Chapter 4

Katniss P.O.V

"Katniss?" Prim said. "Katniss?" I shook my head as if to clear it. So Gale had been looking for me . . . interesting.

"They are cookies. Peeta helped me make them for you. Here." I handed the bag to her. She opened it and gave a squeal of delight. I smiled. "Like them?"

"They're in the shape of flowers!" she took a bite. "And they taste delicious!" Prim said.

"Am I forgiven for being late?" I asked. She nodded, I smiled. As she chowed down on the cookies I walked over to the bedroom and saw my mother sleeping.

"She fell asleep an hour ago." Prim said. "She's exhausted." I nodded. My mother had gotten a job as a nurse in the local hospital – it wasn't much of a hospital, really, but it was the closest thing to a hospital we had. I closed the door letting her sleep.

"I guess I shouldn't have given you cookies this late. Now how will you go asleep?" I said. I poked her stomach, she giggled still eating the cookies. It was strange how I acted with Prim. She was one of the few people that could actually coax a smile out of me. "Make sure not to eat all those. Save some for tomorrow."

"Okay." Prim said. I took my boots of and left them in front of the bedroom door. Prim sat with Buttercup at the table. "You look pretty." I hear her say. I looked down at my outfit, oh right. I had left my original clothes at Peeta's house and was still wearing the outfit Cinna gave me.

"Thanks." I said.

"Did Peeta give you those?" Prim asked. She looked at my shirt admiringly. "They're pretty."

"Uh, um, yeah. Cinna, Peeta's stylist, gave them to me since my clothes got wet during the storm." I said. Prim nodded, the cookies forgotten.

"I didn't know you and Peeta were friends." She muttered. Her tone implied that she thought there was something else going on. For a twelve year old she was really smart. "Hey, what happened with you and Gale? He seemed a little . . . upset when he came here today – did you see his face? There's a huge bruise on one side of his face." I held back a smiled. So, I gave him a bruise? Nice. Somehow the news pleased me just a little.

"Um, nothing." I said a little too quickly. "Let's just say we . . . aren't friends anymore." I winked at Prim. Prim smiled.

"So are you and Peeta friends now? Is that why Gale acted the way he did?" Prim laughed. "Jealousy?"
Jealousy? Peeta make Gale jealous? Other than how Peeta has everything anyone has ever wanted – fortune, fame, and everything else - I highly doubt Gale would be Jealous of Peeta.

"No, why would he be?" I asked. I changed into my sleeping clothes as I said this.

"Well, you were hanging out with him all day. Alone. Just the two of you. And Gale is your boyfriends." She said. I flinched at the word boyfriend.

"Cinna was with us too. And Gale isn't my boyfriend. Not anymore." My tone was final. I grit my teeth, I didn't like having Gale and boyfriend in the same sentenced. It just brought more pain and anger. Prim was instantly at my side, her face full of worry and demanding for an explanation. I sighed.

"What happened?" she asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know. It's Gale, he and I never hang out other than in the woods or our houses. I got sick of it." I said. Look at me, telling my twelve year old sister all of this. I'm glad I have a little sister like Prim, what would I ever do without her. I folded the clothes and laid them gently on the dresser.

"I see." Prim sighed. "He seemed really sorry when he came by." Her tone was hesitant as if she really didn't want to tell me this.

"I don't care. I'm not going back to him." I said.

"So you don't like Gale anymore?" she asked. Was it me or was their some type of happiness in her eyes, did her voice sound hopeful? Was I imagining this? Probably.

"Not at all." I said, which was sort of the truth. She pursed her lips, clearly she knew I was keeping something from her. Okay, so I wasn't the best at keeping my feelings a secret, especially not with Prim but I wasn't about to tell her the truth. That it hurt when his name was mentioned and how at the same time I feel like hitting him with a rock the next time I see him. Yeah, a really big rock. Or an arrow. An arrow would be easier. I wouldn't kill him, no, but he wouldn't be walking with legs anymore, I'll tell you that.
An evil grin must have appeared on my face because Prim suddenly took a tiny step back.

"So next time that you go with Peeta . . . can I come?" Prim asked sheepishly. I smiled.

"Sure little duck. But right now we have to go to sleep. Hopefully all that sugar won't keep you up all night." I said. She giggled. Prim was already changed so we just lied down and she was instantly asleep. Buttercup was nestled close to her, guarding her.

I for one couldn't go to sleep, thoughts about Gale kept appearing in my head. No matter how much I pushed them away they would eventually come back. Why was he looking for me? Did he regret what he did? If so he should, but even if he apologized in some noble and romantic way I would never go back to him. No, Gale and I don't match. We are alike but sometimes we are too alike. I can't explain it but I feel that Gale and I are not compatible because we are so alike. Does that make sense? It's like I need someone else. Someone that doesn't think like me. Someone that can help me make the right decisions, someone with a different point of view, like Peeta. Peeta. How did he fit in here? Of course this new thought brought on a new round of questions. What about Peeta? What were Cinna and him talking about when I was showering?
If Cinna was talking about me then does that mean Peeta liked me? I haven't known Peeta for that long, we weren't exactly close friends. Before today I would probably never be thinking about him. But when I think of all the fun we had today I couldn't help thinking what would happen if Peeta and I were good friends.
I had never imagined anything romantic between me and him but would we be more than friend if I opened that door?
When I accepted his request to go as his date to . . . whatever it was, I just meant as friends, but now I think that there could be more.
Peeta was nothing like Gale, he was kind, handsome, a baker, an artist. A victor. But that wasn't the only reasons I was thinking about him, in fact, I couldn't care less if he was a victor. The thing that brought him to my mind tonight was the kindness he showed that day when we were children. Not many people would do that, especially not to someone they barely knew. And Prim seemed to like him. Yeah, Peeta.

Peeta.

I fell asleep with him in my thoughts.

I wrote A LOT of this today and have, about . . .one. . .five. . . six! more chapters already written and ready for uploading. i just need you guys to review

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