Hellooo folks! Yes, I agree, my fanfiction sucks, but it's fun to write! So I must thank you all for reading till now Enjoy this :D Also, I'd LOVE some constructive criticism; I myself feel that my writing is going downhill, so any thoughts, please share.

Also, for those sappy romance fans like me, watch Lovestruck: The Musical. I love the songs 3

X

Haymitch was just lying in the bed, tubes connected to his veins and a white bandage around his head. The three of us were spread out around Haymitch's hospital room; Effie was sitting on the sofa-cum-bed, Peeta stayed in what I believe is his default position: leaning on the door with arms crossed. And I stood by Haymitch's side. He is still unconscious, like the reception lady said. I look at his face, which has obviously been shaved by some nurse who couldn't stand his unkempt appearance. We're all silent, except for Effie, who every few minutes says "Really tragic". At least there's some humanity trapped under that ridiculous corset.

I sigh. I feel really bad about those things I said the last time I spoke to him. Why did I have to be such a fool? I pause my thoughts. That's something Haymitch would say to me. I squeeze one of my wrists really tightly. I break the silence.

"I didn't even get to say…" I trailed off, afraid I was going to cry if I went on. My voice was already quivering.

"Shut up, Katniss", Peeta growls, causing me and Effie to whip our heads in his direction. That hurt a little bit. Effie certainly thought it was rude.

"Now, Peeta, there's no need to get snappy with-" She is cut off by Peeta.

"She's talking as if Haymitch is never gonna wake up! But he is, and he is going to be up and about by Regionals, if not Sectionals! So just shut the hell up, okay?" Peeta's breathing becomes labored. I nod, and then at Effie, to let her know that it's okay. I look back at Peeta, who has put his hands in his pockets and is staring at the ground. I look down at Haymitch and touch his fingers with mine. I sit on a small empty space on the bed beside him and put my hand over his. It's quite cold. I think about all the insults Haymitch has ever given me. That's when I realize that most of them aren't insults; they're Haymitch's way of telling me what I'm doing wrong. I sigh again. I am brought out of my thoughts when I hear the door close. I look up and see that Peeta isn't there anymore.

"I think he just needed some air", says Effie.

"I'm gonna go grab a bite at the cafeteria. Is that okay?" I ask her. She says yes, and even hands me a few bucks. I walk out and ask a bunch of people where the cafeteria is, and a minute later, I'm there. I scan the room and, not to my surprise, actually sight Peeta at a table, with a coffee in his hand. I realize he is just wearing a t-shirt and a jacket, whereas I've got a full-sleeve, and sweater and a scarf on. I feel cold just looking at him. I walk over to the coffee-counter, pay and take a small cup in my hands. It warms me all over, though. I walk through the crowded tables until I reach Peeta's. He has his eyes on the coffee, and he is stirring it with a spoon.

"Room for one more?" I ask, well aware of the three empty chairs around the table, though I still feel like I should ask. Peeta doesn't look up but he stops stirring.

"Yes", he replies. I sit in the chair right opposite him. He puts his head down on the table. I sip my coffee in silence. I think a little while about the biology of all of this. Is Haymitch sleeping, or trapped in unconsciousness? How much brain damage could he have suffered? Even if Peeta was right about him waking up at some point, would he still have his brain? Would he still be the same Haymitch? Because as much as we despise each other, I would really have no other version of him. He has grown on me. So has Peeta.

"Do you think he's dreaming right now?" I ask Peeta. He brings his head up and looks at his coffee. I am surprised he even answered my question.

"I don't know. I hope so." Peeta gulps his coffee, and then hisses at the burn he feels on his tongue.. We sit silently. I look at Peeta's hands. I remember that day, after our first performance, when he put one of them on my thigh. I shiver at the thought. I've stopped punishing myself for inappropriate thoughts, because I am absolutely sure that I find Peeta very attractive. I just wish we could talk about stuff, like normal people.

Like friends.

"This coffee sucks", says Peeta, coughing a bit. "I'm going to find a nicer place on this street." He puts his hands on the table to get himself up.

"Peeta, what about Effie? I don't know if she wants you to do that", I say, concerned. Effie might have a real problem if she comes here and he's gone.

"Right now, I really couldn't care. I just want a decent cup of coffee. I had the worst sleep of my life last night." He pushes his chair in and turns around to walk away. Then he stops, and faces me. "Well, are you coming or not?"

