Katniss-
The party goes off without a hitch. The Hawthorne family was there; Hazelle, Gale, Rory, Vick and Posey. Hazelle was pregnant with Posey when our fathers were killed. My mom says she almost died birthing her. Gale was being evasive and avoiding me. Actually, I wasn't trying to talk to him either.
The food was filling and the corn meal muffins were the perfect pairing. We sang happy birthday and the Hawthorne's all gave Prim homemade cards and some doll clothes that Hazelle had pieced together for Prim's only doll. She loved them.
I presented Prim with the beautiful parchment package with the silver, shiny twine. She carefully opened up the package, and saved all of the wrappings. She let out a huge gasp when she saw the dozen cookies, painted flowers and her name in the delicate, curvy script. She jumped into my arms and thanked me profusely. She chose to keep the one with her name on it for later and made sure that everyone had one of their own.
The sweet vanilla cookie was the most delectable thing that I had ever eaten. My teeth almost ached from the sugar, but it was worth every bite. More importantly, my next Saturday in town – helping Peeta with the storage shed – would also be worth the smile on Prim's face. Not to mention, being able to see him again outside of school.
Hazelle and my mother sat at the kitchen talking and drinking tea, while all of the rest of us sat by the fire listening to the little ones talk about their friends and classes. Everything was clean and all of the kids were tired from the birthday games we played.
Gale hasn't even glanced at me, or maybe I've just been avoiding his eyes.
As everyone is leaving, Posey is sound asleep on Hazelle's shoulder. Gale sends them off and says he will be right behind them. The Hawthorne's live 4 houses down on the same side of the Seam. All of the houses are exactly the same, so our houses are identical. The boys all share a room and Posey sleeps with Hazelle. Hazelle runs a small clothes cleaning service, so there are always stacks of clothes and barrels of soapy water around.
"Do you want to take a quick walk with me? Just over to the meadow?" He looks like he fears that I might say no and I actually consider it. It's nice to think that he's not assuming that I'll follow right behind him.
"Sure, we can't be long. It's almost curfew." I put on my father's old leather hunting jacket, besides my bow it's almost all that I have left from him.
We walk to the meadow without talking. The sky is clear and you can see thousands of stars. The electricity in the Seam varies and isn't very strong. Tonight there is nothing to take away from the magnificent view. He sits on the tree stump that Prim and I used to play on, my father would bring us here for picnics on Sundays during the summer. Sunday is the only day that the mines are closed.
"Where did you get those cookies? How did you pay for them?" He looks angry, his hands are gripping the sides of the stump that he is sitting on.
"Uh, I got them from the bakery when I went into town to trade. I didn't – um – pay for them, I am going to help Peeta next week as payment…. building a shed."
"Katniss, what are you doing with that merchant boy? What did you really do to get those cookies, do you know much those cost? There's no way that he just gave them to you!"
My blood starts to boil, how dare he! Accuse me of doing something to get those cookies. What does he even care, who does he think he is?
"Fuck you Gale! What gives you the right to assume those things about me? Do you think I fucked him as a trade? I didn't think of that – maybe I'll do that next time!" I feel like steam is coming out of my ears and I can feel my fingernails digging into my palms.
He winces at my words; he knows I wouldn't do that. Doesn't he? His face almost looks like he's sorry, but his hands are still clenched.
"And how dare you drag me out here, so close to curfew, after you just kiss me out of nowhere in the woods. What the hell was that about, Gale? Have you lost your mind?" I'm sure he can see how angry I am.
Unknowingly I had inched closer to him until I had my finger pointed in his chest, about a foot away from his face. He grabs my wrist and pulls me closer to him. He keeps the arm that he's holding close to his chest and takes my other arm and holds it behind my back, so I can't pull away.
I suck in my breath, I'm only inches from his face. I can smell his sweet breath close to me, it's like the mint leaves from his tea. "Why?"
"Katniss, I had to do it. At least once. I saw the way you smiled when you were talking about him and I had to just take the chance. I – I, um, you must know how I feel about you, right?"
"Fe – feel about me? Gale, I – um – I'm not sure what you're saying exactly. You know that I don't really believe in that type of thi-"
"I know; I guess I just realized when you were talking about Peeta. I couldn't stand to hear you saying those things about the slagheap and being with him." I'm almost glad that he cut me off, I have no idea what I was going to say. But now I'm even more confused.
I was starting to calm down, hearing Gale talking about feelings – which he NEVER does. I'm sure he could feel the fight dying down in my hands and arms. He leaned forward and his cheek passed over mine, I could feel his lips on my ear. A sensation runs through my fingertips to my core…an all too familiar feeling in the last 24 hours.
I can smell the homemade soap that they use at their house and the faint coal dust that covers his clothes. The stubble from his cheek rubs across mine as he runs his lips along the length of my ear. A small moan escapes my mouth without me knowing it was there, my knees almost give out. He barely skims his mouth along my jaw to my lips. His dark eyelashes flutter on my cheek. Gale presses his lips to mine, harder than last night and I feel his tongue running cross my lips and then it touching mine. He pulls my center to his, holding his body against me.
