A/N: I apologize for being late. However, I promise the updates will be a bit more frequent after the 10th of February, when I won't have to study for my certificates.

And…I give you chapter seven!Cloud-Lover26, this one is for you. You know why;))


Title of the fanfic:House of chaos

Summary:[AU/New characters].What if Peeta and Katniss never were tributes in the Games? What if President Snow was dead? What if two people with a past suddenly decided to reunite? Would the members of the new family coexist or would they live in a house of chaos?

Chapter 7:(VII)

Genre: Romance/ Family

Rated:T (13+) for violence, language, and possible future references to adult themes.

Disclaimer:I only own the plot and the new names of the characters. Everything else belongs to Suzanne Collins.

Special thanks to (for reviewing):iam97[I'm glad you think they're IC. It helps.:)],TaqiWaqi,HungerGamesLover1020[haha, the whole beating-up-Cato thing makes me laugh—don't ask why;)],imdoingok,yeeeitscarmen[I explained in the PM but you'll see on your own…I think…],Cloud-Lover26[yep. This chapter is yours.],purpleboo[I will make you wait a little bit more for the kiss then;)],KMloveya[Cato will be back in the storyline later. Right now, you'll see why I can't add him. It will be too much (but I promise to do it)],TheSkyDriversand Ginny Lakeboom.


No matter how many times I remind myself that this ridiculous feeling of happiness will go away, it doesn't seem to get old. The excitement in the house today is like a guarantee I will be able to feel whole again, even if my joy has nothing to do with what the Mellarks plan on doing this evening.

I rush to descend the stairs and enter the living room where I found my mother minutes ago. She was the one to tell me she had contacted with Hazelle earlier, this morning. The Hawthornes will be in District Twelve in less than four hours. I will be able to see my best friend again. I have missed not only him, but also his family who was like mine for all these years.

I spot Dorian sitting on the couch, beside my mother as they talk. There are some times when I'm glad that we let her have the chance to re-marry. The genuine smile that's constantly plastered on her face can be anything but an unpleasant sight. Those moments do not last long enough, though. Guilt will always be stronger.

"Katniss. Why don't you have a seat?" Dorian suggests when he notices me standing. I shake my head and try to decline in the kindest way possible.

"No, thank you. I wanted to head for the kitchen, anyway," I tell him and turn on my heel, disappearing from their eyesight in a matter of seconds. And I don't really care that what I've just said makes no sense.

I realize I'm already on my way to the kitchen. I'm about to enter this room as well, when Peeta's voice makes me halt and hesitate.

"Of course I missed you," he says gently. Nobody's in the kitchen right now. He couldn't be telling Tyler or Prim that, anyway. My pupils grow larger than normal when I realize I can't find the courage to go in there anymore.

"Alright, alright, I will come to take you before the party." Laughter follows his sentence. "Nah, I can handle her. Leave it to me." His words come like a stab in the gut. What if he's talking about being able to handle me? I immediately push that thought aside. Peeta would never consider me a part of his life. At least not an important enough part to refer me or think of me during a phone call.

"Yeah, but we're leaving after that. It won't be interesting." Does he plan on leaving the Christmas Eve party? And…the Mellarks expect me to stay there?

"Oh come on, Claire. You will be bored," he explains, then sighs.

Claire. I don't like that name.

Peeta laughs again. "Sure, sweetheart. You've gotta be ready, though…No…no…I won't forget, don't worry," he reassures Claire. I can practically hear the smile in his voice. It's so sweet that instead of making me repulsed by him it makes me feel disgusted at myself. He tells he has to hang up, before he actually does. But I'm still here. I'm still standing in front of the kitchen without being able to move.

The sound of his footsteps stops only when he notices me standing in front of him, staring. I'm hoping for some words to come out of his mouth. Something-anything-to prevent me from keep staring like a complete idiot. But he doesn't make a move. His expression is mirroring my own. When I see he's searching for something (something I don't know as usual), I gulp and part my lips wishing for the words to come out of my mouth. Instead, I only stare.

"Katniss," he finally addresses me, his voice unsteady. "Is anything wrong?" he asks in a concerned tone. I give him a questioning glance. Why would he think there's something wrong with me?

My next words startle both him and myself.

"I thought you had no girlfriend," I tell him. There's no curiosity in my voice. Right now I can only detect accusation as well as an unexplained urgency. He raises his eyebrows puzzled.