He surprised me with his invitation. But I desert my coffee on the table as I leave the cafeteria with Peeta. We walk through the pristine white and metallic halls of the hospital. When we reach the entrance, I realize something and I grab Peeta's arm to pull him back from opening the doors.

"What?" He asks, a little annoyed.

"The driver."

"Oh, right. He'll be suspicious if we're just wandering around. If he sees us, he'll probably cart us back to school."

"Or worse, Effie."

Peeta smiles when I say this. It is the first smile of his that I have seen in a long time. My heart warms.

"Okay, so let's take the side entrance." Peeta and I turn around walk back through those halls, and two minutes later, we are out of the hospital. We walk down the street, and luckily find a nice coffee place. The inside is mostly brown, with purple couches and green chairs. There are many photos of famous people on the wall. It is warm here, compared to the chilly winds of the outside. I feel like it'll start snowing any day now. We pick our coffees, pay for them and sit at a small, round table in the middle of the café. Peeta and I watch the TV. There's a football game going on, but I don't think either of us is interested in it. I see Peeta blowing on his coffee, to cool it. This is the first time that I notice the dark circles under his eyes. He looks very fatigued.

Suddenly, I notice a few people approaching our table. I knew that they were meaning to talk to us, because one of the girls was looking me straight in the eye as she walked over. There's four of them, two girls and two boys, very posh-looking. They're all wearing some uniform. There's one boy catching my eye: he's quite stunning. He has these dark-brown eyes and dirty-blonde hair. He's got wide shoulders too. I glance at his blazer pocket. It has a golden 'P' on it. All of them stand around our table.

"Katniss Everdeen?" One of the girls asks. She has auburn hair down her back, in ringlets. Peeta turns a bit to look at them.

"Yes…and you are?" I ask. The brown-eyed boy moves to my side and holds his hand out.

"Cato. We've seen you on TV, you know, your admissions into the AMG. Pleasure to meet you", he says. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't feel good shaking his large hand. He was so much warmer than me. "This is Blight, Enobaria and Tigris." He gestures to the others, who shake my hand too. I smile. I look over to Peeta, who has been silently observing this exchange. "We aren't interrupting anything, are we?" Cato asks, pointedly.

"No, no, of course not. This is Peeta."

He shakes hands with Cato and smiles. One of the girls, I think Tigris, yelps.

"Peeta Mellark? Oh, we've seen you on TV too! Gosh, I can't believe we're meeting you both! How exciting!" She gushes. She reminds me of Cashmere. "Blight, take a picture from my camera! This is great!" She hands Blight a small, pink camera from her pocket. She pulls Enobaria to her side and they stand behind Peeta and pose like silly girls. Tigris even has the gall to kiss his cheek and take a 'selfie' with the camera. I tap my foot. "Sorry, I've just always wanted to do that, hope it was okay!"

I could pinch her for that giggly tone.

Peeta laughs a bit. "Yeah, it's okay. Are you guys from around here?" He asks.

"Well, we're all living and studying here", Blight says.

"Where?" I ask. If they do indeed go to school here, why are they here?

"Paylor's Dream Choir. You must have heard of it", Cato says. Okay, total game-changer. He looks into my eyes, making me feel vulnerable. Sort of like how I feel with Peeta, sometimes.

"We have, actually. Nice to finally meet our competition for Regionals", Peeta says, without any indication of fear. He actually sounds confident.

"That is, if you win your Sectionals. We know we'll win ours", Blight says, staring him down, I think. Peeta looks back up at him and smiles. I know that smile very well. It means that Peeta doesn't like Blight very much.

Another point for Detective Katniss.

"Well, we better go. Our recess is almost up. Nice to meet you, Katniss. And Peeta. Perhaps we'll run into each other again?" Cato says. I am suddenly aware that he has been standing right behind my chair, and he glides his hand down my shoulder; a friendly gesture, perhaps. I almost tremble at his touch. Who is this guy, and why am I such a sucker for him?

Peeta clears his throat. "Perhaps", he says. He nods at them. They make their way to the door.

"Bye Peeta!" Tigris says. Then she flounces off with her group. I watch the door close. Peeta scoffs loudly across me.

"What?" I ask.

"Those jerks. Did you hear that guy? "We know we'll win ours". Like, who do they think they are?" Peeta says. I have to suppress a laugh. It sounds like Peeta's nervous about them. I talk with pleasant tone.