He let my wrists go and I lean back, steadying myself with my hands on his thighs. I notice that close to my hands, his pants are starting to bulge from his hardness. My eyes widen and I instantly turn crimson.
"Please leave this Peeta boy alone, I'll handle the shed next week that you are supposed to help with" His hand plays with the end of my braid. I almost feel grateful for his offer, but then he fuels my rage again "besides, it's not like he would want to date someone from the Seam…".
This time, I punch him. Hard. My knuckles are scuffed and he has a small cut under his left eye. I leave him sitting on the stump. This time, when I get to my house, I don't even look behind me to see if he's followed.
Monday comes quickly and I have not seen Gale since I left him in the meadow.
Why did I get so angry at what he said? It must be true, merchant boys don't actually like girls from the Seam. They meet them down at the slagheap with promises of gifts or coins, but nothing serious ever comes from it. Other than a bastard baby.
There are peacekeepers in town that you can 'spend time with' for a monetary exchange. Lots of girls do it, rather than taking tesserae and risking having your name on an extra slip of paper for the annual Hunger Games reaping. I wouldn't ever do that. Or would I? What if it was the only way to feed Prim?
Peeta seems different than other boys, but then again, I don't really know him.
The first half of the school day flies by. I spend my lunch listening to Madge talk about a project that she has in her home-finance class. That class isn't offered to girls of the Seam, we take homemaking and learn about child birth and tending to the needs of our coal miner husbands. She learns about how to help her husband with the finances of the business that they are running and how to appear wifely in the public eye.
I see Peeta, just one table over. His eye is still black. When I glance his way, he has his eyes locked on me. It surprises me, but for some reason I don't look away. I just give a small smile without being too obvious. It's no wonder all the girls like him, he makes you feel special just by the way he looks at you.
Madge taps me on the hand, "I've asked you the same question 3 times! But I clearly see that you have other things on your mind." She giggles and smiles.
"Me? Uh – no! I was just, um, he was looking at me…that's all."
"Kat, seriously? Did you just open your eyes for the first time? He stares at you EVERY day!" I blush and am truly shocked to hear this news. Could that really be true? I've never noticed.
"Madge…don't be foolish! C'mon, we have history to get to."
He sits right behind me in History of Mining. I am suddenly very aware of his scent: cinnamon and fresh bread. I resist the urge to turn to him throughout the whole class. Thankfully our schedules vary and we only have one class together on each day. This class on Monday and Thursday, then mathematics on Tuesday and Friday. Wednesday is when the boys and girls of each grade break off for physical fitness and my homemaking class. I'm not exactly sure what the boys do. I would ask Gale, but I can't stand to think of him right now.
Class finally ends and I head over to get Prim from her wing of the school, when I come back through he is still at his locker. Is he waiting for me? I feel like I've seen him there before. Does he always wait for me? His blonde curls fall over his forehead as he looks back at me.
He closes his locker right before we pass. "Ladies, how are you both this fine afternoon?" Prim giggles and I try to hide my smile.
"Hi, Peeta! I hope you are doing well. Thank you so much for the cookies that you made for me, they were so pretty and tasty! I adored the one with my name on it, I saved it to eat with my lunch today." She finishes off shyly.
"That was smart of you! If you eat too many cookies, your belly will ache – trust me, I know!", pointing his own thumb into his chest and leaning down to her to make his point. She just laughs, I love her smile. Right now she is so blind to most of the differences between us and them. She'll learn all too soon.
"Peeta, what happened to your eye? Did your mom hit you? I've heard that she isn't very nice." Oh shit, why would she say that?
"Primrose! That is none of our busi-"
Peeta looks over to me and I can almost see the embarrassment in his face. "Um, w-well. Yes, she did. I dropped a pan of muffins and she hit me with a spoon." I could tell he was being truthful; Prim has that effect on people. My heart was breaking with his and I couldn't help but furrow my brow at this news. When he turned to see my expression, I'm sure he could see the sorrow in my face. At least, I hope he could. I can understand why he lied when I asked the first time.
It's hard to imagine that your own mother doesn't love you. Then again, my mother stopped caring for us after my father died. I don't think I could ever forgive her, so I can almost see how he feels. Almost. Mine would never hurt me, on purpose.
He walks Prim and I to the street, but he doesn't offer to walk with us. For some reason, I'm disappointed by this, that he didn't at least offer…not that I would have allowed it. He bids us goodbye. With Prim chatting away, I glance back and see him watching me. He gives a small wave and I can't help but smile. I carry that smile all the way home with me.
I manage to make it through the week with not much success at keeping my mind off of Peeta, not only does he wait for us and walk us to the street after school but surprises Prim with a piece of butter cake on Friday after school.
Every day, as we walk away, I look back and he is there with a small wave, that I feel is just for me.