"I…don't…?" he whispers. "I don't have a girlfriend," he adds in more confidence the second time. For a reason, though, his answer makes me even more annoyed.

"Never mind," I grumble and spin around to leave before I do anything stupid like show him what I'm capable of doing while being angry. However, his hand comes to close tightly around my wrist, forcing me to turn and face him. His grip is steady to keep me where I am, yet not painful at all.

"Where you going to tell me anything?" he wonders and locks his gaze with mine. I still feel anger boiling inside me, though, I'm perfectly aware of the fact that there's absolutely no need for that. Maybe my behaviour irritates me more than Peeta's. Then, I have to remind myself that Peeta did nothing wrong. His personal life is none of my business.

"No," I reply after I've gathered enough courage to do so. We stay looking at each other for only a couple of seconds before I feel his grip loosen on my wrist. He sighs.

"Sorry," he mumbles, averting quickly his eyes from mine. I shake my head nervously.

"You don't need to apologize," I mutter. This time he lets me go and I quietly make my way to the stairs again. But this is also the time when I can't help going back to where he stands. He's pretty surprised to see me there again, especially when I make it obvious I came back for him.

"Is she coming tonight? To the bakery?" I ask curiously.

"What? Who are you talking about? My 'girlfriend'?" his voice is full of sarcasm as he pronounces the last word.

"Ye—well, I don't know. I mean…" I sigh. I reply without looking in his eyes. I'm afraid that now there is something for him to find in my own, even if I don't know what this means. "Claire," I whisper the name I've decided to dislike.

The terrible silence which follows makes me feel really uncomfortable. I look up to see his face-if not meet his eyes-and watch him stare at me as if I'm some sort of alien; a muttation. Moments later, though, he bursts into laughing.

His reaction is completely opposed to what I was expecting him to do. I am truly taken aback.

"Why are you laughing?" I ask in a weak voice, feeling the heat return to my face. Now, though, it's for a whole different reason. I'm not angry but embarrassed.

Why is he laughing? What have I done?

Tyler can be considered my savior for the umpteenth time. He approaches us and stops in front of Peeta to shoot him a weird-almost concerned-glance.

"Having fun?" he asks as Peeta tries to calm himself. When neither of us answers, he moves to the next question. "What's with him?" he says, obviously talking to me. I shrug. The shame I have been feeling is almost gone now.

"She thought…" Peeta shakes his head and chuckles. "Claire…my girlfriend…" he replies while taking deep breaths. Tyler seems to fight with his thoughts for a little bit when the meaning of Peeta's words becomes comprehensible to him. I wish I could say the same.

"Our Claire?" Tyler infers but Peeta is already walking away, laughing by himself. Then, he turns to face me with a faint smirk on his lips.

"What was that about?" he wants to know. I give him a confused look and press my lips together.

"I wish I knew…" I trail off. "Where's Prim?" I ask to change the topic. He shrugs.

"Probably in your room," he answers. I give him a curt nod and make a move to leave for once more, when he speaks.

"You do realize that Claire is our six-year-old cousin, right?" he tells me. I try my hardest not to let my eyes grow large, gulp, bite my bottom lip or any other movement that will assure him my nervousness.

Alright. Now I do have every reason to feel stupid.


"Yeah, I'll come later," I tell her nonchalantly. Prim frowns and closes my book so that I will look at her.

"Katniss. Please? Haven't you heard the doorbell?" she asks.

"Yes, Prim, I have. That's the problem. I don't like showing up when people come to visit. Even if it is just for ten minutes. I can't stand them looking at me like that," I explain.

"What if you like them? Why don't you come to take a look?" she suggests hopefully. I sigh.

"Alright." Her face lights up. "Later," I add afterwards. She folds her arm to her chest, a gesture Prim avoids making.

"Okay. You can stay here. However, I will go back to our visitors. They won't stay for long, anyway. They are tired from their trip. They came from District Two minutes ago. Andthey wanted to see us before they went to their old home, in the Seam. They—" She doesn't need to say anything else because I already know who she is talking about. I'm out of the room before she has the chance to say anything else.

I run downstairs, ignoring the fact that I'm barefoot and the floor is icy cold. I almost lose my balance and fall off the stairs.

"Gale!" I call by the moment I've seen him standing with his family in the hallway and rush to go into his arms as he opens them wide and welcomes me eagerly. He squeezes me in his embrace and, then, places his hands on either side of my waist to steady me. I'm finally forced to take my arms from around his neck.

