Thanks to: liv, xxellabearxx, telekenisis1728, WizardChick4Eva, LondonJewel, and everyone else who took the time to review. Sorry if last chapter was a little hard to understand what the tributes are doing. My brother gave me this idea so I'll try to make it easier to understand in the next chapter, or one after that.
I don't own the Hunger Games
Enjoy chapter 11!
"Prim! Carla! Time to come home!" I yell inside of the Hawthorne home. The girls had spent the night and still hadn't come home yet, so Mom had sent me over to fetch them. The house was unusually quiet for this time of day and I wonder where in the world everyone would be. Surely they didn't leave without telling me.
No one has answered me yet so I decide to look for them myself. I first check the kitchen where Hazelle is often working, but it's so quiet. I then peek into the kids' room, still no one. When I have searched the entire house I head outside and look around the small yard. Empty. Strangely, disturbingly silent.
I'm beginning to worry that something has happened. I make up my mind that before I come to any drastic conclusions as to what could have happened I need to look for clues. Maybe something that would indicate that they went to town, or on a picnic. I open the door and notice something that I hadn't seen before; big, muddy, boot prints in the front entrance. Where did those come from? No one in the Hawthorne family has feet that big, except for Gale, and he's not here right now.
PeaceKeepers! It has to be. That's the only logical answer. I quickly close the door and run as fast as I can to the Justice Building. Pretty soon I start to tire, but I can't stop. A few minutes later, but what felt like hours, I enter the small town. The Bakery is right on my way and as I'm running past I hear my name being called. I skid to a stop.
"Hi Katniss, what brings you to town this morning?"
"Looking for the girls." I respond breathlessly.
"In town?"
"They were at the Hawthornes." I quickly explain. "And when I went to pick them up the house was empty." I tell him about the footprints and how I think that the PeaceKeepers came after Carla again. He just leans on his broom and listens without interrupting.
"I'll come over with you."
"Thanks a million Peeta."
"No problem, let me just get rid of this apron." He hurries inside his family's bakery and is back out within 10 seconds. He jumps off the porch, grabs my hand and then I'm off running again, but this time I can hardly stay on my feet because Peeta is practically dragging me.
"Slow down!" He does, but not until we are in front of our destination.
"Where do we go first?" I ask, because I seriously have no idea where to start.
"I'll try and get the secretary to give out some information."
"And how to you plan on doing that?" I smirk.
"Oh, I have my ways." He puts on his best smile as we walk up to the secretary's desk.
"How may I help you Mr. Mellark?" she asks sweetly. Mr. Mellark? How does she know Peeta and why does she call him that?
"Good Morning Tasha." Peeta greets her with a grin on his face. "I brought you a few of my special cookies." So that's what he had in his bag. This must be a way to bribe the pretty, young, mayor's secretary.
"Oh! My favorite." She automatically reaches into the bag and pulls a delicately frosted sugar cookies with pink sprinkles. He sure has a way with girls and pretty things. "Thanks Peeta." She says with her mouth full. She giggled like a little girl and wipes the frosting off her lips.
"By the way Tasha, I was wondering if you saw two 12-year-old girls being brought in here this morning." Peeta asks nonchalantly.
"Now that you mention it, I did. It was sort of strange for children so young to be taken here by PeaceKeepers so I noticed it as something out of the ordinary."
She takes another generous bite of cookie.
"Did you see where they went?" Peeta asks again.
"Why yes, over there through those doors." She points to a set of tall oak doors across the room.
"I owe you one." Peeta tells her.
"No you don't, you just paid me enough." Tasha's mouth is still full of cookie.
"Thank you." I smile.
I follow Peeta to the doors, I'm expecting them to be bolted shut, but they open easily. I'm greeted by a group of people congregated in a large room. PeaceKeepers line both walls and in the middle stand the Hawthornes, Prim and Carla.
No wonder no one came to tell us what was going on, they were probably all forced here with no explanation whatsoever.
"Katniss!" Prim sees me and runs full speed into my waiting arms. She has tearstains down her cheeks and her eyes are red and puffy.
"What's happening?" I whisper in her ear.
"They found out that Carla ran away and they've come to take her back to her District." She cries quietly. I look up to see Carla who is in the same emotional state as my little sister, but what surprises me most is that she is sitting in a tall chair tied up! The nerve of these people tying up an innocent little girl!
The room is totally silent and everyone is staring at me, probably waiting for my reaction. Peeta comes to stand beside me and grabs my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I look gratefully into his eyes. I'm so glad he insisted on coming, I wouldn't be able to handle all this on my own.
