Peeta's POV

I realised pretty quickly that Finnick was completely right about the gossip surrounding Katniss and myself. In the weeks that followed, my relationship, or whatever it was I had with Katniss, had become the main topic of conversation in the hallways at school. People looked, people judged, and they wondered why I would choose to date Katniss, the girl on the scholarship, instead of any of the other girls.

I was used to the way rumours went around the Upper East Side, and I knew that eventually things would die down and a new subject would take its place. However, Katniss was completely new to this world, and I could tell that it was more difficult for her.

She hated the attention, and couldn't stand having people gossip about us. It was seriously damaging the case I was building to Katniss that not everyone in this place was as bad as she thought. I could see that she was trying not to let all the rumours get to her, but I wasn't sure how many more rude remarks Katniss could take from Cashmere before she snapped.

So, like Finnick and Annie had decided to do, Katniss and I kept ourselves out of the spotlight as much as possible. It was killing me not to be able to hold her hand in between classes, or to kiss her when we passed in the corridor, and those few minutes we had by our lockers each day was what I looked forward to most. But, it was what I had to do to make sure Katniss felt as comfortable as possible. I was so scared that she would find all the attention to much and want to break up with me.

It was a surprise, therefore, when Katniss turned up in the bakery kitchen on Sunday afternoon while I was working.

"Hey you." she said, softly.

I was concentrating so intently on the cake that I was decorating, that she startled me. She laughed as I jumped and spun around, the piping bag in my hand almost like a weapon.

"Wow, you should see your face right now!" she laughed.

"Never interrupt a baker when he's decorating." I said, pretending to be serious.

"Well, I'll remember that." she joked.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, smiling. I couldn't believe she'd taken a voluntary trip to the Upper East Side just to see me.

"I was hungry." she shrugged. "I heard your cupcakes are pretty good."

"Oh did you now?" I laughed.

I took a cupcake off one of the trays waiting to enter the bakery and gave it too her. Happily, she hopped up onto the counter and started to eat it, as though she had done that a million times before. I loved how much more comfortable she was beginning to act around me.

I knew she was worried about getting too used to this lifestyle, but although she was much more comfortable around me, there were still many aspects of the Upper East Side lifestyle that she despised. No matter how hard I begged, she would not come with me to any of the dinner parties I was forced to attend with my family and was still angry whenever she saw someone spend hundreds of dollars on a whim. She was right of course, most people around here were shallow and money obsessed, but I think she had finally accepted that I wasn't like that.

I loved how determined Katniss was not to conform to the ways of the Upper East Side like I had seen so many other new students to The Capitol School do. She had showed me a whole other world, where you didn't have to wear a suit and tie to dinner and that some of the best things to do in this city cost under ten dollars. I was amazed by how much more of the world Katniss had opened to me, but I was also glad that she was willing to let a little bit of my world into her life.

I had been doing a lot of thinking about her and I before she had arrived at the bakery, and it was actually perfect that she chosen that moment to surprise me.

"Hey so I've been thinking…" I began, working up the courage to turn around and face her.

"Oh, have you now?" Katniss joked.

I looked her in the eye and said quickly, "Maybe we should rethink the whole 'not putting a label on our relationship' idea."

"Yeah?" Katniss looked at me to say more.

"Well I mean, everybody knows we're dating anyway. I thought it might be easier." She didn't look convinced. "Plus, I kind of want to call you my girlfriend." That made her smile.

"So what do you say?" I looked at her, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Would your girlfriend happen to get free cupcakes?" she asked cheekily.

"Any time she wants."

"Well then, I'll definitely be your girlfriend."

I crossed to her, trying to contain my smile. I hopped up next to her on the counter, and she lay aside the half eaten cupcake. I could taste the sugary icing on her lips as I kissed her. Even though we had been seeing each other for a few weeks now, I still couldn't get over how much I loved kissing her. It kind of made my head spin to think that Katniss Everdeen would even consider dating me, and I was so happy she had let me in considering she was once so determined to hate me. I wanted to kiss her forever, but I think things might have been escalating a little too quickly considering we were in the middle of a commercial kitchen.