"Hello to you, too, Catnip," he tells me with his all too familiar smirk. I suddenly remember that there are more people in here. I welcome also Vick, Posy and Hazelle with a hug. Rory complains a bit but lets me ruffle his dark hair anyway.

"Would you like to sit for a while? Have something to drink or eat?" Dorian offers, gesturing towards the living room. Hazelle declines his request kindly enough, claiming that they need to go home soon. Finally, though, they end up joining my mother and Dorian in the place where they were sitting before. Prim drags the other three upstairs, mocking them for being so 'bashful'. I understand that feeling. A year ago, if someone told me I would be living in a house like that, I would laugh at them.

I take Gale's hand and lead him to the kitchen, since I know there's no way he's going anywhere near the rest of the rooms. Peeta's there, too.

"Oh…uh…sorry…do you want me to go?" he asks. He receives a weird look from Gale and a smile from me.

"No, no, stay here," I tell him. Gale looks from him to me and visa versa with an even more puzzled expression.

"I thought it was your home…?" Gale speaks.

"It was—it is. But I thought that, maybe, if you wanted some privacy…I could give it to you," Peeta explains.

"Privacy? We will have plenty of that in the woods, right, Catnip?" he asks and winks at me. I feel my face heat up as I catch Peeta staring with that look. The look that means something and makes me uncomfortable. I gulp and decide to change the topic.

"Oh…I almost forgot. Peeta, this is Gale. Gale, this is Peeta," I say and take their arms, forcing them to shake hands.

"Nice to meet you," Peeta says, finding his old self for once more. Gale gives him a knowing nod. "Sit," he offers afterwards. Soon enough, we're all sitting around the kitchen table. Gale is the one to break the awkward silence among us.

"So…how is my favorite Catnip doing? Is she causing trouble? You should know, she can be really crazy and stubborn sometimes."

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm familiar with the fact," Peeta replies with a smile. I let out a sound of disbelief.

"Hey!" I protest. They both give me amused looks. Gale takes my braid in his fingers and twirls it. I push him away.

"I was just kidding, Everdeen. Chill," he says.

"Yeah, whatever…" I tell him in a humorous tone while rolling my eyes. A pregnant pause follows. I clench my fists and keep my gaze on them. If I look up, I will undoubtedly meet a pair of bright blue eyes and I can't bring myself to do it right now. Instead, I only answer some brief questions Gale asks (I know he can't be open enough in front of Peeta) and wait until it is time for the Hawthornes to leave for the Seam.

"Katniss? Will you come tonight?" Gale wonders. Tonight is the party in the bakery. I bite my lip, considering my response.

"I…uhm…" I start but Peeta is there to ease the whole situation.

"Actually, Katniss is coming to celebrate the Christmas Eve with us. Would you like to accompany us?" he offers. I can see the uneasiness all over Gale's face, so I try to get him out of it.

"Look, Gale, I know you're tired. I could probably come to visit tomorrow. Are you okay with this?" he nods in approval.

"We could go to hunt. I haven't done that in a long time," he admits with a thoughtful expression.

"Me neither."

"So…see you at seven in our meeting place?" he suggests.

"Seven?" I exclaim incredulously. He gives me a sly smile.

"Old habits die hard, Catnip. Besides, it's Christmas tomorrow. You can't be away from your fam—your house for too long," he corrects himself just in time, making me save my glare for later.

I sigh. "Yeah, right," I breathe and walk with him towards the hallway so that I will bid them farewell. At least temporarily.


I can't quite recall when it started happening but Peeta and I are alone in the room where he paints again. For some unknown reason I feel better when I'm here, with him, than when I'm in my room, on my own. I can easily indulge in the silence between us. I often find myself being really thankful he knows exactly when to talk or when not to. He somehow knows that there are some times I need to remain silent. There are some times when I don't appreciate other people's help, no matter who they are. I need to fight my demons on my own-from the most unimportant, like how I will handle Cato's annoying comments, to the most significant, like whether I have to think of my father while being happy. However, there are also those other times, when Peeta helps me. Every look or smile he gives me reassures me that I deserve to be satisfied with my life, too even if I don't always believe it.

Today is different. He's not painting. Instead, he's sitting on a chair, drawing something on a sketch block. I haven't seen that one before and I'm more than certain that I have no right to. This doesn't exactly stop me from being curious, though. Thus, I break the unspoken rule there's between us-the one that requires no talking-and speak.