Get a hold of yourself Katniss! You need to think and come up with a plan to get everyone out of this unharmed.
"Can someone please explain to me what in the world is going on here?" I yell, surprising myself and everyone else.
A PeaceKeeper appears and comes forward. "We have orders to bring this girl back to District 5."
"Orders from what authority?" I spit at him.
"President Snow."
"T-the P-president sent y–you?" I stammer.
"That's right Miss."
"How do you even know that this is the girl you're looking for? She's my sister."
"We don't know for sure, we're just checking it out."
"Well then why the heck is she tied up?" I turn around and see that Peeta said this.
"She tried to run away."
"Oh for pity sakes, she's nine years old!"
"Only nine?" One of the PeaceKeepers asks.
"Yes."
"Well we only had orders to pick up a twelve year old girl runaway." Another PeaceKeeper states.
"Well then you can take your sister and go on home."
"Thank you very much." I say, not sounding thankful or sincere. I would never be nice to one of them.
I ran over to where Carla sat and quickly untied her bonds. As soon as she was free she rubbed her wrists trying to get the blood to start flowing again. Then she threw her arms around my neck and held on for dear life. "Thank you." She whispers into my hair.
"That's what sisters do for each other." She just smiles and takes my hand in her smaller one. I nod curtly and grab Prim's hand in my free one. Peeta and the Hawthornes follow us out.
As soon as we're out I give Peeta a big hug. "Thanks for everything." I was so caught up in the moment that I leaned in and planted kiss right on his pink lips. It was my very first kiss, and I really enjoyed it, probably more than I should have. I hear the girls start to giggle, and I pull myself from his strong protective embrace. I wonder just how red my face is.
"Sorry." I say, and feel my cheeks heat up even more.
"You have nothing to be sorry about." He smiles, which makes me smile back.
But I do Peeta, you just don't understand. I never want to marry or have kids just to send them to their death in the stupid capitol arena. I don't want to fall in love…
That's what I wanted to tell him, but it could be saved for later, when we were alone and everyone wasn't staring at us.
"Come on girls, we need to get home before Mom freaks out." I say quickly, not looking Peeta in the eye. I know he's confused, but he'll just have to wait for an explanation until later and a more appropriate time and place.
The girls look from me to Peeta and back again, they both shrug their shoulders and follow me.
"Thanks Hazelle." I say when I we walk past her and the kids.
"I'm just glad everything turned out all right." She smiles.
Prim, Carla and I run as fast as we can all the way to our home in the Seam. Mom is waiting anxiously on the porch and hurries out to meet us as soon as we are in sight.
A minute later we are being smothered in her arms.
"Oh I was so worried about my girls!" she sobs.
"I'll explain everything inside." I assure her. "Let's just get in off the street."
Once Mom is settled on the couch, I on the other, with the girls upstairs I begin my story; starting from when I left home this morning and ending when we came back.
She sits there quietly until I'm finished, then gets up and goes into the kitchen. I didn't really feel up to watching the games right now, no one was going to die so I didn't have to be worried.
Peeta was most likely waiting for me to explain to him what had happened in town, and I owed him, a lot. We didn't have a phone so I would have to walk back to the Bakery to see him, if you would see me, I didn't exactly deserve for him to act as if nothing had happened.
I hurried to my room to try and make myself presentable. I changed into my nicest clothes, which wasn't much, just a flowery skirt and flowy sleeveless blouse. I undid my braid and brushed my hair until it was soft and shiny, then decided to leave it down, Peeta liked it that way better anyway. After I washed the dust off my face I put on my nice school flats. After a quick glance in the mirror I dubbed myself ready to meet him.
"Mom, I'm going out, I'll be back for dinner." I call on my way to the door.
I want to run all the way to town but considering how I'm dressed, I walk like a lady for once. I get a few stares on my way but choose to ignore them.
I'm getting a little nervous and tell myself to breath. So I start taking deep breaths and then letting them out slowly all the way to Peeta.
He isn't on the porch anymore so I proceed to the door. The little bell startles me as I open the door. Peeta isn't at the front counter either, his Father is. I really like his Dad, I think that's where he gets his kindness from.
"Good Afternoon Katniss, have you come to see Peeta?"
"How did you know?" I blush.
He chuckles, "I saw you two outside the justice building, then he came home and went straight to his room. He's still up there if you want to talk to him."
"Thank you Mr. Mellark, but if it's all the same to you, would it be okay if he met me outside?"
