IM BACK! It feels good to have internet again. I pretty much left y'all hanging for the month of April, and for that, I apologize. But I'm just now able to get internet for my family's laptops and desktop computers just this weekend. So now I can do this properly. So I give you the real chapter 20 instead of that stupid authors note. I absolutely hate those things but I just had to give one. I couldn't leave my reader's hanging on why I haven't updated in so long! Enjoy!
Chapter 20: Peeta POV
"Not even one?" Taftan asked astonished for the fourth time this morning.
"Not one," I said, shaking my head. Taftan leaned his fore arms on the island counter top that sat in the middle of the kitchen and shook his head, looking down towards the ground.
"So you are telling me that you never had ONE Thanksgiving?" I shook my head.
"I've never celebrated it before," I shrugged. Mr. Lewis came from behind me and put his hand on my shoulder.
"Well, there is always a first for everything," Mr. Lewis sighed before patting my shoulder again, walking off to get some coffee.
The following week of the weekend with my new friends was apparently Thanksgiving break, which gave Taftan a whole week off from school. Katniss and I were able to hang out with our new friends and just act normal again. But I know the question of our schooling will come up eventually, and they would probably enroll us into it. With birthday placement, Katniss and I should be freshman in high school. And I am increasingly dreading the day the Lewis's ask us about it. But today was Thanksgiving, and I think that question was far from anyone's mind today.
All of the Lewis's were cooking something themselves for the family dinner this afternoon. They were all making what they thought was their specialty, which included a green bean casserole from Ms. Lewis, a famous cherry pie from Taftan, and alcohol free drink concoction from Mr. Lewis. All of Taftan's family was coming over to enjoy the holiday. Johanna and her parents are coming over as well, saying that all of their family lives out of state and couldn't visit them this year. So a lot of people were coming over, and I just hoped that no one would recognize us.
"Do you have any specialties you want to cook for the dinner, Peeta?" Mrs. Lewis asked. I shook my head.
"No not really. I mean I know how to cook some pretty good food but I don't want to mess up the kitchen or get in yawls way," I explained. Taftan scoffed.
"You wouldn't be getting in our way!" Taftan negated. Taftan stopped getting the supplies for his pie and smirked at me. "You know what I think? I think you can't cook anything and you just won't admit it."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh I can cook, well bake actually."
"I don't believe you. Show us you can bake bread boy!"
"I think I will!"
I go to the cabinets and gather all of the stuff I need for making my specialty, cheese buns. I quickly make the dough and set it out on the counter. I broke the dough into smaller rolls and extra stuffed them with cheese. I sat them on a tray and sprinkled shredded cheese on top and put them in the oven. Once the rolls appeared a nice golden brown, I took them out of the oven. Once the buns cooled slightly, I took one of the buns and cut it into four pieces. I gave everyone one piece to let them try it out.
"Now are you sure this isn't going to kill us?" Taftan teased, eyeing the bread in his hand.
"Yeah I'm sure. Try it and tell me what you think." I told the family. They all put the piece of bread into their mouths and chewed it slowly. I heard Katniss moan in content and others nod in approval.
"Peeta these are delicious!" Mrs. Lewis mumbled with her mouth full.
"Yeah I have to admit, you can bake man." Taftan added
"Where did you learn to make these?" Katniss asked
"Well I left the orphanage often to go hang out with this man that lived a few blocks down the street. He taught me how to bake since his dad owned the local bakery in the town." I answered.
"Well he taught you well," Mr. Lewis said.
"He sure did. I love them, Peeta. You did great." Mrs. Lewis complimented
"I think Katniss is the biggest fan out of all of us," Taftan laughed. I turned to the stove to find Katniss eating another cheese bun, with another one at hand. Katniss bites into her the second one in her hand and looked back over to us. Her eyes went wide and she stopped chewing, even though her is as full as it can get. She gave off a nervous laugh and a small smile. We all laughed as I took the tray and put the buns in the stove warmer. Good thing I made almost three dozen of those buns.
"Well it looks like Peeta will be making those a lot for Katniss," Mrs. Lewis spoke up. Taftan laughed, which made Katniss blush.
"Yeah, a lot! Especially after they're married. Oh man, think of the cheese bun craving she will have when she gets pregnant! Peeta will be making those day and night!" Taftan jokes himself into a laughing fit. Katniss blushes even deeper, which causes me to laugh a little. Katniss gives me a scowl which only makes me laugh even more. But soon I stop and look at Katniss.