"What are you drawing?" It takes him some seconds to realize I'm actually talking to him. He looks up surprised, taking in the sight of me growing-probably-less and less patient as the time starts ticking away.

"Nothing special," he replies when he recovers. "I'll show it to you if you want to. But not now. It's not ready yet," he adds as if reading my mind. I almost immediately nod in agreement and shift on the long piano stool so that I will face the musical instrument. I still haven't heard Tyler play. I frown at the thought.

I suddenly place both of my palms on the keyboard which makes an awfully annoying sound. It pierces my ears. I let out a heavy sigh before running my index finger over the keys. At least this one rings better.

Peeta chuckles from behind me. I turn around to shoot him an accusing glance. "What?" I say.

He only shakes his head. "Nothing. You're just doing…a wonderful job, that's all," he replies, never taking his eyes off his creation. There's no sarcasm in his voice but it's obvious he's making fun of me.

"Well, why don't you come and try it if you think you're better?" He lifts his head ever so slightly to meet my eyes.

"Is that a challenge?" he says, raising an eyebrow afterwards. I don't answer. I just sit here, chewing on my bottom lip. He, soon enough, receives a weird look, since he places his block on the chair and approaches me. When he eyes me, I understand he wants me to make room for him so that he will be able to sit beside me. He moves one hand to the keyboard and surprises me by using his four last fingers to create a simple but also nice melody. I avert my gaze from his fingers to his face. His lips curl to form a smirk as if knowing I'm looking at him open-mouthed. I make a grimace. Moments later, he also brings his second hand to the piano. His fingers dance for a little bit more, when he suddenly stops.

"That's not fair. You knew what you were doing," I say. He gives me a goofy grin in return.

"That's the easiest of the three songs Tyler showed me. I don't remember what goes next, though. It was a long time ago," he tells me. I smile. I have also tried to teach Prim things I used to do in the woods with Gale. She could never really stand killing an animal or see it killed by me. She always wanted to heal it afterwards.

My breath literally catches in my throat as I feel Peeta's arm circle my back and arms from behind. He comes closer and covers the back of my palms with his own larger hands.

"It's not that hard," he explains. I wonder if he can hear my heartbeat from where he is. I don't reply since I don't exactly trust myself with words right now. "Not like this," he adds and takes the tips of my fingers in his own to show me how I should have them while playing. I don't pay attention. I focus on his soft breathing, trying to steady my own, too.

This is ridiculous. I can't feel like that. I shouldn't feel like that. The fact that my step brother (I have to remind myself quite often that he will be my family in the end, whether I like it or not) is the only one who manages to give me this awful feeling. The one I haven't experienced before. It scares me.

This time Tyler is not here to save me. Peeta does it himself, though. There is this discomfort I rarely spot in his voice. He must have realized that he can't keep going. He slowly pulls away and takes a look at the clock hanging on the wall. I mentally slap myself for missing the warmth of his body.

"It is a bit late. I could show you some other time. Maybe we have to start getting ready," he tells me. I swallow and rush to nod. "We are going to take Claire first, alright? She always came to the party because her parents came, too, but this time dad gave us the bakery she won't be able to stay for long."

"Okay…" I answer and stand from where I'm sitting.

"Katniss?" Peeta calls.

"Yes?"

"You don't need to do as they say, you know." He notices my troubled expression, so he makes himself clearer. "You don't need to wear a dress to feel comfortable. The bakery is also yours; you have the right to do what you like." He's apparently talking about my mother and sister. They were the ones who insisted I wear a dress. I want to thank him for considering his place mine, for not judging me, for understanding me. Instead, I simply blink.

He exits the room before I have the chance to feel uneasy.


The door opens to reveal a blonde woman of medium height. Her blue eyes light up almost immediately, from the moment she sees Peeta standing beside me. She seems a bit surprised, though.

"Peeta! Don't tell me she's called you again!" she exclaims. Peeta smiles as a reply. "Oh…I'm really sorry…I have told her not to…" she says in an apologetic tone.

"It's alright. I haven't seen her in a long time, anyway. I don't think a brief visit will hurt." She nods.

"Come in," she offers and steps aside. Peeta walks inside. She takes a look at me. "Come in! You're a friend of Peeta, am I right?" she asks. Peeta gets out again and extends his hand.

