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Chapter Three

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it on time." Katniss said as she pulled Prim into a hug. "I tried, but Cato was being a jerk. He was running late and made it seem like everyone else's problem and kept me in there griping at me for an extra ten minutes."

"It's fine. Annie got it all recorded." Prim assured her. "We'll watch it over and it'll be like watching the Olympics."

Katniss chuckled. "Deal."

Annie came over with Finn at her side. "You're still coming to our place, right?"

Katniss grinned. "Wouldn't miss it."

Finn piped up, "Peeta will be there."

"Finnick!" Annie warned.

"What? I heard you talking about them drooling over each other to dad."

Prim laughed. "Drooling, Finn? You have to tell me more."

"Nope. Nothing else to tell." Katniss said.

"Come on, Katniss, Mr. Mellark is hot." Prim argued.

"How would you know? You're twelve."

Annie giggled. "He is a pretty handsome guy. And charming. If I had met him first..."

Finnick chuckled from behind her. "He was about 15 when you were 19. It probably wouldn't have worked out."

"It would also have been slightly illegal." Katniss said.

They all laughed.

Finnick asked, "We should head home, Annie. I gotta fire up the grill."

"I'm glad you have that enclosed patio." Prim said. "It's cold as balls outside."

"Primrose." Katniss warned.

Prim waved her hand. "Finn's heard worse. And we're in a relatively public place. Also, I'm eighteen, I can do what I want."

"Not for two more weeks." Katniss pointed out. That reminded her she needed to put together a party.

Prim directed Katniss to the house in the middle of town. She'd attended many swim team parties there and had even babysat Finn on a few occasions and helped Annie with her daycare the previous summer. Annie had stepped into the motherly role after their mother's suicide. Katniss did her best, but she really appreciated all Annie and Finnick had done in the past year, especially for Prim.

Several other cars were in the long drive and parked along the street when they arrived. Prim picked up a couple bags with soda and Katniss got the others. The younger sister stopped and yelled at a few of her friends as they made their way to the front door.

"I see you came prepared." A male voice said from behind them.

Katniss turned and smiled at Peeta loaded down just as much as she was. She laughed. "I hope I got enough. I also picked up some Kool-Aid packets and sugar. So if the soda runs out..."

He grinned and held up a plate covered in plastic wrap. "Banana bread. There are also some cookies on the bottom plate, chocolate chip." He held up a plastic bag of his own. "And I made enough hamburger buns to feed an army."

"Wow, you made hamburger buns?" She was impressed.

"Better tasting and maybe a little better for you than the stuff you buy from the store."

Finnick came over. "Stop the flirting. The kids are hungry." He winked and took the bags from Katniss's hands.

"Thanks, Finnick." She said softly, feeling embarrassed for being called out.

They followed the man of the house inside and lost each other in the crowd. A few of Prim's friends Katniss had met at their house stopped to ask how she was and talk about their victories that day. None of them mentioned that most of the races were losses. One thing Finnick always told them as their coach was, "Losses suck. Wins are awesome. Don't get bummed by losing, learn from it, figure out what you can fix, and do better next time. And always try to focus on the good things."

It was something Katniss always tried to apply to her own life after Prim told her about it. She wandered around the house until she found Annie in the kitchen.

"Anything I can help with?" Katniss asked.

Annie handed her a tomato. "Probably should have cut all this up before, but Finn was giving me a hard time." Annie said with a smile. Did she ever not smile?

Katniss shrugged and picked up a knife. "It happens. Sometimes Prim and I run so late it's a wonder I still have a job and she has good grades."

Annie chuckled.

"It's also why we mostly eat fast food or TV dinners. I'm never home to cook."

Annie nodded. "It's tough. You ever use a slow cooker? I start a meal in mine in the morning on days when I know we'll be running all over the place. We still eat our share of fast food and stuff from boxes, but sometimes homemade is important."

Katniss felt inadequate. She hadn't cooked a homemade meal for Prim since their mom had... She used to cook at least three nights a week, but things had all gotten so hectic and she was tired by the time her shift was over every day. "I'll have to pull ours out."

"I have a few really easy recipes I could give you."

Peeta came into the kitchen with Finnick laughing about something. He paused when he saw Katniss and they exchanged a smile.

"Annie, I'm having trouble with the grill." Finnick grabbed her arm and pulled her back out to the patio before anyone could protest. Katniss could see Annie's confusion. And Finnick didn't strike her as the kind of man who couldn't run a grill.

Peeta chuckled nervously and held out a plate of cookies. Well, it was a single cookie, part of one, and assorted crumbs. "I managed to save a couple."

Katniss giggled and took one. She took a bite and was impressed. "These are delicious."

"Made from scratch." He said proudly. "Old family recipe."

She finished the cookie. Peeta looked over her shoulder and shook his head. She followed his gaze.

Just out the window, Finnick and Annie stood with their heads close together, whispering vigorously.

"Oh, no." Peeta said.

"What?" Katniss asked.

"Delly Cartwright all over again." He mumbled. Much louder he said, "Do you want to go out?"

"Delly Cartwright?"

"There was this girl they tried to set me up with. She was really sweet, but not my type. And they tried everything to get her and me in the same place. But before they try to force us together, would you like to go out with me?"

Katniss was surprised. It had been so long since her last date. But she nodded. "Sure. I'm off tomorrow."

"Okay. Um, dinner? I know this really cool diner that has some great sandwiches and home-style classics. Unless you want something fancier."

"No, I like diner food."