"And when we get married and you have those food cravings, I will make you all of the cheese buns you want," I told her. I kissed the top of her head and closed the food warmer. The time for the guest to arrive was nearing as we started to set the table. Most of the food was still cooking as the Lewis' family started to arrive, so I decided to put out my cheese buns as a starter to hold people over until dinner.
I stayed at the corner of the room and looked at people's reactions to the buns, which I was glad to find to be pleasant responses. I smile to myself as I saw Katniss enjoy another cheese bun. I go over to her and wrapped my arm around her waist. She looked up at me and smiled.
"Don't eat too many," I advised her. "You need to save some room for dinner…and the rest of the guest." She smacked my arm lightly and I chuckled.
"Okay, this one will be my last one," she said as she bit into it. Taftan came over with Johanna to drag us to meet some of his cousins our age. There was one girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She had on dark jeans and a really nice blouse. Taftan said her name was Madge. Next to her was a large teenager with his arm wrapped around her, he appeared to be her boyfriend. I was confirmed right when Taftan said that he was Madge's boyfriend. His name was Rye. Another bread name. Then there was another blonde headed girl named Delly, but she had green eyes. She was also Taftan's cousin, and she brought her boyfriend. He had slightly darker hair than mine and his name was…wait for it….Graham. This family must love going after boys with bread names. I made a mental note to ask Katniss what is so attractive about bread names later.
Soon everyone was called to the dinner table and all of the guest piled into the dining room. Hanging from the ceiling was one large chandelier that lit the room in a gentle glow. There was food laid out from one end of the table to the other. I'm guessing that they are going to be passing the food around so everyone could get a bite of everything. All of the teenagers sat at one end of the table as the adults sat at the other end. The little kids sat at another table altogether. We said grace and the passing of the food around the table commenced. I filled two plates sky high with delicious food. I saw that all of the other teenage boys at the able got two plates of food as well, so I didn't look like a total pig.
"So," Taftan started, scooping a bite of dressing into his mouth. "How is it that all of the guys around here are named after bread? And we all have girlfriends, too?" We all shrugged, dumbfounded by the fact.
"So what do you find attractive about the name Rye, Madge?" Rye asked. Madge just shrugged her shoulders.
"A name is just a name. What I find attractive is you," she responded.
"I think the bread names make a better person out of you," Delly added. "That if you have a bread name, you will have a better and more desirable personality."
"That could be a good explanation to why all of the bread boys have girlfriends," Katniss adds in. the girls laugh and all of the guys stare at Katniss.
"Oh, so now we are the bread boys?" Graham asked. The girls nod and roll into another fit of laughter.
"Well if we are," I smirk. "then I'm obviously the best bread boy of them all."
Katniss nods in agreement and I laugh. All of the girls stopped laughing and shook their heads.
"Hold up, hold up, hold up!" Johanna defended. "I think we all know Taftan would be the best one obviously."
"Yeah he probably would be," Delly smirked. "If either you were blind or if you haven't met Graham."
"Actually all of y'all are wrong. Rye is obviously the best choice." Madge stated. Next thing I know, we are all trying to out reason on who should be the best bread boy. But we were soon interrupted by the clinking of a glass. We all quiet down and look down at the end of the other table. The clinker, Mr. Lewis, sat his glass down and cleared his throat.
"It is now the time where we go around the table and say what we are thankful for," he said. "Let's start with you Taftan and go clockwise around the table."
Starting with Taftan, everyone at the table said to everyone else what they were thankful for. Since I was sitting on Taftan's left side, I was going last. But soon enough, it reached Katniss. She cleared her throat and sat up.
"I'm thankful for the Lewis family for taking me in, in my time of need. You guys are a better family that anyone could ask for," she announced and looked at me. My turn.
"I am also thankful for the Lewis family for taking me in, it has helped out a lot. But I'm mostly thankful for my girlfriend Katniss. I don't know what I did that was so good that I was able to get her. But I'm thankful that she returns the feelings of loving me back. I could live a thousand lives and still not deserve her. I thank God for her every day," I say, from my heart.
The table "Awws" as I look at Katniss. Her eyes were tearing up as she tried to blink them away. I took her hand from under the table and kissed it. Katniss shook her head slightly and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. I smiled and returned the same gesture.
"Aww man, Peeta. Way to make us guys look bad!" Taftan said, his hands in the air. The table erupts into laughter as the dinner continued.
"So, I think it is obvious that I have the best bread boy of them all," Katniss announces, grabs my arm, and puts it around her shoulders. Everybody laughs and we continued to enjoy each other's company. My first Thanksgiving has been a great one; too bad this will most likely be my only Thanksgiving.