"She's Katniss," he explains, while waiting for me to take it and follow him in the house. I do.

"Oh. I didn't know. I'm Eirene," she introduces herself. I nod.

"Claire! Claire, come here!" she calls. "Wyatt is not home right now," she tells Peeta. When Eirene goes to bring her daughter, Peeta leans closer and explains me it's Dorian's younger sister, while Wyatt is her husband.

"Peeta! Peeta!" a little girl-I assume that's Claire-runs towards us and wraps her small arms around Peeta's waist. He laughs and kneels to come to her level.

"Hey there, Miss," he greets her and ruffles her dirty blonde hair that falls to her shoulders.

"You came!" she says in excitement and receives another hug from him.

"How could I not? I had promised, remember? I always keep my promises," he replies. She keeps her head down and nods hesitantly. "Nice. Now, say hello to Katniss," he tells her and takes my hand dragging me closer, while supporting Claire's back with his other palm. I let out an unexpected gasp and try my hardest to give her a sweet smile.

"Hello, Katniss," she says with a grin. "She looks beautiful," she states out loud and looks at Peeta for confirmation. I want to take this step backwards so badly right now. Even though I don't like compliments, I stay where I am.

"She does," he tells her without looking at me or asking for my permission. Claire's expression is now thoughtful.

"Is she your girlfriend?" she suddenly asks. Peeta instantly lets go of my hand and I can finally take that step towards the other direction. He avoids my gaze and laughs nervously.

"No, Claire, Katniss is my…she's…" he trails off.

Just say it…

"She's your new cousin," he eventually saves it. I breathe a sigh of relief. Safe enough. Better than 'my sister'.

"My new cousin?" she wonders and glances at me to examine me. "I like your hair," she admits and I try not to blush due to a child.

"Uh…thanks," I say. Peeta keeps asking her questions that have to do with how she spends her time or how school goes. At some point he has to interrupt his conversation with her to assure Eirene we don't need anything to drink or eat. We still follow her in their living room, though.

The more he talks with Claire, the more attached I feel to him. It is undeniably creepy how well he goes with her. He is beyond the line of perfection. The warm feeling, this stirring inside me, follows its way from my stomach to my heart and knocks the breath out of me for once more. It is so horrifying, yet so addicting.

The final blow is that affectionate kiss he places on the flawless skin of her small nose. The adoration in his eyes as well as the appreciation in hers make it so much difficult for me to block the image. The one coming and flooding my mind with forbidden thoughts and emotions.

A girl with ashy blonde hair like his, bright blue eyes like his, smelling of cinnamon and fresh bread like him, painting, drawing, getting straight "A"s, making cookies and decorating cakes. The idea of this stops being appropriate when more details are added. Because the girl has her hair in a braid. She's stubborn, she hunts and refuses to wear dresses. Like me.

The room starts spinning. The atmosphere is suffocating. My head is suddenly killing me. I feel sick. I am sick. I cannot allow random images like that invade my thoughts, not even my most private ones.

Peeta's eyes move to my face and I hold onto the couch for dear life. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Katniss? Are you feeling alright? You look…pale," Peeta says in a concerned voice. I can't even bring myself to nod. I need to get out of here. He returns his attention to his cousin. "Claire, we're really glad for seeing you. We need to go now, though, alright?" he says and stands up.

"So soon?" she complains.

"I'll see you some other time. I hope you understand that—"

"—I will find only big kids who are not in my age," she says in a bored voice and rolls her eyes, making him smile again.

"I love you," he tells her.

"Don't we all love me?" she replies with a mischievous smirk. I can't stand it anymore. I have to get out of here. I stand up, almost jumping from the couch.

"Katniss?"

"I need to go. I need air," I demand. There's no point is saying anything else. Peeta leads me outside with Claire following from behind us. I feel like crying. And I do not cry.

"I have to get somewhere first. You should go to the bakery. I will…I'll see you there," I tell Peeta and he stares at me without being able to say a word. I exploit the fact and start running. I'm not heading for my new home. I can't go back in there. I know where I have to go. I know who will listen to me, who will understand me. I don't need to have a clear mind to find my way there. My feet move on their own account. The lead me to the Seam.

I stop moving as I hear the sound I haven't heard for so long; wood chopping. It is coming from the backyard. There are no second thoughts as I walk towards it, my steps more timid this time. It is comforting and-in some way-nice. It reminds me of my older routines and habits.

