Teach Me

Chapter 8 - "Believe in someone you feel passionate about, as one cares for each other to get noticed."

"Hi Katniss! Would you like to go the movies with me tonight?"

"Hey good looking, wanna come see a movie with me?"

"You are beautiful, I would like to take you on a date, what do you say?"

"You, me, date?"

Looking deeply into the mirror as I practice things to say to Katniss, I'm determined to take her on a date and I'm not sure how to ask her. Last nights kiss was truly amazing, it has opened my eyes and I see it clearly now. I want Katniss. In fact, I need Katniss. Getting my backpack from the closet, Rye comes in with his hair scuffed to one side and puke on his t-shirt.

"Hey buddy!" Rye burps in my face as he pulls out a cartoon of milk out from the fridge, "You gonna quit looking in the mirror? You're beginning to seem overly-obsessed with yourself." He laughs loudly, while digging his finger into his ear. Whipping my head around to face him, I shift awkwardly on my toes, his bulging, red eyes stick out like a sore thumb.

"You stink, Rye!" I say while pegging the bottom of my nose shut. "Go clean yourself up, before mother finds out you've been drinking." Rye swivels on his feet and drinks up. He grabs a towel and slings it on his shoulder, he winks at me and walks away. Rye has always winked at me, call it weird. The first time he started winking at me was when I painted a beautiful bird, a robin to be precise. It's a habit of his. My habit is to bop my leg up and down, I don't realize I do it, until someone points it out and I stop but begin again.

Grabbing my bag and books, I rush out the door into the rain. I like the rain. The rain is fresh and reminds me that after a rainstorm it clears up. Like, when something bad happens, there is always a good behind it. Sometimes it's just wishful thinking. One foot in front of the other, one puddle after the another and one breath after the other. My phone buzzes in my pocket as I take it out, the instant rain touches the screen and covers it in water. Covering the screen in my hand as I look at the message, 'Scum.' The message rattles in my brain for a while but I choose to ignore it.

The library is quiet as I approach my usual seat, Katniss isn't here yet. Taking out a few extra books from my bag, I have an exam tomorrow and the studying is overloading my brain- like a computer system on repeat. Scanning a couple pages of the booklet, my phone buzzes in my pocket once again. 'Scum.' the unknown number is the same as lasts, whoever this is I'm going to make a stand. I will find out. My hands hover over the screen, pounding whether to reply or not.

"Who ya texting?" A voice asks curiously, I look up and shove my phone into my pocket. My eyes meet with hers as I remember my earlier practice speaches.

"No one, just checking the time." I lie.

"So, exams are all week. You been revising?"

Honestly, I haven't that much. When it comes to revising, I find everything distracting. I can't sit in a room and concentrate on one thing and when I do revise, it will be for a short period of time. Also, I've been thinking about Katniss, how was I not? "A little, but you have to have a break now and then, right?" I smile.

We study instead of learning to new things, we both thought it would be easier; especially since exams are closing in. Katniss seems to have forgotten about our kiss, it's a little awkward. I'm still determined to ask her out tonight. Tonight, I laugh at myself. Tonight, it doesn't sound like me. I break the silence, Katniss looks up at me; pen in her mouth and her finger tracing her braid. "So, I was wandering... Would you, I mean, if you want. Do you- you don't have to. But-" Smooth Mellark, real smooth. Before I say anything Katniss laughs at me and my cheeks go red.

"You asking me out?" She smiles sweetly. "I'd be delighted. Just give me the deets."

"Um, yeah, how about tonight? I'll pick you up at 5?" I stuttered shyly, as all my confidence flows away in a river of sorrow. My fingers find my mouth and I chew down on my nails as I spot a piece of dirt on my shoe; that suddenly looks interesting. I look up again and Katniss is chuckling quietly to herself, the bell sounds and we pick up our things.

My science teacher gave me tons of homework along with completing my course work, I hadn't finished it because Rye kept bugging me about how he's going to travel the country to tour as a supporting group for Green Day. This is a big step for Rye and this has been his aspiration since he was starting to become a teenager . He's doing great, sometime I look up to Rye as an inspiration but it's his attitude I inspire towards, his personality makes me think twice. Cato his normal self, he kept annoying me in Maths as usual, I told him to stop but it just made the matter worse, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do about Cato but when the time comes I'll be prepared. I met up with Katniss for lunch, she was excited for our date, it doesn't feel weird around Katniss because she makes me feel comfortable, we have a good spoken conversation before the bell rings. As the weather is so nice, we ate outside for lunch... It gives me a great idea for our date.

