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Katniss was walking around the house, pulling a hair brush through her hair as she tried to find her other shoe. Gale was eating a piece of toast as he got his books together, almost tripping over her as she ducked past to grab the other piece of toast on his plate. He growled under his breath at her as she stuck it in her mouth, grinning.

"Bitch," he muttered. "Make your own toast."

"Don't have time," Katniss sung out as she spotted her shoe under the coffee table in the lounge and made her way over.

"Then get up earlier," Gale shot back.

"Why should I when you already have food ready?" Katniss grinned and tied up the second shoe.

"I should make you walk to school," he huffed under his breath as she finished the slice of toast and walked toward the bathroom to do her teeth. He leaned against the doorframe as she brushed her teeth and then quickly did her makeup. "So, the guy last night—Peeta?" Katniss glanced back at his reflection in the mirror. "You like him?" She paused and then her eyes went back to the mirror, applying her lipglosss before pursing her lips together and then turning around to face him.

"Yeah," she muttered. "I think so."

"He seems like a good kid," Gale told her honestly. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "What? Think I would automatically hate him?"

"I don't know. Maybe," she grinned.

"As long as he treats you right," Gale said. Katniss snorted.

"We're not like that, Gale," she muttered.

"What about Madge?" Gale asked, changing the subject when he picked up on the subtle change of expression on her face that it took years of knowledge to realize. Katniss tilted her head to the side.

"She seems sweet," Katniss poked her tongue out at him. "And if she can put up with you, then all the more power to her."

"Yeah, because you're such a smiley, easy-going person yourself," Gale shot back as they walked into the lounge.

"I'm fucking lovely, thank you very much," Katniss smirked as she grabbed her school bag from the kitchen table and walked onto the terrace surroundings the apartments. She waited for Gale as he locked the door and they started down the stairs to his truck. They got inside and Gale turned over the engine, backing out of the car park.

"Fucking lovely, my ass," Gale grunted as he steered his truck toward her school.

Katniss was nervous about school. She didn't want Peeta to suddenly think, because of one dinner, that she was his girlfriend, or whatever. She didn't want to hold his hand or hug him in the hallways in front of everyone. Johanna was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs when Gale pulled up, and she dropped the cigarette she was smoking, stubbing it out with the heel of her boot. She slung her arm around the brunette's shoulder as they walked up the steps together.

"What up, whore? Missed you the other night," Johanna pushed her dyed black hair away from her eyes.

"Yeah, I actually stayed in a studied," Katniss widened her eyes at Johanna who laughed.

"Shit, it's so weird when you act like a well-adjusted teenager," she muttered as they reached her locker. Katniss fumbled around in her locker and Johanna dropped her gaze, licking her lower lip. "No, but seriously. How's shit going?"

"It's fine," Katniss replied, and was surprised to realize that she wasn't actually lying. "I had dinner with Prim last night. And Gale and his new girl, Madge...And Peeta." That got Johanna's attention.

"Peeta?" She grinned. "Prom King Peeta?" Johanna laughed. "When did this happen?"

"I don't know," Katniss shrugged and frowned. She shut her locker and leaned against the metal. Her eyes stared out at the hallway and came in to focus with piercing blue eyes that she was becoming very familiar. They focussed on her, ignoring the guy who was talking to her with the weird name, Finnick. The intensity that he gazed at her with made her stomach clench. "He was kinda just there a couple of times. And it was nice."


Katniss wasn't sure if she was glad or disappointed that Peeta didn't approach her through the day. She went down town after school, Gale had a late class and she had to find a job. There weren't many places that wanted to hire a teenager who wasn't sure where she was going to University next year and there were only a few months left in the year. But there was an opening for three days a week, five hours a shift at a local CD store. Because she was the new girl, she was going to be stuck with the Saturday and Sunday morning shift, and then Thursday afternoon. It was minimum wage but it was better than nothing. There were only two months until exams, which meant only a month until she needed to apply to Universities. Gale had made some good points, and she had spent a few hours last night looking into a couple of University's after they had got back from dinner. He was right, her grades were good. She found school easy, she liked it. Her mother had been a professor and her father had been a vet, the smart genes clearly ran in their family.

"You had dinner?" Gale called as he came into the apartment, well after ten that night.

"Yeah, I'm good," Katniss called back from the spare room she was using as her own. She reached up to turn off her light, laying back against her pillow. She was happy with the job she had found and tomorrow she was going to talk to Gale about helping her write an essay to submit for college applications. She was starting to drift asleep when her phone vibrated under her pillow. She growled under her breath and looked at the phone.

Hey. It's Peeta.

She frowned, although there was a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

How did you get my number?

Your sister. At least I got one of the Everdeen sisters on my side.

Katniss snorted.

Yeah. The nice one.

And here I was thinking you were the nice.

You clearly don't know me.

She grinned as she sent the last text.

Then let me get to know you better. Go on a date with me. Just us.

Katniss pursed her lips as she re-read his text.

I've just got a job. Weekends are pretty much out.

What about right now?

Katniss frowned.

What?

Get dressed.

Katniss struggled with a pair of jeans at the end of her bed, and then a shirt and hoodie. Gale raised his eyebrows as she walked through the lounge, grabbing the spare key from the hook and sticking it in her back pocket. From the terrace she could see the carpark, and down next to Gale's Hilux, she saw a silver car with it's headlights on. When the driver realized she was standing there, the door opened. Katniss saw Peeta get out andd wave his hand, indicating that she come down.

"It's, like, ten-thirty on a Monday," Katniss said as she stood in front of him. "There's no where open."

"Oh, ye of little faith," Peeta grinned at her. "Put your trust in Peeta."

It's a shorter chapter, I know, but it's leading up to their first date, finally. Please leave a review, let me know what you guys think!