"Peeta, are you seriously letting them get to you? We don't have to worry about them til-" I stop myself, because Peeta grasps my wrists on the table. I have always kept my reactions minimal, but this one surprises me so much, I can't help but gasp a little. Thankfully, I don't think Peeta heard me.

"Not me. You. You're letting them get to you", he says, still holding my wrists in front of him on the table. I am shocked by what he says. Me? What did I say? I'm not letting them get to me.

"I'm not letting them get to me", I say, strongly, and then, regretfully, I pull my hands away from him and glue them onto my coffee. He raises his eyebrows.

"Did you see the way you were acting with that tall dude? Did you see how he was manipulating you?" Peeta hisses. I almost blush. It's true, I was not quite myself in those few minutes. But what was Peeta implying exactly? My anger makes me act out a bit.

"You mean like how you used to? Manipulate me, I mean?" I bark. Peeta was dumbstruck, for the first time ever. I remain upright, drinking my coffee without a care.

"Remember who the real enemy is, Katniss." He sips his coffee and turns his chair away from me. I am so sick of Peeta. One minute he's hot, the other he's cold. I am sick of these fights, too. I don't want to sit around with him anymore.

"Let's go back to the hospital. Effie'll be worried", I say, calmly. Peeta nods, tiredly. We get up, push in our chairs, and then walk out of the place. As we're walking, I notice that the wind has gotten chillier. I wrap my arms around myself and stamp my feet a few times.

And that's when Peeta's playful grin returns. The smirky, smart-ass grin of his that I'd only last seen on him the first few nights in the kitchen.

We walk the rest of the way in silence, and before we know it, we're back in the canteen. We spot Effie, who looks very out of place with her ridiculous hat. Peeta hollered for her. Effie turned around and looked both glad and angry to see us. She makes her way through the crowd of tables and chairs, stumbling twice, and then tittering in her heels all the way to us. Throughout this time, Peeta and I were laughing, but we stopped as soon as Effie came up to us.

"Where did you two run off to?! What were you thinking?! That I would just wait up there for you two to travel the city and take your time in returning? No manners! Terrible, just terrible!" She squawks, waving a very angry finger at us. I could only remain silent, because if I didn't, I'd let out the laughter I was tightly suppressing. I look over to Peeta, and he seems to be doing the same. Though, he gains enough composure to apologize, and I nod to confirm my apologies. Effie was huffy all the same. "Now look, it's close to 12. I say we have lunch at a proper establishment around here, and go back after. You can never get enough of this spectacular city, right?" Effie had regained the twinkle in her eye, the sunny smile on her face. I groan internally. I just want to go back to the school, which, I would say, is almost like home to me now. It certainly is cozier.

X

I will never have lunch with Effie ever again. She feels the need to rub in my face, unintentionally, that I have lived in the most wretched place on this goddamn planet, and that if I lived in the Capitol prior to my eleventh grade education, I would have grown up a cultured and sophisticated lady. She never really harped on Peeta; she just acts as if he was a poor prince who was forced to live around the horrific Seam. She isn't mean, but a bit oblivious. Anyway, after that painful meal and painful ride back home, it started snowing. As soon as we reached the AMG gates, a few snowflakes greeted us on the car windshield. They were wiped away. As the car entered, I pressed my hand to the window, which I found to be freezing. The car reached the doors, and when we got out, I regretted it. It was so cold. I rubbed my own arms, and Peeta blew on his hands and rubbed them together. We all hurried into the safe, warm embrace of the lobby. Fulvia Cardew was behind the desk, and she made inquiries about Haymitch. I'd told her he hadn't woken up, but hopefully will. She nodded, and told me I should take the day to relax.

So here I am, in my room, listening to music. It's either that or sitting in my favorite tree outside, and considering the cold, I think it's a safe bet that I'd choose the former on any occasion in this miserable weather.

It's about 1:15. This means Johanna and the others must be at the Music room. Studies haven't ceased for the day, it seems. I avoid thinking of Haymitch, because it just bums me out. I sit up on my bed, and I think positively. Maybe he will wake up, and be exactly the same. I smile. My ability to think optimistically has been long stunted by my father's death. At the Academy, however, I cannot stop myself from looking at the bright side of things. Yet another thing I have to be thankful for towards this place.

I have started thinking more and more about Peeta. I know, it's unnatural, but I can't help it. Every day, I feel myself being more and more attracted to him. His soft, blonde hair, his snarky eyebrows, his playful smile, his dimples.