He's there. I knew he would be. I am too selfish to feel sorry for the convenience of the situation. The fact that Gale's family is in the house makes it even easier for me to tell him.

Tell him what? How I feel? Why I feel like that? I don't even know the answer to those questions!

I watch as his arms swing back with the axe and then swing down to chop the wood. He splits it into two uneven pieces and takes each of them to repeat his actions. He keeps going this way for some more minutes that seem like an eternity to me.

And then the inevitable happens; he notices me standing here, several feet in front of him. He lets out a long breath and drops the axe awkwardly to the ground. He doesn't even call my name. He examines me first. He takes in the sight of me, measuring my reaction. Seconds later he gives me one of his knowing looks; the one meaning that something is definitely wrong.

He follows my gaze which travels from him to the wood.

"It is for the fireplace. It's quite cold, isn't it?" he breaks the silence as he slowly, but carefully, approaches me. I know him long enough to understand that he's not telling me this to excuse what he's been doing. He only wants to break the ice, help me let my guards down. He's trying to make me feel comfortable fpr once more. But then again…he has been away for half a year. Half a year is a long time. There are some pieces he won't be able to put together, if I don't open up. That's the real problem. I don't want to open up.

Why am I even here? How will something that has to do with Peeta help me by coming to see Gale?

"Catnip?" he calls in an unsure voice as if talking to a hurt animal. I wonder what I look like. I wonder what makes him afraid of asking the question. This doesn't mean it doesn't come moments later, though. "Katniss, what happened?" he wants to know. I shake my head as a reply. I don't expect him to find the meaning of something I haven't even interpreted.

Before I have the chance to register it, his arms wrap cautiously around me. I return the hug right after I recover.

"What is it? Shouldn't you be—" I take handfuls of his shirt in my fists to stop him from saying the word 'bakery'. However, I realize that my response is even more thoughtless. He gets the message faster than I'd like him to.

"Did something happen with the Mellarks? Katniss? Katniss, I'm talking to you," he demands. I bury my face in his chest. I can and can't hear his next questions at the same time. I hear his voice but don't pay attention to his words.

I'm scared.

I'm scared that nobody besides Peeta will be able to give me this ridiculous feeling, this mixture of confusion, longing and happiness. I want Gale to give me this feeling. I want it so badly that I completely ignore my mind screaming at me to back off. Instead, I disobey each order it gives me. It tells me not to pull away but I do. It tells me not to stand on the tips of my toes but I do. And, finally, it tells me that leaning closer and pressing my lips against his is absurd. But I neglect its wishes again. And that makes me even more scared.

Gale is too shocked to react. He's too astounded to kiss me back or push me away. He only lets me have my moment before he comes to his senses again. He gently cups my shoulders and makes me move backwards, holding me in place.

"I have a girlfriend." The statement makes me look down in shame. I have just kissed my best friend.

What's wrong with me?

"Hey. Hey, Katniss, what's wrong?" He sounds worried. He's already aware I never did this because I feel that way about him. His friendly and concerned tone makes it obvious. I clasp my hands to my mouth.

"What happened? Did the baker do something? Or his sons?" he guesses. I force my eyes shut. He knows I came here for comfort. He knows there was another meaning behind my actions. I only wish I knew more things about myself, too.

I drop my hands to my sides and open my eyes. They don't meet his, though. I have already turned to the other direction. I have already starting running again.

He doesn't run after me. He doesn't make any efforts to catch up with me. He doesn't ask me to explain. Then, realization hits me. He's not the same Gale anymore. I'm not the same Katniss anymore. The missing pieces are much more than I could ever imagine. This is where our understanding stops. He doesn't know anymore.


Am I really doing this? Am I really waiting for her to answer? I never thought of considering her request. I'm not only considering right now, I'm also accepting.

"Hello?" the voice full of eagerness finally comes from the other end of the line.

"Uh…hello…" I reply.

"Who is it?" The willingness fades as confusion and curiosity replace it.

"It's…Katniss."

"Katniss! Really? It's me; Zoe!" she exclaims. I don't blame her for being so surprised. My decision startled even me. "Did you need anything in particular?" she adds.

How difficult can wearing a dress be?

This is the single thought crossing my mind just before the moment I part my lips to tell her. Because I do need something in particular.


A/N: And now you can tell me how the chapter was:)