Why do teachers assign group projects in college? College is about independence, self-discipline, and self-efficacy. It feels so high school to have a class, that I pay thousands of dollars for, telling me that I have to work with a partner. Collaborate or risk failing.

Failing isn't an option for me at this point. It's the last semester of my senior year. It's the last required class that I need to complete my graduation requirements. This is it.

It's a general education class and required for all majors to complete in order to get their diplomas and move on to adulthood. That being said, it is practically impossible to get enrolled in. There's only so many classes scheduled with an impossible number of seats. That's why I waited for so long to take it. Lucky for me, my fraternity brothers and best friends, Gale Hawthorne and Finnick Odair, are in the same boat. That will make this two hour long class bearable for the next sixteen weeks.

I was hoping to be paired with one of them. We may be borderline alcoholics, but we're smart. I'm studying communications, Gale is studying engineering, and Finnick is studying environmental science and sustainability. So when Ms. Trinket decides to pair us up with the opposite sex, I'm disappointed.

Having a partner you don't know is so… unpredictable. They may do all the work or none of the work. They like to talk or not talk at all. They stink. They're stupid. The possibilities are endless. While I consider myself a pretty relaxed guy and genuinely nice, I don't have time to play allies. I need a passing grade, preferably a good one since I'm on track to be sigma cum laude.

Ms. Trinket goes alphabetically by men's name. Then, she randomly draws a woman's name from a glass bowl. She makes a big production of it. It's only our first day of class, and I can already tell that I am over it. Over her and her strange taste in wardrobe. Today, she's decked out in orange butterflies.

Hawthorne comes first, and I see Gale stand from his chair beside me. He's a tall guy. The ladies think he's good looking in a dark and mysterious way. He's quiet until you get to know him. Then he never shuts up. He's paired with a girl named Madge Undersee. She stands, and I see that she's kind of mousy. Her long blonde hair is curly and falls in her face as her and Gale move to sit beside each other. Her skin is pale like she's never seen the sun. She's not bad looking, but she's not drop dead gorgeous either.

A few names later and I'm being called. The row of girls in front of me sit up straighter. I have sort of a reputation around campus. There's a rumor that they call me "Lover Boy." While I've never had a serious girlfriend in college, I've had plenty of action. Last semester, I came in second in a competition to see how many girls we could sleep with. Finnick won, I got second, and Gale wasn't far behind in third. We do things like this to keep us entertained, but I think we're all a little scared of the next chapter in our lives.

Katniss Everdeen? Who the-? I turn to see a skinny brunette with the sweetest curves stand up. Her hair is pulled back into a long braid. We make our way to each other, and she's got the most adorable scowl on her face. She doesn't look happy to be my partner, but I flash her my signature smile anyways. Maybe I can charm her.

We sit in vacant spots, and I catch a whiff of her scent. She smells… woodsy, maybe? Whatever it is, I could smell it all day. I know that I've never seen this woman before because if I did, I'd remember. I'd remember those grey eyes and long fingers. I'd remember her olive skin and tight muscles.

God, I haven't even said a word to this woman, and she already has an effect on me.

Odair is called. Finnick's partner is Annie Cresta. She's a redhead with freckles all over her face. I wonder if she has freckles on the rest of her body? Next to Finnick, she looks tiny. Short and tiny. Finnick is built like Poseidon himself and could probably rival him in the pool. Finnick's on the college swim team and looks like a catalog model with his washboard abs. His teeth are the whitest I've ever seen, and his skin has a natural tan to it. The ladies love Finnick Odair.

Ms. Trinket finishes assigning partners and dives into the project's instructions. I can't listen to a single thing she's saying because I'm too distracted by my partner. She sits quietly beside me, taking notes. Her nails are painted black, which matches the romper she's wearing. A green jacket covers her shoulders.

Class ends before it really begins. Ms. Trinket is surprised when the two hours are up, and she says we'll start our first lesson next week. Good, we haven't actually started learning anything. I didn't miss it. Yet, a wave of sadness washes over me at the idea that I can't start working with Katniss.

Katniss- I like the sound of her name.

"Hi, Katniss," I say, dying to say her name out loud. "I'm Peeta Mellark."

Her scowl deepens as those grey eyes lock with mine. "I know who you are." Her voice sounds like honey. Her scowl deepens.

I give her a smile. She's going to be a tough one to crack, but I like a challenge. "Looks like we're partners."

"It appears so," she says before moving to pick up her things. She has an army green backpack too. Her favorite color must be green.

I start to pack up soon. "See you next week," I tell her, knowing that we'll be sitting next to each other for the next fifteen weeks. She gives me a look but says nothing. I watch as she leaves the classroom.

Finnick claps my shoulder and leans in to say, "I know our next bet."


"Oh my God, you're insane," I tell Finnick, and I'm not exaggerating. "That's morally wrong."

Finnick laughs it off. "What about you Hawthorne?"

"I haven't spoken ten words to Madge Undersee, and you think I can get her to sleep with me?" Gale looks as disgusted as I am.

Finnick huffs and sinks into the couch in the meeting room of our fraternity. Here, anything and everything is said. "Guys, where did your fun sides go? Are you getting old now that graduation is on the horizon?"

"Fun was going to a party or a bar and taking a girl home. Not trying to get your History of Panem partner to fuck you," Gale bites back. I'm glad he's as appalled as me.

"Come on, guys. It's like our last hurrah. We saved the best and possibly the hardest for last."

Suddenly, Gale asks, "What are the rules?" His typical scowl is gone, and his face is... beaming?

I gawk at him. "Gale, you're not seriously considering this?"

He shrugs and says, "Madge is hot."

Finnick smiles like he's won the lottery. "You have to have sex with your partner by graduation." He pauses and then says, " Loser has to move the winner or winners out of the house."

This catches my attention. Each of us has gathered four years of stuff in our rooms. It'll take hours to clean and pack. "You think there will be multiple losers?"

"I'm saying…" he pauses for dramatic effect "… anything is possible."


It's is practically impossible to find out who Katniss Everdeen is online. She's got no social media, which is odd for a woman her age and in this generation. I have to take a deep dive into the internet to find out who she really is, and I'm successful.

Katniss Everdeen is on the archery team at the university. She's the best on the team from what I can gather. The school's newspaper says she's got enough to go to the Olympic Trials. It also says that she's a senior like me, and she's studying environmental law.

There are few pictures of her that don't involve archery. Her at her high school graduation where she was the one and only valedictorian. Good, she's smart. Her name is listed below a picture of a group that went hiking in the school newspaper. She looks good in her black leggings and dark green tank top.

Suddenly, I think Finnick's bet might not be such a bad idea after all.