His eyes.

Those blue, mischievous eyes that can hide everything, or give away all his deep thoughts. My feelings for Peeta are growing stronger every day, and I know it's bad, because if Johanna finds out that I harbor these feelings, or any feelings towards him, she'll have my head. Her wrath has no bounds, as has been illustrated many a time in the girl's locker room, dining room and hallways on various subjects. She spares no one. Everyone is scared of her. She was nice to me last night, but I'm not going to fall for it. She'll make my life a living hell; she even warned me that one time on the train, when I hung out with the Jackers. It may even be enough to drive me out of the competitive vocalist group. And then, this school.

I realize that I require more sleep, because my head suddenly feels heavier. I turn my iPod off, slip it into my desk, turn over on my bed and doze off.

X

I am woken up by Johanna a few hours later. Well, Johanna and Cashmere. They burst into the room with a great noise; and if that isn't enough, they begin yelling at each other, right inside the room.

"If you think I'm going to keep taking your shit, you've got another thing coming!" Cashmere yells. Her scent is so strong, it reaches me. It is fragrant, too fragrant, in fact.

"The term is "another think coming". And frankly, you can fuck off. You can start by getting your fat, dumb ass out of my room. In case you haven't noticed, Katniss is trying to sleep after that horrible, horrible incident!" Johanna yells back. Hah, as if you would think twice about throwing me out on my ass once you really knew what I thought of Peeta. I remain silent, but Cashmere continues to argue; something about Johanna taking over the project. Cashmere is probably right about that: I mean, I know firsthand how bossy Johanna gets when we prepare. And secretly, I'm on Cashmere's side. I keep my mouth shut but try and tune them out. If I get up, I'll get dragged into this little tussle. To be honest, I could care less about how much I get to sing. I just need to survive here.

Wait.

That's not what Haymitch is training me for. I mean, he's probably working hard for us (not that I've seen any proof), and I'm lying around like I don't even deserve to be here. My body snaps up, and the two girls stop bickering long enough to watch me walk up to them, then they continue.

"Stop. What's the problem?" I ask, all harsh and serious. Johanna seems a bit taken aback, but she gives a composed answer.

"Nothing. Cashmere's getting too big for her boots and asking for a bigger part of the song, when I divided it pretty fairly-" I don't let her finish.

"Take it. The entire first verse is yours, if you split it with Rue", I say. I stand tall with confidence, avoid Johanna's glare and look squarely in Cashmere's face, as she ponders over my compromise. She confirms her answer with a sickly smile.

"Deal! Thanks, Katniss!" She exclaims, reaching over to hug me. I accept it, and then she struts out of our room. I walk to my closet, looking over a bunch of clothes. All this while, I am aware of Johanna's stare. I hear her walking to me.

"What did you do that for, Katniss?" she asks from behind me, obviously calmer than she really was. I was going to keep my cool, and not let on that I was pretty scared.

"I just solved a problem, that's all. Now, Cashmere and Rue have the first verse, Delly and Annie can take the second one and the two of us can have the bridge. Everyone does the chorus, and the ooh's and aah's. So, I guess you could, I don't know, thank me?" I say, now with a sweeter tone.

Johanna didn't think so. In fact, that's the last time I will try and handle something that has anything to do with Johanna. She clutches my forearm so tightly, I have to turn around.

"Stop all this talking back and acting like you're all that. What is wrong with you?" she says. I raise my eyebrows at her. "I'm not going to go easy on you, even if Haymitch is a vegetable."

It takes all the physical and mental strength in me to keep from punching her. See how quick she changes her stance? Last night she was nice, today she's back to being a bitch.

I look away from her. "Don't you have any compassion?" I ask, through gritted teeth. No one, not even bullies like Johanna, should be able to make light of Haymitch's situation. She smirks. Then she leans closer.

"Not for traitors. We are supposed to against the Jackers; Cinna himself said so to everybody. There has to be competition, or how is this school going to win its rep back? It paints a pretty picture for us, but we all know that we're way behind PDC", Johanna says, quite matter-of-factly. "We need to be the better group, so that we can lead this school to its victory."

"So?" I ask. I know, not the most elaborate response, but what else could I say? I am a traitor, but not in the way she believes.

"So, Katniss, why don't you run along now and tell Cashmere that she is not getting the entire first verse like she was promised. Apologize on my behalf, but tell her you were not in your right mind when you said it. Clear?"