"Sooo." Katniss said, breaking away. She was pretty breathless and her cheeks were rosy red. "Busy day at work then?"

I laughed, "Just finishing up some orders before we close."

"Right." Katniss said sighing, "Thanksgiving."

"Not your favourite holiday?" I asked.

"It's never really been the same since my father died."

"So what do you do?"

"Gale's family usually comes over, and we eat together." Katniss told me, "What about you?"

"Not my favourite holiday either- you think my mother is bad, you should meet my grandmother!"

"Oh no, really?" Katniss groaned, "Well, you're welcome to stop by my place if you need to."

"I might just take you up on that offer." I said, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Hey Peeta, you finished that cake yet?" One of the bakers on the opposite side of the kitchen called to me, as amused look on his face.

I groaned and jumped off the bench. "You are way too distracting." I winked at her.

"I better go then." she said with a cheeky grin.

As she left the kitchen, she took another cupcake off the tray and blew me a kiss. I couldn't stop smiling as I finished decorating the cake, and I was fairly sure that Katniss Everdeen was going to be the death of me.

The only thing I truly enjoyed about Thanksgiving was that my family left most of the cooking to me. A lot of families on the Upper East Side hired staff to cook the most rich and decadent food possible, but I had volunteered a few years ago and I guess the job had been given to me. My brothers were lazing around on the couch while I pulled the turkey out of the oven. It smelled fantastic, and I was pretty pleased with it.

"Okay, it's ready!" I called, and my family gathered around the table.

To be honest, the few minutes after we sat down to eat were my favourite, and I actually felt appreciated by my family. However, as soon as we began my mother and grandmother found a million ways to compare me to my brothers and make me feel pretty much worthless again.

"You know, he's dating some girl on a scholarship!" My mother remarked.

"Well where's she from?" My grandmother asked her.

"Not from here, that's for sure!"

"Peeta, you should be looking for a girl from a good family around here." My grandmother advised. "Why don't you date a girl like Wyatt's girlfriend, her father bought his wife a yacht for their anniversary- a yacht!"

"Can we not talk about Katniss right now?" I said, more angrily that I had intended, even though I was fuming.

"Don't use that tone at the dinner table." My mother frowned.

I decided not to bother saying anything more, and ate in silence. However, I couldn't help ignore the subtle comments my mother continued to make as she spoke about the wonderful achievements of my brothers in terms of sports and college and followed up with "and Peeta is doing a lot of the decorations at the bakery." Unfortunately, rolling my eyes at her comment did not go undetected.

"Peeta, do you have a problem with me saying that?" My mother asked in a pleasant tone despite her angry expression.

"No." I replied, looking down. The last thing I wanted was an argument. That had happened last year, and I did not want to repeat it.

"Good, you can clear the table then."

Sighing, I began clearing the table as my family retreated to the living room and collapsed on the couches, full from their meals. Once everything was stacked in the dishwasher, I looked across at them, conversing as though I didn't exist. Quietly, I slipped out of the apartment and they didn't even notice.

I wasn't sure if Katniss' offer to visit on Thanksgiving was entirely legitimate, but at that point I couldn't stand to be around my family in that apartment any longer. I needed to get out. Although this Thanksgiving hadn't been as bad as in the past, I still was sick and tired of the way my mother treated me.

I arrived at Katniss' apartment as they were eating dessert, and I could see the surprised looks on everyone faces when I appeared in the doorway, including Katniss'. I looked over at the table and recognised both Prim and their mother, however, I had never met the others seated at the table. Another woman, who must have been Gale's mother was sitting beside three younger siblings of Gale's, and then Gale himself. I didn't really know what to expect Gale to be like, but he was way more grown up looking than I was, and I immediately felt self conscious. I also noticed that Gale did not look pleased at all.

However, Katniss welcomed me and pulled me into a hug. "Hey." she said softly, "What are you doing here?"

