Love and Rain

By Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

Goes the rhythm of my heart

I feel a lingering flutter

As love takes flight

Drop. Drop. Drop.

Tears fall from the sky

Like translucent pearls,

Fragile as they hit the ground

KATNISS

I came to class late, trying to avoid him. I sat in my seat immediately as Mr Abernathy walked in. He handed out our grades.

Wouldn't you believe it! We received an A, Peeta and I.

"I would like to congratulate everyone for a job well done. I'll dismiss all of you early today as I have a faculty meeting." he said and dismissed us.

"Ms Everdeen, please stay." He said.

"You submitted love and rain with Mr Mellark, I believe." he said.

I nodded to confirm.

"And I think I wouldn't be wrong if I guess that he wrote of love and you wrote of rain?"

Again, I nodded my head.

"It seems that you two wrote about two different things entirely, like oil and water. Why is that so?" he asked.

"Because we probably felt differently at that time." I reasoned.

"Not to intrude or anything, is there something wrong between the 2 of you?"

Nothing was wrong but then nothing was right either. "Things are just as they were." I managed to say.

"If you say so, but seriously you are one sad kid. Stop standing underneath rainclouds all the time. It does not do well drowning in your own tears. Life gives us different weathers, but we can choose whether to endure it or not. If you get rain, you can choose to get drenched, open an umbrella or live someplace else entirely. You're still young to fall for heaven's whims. Think about it" he said before he left me.

I was thinking about Mr Abernathy's words as I was going home.

Standing in the rain and getting drenched has always been my style, hiding my feelings even if it hurts. And I don't really want to subject myself again to pain by staying away from him.

Should I open up to him then? Thinking of just saying it upfront to Peeta, all consequences be damned makes my heart pound. For once, I was going to put myself first.

I was searching for Peeta, in all the usual places. His back was turned when I saw him at the parking lot, I shouted to call him but then I saw him with Delly.

They were hugging each other.

I was too late.

DELLY

Peeta was waiting for me at the school parking lot. I have to leave tomorrow and wanted to see him. He thanked me for the visit and wished me well.

He hasn't changed, my Peety. I hugged him and he hugged me back.

That was when I heard Katniss shout his name. He turned around and saw her running away.

He looked back at me, his blue eyes wide in panic. It would be so like Katniss to run away and assume things.

"Go." I said.

"But-" he tied to say something but I cut him.

"Tell her you love her, before it's too late."

He seemed to understand and ran after Katniss.

Katniss is lucky, and so is Peeta. I wish those two idiots would finally own up to their feelings.

I came back to fix my mistake but it turns out I fixed another's.

Maybe it just wasn't meant to be.

I am gazing at the back of the boy I love running after the girl he loves, and wishing for them to be happy.