"Crystal, captain", I say, mockingly. Johanna catches that, and gives me a sharp retort.

"Is that enough compassion for you?" She doesn't wait for a reply. She just walks into the bathroom. I check my watch. 5:35. Then I get out of there to find Cashmere.

I've been looking for Cashmere for ten minutes, when I suddenly spot her in one of the hallways. She's talking to Gloss, or rather, it looks like she's arguing with him. I walk up to her and tap her on the shoulder. She turns and her face lights up. She totally ignores Gloss as she turns her attention.

"Katniss! Aah, what's up? Listen, I have to apologize for what I said to you the first time I spoke to you, honest mistake, 'kay?" she says. I think for a bit, then remember that comment she made about me and Rue in the auditorium.

"No problem!" I answer, and before I can say more, she blabbers on.

"Also, thanks for handling that issue with Johanna. She's such a big bossy-boots." She gives me a genuine smile when she says this. I smile back. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Gloss observing this exchange.

"About that, listen, Johanna wanted me to come and tell you something personally", I say. She looks worried and mouths 'go on'. "She wants you to take her part in the bridge as well. So you get to sing two parts."

Cashmere raises her eyebrows, but doesn't question my white lie. "Really? That's amazing! Go Johanna!" She laughs. "This is great. I feel so bad at yelling at her now."

"Don't", I reassure her. I look to the side and see that Gloss is no longer there. Must have left when he realized we weren't talking about him.

I walk around for a bit when I run into Marvel. We talk for a while. I find out a lot of things about his relationship with Thresh. He also tells me about his feelings.

"I don't want Thresh to be outed, but I really don't wanna be the only one facing the bullies at school. Does that make me selfish?" He asks.

I shake my head. "Nope, but maybe you should talk to Thresh about this. He may not be okay with you not telling him how you really feel. But that's just me", I reply. We've been sitting on this bench in the hall for a while. The carpeted floor is nice to skid my feet along as I swing them. Once or twice, people's stares on me have lingered a little longer than they should, as they walk by. Marvel is very good at shooting back nasty looks with me. We end our conversation on a light note, discussing favorite bands. Marvel is a huge Queen fan, which delights me to no end. I say goodbye, and start walking through the other halls.

I pass the principal's office, and Plutarch steps out. I nod my head in greeting. He bellows, "Hello, Katniss! How is Haymitch?" I inform him of his condition. "Oh, well, if he's the Haymitch we know, he'll bounce right back!" Plutarch's optimism is a bit too much for me, so I take his leave and walk on, as he retreats into his office.

As I am reaching the last few hallways, I am pulled back by my shoulder. I see Johanna. She looks really mad. Gloss stands by her side.

"Why did you tell Cashmere that she could have my part in the song?" she demands. Tattle-tale Gloss must have told her. She's so loud, a few people around us have gathered closer to observe this tussle. I stand tall. But before I can answer, she talks again. "My real question, 12, is have you lost your mind?" I notice that a crowd is starting to form around us. I realize that I don't know why I did it. I was just mad at her, I guess.

I sigh. "Look, Jo, I'm sorry, I was just mad-" but Johanna cuts me off.

"You're so fucking stupid, Everdeen. You did the exact opposite of what I asked you to do. I'm gonna cut you out of the singing. Have fun doing the oohs and aahs with Rue and Annie." This rubs me the wrong way. Usually I let Johanna subdue me, but not today. Not when she's exerting her power over two other people who sure as hell don't deserve it.

"No." With that one word that comes out of my mouth, Gloss gasps, and Johanna's jaw drops. Although there are many people around us, there is pin-drop silence. I flare my nostrils.

"What did you just say?" Johanna asked, softly. Great. Now I've done it. Prepare for self-destruction, because if I'm gonna go out, I'm gonna go out with a bang.

"I'm not going to do anything."

"What?"

"Are you deaf? I said, I'm not going to do anything", I say, enunciating. Johanna stares at me, as well as many others around us. Gloss looks amused. I know that if I have any sense, I should leave.

But I have to be here.

Johanna steps a little closer to me, and we're practically nose-to-nose.

"If you humiliate me here, you will regret it. I suggest you leave, before you make it worse", she threatens in low tones. I speak back loud enough for everyone to hear, for everyone to know that I was not scared of Johanna, and they shouldn't be either. I pause after each word.

"Bite me, bitch."

