Part 10
As they made their way back across the grounds toward the street, Peeta was uncharacteristically quiet. Katniss was pondering what she could have done or said to cause this change when Peeta suddenly veered off the path, smiling and beckoning her to follow.
He leaned down near the base of a large tree where a hollow opening had been formed by nature. Katniss gasped when she saw that inside the hollow a tiny fairy land had been constructed. There was a tiny fairy door and tiny fairy windows with tiny little window boxes dotted with miniature flowers. It appeared as if the hollow was the entrance to an entire fairy world, just beyond the little wooden door.
Peeta leaned forward and used his finger to gently knock on the little wooden door, glancing at Katniss and widening his eyes as if he actually expected the door to open and fairies to greet them. After a moment he said, with a completely straight face, "I guess they aren't home right now." Katniss burst into laughter, and Peeta struggled to maintain his composure before he followed suit.
Later, as they approached the coffee shop again at the end of their walk, Katniss smiled remembering the beautiful garden and the miniature fairy world hidden in the tree trunk. Peeta glanced at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "So..." he began.
Katniss cut him off quickly, suddenly nervous of what he might say next. "So thanks for showing me the garden," she said. "I guess I better get to class." She turned abruptly to open the door to the coffee shop to retrieve her bag, but Peeta caught her sleeve, smirking at her when she frowned at his action.
"Don't forget these," he said, handing her the white bag that held the rest of the cheese buns from earlier.
"Thanks," she said in a small voice, her face suddenly hot. Their walk together had been like some sort of alternate universe and now the spell had been broken and she was back to being awkward, closed off Katniss. She willed herself not to bolt from the scene, but she could not make herself look up into his eyes.
Peeta cleared his throat. "Okay, let's get your bag from inside then." He opened the door and held it for her as she ducked inside. While Katniss tucked the bag of cheese buns into her backpack and adjusted the zipper, Peeta stepped into the back of the shop toward the swinging door that led to the kitchen. "I'll just be a minute," he said over his shoulder, presumably because he wanted her to wait. But Katniss could not imagine why he wanted her to wait. Was he planning to walk her to class? Did she want him to? Panicking, she strapped on her backpack and left the coffee shop without waiting.
It took several minutes of long strides and deep breaths as she made her way quickly across campus before her skin felt no longer felt like it was burning. She felt horrible for leaving without saying goodbye to Peeta. How would she face him again? Groaning she imagined herself avoiding the coffee shop altogether, out of mortification. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," she chanted through her gritted teeth, wrapping her arms around herself and gripping her elbows in frustration. It was then that she realized she was still wearing Peeta's sweatshirt.