PEETA
"Uhmm, do you want to be my partner?" I mustered all my courage to ask her. Since joining her for summer class, this was the first time I talked to her.
I enrolled for her writing class even if I wasn't good at it, because I wanted to be close to her again. Madge supported me and decided she'd go to Europe with her parents to have a vacation and made me promise to update her.
I was glad that the opportunity came when the professor asked us to work in pairs. I have a perfectly good reason to approach her.
"What! after more than 4 months, not even a hello Katniss first?!" I was surprised by her sudden outburst.
I was taken back that what came from my mouth was "Hey! Don't blame me. You were the one who avoided us remember?"
"I was just busy with schoolwork. But it was not as if you were dying to talk to me. You ignored me for more than 4 months!" she said indignantly.
Now it's my fault? I don't understand her. "Well, I didn't know and you didn't tell us. How was I supposed to react with your sudden withdrawal? I thought you were avoiding us on purpose! I thought you wanted to be left alone!"
"Why should I have to explain myself?!" she said.
Doesn't she know what she did? She made me crazy for more than 4 months just watching her back from a distance. I tried so hard to suppress my feelings for her. Up to now, I still don't know what she's thinking.
Suddenly the sky opened up and heavy rain fell complete with thunder and lightning. We were instantly soaked so we ran for the nearest cover.
KATNISS
We took shelter in a waiting shed.
I was huddled on the bench shivering. He was also sitting on the opposite end. He must have seen me shivering so he came near me.
"Let's huddle close so you'd get warm or we could just sit with our backs together" he said when he saw my expression stiffen.
We were silent, sitting with our backs pressed together. I was watching the rain fall, thinking what a sneaky friend it was appearing at a time like this.
He broke the silence. "Do you want to be my partner?"
It was raining again, it was our moment together. I shouldn't be wasting this gift of time.
"Yeah sure" I said.
"So you've been busy, huh?" he said.
"Yeah, got stuck with the books" I lied.
"I'm sorry for ignoring you" he said.
"I'm sorry for avoiding you" I said honestly.
"Don't do that again, okay?" he said.
"I can't promise that you know." I said. "And besides-"
"It sucks not being with you." He said.
Hearing those from him melted my heart. And the wall I built around me crumbled.
"Same here" I answered back.
The rain continued to pour, just like in my dreams, only this time he was still here.
"Looks like it's you and me for the summer." He said. "Madge has abandoned us for Europe. Not that I blame her."
Friend? So they're just friends? But who was he referring to when he asked me for advice?
I was no longer thinking of walls. From now on, I promised to be honest with myself. I want him to see me as more than just a friend. But how do I face him and make him notice me?
We were still sitting with our backs against each other. From this position, it was a very long distance. I have to go around the world before I could stand in front of him and face him.
The rain has quenched the dry earth. Puddles on the ground remains of the heavy rain. In it I see our reflection.
We were back, as to what I don't know. I don't want to be friends again with him. I suck as a friend. Maybe we weren't really friends in the first place.
He was my friend's bestfriend, the boy I liked, the boy I love.
PEETA
I walked her home, just like the first time.
"We're here" I announced as we stood outside her gate.
"Thank you, Peeta." she said.
"I'll be going ahead" I said.
"See you tomorrow?"
My heart skipped a beat. "For what?" I said excitedly.
"For class, we have a class tomorrow. And we still have to think about our assignment." She said, bemused with my reaction.
"Oh right! Yeah see you tomorrow" I said and went home with hope in my heart.
In the aftermath of the storm, we were back to being but not the same as we were before. She can't be a friend anymore.
I could not put a name to it, but she was my bestfriend's friend, the girl I liked, the girl I love.