I have to say, I never saw that slap coming. I expected Johanna to stomp off, to hiss back another threat, to scream at me right there. I wouldn't have been surprised at even a small shove.

But that crushing blow she gave me, really threw me off and it was so powerful, I spun with it and landed on my side, the side that was already bruised by those other rowdy seniors. It's not an exaggeration when I say that I saw stars, I did. I tried to get up, but a pair of hands kept me down. A familiar scent hit me. Gloss. I could hear everyone around me, some wooting, some gasping, some clapping, some even encouraging me to fight back, but I was still too dazed to get up again. I can honestly say that I have never been slapped so hard. I see no one else around that can help me. I can see Johanna's face a little above mine as she says something to me, but I am deafened by the chorus of the other students to register the insults she is hurling. My ears are ringing, and I have never wanted to sleep more, but I can't, because there's so much noise and there's a heavy weight on me. Just as I feel like I'm going to pass out, that heavy weight is removed. Gloss has been pulled up from my body so quickly, I feel myself rise up, and then I fall back down. The stars have disappeared, and so has Johanna. I still feel dizzy, however. My line of sight follows the direction that everyone else's eyes follow, and I see Gloss against the wall, being held up by another blonde boy. Is that…is that Peeta?

I see this guy whisper something in Gloss's ear, before Gloss pushes this guy off himself, and then walks away. Then this guy turns around. It is Peeta. I hear someone telling everyone to clear out, and they do. That's when I finally sit up on my own, and rub my cheek. Peeta slips out from the moving throng of students and comes to my side.

"Are you alright?" Peeta asks. He moves his hand up to turn my face towards his direction, to inspect it.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just feel a little dizzy", I reply. Peeta looks around the room, as if checking for something. Then he turns to look at me. He inspects my cheek a little more closely. His eyebrows go up a bit, as if he's admiring it.

"This is some whack", he says in a tone that confirms that he is in awe of Johanna's bitch-slapping skills. I breathe out my nose aggressively, which causes Peeta to start laughing. He helps me up, and I allow it, even though all I want to do right now is push him off the roof of this building. Peeta squints at my face and laughs even louder. "Babe, it's like, red. Come on, let's go put some ice on it."

The only reason I didn't cringe when Peeta called me 'babe' this time, was because it was like Peeta had snapped out of his depression just to irritate me.

And I'm fine with that, if it means he starts acting like himself. Because let me tell you; even a few hours of a surly, non-chirpy and aggressive Peeta will have you begging for his alter ego of sarcasm, teasing and happiness. He leads me to the kitchen, where Rooba and the other chefs seem absorbed in whatever card game they were playing today. They all sat around the counter. One of them noticed us, and greeted us cheerfully.

"Oh, hello kids! What are you doing down here?" He asks. He's quite short. All the chefs turn to us and acknowledge us with a smile, before going back to their game. They all know us, because of how we'd frequent the kitchen to practice. The short chef walks up to us. He repeats his question.

Peeta, who is by my side, turns my face, so the chef can look. He hisses and scrunches up his face, as if it is too gruesome for him to even see.

"If we could bother you for some ice, that would be great", I said, swatting Peeta's hand away. The chef nods, pulling out some ice from the freezer. He finds a napkin, wraps the ice in it, and hands it to Peeta. I sit up on the counter, eyeing Peeta suspiciously while he held the napkin up to my cheek. He stares back at me, and keeps his other hand on the counter beside me.

I no longer know where we stand. Peeta and I.

I also do not care too much, it seems. I'm fine with us like this; not being too friendly, but looking out for each other. Because I know Peeta has my back. And thus, I will have his. I don't look away from Peeta's gaze. Instead, I rest my face in his palm, and I feel his other hand move closer to me on the counter.

After a minute of icing my cheek silently, he puts away the ice. I hop off the counter. I realize I am really close to Peeta; only a few inches. I find it to be the perfect moment to say, "You didn't need to do that."

He doesn't waver at all. Instead, he smiles a tiny bit, and says, "I know." Then he steps back, putting some distance between us. As we walk out, I look over my shoulder to see the chefs. They are still very engrossed in their game.

