Author's note
Here's another chapter to for you all, enjoy :) For future reference any text messages recieved and sent in this story will be displayed in Italics. Happy reading!
Katniss' P.O.V
As I was getting myself another drink from the kitchen my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out out of my back short pocket and unlcoked it.
Are you here? I didn't recognise the number of the sender.
Who is this? I quickly reply and then I open a bottle of cider and sip it waiting for a response. Im not the type to drink heavy or often and I love the fruity taste of cider rather than the harsh taste of beer or spirits. The phone buzzes in my hand again.
It's Peeta. Oh yeah! I forgot I'd given him my number, that must be the drinks taking their toll. I put my phone back in my pocket and head off back outside to search for him. The music is still loud out here and It's getting darker. I step over somebody who is sprawled out on the grass and somebody walks into me.
"Oh, I'm sorry there pretty lady" Erggh It's Cato, the big blonde boy from cookery who can't cook for his life.
"Hi Cato.." I reply, my eyes still searching through the crowds.
"You're looking fine tonight" He slurs, taking a step closer to me. His breath reeks of alcohol.
"Not for you though I'm afraid." I say trying to side step him and get around him.
"Ahh, why not? We could have some fun." He touches my face and I quickly jolt my head back.
"Dude that's enough, leave her alone." Somebody pulls Cato's shoulder back so he spins slightly. The gap that has been made by the absence of Cato's large body reveals Peeta pulling him away from me. Cato mutters something incoherent and stalks away towards the house, probably in search for some more drink.
"Thanks." I say smiling at my saviour.
"Haha, that's alright. I felt like I had to since there is no sight of Gale around." He looks down as he finishes this. What is he talking about?
"I don't get it?" I say, letting my confusion show.
"Well it's obviously a boyfriends job to keep drunk men away from his girl but he's.."
"What?" I interupt him.
"Gale's not my boyfriend!" I have no idea where he got this idea from, Gale is my friend, just like Finnick is but Peeta doesn't think Finnick is my boyfriend so why Gale? He looks up from the ground and directly into my eyes, drowning me in an ocean of blue.
"But I saw you two at the game. You were hugging at half time and I assumed..." He trailed off.
"No.. Gale and I are not together, we are just friends." I don't know why but this makes me laugh. Peeta looks at me and laughs aswell. I grab his hand.
"Come on, lets go sit by the fire." I pull him over to the large pit which is rounded off by stones and a plentiful supply of wood beside it. I wonder why you'd set a fire with so many drunk people around and all the alcohol but I'm not complaining, the heat from the flames spread through my open hands, down my arms and all the way through my body banishing the shivers from the wind. I feel Peeta's eyes trailed on me and I feel I should say something but I'm no good at this stuff.
"You played really well today." I say looking over to him. The lights of the flames are flickering on his face and make his eyes sparkle. He sits slightly crouched over, cupping a bottle of water in his hands. He smiles broadly at me.
"Thanks. I guess something took over me, a kind of desperation..." Some sort of emotcion flashes across his face but I can't figure out what it was.
"Well, It's good that it did or we would have missed this awesome party and Cato hitting on me." We laugh together and I can't help but look at his face and how it lights up when he smiles and laughs and how perfect it is.
"What are you doing this weekend?" He asks me.
"Well tonight me and some other people are staying at Madge's house as her father isn't here for the whole weekend and I think I'm working Saturday. What about you?" I reply.
"Nothing yet, I may ask my dad for a shift in the bakery if nothing else is happening."
"Saving up for the Winter's Ball?" I ask.
"What's the Winter's Ball?" He asks a quizzical look on his face. Really? He doesn't know yet? I would have thought he'd already be claimed by some girl, someone like Glimmer who gets prepared for it months in advance.
"Well, it's a winter...ball" I can't really explain it more than that.
"Oh right, that clears it up.." He says stiffling another laugh which just makes me crack up myself.
"Hahaha sorry, It's just that everyone knows what the Winter's Ball is, even the new kids. Basically it's a formal dance where you waste a ton of money buying fancy clothes trying to look pretty, get a partner to go with you and two students are elected Winter King and Queen. Apparently it's a big deal." I say as I grab a bag of marshmellows that was on a log, pierce one with a stick and hold it over the fire. I hand the bag to Peeta who does the same.
"But not a big deal for you?" He asks looking back over to me.
"I'm not one for dressing up. I'm much more simpler than that. I don't like to pretend to be something I'm not." I spin my branch inbetween my fingers.
"What would you be pretending to be?" He looks curiously at me.
"I don't know beautiful maybe? I would never normally dress in more than jeans and a tshirt, wearing all those pretty things would just make me feel like someone who isn't me."