"What, aren't I allowed to see my girlfriend on Thanksgiving?" I asked, smiling back.

It was a light hearted question, but it made Gale slam his glass down on the table so hard I was surprised it didn't break. At once the life seemed to drain out of the room, and I could sense immediately that it was the wrong thing to say.

"Gale, could you pass the water jug?" Prim asked innocently, trying to restore some life into the small party. Gale handed Prim the jug but said nothing.

"Here." Katniss said, pulling up a chair next to hers, "Take a seat."

Gale's family introduced themselves to me, but the rest of the meal was eaten mostly in silence, in between short moments of uncomfortable small talk. The two families fitted in so well together it was as if they really were one unit, and I was beginning to very uncomfortable. Not to mention how over dressed I was, in a suit that probably cost more than their entire meal. I felt incredibly out of place, and from the angry looks Gale was giving me, and I completely unwelcome too.

I volunteered to help Katniss wash the dishes, but Gale insisted that he would do it. Instead, I dried while Gale and Katniss washed. I noticed Katniss glance over as Prim and Rory disappeared into their bedroom, but it seemed to me that the situation that had arisen between Gale and I was taking up all her energy at that moment, and she said nothing. Even though Katniss was standing in between Gale and I, Gale still managed to glare at me as the three of us worked in silence until all the dishes were washed and dried.

"All done!" Katniss said, overly happily.

When she turned to me, I noticed she had bubbles in her hair, and she looked so adorably cute that I couldn't help but smile. "You've got some bubbles." I said, and gently took them out.

I heard the door slam and we both jumped. I realised that Gale had just walked out of the apartment, and Katniss tensed up. I took a step back from her, feeling awful.

"Maybe I should go." I said softly, "I've ruined your day."

"No, it's fine." she tried to reassure me, but it wasn't convincing. "Did something happen with your family?"

"Yeah." I sighed, sadly. "But let's not talk about it."

She nodded, taking my hand and leading me over to the couch.

"I'm guessing Gale doesn't like me, then." I said trying to make a joke, but it didn't sound funny.

"Don't worry about him." Katniss said, taking a breath. "He just has strong opinions about the Upper East Side and thinks that I've 'become one of you'." she sighed.

"Surely he knows that's not true."

"But is it?" Katniss looked distressed. "I'm scared that I'm turning into everything I hate."

"Katniss." I said seriously, "I've grown up amongst those people my whole life, and trust me, you are not turning into them." I smiled, "I promise, as soon as you start wanting me to buy you a yacht, I'll make sure you get the hell away from that place."

"A yacht?" she asked, laughing.

"Don't ask." I groaned.

Katniss smiled and snuggled in to me, resting her head in my chest. We sat quietly together, and I was happy for the time just to be with her, without any stares, any rumours, any complications. However, I knew that sooner or later I would have to leave, on the off chance that my family was wondering where I had gone.

As I left the apartment building, I heard a gruff voice call my name. I turned to see Gale standing behind me. He still didn't look happy and I was beginning to wonder if he ever actually smiled at all.

"Hi, Gale." I said. I had a feeling that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Let's not try to act like we like each other." Gale replied. At least he got to the point.

"Okay?"

"I don't know what you think you're doing with Katniss, but she isn't like all those stuck up girls where you're from."

"I know that, why do you think I like her?"

"Katniss has been through a lot of things you would never understand." He glared at me, "If you ever hurt her, you'll have to deal with me."

"Look, I shouldn't have to explain this to you, but I really like Katniss and she really likes me. I'm sticking around, and you just have to get use to it." I could feel myself getting more and more frustrated, and I'd never really had this kind of confrontation with someone that wasn't my mother. Gale was much bigger than me and had probably been in more fights than I would like to imagine, so there was no way I wanted this conversation to go any further. I turned to leave, and was relieved that Gale said no more.

Between the vicious rumours on the Upper East Side and Gale's overprotectiveness of Katniss, any hopes of things getting less complicated any time soon were quickly disappearing.