Katniss paced the length of the hall in her one bedroom apartment. Why was it so hard to just call him?
"Peeta, I was wondering if you want to go hiking with me?" she practiced aloud. "Peeta, would you like to go hiking with me?" Okay, she could do this. He was easy to talk to, and good natured. What was she fretting about?
He answered on the second ring. "Hey Katniss, I was just thinking about you," said Peeta.
"Y-you were?" she asked, caught off guard.
"Yes, I'll be back in the coffee shop next weekend, so I was thinking I could make you some more cheese buns, and a chai tea latte, of course," he said, a smile in his voice.
"Thats, um, yeah," she breathed.
"So what's up?" he asked.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, suddenly remembering that she had been the one to call him. "Uh, I was calling to see, well to ask really, to um." Katniss took a deep breath, exhaling audibly. "Peetadoyouwanttogohikingthissunday?" her words rushed out all together.
"Oh," he said, quietly, and she couldn't help but notice that he sounded vaguely disappointed. "I can't."
"What about Saturday instead?" Katniss asked, assuming he was just busy on Sunday.
"Afraid not," he replied. "But thanks for asking." He seemed reserved, although still polite.
"Friday?" she ventured halfheartedly, realizing a beat too late that she already knew what his response would be.
Peeta took a deep breath before delivering the news. "I'm really sorry Katniss. I just can't go hiking with you. But thanks again for the invite."
"Oh, okay, no problem," Katniss' voice was small.
"I'll talk to you later, okay?" Peeta said, but he seemed distracted.
"Sure Peeta. Have a good night." And with that the call was over.
Katniss tossed her phone across her couch and sank down on the nearby ottoman, head in her hands. "Arghhhh!" she screamed, balling her hands into fists against her eyes. But despite being turned down flat by Peeta, and feeling like she had just been burned, Katniss could not shake the feeling that something was off. He certainly seemed interested enough all the times she had talked to him in person. And what about that nice walk they had? And the hug the next day? He even let her keep his hoodie. They talked for hours at lunch and he was the one to ask her if he could call her sometime. Something was absolutely off.
Katniss stood abrubtly and began pacing the living room floor. Now she was just plain angry. How dare he lead her on and then shoot her down when she finally worked up the nerve to call him and ask him to hang out. Part of her wanted to call him back and tell him nevermind, that she hadn't really meant to ask him to go hiking.
...
Katniss avoided the Tribute Street coffee shop for a solid week before she realized that she was punishing herself for no reason. Why should she forgo her favorite warm drink just because Peeta had been rude? Sure, he had called a handful of times since they had last talked, but she had yet to pick up the phone. She'd be mortified to run into him now.
She could just plan to go into the coffee shop when he's not there, she reasoned. Before his internship, Peeta was always at the coffee shop on a fairly predictible schedule. All she had to do was go on the days when she was least likely to run into Peeta.
That's how she ended up pulling open the door to the coffee shop on a Wednesday afternoon, her mouth already watering in anticipation of a chai tea latte, even if it wouldn't be exactly the way she liked it. Because only Peeta could make it just right. And she was currently hoping to never see him again.
But that's not what the universe had in mind for her, and sure enough the first person she spotted as she cleared the doorway was Peeta. He lit up visibly when he saw her, his smile a cross between exhilirated and relieved.
"Katniss!" Peeta called to her where she stood frozen in the doorway. Katniss shook her head, determined not to let his presence keep her from her warm drink. Head down, she made her way to the counter to order.
"I've been trying to call you," Peeta said. "I was worried," he continued, fumbling to grab a cup from the stack and spilling several in the process. "The usual?" he asked, as a side note to the more imperative conversation.
Katniss merely nodded, head still down, staring at the countertop.
Peeta forged on, undetered. "I was wondering, I mean I was hoping...there's this art walk on Friday-"
"I'm busy," Katniss cut him off before he could finish.
"Oh, um, okay," Peeta said cheerfully. "Well maybe we could just grab lunch one day this week, then. I'd love to catch up," he added.
Carefully, to avoid revealing the fact that she was shaking inside, Katniss lifted her head and spoke in a cold, lifeless tone. "I'm sorry Peeta, I'm busy all week." Her eyes made it to his remarkable blue ones just in time to see the happiness drain away, a distraught look overtaking his features.
"Katniss," he said, a pleading tone in his voice. Suddenly he shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts. "Let me get your drink," he said, resigned. Then he turned away without another word. When Katniss took her drink to her regular seat, Peeta disappeared behind the door that led to the kitchen.