X

"Johanna, would you please just listen to other people for once?!" Delly screams, only to be heard and disregarded. Johanna continues to argue with Peeta, as they try to settle on an opening number for Sectionals. It's been over a week since the sing-off was judged, and the boys won, so technically, they should have been handed the privilege of choosing. But Johanna's need to control complicates everything. None of the girls are even backing her up; we're all just too tired now. It's only been twenty minutes into the music period, but it feels like it's been hours. Cinna is out today, so nobody's there to moderate us. I look at Peeta, and although I've tuned out the argument, I'm really hoping that he wins it. I yawn. I wish I could go up and go to sleep.

Haymitch still hasn't woken up from his coma. I visited him once again last week, and the doctors said that he was recovering a little too slowly. They don't know if he'll wake up, at this rate. I really do miss him. In fact, I think of visiting him today.

I get up from my seat, and walk across the room. Then I announce to Johanna, "Hey, I'm going to go see Haymitch, okay? His condition may have changed." I look at her with dismay, hoping she'll pity me enough to be okay with it. She looks at me, nods briefly, and then goes back to yelling at Peeta. Before I'm out the door, I hear someone say, "Wait!" I turn around, and discover that it is Peeta, who is now getting up from his chair.

"This is not over. We'll discuss this later", he says to Johanna, annoyed, waving a finger. Then he turns to me. "I'm coming." He walks his way around the chairs, and catches up with me as I walk down the hall. Our steps fall in-sync.

"Johanna's a bitch. Why the hell would you make her your leader?" Peeta asks me, rubbing the back of his neck, as if she had literally been a pain in his neck. Peeta's been very bearable this week, even amiable. Although we don't talk a lot, we don't get on each other's nerves either. He doesn't flinch when our hands brush, and neither do I.

"She wasn't like this, when I met her. Something's changed her, here", I reply, very matter-of-factly. I run a hand through my hair, which is growing thicker now, after years and years of undernourishment. "I mean, that slap really proved it." Peeta laughs. The swelling of my cheek was long gone, even the redness had faded a week ago, but it was still tender.

"Anyway, she should just give up. There's no way I'm settling for a song, when I clearly led the boys to victory." Aah, the arrogance is as refreshing as it was the first day I met him. But when I look at his face, I see a cheeky smile, as if he doesn't really mean it. I smile back.

We reach Plutarch's office, ask him for permission, borrow a few bucks for coffee and set off for the hospital.

X

The timing of it all was absurd, or at least, it was according to Peeta. I thought it was a happy coincidence, of course. We were back in the coffee shop that we checked out the first time the two of us ventured out of the hospital, after visiting Haymitch. His condition was improving so gradually, the doctors said that they wanted to pull the plug on him, but there was no family of his that they could consult.

Peeta expressed his views on that a little, um, too harshly, and thus, we were ushered out of there. I slapped him lightly, and he just sat outside the room, seething, until I suggested we come here. We sat down after placing the orders, talking about possible numbers for Sectionals, when our table was approached by a familiar face. I recognized him immediately.

"Cato!" I exclaimed, a little too cheerfully. He smiled at me, and then at Peeta.

"What a nice surprise, Katniss, and…" He seemed to have forgotten Peeta's name, so I volunteered it for him. Peeta shocks me with the sarcastic grin he throws Cato, who didn't seem to know that it's not genuine. He smiled back. "Of course, Peeta. May I join you both?" He asked. I nodded, as Peeta gave me an irritated look. What was his problem with Cato? He has been nothing but a gentleman. Cato pulled up a chair, and sat next to me.

"So, I heard you discussing numbers for Sectionals. What will your group go with?" Cato asked. I noticed that he was in his school uniform, just as we were.

"Actually, our group is such a mess-" I began to say, but stopped when I was kicked under the table, undoubtedly, by Peeta.

"They're great songs. That's all you need to know", he said to Cato, coldly. Cato waved it off it with a chuckle.

"Well, I'll respect your secrecy. Wouldn't want the set list leaked or something." Then he turned to me. "Katniss, could I talk to you about something?" He asked. I nodded. I didn't miss the look he gave Peeta, who got up, returning the scowl.

"I'll go get our coffees, babe", he said, before walking away. Cato looks as me quizzically.

"Are you and him a thing?" he asked. I shook my head so strongly, I thought it would snap off my head. Nevertheless, I blushed lightly.

"No, no. He just calls me that. I'm okay with it", I said. That's when I noticed that our knees were touching. I didn't pull away. Cato eyed me carefully, which made me feel vulnerable.

"But he likes you."

"No, no, believe me, he doesn't. It's just what he calls me, really, there's nothing." This is the truth, so I felt my cheeks cool a bit.