"Then you wouldn't be pretending. You already are beautiful Katniss." At this I avert my eyes from my melting marshmellow to him. He is looking at me so intently it makes a slight shiver run through me. I didn't know where that came from. We havn't even know each other long. He must just be trying to be friendly like when girls ask other people if her hat looks horrible and even if it did they would say it looked amazing just to reassure her and make her happy. This must be what he just did. I look down and realise that my marshmellow had been sitting in the flame from my shock over Peeta's comment and I lifted it out.
"Oh no my marshmellow!" I yell with a fake child like scream and Peeta laughs at my attempt to blow it out. The whole outer of the marshmellow has been turned into a black crust which I try to pick off.
"Here, have mine," He hands me his twig with his perfectly cooked marshmellow at the end. I bite half of it off and the gooey inside of it drips down my chin as I try to stop more leaking out. I can hear Peeta laughing again and then he is suddenly leaning really close to me. My heart rate instantly increases as I lock eyes with him. He stops moving when he is so close to my face I can feel his warmth breathe tickling my neck and I feel goosebumps rise in the spot. I don't know what to do but in a quick second it is him that does something. He raises his hand and wipes of the marshmellow from my chin with his thumb, stroking my face slightly and then pulls away again. I continue to look at him as I release the breathe I didn't realise I was holding in. He smiles at me and then puts another marshmellow on a twig and begins cooking that one.
My mind is still a bit fuzzy when Madge comes over to Peeta and I, still chatting and laughing together.
"Hey Peeta. Hey Katniss." She greets us as she stands over the fire.
"Hey, how are you?" Peeta replies, a small smile upon his lips..
"I'm tired and I'm too drunk too drive." This makes me laugh as Madge isn't drunk at all in the sense you'd think. Madge probably actually had only a couple of drinks but seeing as though her father is the Mayor of District 12, she doesn't step a toe out of line when it comes to the law. So she will refuse to drink drive no matter how much drink is involved.
"So how are we going to get back to yours then?" I ask her, a bit annoyed at the fact she didn't think of this.
"Ermm, maybe we could catch a lift off of somebody.." She says scanning the area for any sober people.
"How many of you are there?" Peeta pipes up looking up at Madge.
"Its only me, Jo and Katniss." She replies.
"Well I can give you a lift if you like. My truck is a bit small but I'm sure you'll all be able to fit in alright." He says turning his gaze on me aswell.
"Oh Peeta that would be brilliant, thanks so much, I better go find Jo then." She says and walks off in pursuit of Johanna.
"Come on then, I'll take you to my truck" Peeta says getting up, extending his hand to me. I take it and he pulls me up and then we walk along to the front drive.
"Sorry about this Peeta, Madge isn't normally like that. She would never normally drink if she knows we need to drive home." I say slightly embarassed about Peeta having to take us back to Madge's.
"Haha, no it's fine. I honestly don't mind." We stop at his truck and he sits against the hood whilst we wait for Jo and Madge to get back. At that moment he looks like an actual model. He has one of his legs bent and rested on the car, his hands slightly tucked in his pockets with his thumbs still sticking out and his hair moving slightly from the wind. Wow. I soon hear a couple of pairs of feet and know Madge and Jo have arrived. Peeta gets off the car and opens the passenger door for us all to get in as there is no back seats in the truck, just the front ones. I get in first, then Madge, then Jo seeing as though she has drunk a lot more than us and may need the window much more than we do. Peeta then walks round to the other side of the truck and gets in himself. He hops up into the seat and settles putting on his seatbelt. His leg touches mine briefley before he quickly snaps it away, repositioning himself and starting the engine. The ride back is a slow and quiet one, all for Johanna's benefit as going too fast makes her queasy and anything too loud gives her a headache but Peeta manages to keep the radio on, even if it is quiet. We reach the big gates outside and Madge pulls that remote thing out of her back and opens the gate by pressing a button on it and Peeta continues up the path. The truck stops and we all get out, including Peeta. Jo and Madge walk ahead to open the door as Peeta and I follow behind. He has put his hand back in his pockets and is walking slowly.
"Would you like to come in for a coffee or something before you drive home?" Madge calls to him from in front.
"No thankyou, I need to be getting home now really but maybe next time." He then turns to me.
"Thankyou for a great night." He shyly says while smiling at me.
"I didn't do anything." I say returning his smile.
"Yes you did, you spent time with me." He says. For some reason I blush at this.
"Come on Katniss, hurry up! I wanna go to bed!" I'm guessing Jo shouts from inside.
"I better go then, I'll see you later Peeta." I say swaying slightly on my heels.
"I hope so. Goodnight." And with that he walks back down to his truck and I hear the engine start. As he drives off I hear him honk his horn back at me. I quickly pull my phone out of my pocket as I walk through the door and type -
Goodnight Peeta. and send it. I close the door behind me and head upstairs to find my friends.