Ironing my smart clothes for this evening, a smile appears on my face every time I think about spending time with Katniss. I set up our date place, at the time is currently: 4:25pm. I'm not gonna lie, I'm very nervous; only because I want everything to be perfect and splendid for her. Carefully jumping into every clothe item as I try not to make any creases. I'm wearing a white buttoned down shirt with black jeans and typical black converses- I don't have any smarter clothing as this is the first date I've ever been on and I'm not quiet sure what to expect on my behalf. She's probably been on dates before, lets face it that she's way out of my league. Hopefully, my personality will win her over and not my looks, I'm not the sharpest tool in the box but I have a heart. Unlike some guys. Cato dated a girl called Glimmer, they dated for a good 3 weeks, but when they got more serious Cato started flirting with other girls, he got phone numbers from different girls every night and Glimmer eventually left him, they were the talk of the town if you ask me.

I have everything planned for the date, Rye helped me set up the destination and now I'm about to knock on Katniss's door. The anticipation in my stomach settles beneath me, as my hand reaches to touch her door. As I wipe of the imaginary dust off of my smart shirt, the nerves grow further and further. Rustling comes from the other side of the door and then she steps out. My breath has been caught as the sweet smell of her scent catches my breath. Her braids no longer exist as her hair touches her shoulders, her smile is the biggest I've ever seen. "Sorry, I didn't know what to wear." She whispers in a husky breath. She's wearing a forest-green dress that touches her knees, the bangles on her wrists clatter as we step outside of her house.

"You look amazing." I breath, scanning her up and down. Her skin is slightly tanned in comparison to mine, and her feet are slipped into a pair of white flat shoes. Taking her hand in mine we walk to my favorite place.

The walk was quiet, but we both kept squeezing one another's hands. And yes, I kept looking at how amazing she is. Her chocolate hair and grey eyes.

I took her to my favorite place a couple weeks ago, and today. There is a blanket with candles lit in the dark, they shine as bright as stars. Her hand slips from mine as she brings her hands up to her face. Guiding her to sit down, I smile at her sweetly. The blanket has pastries and sweet food that I made early with Rye. "You. Are. Amazing." She breaths quietly, hoping I didn't hear her.

"Dig in." I whisper as the quiet of the field whistles. The blossom trees sway along with the candle light. Katniss takes a bite of a cupcake and moans into the sponge. "Peeta, you are one of a kind. I thought we would go to the cinema or do something stereotypical. Most guys wouldn't go to all this length just for a date." I'm taken back by her words, I've never really been on a date before. But, I had to make this one special.

"I'm not most guys." I smirk. She leans forwards and her face lights up. Her finger touches my nose, as she plants a kiss on my jaw. I give her a steady confused look.

"You had cream on your jaw." She says. "I like a strong jaw too." She bites into more of the pastries and we trade facts about each other.

"Have you been on any dates, besides now?" I ask curiously.

She breaths in and looks down into her lap. "There was one guy - in my old school. We did everything together, but we were too the same, you know? Then we fought because we got on eachothers nerves." She exhales and rests her head on my chest, my arms wrap around her - automatically, I breath in the smell of her hair as I rub her back carefully. My fingers lift her chin up. I stare into her eyes and kiss her lips passionately, her tongue crawls into my mouth and it tastes like strawberries. Closing my eyes as she kisses me, her hands lay on my chest, the skin underneath tingles by her touch.

We separate, she grabs my hand in hers and smiles. That smile I haven't seen before, a mischievous grin plays on her face as her chocolate hair sticks to her forehead. "So, tell me Mellark, have you had a previous girlfriend or date?"

"Not really, there was this girl though, she was my best friend since kindergarten. She accidentally kissed me while we were playing hide and seek. She claimed she did it by accident, but my conscience tells me different."

"Where is this girl?" Katniss replies.

"She moved away because her parents found a better job. The case for everyone. I haven't spoken to her in 2-3 years. Ever since then, I've been lonely. But. Then you came along. You make me the happiest I've ever been." I speak. "Thank you."

"You're too nice Peeta."

We both lie down on the blanket, looking up in the stars. My arm resting on her arm and her hand resting on my leg. "My friends are coming next week, I want you to meet them. It's the half term next week, right?"

"Erm, right."

"Perfect."

A/N: Sorry this was out late, I'm on study leave this week. I've just finished my RE, Sciences and English exams. Maths next! I appreciate all your reviews and thank you to pumpkinking5 for the suggestion of this chapter! I'm gonna skip to Katniss's friends coming over in the next chapter. Annie and Johanna me thinks. Not sure yet, if you have any chapter suggestions, let me know! Thank you once again. And yes, this chapter was mega cheesy, but hey it's all good. X