"Then it's a date." He said anxiously.

"Yeah, a date." She smiled and looked away.

They stood awkwardly a moment and then Peeta turned and stared out the window until the couple turned. He called, "Stop your plotting. I asked her out."

"You asked her out?" Prim said from the doorway.

Katniss jumped and turned. "Yeah."

Prim chuckled. "Don't look so guilty. You haven't dated since your failed attempt with Gale when you were in high school."

"Gale?" Peeta asked.

"Gale's a guy." Prim explained. "Her best friend. And the only guy she's ever slept with."

"I swear to God, Primrose—" Katniss began.

Her sister giggled. "Chill out, Katniss." She stepped out onto the patio where the rest of the group was starting to gather through the other door off the dining room.

Katniss went back to slicing tomatoes. She kept giving Peeta fleeting glances out of the corner of her eye.

"I…um…" She tried to think of something to say, but failed.

"So Gale is your best friend?"

Katniss nodded. "Since we were little kids. His dad died in the same accident that killed our dad. His mom helped take care of us for a while." She shrugged. "We tried dating in high school, but we decided we were much better as friends."

Peeta nodded. "Some people are supposed to be friends forever. Some are supposed to be in our lives for just a short while. Others…well sometimes you meet the person you're supposed to spend the rest of your life loving and it feels right from that first moment."

She watched him a moment and then asked, "So have you ever felt that last one?"

He smiled and nodded. "Oh, yeah."

Annie poked her head in the door. "How are those tomatoes?"

Katniss shook herself and lifted the plate. "All ready." She walked around Peeta and handed it over. "Here. What's next?"

Annie squeezed her arm. "Hang out and relax. Talk to Peeta some more. He has some great stories."

But Katniss wasn't sure if she could do that. She wasn't very good at conversations anyway and Peeta was just so sweet and charming and perfect. And it made her extremely uncomfortable. There was a reason she had dated Gale. Most men she knew were jerks. With the exception of her father and uncle and a small handful of men unavailable for various reasons, no one ever stayed. Even the ones who seemed perfect at the start would drop her as soon as someone better came along. And no one ever asked her on a date.

She watched Peeta walk around the room for a while to chat with parents and students. She heard his laugh float her way on top of the hum of conversation. How could she already know his laugh from everyone else's?

And did she really? Or was she just imagining tings?

Annie stepped to her side. "Okay, listen. I don't mean to meddle, but you need to know that he really is genuinely a great guy. When he's not working, he's spending every available minute volunteering or contributing to charities. But he needs a break from that. It bogs him down sometimes. And I know that you, Miss Everdeen, haven't taken much time to yourself, especially in this past year. So do yourself a favor and talk to him."

"We're going out tomorrow." Katniss argued.

"Well what's to stop you from getting a jump start on the get-to-know-you part? Cut out the awkward. Find out his favorite color and favorite song and get to the meaty stuff tomorrow." She nudged Katniss's shoulder. "Go for it. Treat yourself. You'll find you have quite a bit in common."

Katniss sighed and nodded. "Okay." She walked toward Peeta who had decided to take a seat on the sidelines for a while. She noticed he rubbed painfully at his knee. "How's it going?" She asked.

His hand came to a stop and he looked up with a smile. "I've been standing too long."

She pointed to the seat beside him. "May I?"

"Please." He sat up a little. "I have a bad leg. I should know better than to stand so much."

"Old sport injury?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I had to have it amputated just below the knee."

"Oh." She said awkwardly.

He shrugged. "It's been that way for…a long time. I know my limits by now, but sometimes I break the rules."

"How…? I'm sorry, that's not my business."

"I'll tell you sometime after I have a few drinks in me." He said softly.

She nodded and looked around anxiously. "Can I get you anything? A drink or something?"

He opened his mouth to protest and nodded. "Some water would be nice."

"Then I'll be right back." She hurried back with two glasses and resumed her seat. She sat back and watched the room with him.

"I painted that wall over there." He pointed. "I wanted to do some big, extravagant mural, but Annie vetoed it. I had visions of Poseidon and waves and Perseus and sea monsters…well it would have been awesome, but what are you gonna do? Some people just want a seashell pattern near their pool."

Katniss started laughing and he soon joined in.

She assured him, "If I ever get a pool, you can paint Poseidon on my wall."

There was a snort from behind her and she turned to see Finnick. "Is that a new euphemism?"

"Do you need something?" Peeta asked.

Finnick held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, I just came to warn you that you better come get some food before the teenagers eat everything." He winked and walked away with a chuckle. "Paint something on her wall." He said just before he was out of earshot.

"Shall we?" Peeta asked as he tried to stand.

"Let me just get you something." Katniss said.

He looked around the room fleetingly and then nodded. "I don't have any dislikes. Whatever's left, put it on there."

"Okay." She walked away and surveyed the carnage of hungry teenagers with a couple other parents. She shook her head and made up two burgers with cheese and tomatoes. There was nothing else. Not even a single pickle. She piled Spicy Nacho Doritos on both plates and returned to Peeta.

He took a bite and nodded. "It works."

She nodded. "Good to know." They ate in silence for a while before caught him watching her. "What?"

He reached forward and wiped some ketchup off the side of her mouth. "Messy eater."

They both blushed at the connotations of such an innocent statement and looked in opposite directions. Peeta started laughing softly and then it bubbled into a deep belly laugh. It was infectious and Katniss soon joined in. She had a feeling their date the next day would lead to many more entertaining dates afterward.