Never Be Mine

By: Michelle Rose Landau

Summary: The only way she'll notice me, the only way I'll know she's interested either way, is if I just talk to her...Love, sex, marriage, and family in 12.

Genre: Romance/AU; there's still Hunger Games, but Katniss and Peeta won't be Tributes.

Pairing(s)/Characters: eventual Peeta/Katniss, Gale/Katniss, Gale/Madge, OC/Tributes

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games series. They are the sole creative property of Suzanne Collins.

~six~

I find out that Zulee-Mae is sick with a stomach bug, and that she won't be able to attend the festival at all this weekend. I'm disappointed, and worried, but her mother assures me that she will be alright with a few days' rest.

I ask if I can see her, and her mother tells me that it's best that I not so that I don't get sick.

"Leenie and Cane have got it too," Mrs. Holdren says. "It's terrible because Zulee was looking forward to going to the festival with you..."

"Yeah," I say. "I um...I hope that she feels better soon. I'll bring some bread."

"Thank you," Mrs. Holdren says. "She'll be fine, Peeta. Don't worry."

I nod, then she goes back inside and closes the door.

The day of the festival has come, and it seems like the school day is dragging on and on. The girls are unusually chatty and restless, talking about how they're going to do their hair, and how they've been working on their dresses for weeks for the dances.

Delly talks my head off while we're in science about how she's going with Oliver Troy, and how she's sorry that Zulee-Mae can't come with me. She promises me to find a good dance partner in place of Zulee-Mae.

"She'll be there in spirit," Delly promises. "Besides, it's not like you're two timing her or something. Gosh, stop looking so pained, Peeta."

"I'm not," I say defensively.

"You're ruminating, I can tell," she says. "Stop it. It's just a stomach flu. No one's ever died from a stomach flu."

She is so wrong about that, but I ignore it.

I look around the room and I see Madge and Katniss dutifully multitasking.

Delly is chattering away and I'm doing the experiment by myself.

I look over at Katniss and Madge, and they're talking quietly.

Madge is really the only Merchant girl that Katniss associates with on a regular basis at school, at least. She's got her other people from the Seam that she talks to, but she doesn't connect with them like she does Madge. The bond seems genuine on Madge's part because even though Madge is the Mayor's daughter, she's guarded herself, and she's often envied by the other Merchant girls because they are under the impression that she gets special treatment.

The other reason is that since Madge hangs around with Katniss, by default, she gets to be around Gale. This makes her a leper to the other girls.

Jeez, girls are damn mean, and I'm so thankful that I'm a guy.

Math class goes by quick because our instructor organized a game to help us with the unit, so we're occupied.

Finally, the bell rings, and everyone is in such a rush to get home, that no one lingers like usual. Within minutes, the entire student body is cleared out.

Arden and I rush home ourselves because the festival begins in a few hours.

We help Mom and Dad with the rest of the inventory for the festival, then help them set up the booth.

Once we finish that task, we get ready for the festival.

By eight thirty, the festival is in full swing.

There's music being played by some guys who are both from the Merchant area and the Seam.

There are people browsing the booths in the Square, and there's entertainment, and games.

I amble around, check out some booths, and buy a savory meat and a jar of a mixture of dried fruits and nuts.

I stand around eating on that for a little bit, feeling kind of aimless, and just a little bored and lonely without Zulee here with me.

I begin to amble around the festival, looking at some stuff being sold from the Hob. I pick up a pin, and inspect it.

It's a mockingjay pin.

I set it back down and I continue to walk around the Square, walking past entertainers and games. Some little kids run past me with small bags of candy. They are giggling and weaving in and out of the crowd of the adults.

I finally begin to make my way over to the dance, which is going now. There's a bunch of people on the dance floor.

Arden and Jorleny are already dancing away, and Sal is walking around hand in hand with Constance.

I see people from school getting together for various dances.

Our music is what people used to call bluegrass and folk. We learned about it in elementary school when we still had music class. It ranges from square dances to waltzes to ballads, and it keeps your heart going.

I go and sit and one of the tables, and immediately, a flask is offered to me.

"No girl?" The guy asks.

"No," I say, deciding to give the short of it. I take the flask and take a swig of the alcohol inside and hand it back to him. "Thanks."

I don't drink on a regular basis, but sometimes there's a party, or we're all just kind of hanging around and someone has something to drink.

There are some who are addicted, who get sloppy drunk, but not very many, as alcohol is rather scarce around here, and takes forever to distill because ingredients are had to come by.

"There's other girls in need of a partner," the guy says confidently. "Like that one right there."

He abandons my lonely company for the girl and I sit back in my chair.

I look around and he's right, there are other girls, pretty girls, girls who are shy who are seeking a dance partner.

I look around, and then my eyes spot her.

Katniss.

She walks under the tent with Madge, looking...gorgeous.

Gorgeous, if not a little uncomfortable.

Her hair is down, falling in big waves and then curling at the end, she's got on a hint of makeup, and she's wearing a sweet pink dress that falls just above her knees. It hugs her waist, showing off her figure, and I never realized that Katniss was that curvy.

Wow.