! So I'm swallowing dirt to look like a shrub. I see parents pulling five years olds away from me like I'm some sort of pedophile. I'm not, of course, but it is weird to be collecting yourself in a pile of cow manure.
I must have been here half an hour when I finally see her tanned, scarred hands grasp the chain-link. For a second I think she actually thought I was a weed, but she suddenly drops down from the top of the fence with no apparent explanation. I cringe.
"Pe-Peeta?" She sounds completely weirded out, but who wouldn't be? Oh hello, strange rich boy who basically harassed me for the past three weeks. Whatever may you be doing in a muddy hole by the place I always go? Coincidence, huh? I sit up, defeated.
"Hey, Katniss," I breath. I reach out my hand, looking for some help getting up, but I receive none. Instead, I push myself up, and lean against the fence. Oh, yeah, it's not really electric. If you didn't get that. It's just a hoax. But, anyways, I'm leaning on the completely safe fence, talking to my stalkee. I think that's the correct terminology. She crinkles her nose at the stench of dirt. I brought a lot of the fancy fertilizer over from the town, thinking it would make me blend in. Yeah, no. It made me look like a whale in a herd of guppies.
"What are you doing here?" I struggle for a moment in silence, but decide to tell her the truth.
"I, um, wanted to talk to you. I heard… from… someone. I heard from someone that you weren't speaking to Gale, and I wanted to find out why. I also wanted to talk about… Friday." She grimaces, and sighs.
"I've told you a million times, Peeta. You. And me. Do not. Work. We're in a town far too small, and a world far too vicious, too even contemplate the possibility of any relationship."
"But you admit there's a possibility?," I blurt. She hisses.
"None! It's ridiculous, and you know it. I'm just your pet project. Get over it, and move on. I have a life to lead. One that doesn't involve random interruptions from a wistful rich kid." She turns away, and prepares to bound up the fence again. I frown, and try again.
"Pet projects don't last since kindergarten." I must look pretty helpless, because I think I actually catch pity in her hard, cold eyes. She pushes past me, and leads me to a bench.
"Kindergarten? I didn't even know you." She sounds almost… touched. I tell her the whole story. Her song, her looks, her everything. The day flashes back to me like it was yesterday.
I was young, so I wasn't really thinking about falling in love as I filed into the gym. It was more… Play-doh. But that changed when the teacher started speaking.
Yup, at first I thought I was in love with Ms. Quil. She was, like, 25 at the time, so it wasn't a five year old and a ninety year old in a ridiculous infatuation. It was a common thing for kids to love teachers back then. Anyways, Ms. Quil asked us all about this song: The Valley Song. I vaguely remembered the tune, and even considered volunteering to sing, but a small, happy girl with two long braids running down her back had beaten me to the punch. Ms. Quil seemed fascinated by the girl as she leaned down, and placed her on top of a stool, so I decided to listen real hard. Just before she began to sing, my father knelt down and whispered to me.
"I was in love with that girl's mother, but then she ran off with a coal miner! He's an amazing singer. When he sings, all the birds stop to listen," my father said mystically. I was young, so I gasped in shock, and glanced at the class pet-a tiny, underfed canary that the school had held a huge fundraiser to buy. The rusty piano plinked out a familiar melody, and the girl began to sing.
It was gorgeous. Not like a model, or shiny object, but like the smell of baking cookies, or smoke in the middle of winter. A warm, homey feeling settled over me as her voice rang through the room. I closed my eyes, and smiled. Hesitantly, I cracked an eye open to check on the canary. It was silent. Ms. Quil clapped loudly, and leant down to ask the girl her name.
"Katniss Everdeen," she whispered. And from that moment on, I watched her. I only got more reason to love her. She ended up being model-gorgeous as well, and her loyalty was inspiring. I loved to just watch her interact with Prim. It was breath-taking, in a word. She was breath-taking.
As I finish my story, a familiar little girl sidles up. She has snowy hair, and blue eyes, but I can immediately tell she is related to Katniss by the way her eyes soften. It's Primrose. Katniss gently takes her hand and smiles, forgetting me entirely.