"I'm sure that'd be fine, I'll go get him.
"Thanks." I head back outside and go to the side of the building to wait.
Shoot, what am I supposed to say? 'sorry we can't be more than friends, I never want to fall in love, get married or have kids.' Yeah, not a good idea. I have to somehow gradually ease him into the idea. I sure hope he understands.
How about, oh really I have no ideas. I guess I'll just wing it and hope I don't lose him as a friend forever. Peeta is my only friend, and I would hate for him to be mad at me.
I'm expecting to be greeted with a frown or a 'what do you want?' But am very surprised when he came around the corner with a huge childish grin on his face and put his arms around me and held me tight.
"P-peeta, Peeta I can't breathe!" I say, my voice muffled into his chest. "You're holding me too tight!"
"Oh sorry Katniss, I was just happy you came." "Is there a reason you came and called me out here?" he asks, the grin still hasn't left his face. He better not be expecting another kiss, because he sure isn't going to get one.
"Could we talk someplace else?"
"Sure, come with me." He takes my hand and leads me to a place I've never been before.
"Where are we going?" I ask curiously.
"Just wait and see." We walk in silence the rest of the way, which takes some time to get to. I'm afraid that I'll be late for dinner if it takes any longer to get there. But we finally arrive.
"Where are we?" I look around and take in the setting. There's a small clear pond, with a few green lily pads floating on the top. Three tall trees covered in big green leaves surround the little pond, leaning over it like a protective canopy. A wooden bench sits and the base of the pond in between two of the trees, and branched from both trees make an arch over the bench. It's the most romantic place I've ever been to. A few wild flowers are growing around the trees, making the setting picture perfect.
"It's beautiful." I breathe.
"It's my own secret hideaway, a place that I go to, to think, and to paint."
"Thanks for sharing it with me, I'm honored." He just smiled and I just continue to stare at everything but him. He on the other hand, I can tell from the corner of my eye is staring at me. It's a little unnerving.
"I guess I'd better say what I came to say, I told mom I wouldn't be late for dinner."
"Ok, say away." He's still smiling, I hope I don't hurt him to badly, because that's the last thing I want to do to my friend.
"Please don't be mad."
"Why would I get mad?"
"This isn't what you want to hear, but I have to tell you." I take a deep breath and begin my speech.
"I've been in love with Gale Hawthorne since I met him in the woods back when I was twelve, I didn't ever want to fall in love but it happened, and I'm scared to death it's happening again." His smile begins to turn upside down, but he doesn't interrupt, so I continue.
"I swore to myself years ago that I would never fall in love, never get married and never have children, not here where people have to send their kids to kill and be killed in a game that entertains stupid, half-minded capitol people." I keep my eyes looking at my feet, the pond or anything other than him. I'm afraid that he'll just get up and leave. But of course he doesn't, that's just the person Peeta is.
"I see." Is all he says.
"I'm really sorry Peeta."
"Don't worry about it, I completely understand."
"You do?"
"Yes, but just because I understand doesn't mean I like it."
"I know." I move closer to him on the bench and go to put my arm comfortingly around him but he moves away.
"Please, don't."
"I'm sorry Peeta." I say threw tears. "Can't we still be friends?"
"Probably, I just need some time."
Great. Now I've most likely gone and lost my only friend. And just because I'm afraid to love.
"I need to get home." I tell him. He just nods. "Are you going to be okay?"
He just nods again and continues staring out into space.
"Bye Peeta."
"Bye Katniss." I look at him one last time, head bent down, hands folded, eyes closed.
Then I turn around and start on my way home. After walking for a few minutes, I realize that I've never been in this part of the woods before and I don't remember how to get home. I guess I assumed that I would be walking home with Peeta that I didn't bother to mark my trail. Just great. I'm lost and now I won't make it home in time for dinner and mom and Prim will start to get worried.
I survey the area again. Nothings familiar. I must not have been paying attention on our way up here, or I'm going in the totally wrong direction.
Maybe if I scream, Peeta will hear me and come to my rescue. Oh probably not, he's mad at you right now. But he's not that mad, he said that we can still be friends. Probably. I decide on screaming once to see if he can hear me. I do, and only get the chirping of birds and the rustling of trees as my answer.
"Peeta!" still no answer. I plop down onto a stump and wait for darkness to come.
Sorry I stopped it at such a bad spot, It's getting late so I have to hit the sack. Hope you like it and that you aren't too mad at me for her being in love with gale, but don't worry, things will change Please Review, Until chapter 12!...