CONTRE QUI, KATNISS?
by savemesalzburg
Author's Note: Thank you once again for all of your positive feedback. :3 I love to see the number of people following this story go up several times a day. Thank you so much to my (currently) 28 followers, you guys are fantastic. :3 I really appreciate your interest in this story and my writing. So this chapter is where it all goes down. Well, not all of it, but a lot of it. This is the chapter where Peeta will share is poem with the class and Katniss will finally know of his love for her. Next chapter, I'm going to focus on Katniss and her reaction to this entire thing, because I haven't focused on Katniss like, at all. xD I like writing Peeta's point of view though. Poor cute lovesick Peeta. Anyway, I hope you like how I twisted the poem a little bit to fit the needs of what Peeta is trying to say to Katniss. I hope you like this chapter. :3
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Hunger Games or the poem Contre Qui Rose.
Chapter Three: Contre Qui, Katniss?
In the morning, Peeta woke up feeling a lot less hopeful than he had the night before. It was definitely the nerves getting to him, now that he actually had to stand up in front of the class and proclaim the fact that he loved Katniss while everyone was watching. He knew that he wouldn't be getting shit from anyone, seeing as he was one of the most popular people in this year's senior class. But still, the idea of saying his feelings out loud unnerved him. Or maybe it was just the idea that she was finally going to know, after all these years, how he felt. As he dressed himself that morning, he began to wonder how she would react. Would she just stare through him with those penetrating gray eyes? Would she blush? Would she look at him like he was crazy? Or worse, would she hate him and never look at him again? He honestly had no idea. But whatever it was, it was going to be a learning experience for him. He debated dressing in something nicer, but the way he looked didn't even matter. It's not like he was taking her to the prom or anything.
Today was a white t-shirt and dark jeans, these jeans fitting a little tighter than the lighter colored ones he wore yesterday. Peeta wasn't one that enjoyed wearing super tight jeans very much. First of all, he didn't have the legs for them. He had thicker, more athletic legs which would look plain odd in such tight fabric. And second off, they were not very comfortable when it came to the groin department. He just didn't understand how other guys could walk around stuffed into pants like that. It posed the joke that there was probably not very much to fit in, but Peeta was much too nice to say something like that, even if some of his friends had no problem doing so.
There was always an abundance of things to eat for breakfast in the Mellark household. Anything left over in the bakery the night before was either sold for a discounted price the next day or brought home for the family to enjoy. Peeta had decided to push the snooze button four times that morning, mainly because he had stayed up later than normal the night before, which meant that breakfast was going to have to be quick, if not nonexistent. Gathering all of his things, he grabbed a piece of cinnamon bread on his way out the door. He was greatly defying his mother's rules by eating and driving, but there was no way she was going to know. Both his mother and father were long gone by now.
As it always seems when one is apprehensive, the drive to school that morning seemed like it took much less time than usual. By the time he pulled into his assigned parking spot, the wheel was slick from his sweaty hands. He tried talking to himself, calming himself down, telling himself that it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. He even tried telling himself that it wasn't a big deal.
Except it was a huge deal.
Everything from the car to actually getting to class was a blur of nerves. Peeta remembered talking to some friends in the hallway, chatting casually with the girl at the locker next to his, and then walking in a daze towards his first class. He took his seat by the door, trying to distract himself from thinking too much. It didn't help that almost as soon as he sat down, Katniss walked in looking just as beautiful as she did every day. He slowly followed her with his eyes as she sat down in her seat and began to chat quietly with Madge who was sitting next to her. Katniss never let very many people in, but the mayor's daughter had been one of the lucky ones. The girls had been friends for as long as he could remember.
"Good morning, everyone!" Miss Trinket interrupted Peeta's train of thought. "I hope everyone had a fantastique time writing their poetry last night. I cannot wait to hear what everyone has written!" Her eyes flitted around the room, seemingly picking her first victim to share their work with their class. Everyone in the class was holding their breath, the same 'Oh God, please don't pick me' look on their faces. Luckily, it seemed like she had decided to start with the people in the back of the classroom. Usually they were the lucky ones that were chosen last, and it was the more outgoing students in the front few rows that were picked on first. Nearly half the class period had passed before she started moving up towards the front of the classroom. She picked on Madge, who wrote a nice little rendition of the poem, speaking to a hawthorn plant. Katniss was also called before he was, and just as he suspected she incorporated the woods into it. Her writing was beautiful, just as Peeta suspected. Although it was just as mysterious, confusing, and closed off as she was.
"Alright...hmm, who's next? Ah, how about Peeta Mellark!"
Peeta's blood froze as he heard his name being called. He quickly flipped to the page in his notebook where he had written his poem. He quickly glanced from the drawing in the margin and up at Katniss, finding the flaws in his work. Nothing could be as beautiful as the real thing. Realizing that everyone in the class was staring at him, he took in a deep breath.
"The title of my poem is 'Contre Qui, Katniss.'"
Across the room, he saw Katniss and Madge exchange looks of confusion and apprehension. Her gray eyes were now watching him intently instead of staring blankly over his head, making his heart race even faster than it already was. He almost couldn't speak clearly, but he had to do this. Instead of staring at the paper, he locked eyes with Katniss across the room, and started to recite.
"Against whom, Katniss,
have you assumed these thorns?
Is it your too fragile joy that caused you to become this armed thing?
But is it from me that you protect yourself with this exaggerated defense?
For how many times a day do I think about you, but you do not notice me at all?
On the contrary,
for twelve long years, you wound the affection that I long to give to you."
Halfway through the poem, Peeta had averted his eyes back down to the paper. Once he had finished, the classroom was silent, everyone either staring at him or Katniss. Much to his discontent, she was sitting in her seat with a horrified look and a violent red tint to her cheeks.
Well I fucked this one up... he thought to himself. Thankfully, someone broke the awkward silence, even though it was one of the douchebags in the back.
"Get some Peeta!", was followed by several cat calls by his friends.
Well, he was thankful.
"That's enough! What a sweet poem, Peeta!" Miss Trinket added nervously. Glancing at the clock, she thankfully noted that class was almost over and she wouldn't have to deal with this group of lusty teenagers anymore. "I think that's all we have time for today. Feel free to chat amongst yourselves until the bell rings."
Peeta risked a glance across the room to notice that Katniss was no longer staring him down, but instead she had her eyes on the floor. Madge wasn't even speaking to her, although the lovely blonde seemed to have a concerned look on her face. Great. So not only did Peeta put himself in an awkward position, but he also managed to drag Madge and Katniss down with him.
At the sound of the bell, everyone stood up, still enlightened by their conversations. Katniss was the first one out the door, even before Peeta himself, an act that must have been premeditated because she made sure she didn't leave the classroom without locking eyes with Peeta and giving him an ice cold stare.
I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you all, it was kind of difficult to write. I had the vision in my head and I wanted it to come out correctly and it was difficult to put into words. Although I have lots of ideas of where to go with this now. :3
I would love reviews very much! :3
Thank you all for your continued support and have a lovely day.