"Katniss," the girl begins softly. "Aren't you hunting today?" Katniss blushes, and looks at the ground guiltily. Wow. Prim has more of an effect on her than anyone.
"I know, sweetie. I'm just, uh… Going now. Can you say hi to… Peeta?," she grudgingly requests. Prim smiles, and turns towards me. I stick out my hand and put on a grin, but she flings her arms around me.
"Hello," she says quietly. "I'm Prim."
"And I'm Peeta. I'm sorry, Prim, I distracted your sister from hunting."
"It's okay. She looked happy with you, so." Yes! Katniss looks a mix between furious and embarrassed, both contributing to her tomato-red color. And if things couldn't get any more awkward… You'll never guess who heads over next.
Yup. Fail fucking Hawthorne. The 'fail' was intentional. As in Gale is a fail. Katniss inhales sharply as Prim grabs Gale's hand as well, and pulls him over. I'm about to die. Literally. About to die.
"This is Katniss' friend, Peeta," she explains. Katniss is almost ready to protest, and I frown. But then Prim continues. "I think he likes her," she sing-songs. Gale's face is stony, but he tries to smile, for the kid's sake. Katniss looks like she's going to shoot someone, Prim looks like it's heaven on earth, Gale looks more confused than anything, and I'm sitting here like a log.
"Hi, Catnip. What's… Peeta… Here for?" He's careful to lace his question heavily with an underlying meaning, and Katniss blushes. Prim is still oblivious.
"Peeta surprised me," Katniss replies icily. "He surprised me on Friday, too." She's talking about the kiss, and all three of us know it. Gale scrunches up his face, and nods. The tension can't get any higher.
"Wow, Peeta. What were you doing surprising Katniss both days? You'd think you'd learn to make plans with her after a while, and only come when she actually wants you to be there." And the tension got higher. I open my mouth, but Prim answers for me.
"Well, he thought Katniss would like it, of course!" It's weird how, if she were having the conversation the three of us were really having, what she said would still almost make sense. Her enthusiasm sounds out of place, as all of us are speaking robotically at each other.
"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure she did," I add cockily. Gale looks like he's about explode. Katniss looks resigned to the torture. "I know I enjoyed surprising Katniss. Maybe I'll even try it again, sometime."
"That's impossible," Katniss cuts back in with a clipped tone. "Because now I'm expecting you to surprise me, and I'll deflect it, or ruin your plans. You'll lose the game." Gale now has this cocky little smirk, but it's quickly erased when she continues, "Gale, don't you try to surprise me. Contrary to Peeta's beliefs, I don't. Like. Surprises."
"Yes, but I'm very good at surprises, and it wouldn't be that much of a surprise anyway when I see you every single day," he retorts. I just want to die, at this point. I'll never live this down in my nightmares.
"But, if you did something one day that wasn't… part of the normal routine, I might get scared because it's so irrational." She is practically shaking, but Gale still argues.
"I shouldn't scare you. I'm your best friend. Right?" She can't deny it, especially in front of Prim, so she nods tersely.
"Yup."
"Maybe, so it doesn't scare you so much if I try to surprise you, you should just know that I want to surprise you soon," Gale says.
"But, Gale, it wouldn't be a surprise if she was supposed to know about it!," Prim wails. Gale turns his body to her, but keeps his eyes on Katniss.
"Exactly, Prim. That's the point. It's normally expected that your best friend would try to surprise you, so Katniss shouldn't be scared if I do. Right?" Prim nods in confusion, but stomps after a moment.
"You guys aren't making any sense!," she complains. She crosses her tiny arms and frowns. "I want to know what's going on." Gale and I are engaged in an intense stare off, so Katniss answers.
"It's nothing, Prim. Peeta and Gale are just being silly because neither of them are going to surprise me. Now Gale and I are just going to go hunting, and I'll be home in a few hours. Peeta," she nods. She looks at Prim, then back at me apologetically. Then, through clenched, angry teeth-"Would you mind taking Prim home?"
A/N: Okay, I'm getting apprehensive, and I know what's going to happen! Oh, God. I can't believe I actually did that. Please review, and squeal with me in beautiful harmony.