Silence fills the corridors as we pass the people, and their mouths hang agape for a few seconds until we have passed by, then behind our backs I hear the whispering, though I dont need to hear it to know that a million rumours have already circulated thanks to the invention of the mobile phone, which made me hate all the more the factor that I didnt have one, because I had no idea what on earth what was being said.
I'd have to try and get Madge to tell me the information, or possibly Prim might know, all of the kids her age hear from their older siblings the latest gossip.
"So, erm, hows life?" Peeta shrugged awkwardly, not meeting my gaze as my eyes turned to look at him.
"Its ok, how are things for you?" My turn to let my eyes wander across the floor, any where but at him.
"Yeah things are ok for me too, few orders at the bakery so we dont have to make as much, but that also means we arent earning as many profits, which really isnt useful, because I need the money to save up for..." his eyes are on me again and hes blushing as I return his glance.
"To save up for what?" I question further.
"Oh nothing, Im just saving up, thought it might be useful one day" he's fiddling with his school bag strap, trying to pick away all the loose threads. He has badges fastened on to the front of his satchel, the kind you make from old bottle tops and safety pins.
"I like your badges" I find myself saying, though I cant see them all that closely, and they seem to have quite intricate detail, for some thing made so easily by the little children of the seam.
"Thanks" he grins, holding up his satchel to let me have a closer look. He points out the first one, "This one is one my brother gave me a few years ago."
There are three of them in total, one of them has a little sketch in water colours of the bakery, another has an equally as perfect sketch of the Mellark family, and the third doesnt seem to have a picture at all its so faded.
"And whats this one?" I ask, brushing my finger around the metal plate.
"A dandelion" he whispers softly, observing me for my reaction.
My mind clicks back to that day in town, my stomach empty, burning, and nothing in my hands to take home to my starving sister and my mother, who was empty every where else other than her stomach. She left us. And then Peeta. Brave enough to throw us that bread, though it earned him a beating. And then the following morning, when I saw that dandelion in the field, so much hope was in my heart, when I realised that we would be able to survive off the fat of the very land. And as I turned around with the yellow flower in my hands, a pair of eyes as beautiful and blue as the sky above had been watching me cautiously.
"Thats my favourite one" I reply, able to see now the little yellow spikes, that make up the dandelions tangled mane.
"Mine too" He whispers in return, as he slings the bag over his shoulder and we walk in to class.
There are many a desk in that class room, but as I settled in to my favourite seat, Peeta Mellark chose to sit next to me, his hair glinting in the sunlight pouring through the window.
I bite my tongue to stop from complimenting him, because Im not particularly good in that field.
"Its your turn" he says, a smile on his face, and his hands piling the books up on his desk in front of him, preparing for the tedious hour long class that awaits us.
"My turn to what?" confusion must be etched across my face, because he laughs musically and drums his fingers on his book, "to ask a question to me" he replies, a daring glint in his eyes.
I pause to think before I ask.
"Whats your favourite colour?"
His answer is immediate "Orange" In my head I see the awful bright orange of Effie Trinkets wig last year, it hurt my eyes and immediately made me stop dreaming of the rumoured delicous fruit that never came our way. I snicker. "What?" he laughs, a glimmer of hurt passing through his eyes like a schoal of fish.
"Its just so bright and it doesnt seem to match any thing" I retort, the question again obviously in my voice as I try to interpret his answer.
"I meant a gentle orange, like the sunset, that colour is beautiful, it lights up the whole world just for a fraction of a second, and the hope in it is some thing that always makes me feel safe, even when life isnt the best, I can look forward to the sunset at the window"
My eyes widen, the honesty behind his answer is one that is evident, and its sweet to know that he means the words that he is seemingly so talented with.
"Thats beautiful Peeta" I smile shyly, and he shrugs before directing my own question back at me.
"Green, like the forest," I sigh, knowing my answer will probably frighten him away, to know that I dream of the forest, though he doesnt know that I go there to hunt every day.
"Cool" He grins back, before turning to face the front of the class room as the bell rings.
And suddenly, I cant hear the rumours around us any more.
