Another update! Yes, I planned on having a new chapter up by Friday or Saturday but I have somehow managed to pull this off early. I've written over 4500 words this week for this story, yay me!

Anyways here it is, enjoy and let me know what you think okay?

-Unrevised-


Chapter 26: Competition

-Monday-

I've now changed from my school clothes to my gym ones. That is a particularly tight gray short sleeved shirt and purple shorts which land at my knees. I blame Annie for giving me this shirt to wear for gym. I'd rather wear a baggy shirt than this, the shirt sticks to every crevice of my body like I'm magnetic and so is it. Particularly, I don't know which feature I hate more, the way it flares out at my hips almost comically or the way it makes my breasts look like they're the size of grapefruit. Or maybe the way it is low cropped and exposes a bit of cleavage; way to much if you ask me, I rather have none shown. I think they're all at a tie, I hate them all the same. And to think it looked like a normal shirt when she gave it to me. Oh Annie you're in for an earful the next time I see you.

Even though I want to do nothing but hide and rid my self of this hideous thing I restrain myself from doing so and instead walk out to the track field where everyone else is lined up and the instructor stands.

Hastily I approach Ms. Alta, I look at the groups of boys taking a notice in my change of appearance, it isn't common I dress like this I knew they would. Aside there's Glimmer and a few other girls who follow their looks at me. Glimmer's face is hard, her jaws locked, and her face shiny due to the coat of pale makeup covering it. Of course everyone looks my way when I enter, it doesn't fail to annoy me I scowl at them. Just when I look over I'm quick enough to catch his blue irises flick down my attire before making contact with my face. My scowl softens, he must think differently of me in this. He smiles reassuringly, his pale face slightly adopting a layer of pink before he returns his head back to the track we all wait before. Peeta always to good. I smile too.

I hand the late note from chemistry class to the instructor, she nods and excepts it before nodding me to the group of girls that stand facing the track and adjacent to the boys group. There's two parts of the girls group, the one filled with black hair and brown then there's the other side with blonde's and red heads. Then smack-dab in the middle theirs a few girls from both sides conversing, which is rare. But then again I know all to well about being from the seam and befriending the merchants.

I glide from the coach's side to the group and manage to wedge myself in with the seam girls. Ms. Alta blows the whistle the chatter comes to a hush, not fully however.

Her voice rises above those who have yet to get quiet. "Alright today we're doing races!" There's cheers from the athletic people but most of the sound is from the sluggish under-active people who groan instead. I'm silent.

"That's enough! Now it will be girls vs. boys, one lap each. I will set up the pairings so they will be fair. There will be no excuses for not participating, if you don't you will not pass my class. We'll begin now!" She commands.

"First up will be Gale and Johanna!" They stalk to the two white lines of where the track begins. The girl, Johanna, has short brown hair which is spiky and has a streak of pink ran through it. Her legs are long and slender and she is dressed in dark colors. By her looks her possibility of winning looks attainable.

The boy however looked like he had a chance too. He had black hair and gray eyes it looked like he could be my brother. The definition of tall, dark, and handsome seemed to fit him. I couldn't choose which one I thought would win because their chances look equal.

They spread their legs out and prepared to run. The sun beat on their backs and they lowered their heads slightly. Ms. Alta raised the whistle to her lips before it sounded sharply. At it's tweet they darted into the rubble that remains of the old high school track.

Gale runs ahead first taking the lead his long legs working to his advantage but Johanna is right behind him and inching up on him by each step. He seems to notice this and hurry his pace to the limit. They're now one quarter through the track.

Johanna hurls her scrawny legs forward putting a fight up with Gale, she keeps up and stays in her original position exactly behind him by less than a foot, it's a surprise their legs don't make contact.

They've now just reached three quarters through, Johanna tries to speed up and pass Gale but at the last moment he somehow goes faster.

Now they're nearing the finish and both are at their maximum limit giving it their all to be first. Neck at neck they appear before the finish line. By mere inches it looks like Gale will be the winner but then, so suddenly, Johanna launches her thin body up and flings herself through the air before landing in a heap on the finish line. Winner.

She gets up with a smirk on her face, Gale however just has a sour look. Both panting in fatigue they shake hands as the coach commands before going off to the sides.

The rest of the groups go by in a haze, in all most of the boys win the matches, I don't think many girls don't do so much as actually try though. Now the sides have began to thin out and I'm awaiting anxiously to run.

"Alright this match will be Peeta-," she points to Peeta and he goes to the starting line, I await to see who his competitor will be. Her eyes scan through the girls she looks like she's contemplating something.

"Okay who'd like to race him because I can't decide which one of you." She asks the remaining girls.

Then I see Glimmer pushing through the group to come to the front, she doesn't want to race him but she wants his attention. And a part of me bites in my gut, then I decide it for myself I won't allow her to. Before she gets there and is selected I emerge from the line and raise my hand.

"I volunteer!" I say before anyone else can protest.

The coach nods in confirmation that I will work and nods me to the empty spot next to Peeta. My legs quickly move over there, Peeta and I are inches apart I see him look over at me from the corner of his eye. I'd love to know this boys thoughts.

All to soon the whistle sounds and I am trying to make my legs work and speed myself up. Peeta is ahead of I, his lean long legs give him a bit of an unfair advantage, however mine work in fast strides and I manage not be very distant from him.

The wind blows into my hair and pushes it back, I try to even my breaths and go faster then suddenly my foot catches in gravel and I'm flung face first into the uneven ground. I was to busy trying to catch up instead of watching my footing.

Only a little the impact hurt but it was nothing to whine about. Hands grab at my shoulders and pull me up.

Peeta Mellark, I'm stunned, instead of using this to his advantage he has turned around and helped me. For an unknown reason my heart swells.

Once he's ever so kindly helped me by my arms to my feet he asks me if I'm alright which I confirm. I'm flustered being this close after his dare the other night but I brush the thought out of my mind right as it appears.

For an insane moment he leans forward and I'm frozen, but then his hand raises to my hair and sweeps through it tenderly. I don't move, only look at him doe-eyed. His hand comes back and I miss the contact, he lays his hand flat and in his palm is a yellow dandelion head. He laughs warmly and my insides flip.

Then I glance back and see everyone watching us. The race! Quickly I dart off and keep going only to look back and see Peeta perusing me.

I somehow win, it's unfair because I took Peeta by surprise but it's still a win none the less.

We finish and instead of the bitter look I expect from him he beams at me, we shake hands, I won't lie I enjoy his warm grasp. Afterwards we go to the sides with the others.

I've never had a gym class such as this one but I don't mind that at all. I look over and see Peeta rolling around the dandelion in his hand, he's gentle with it, careful not to smash it. My mind connects Peeta and dandelions together, both of them are bright.