"I believe you. Now, listen, there's this little get-together I'm having at my school dorm, next Monday. And, I really want to invite you." I was surprised. Why would he want to invite me?

"Why?" I asked. What a stupid question. I should have just thanked him and said yes or no. I nearly gasped when he took one of my hands in his, and held it. My fingers tingled.

"I just have a good feeling about you. Even though we're technically in rival schools, I'd like to get to know you. It's just a few people, music and food. So. Will you come?" he asked, really holding me at gun-point. What was I supposed to say? I mean, it does sound kinda fun. But, I've never really gone for these things.

"Um. Okay", I said meekly. His face lit up, and he got up from his chair. I saw Peeta heading back to the table with our coffees. "So, see you there?"

"Can't wait. It's at three. Senior boys dorm. See you", Cato replied, with a smile on his face. Then he lifted the hand he was holding, and said, "May I?" I didn't know what he wanted to do with my hand, but before I could ask, he held it up to his lips. The feeling of his chapped lips pressing on my closed fingers literally made my knees into jelly, and I couldn't shake the feeling, even after he had left with a curt nod from Peeta, who had arrived at the table with the coffees. I stared at the back of my hand. Was it possible to feel this way about someone who I had just seen for the second time?

I sat back down, and sipped my coffee. After a few seconds of being in a daze, Peeta slammed his palm on the table to snap me out of it. His icy stare met mine. His blue eyes were intense.

"What?" I snapped at him, rudely.

"Are we really not going to discuss the last three minutes you spent fawning over that douchebag whispering sweet nothings into your ear?" he said, boring his eyes into mine. I tried to pretend I didn't notice that, but it was as if his eyes had a hold on mine.

"You don't know what you're talking about", I hissed back.

"Sure, that kiss was just friendly, right? What did he say to you?"

"None. Of your business."

"Ha! So it was something personal. Come on, babe, you holding out on me?" Peeta's taunting tone, combined with his teasing expression got to me. I know he was just trying to push my buttons, trying to get me to tell him. And I did. Bitterly, at that.

"He invited me for a party next Monday. At his dorm. I said yes. Now would you shut up?"

Peeta's expression went from mockery, to astonishment, to exasperation. He sat silently with his mouth slightly open, staring at me. Then he spoke.

"He goes to PDC. Why the hell would you say yes?" he asked, silently. I could be wrong, but I think Peeta was a little hurt. Yup, I'm definitely wrong. He isn't capable of feelings.

"He's not so bad, Peeta. If anything, he has been only nice, and you've been an ass." Peeta looked at me like I was the dumbest person on the planet. He let out a confused laugh.

"You cannot seriously be this blind. Katniss, he's playing you. If you, for a second, believe that he doesn't have an agenda, your brain's more jacked up than Haymitch's." He sipped his coffee. "You can't go for the party."

Peeta, as attractive as I may find him, could be the most despicable person in the world. "And who's gonna stop me?"

"You can't, Katniss. Not just because it's probably the highest form of betrayal in this school, but also because we need to practice for Sectionals", Peeta said, as he watched the football game on the TV screen.

"Huh?"

"You said it's next Monday? Well, that happens to be the day we have Sectionals. I assume he told you that this little party is in the afternoon?" I nod. Then Peeta's voice took on a heated tone. "See?! He's going to mess with you, to throw you off your game for the show at night!" I almost laughed at his paranoia. "You go for that party, and everyone is going to hate you. Not just the group, but the entire school. The teachers. Even Rooba and her friends will never let you back in the kitchen."

"What if I don't tell anybody?" I said. I was testing Peeta's loyalty. If I never told anyone, would he?

Peeta's answer had me torn.

"Then are you really the same Katniss Everdeen I met that night?"

X

Hi, folks! I have, err, terrible news, for those angels who love this story and have stayed committed to it, with me. I will not be updating for quite a while. I have this international competition to prepare for, and then, school exams. So, I'm really sorry, but it's not very likely that you'll see more chapters before...March. I'm not giving up on this story (I really won't), but it will be taking a hiatus. I'm really sorry, but I'll try my best to update anyway, maybe if I get time here and there.

If I can, I will submit an eighth chapter this month.

Thanks for your support, everyone, and I appreciate all those who took the time to review :) Again, I apologize for being such a shitty writer who can't update fast enough, but I cannot avoid my circumstances. Please don't give up on me! Love.