The next morning Prim and I left for school, we had promised Mama that we would come straight home to help her, Prim and I are both using a quicker pace than normal hoping we have enough time to talk with our friends before the bell rings.

The crowd in the school yard is much smaller than it was two weeks ago, all the farm boys are at home and a lot of the girls are also, Annie Cresta and Prim and I are the only farm girls that are in school.

Madge threads her arm through mine and we take a short walk away from the others.

"What did Peeta Mellark say you yesterday?" She asked in a whisper.

"Oh, he just said I had a nice singing voice," I tell her and try not to blush.

"I told you that he liked you," She said, her eyes bright with excitement.

The upstairs room is noticeably less crowded, the absence of the big bulky figures of the older farm boys is noticeable. There's only nine students, which seemed to upset Miss. Trinket.

"Honestly what can be more important than a good education," She had huffed. Being from a big city from the east she clearly didn't understand much about farm work.

I did my best to focus on my school work, but when Peeta got up to recite his lessons, I found myself focusing more on him… which is ridiculous.

After Miss. Trinket dismissed us I hurried outside to wait for Prim.

Peeta comes out the door a few moments after me, I see him look around, then his eyes settle on me. I look down, embarrassed that I had been watching him. He comes up to me and I see that he had a little brown paper bag.

He holds it out for me, "Here, I'd like you to have this."

I don't reach out for it, "Oh," I say and pause for a moment, I don't want to appear ungracious, "Thank you, but, I can't accept it."

"Oh," He said and lowers his arm, looking hurt, "Why?"

I look down at my hands that I had clasped in front of me.

"Well," I start, this is so embarrassing, "My Mama and Papa told me I was to young to be accepting gifts from boys." I'm sure my face has gone red.

"Oh," He says again, then after a small pause he asks, "How old to you have to be?"

When can I accept gifts from boys? My heart is fluttering and I try to keep my voice steady as I answer, "They said when I'm fifteen."

He nods a little while looking off then looks back at me, he cheeks are slightly flushed, "Do you- do you think we could be friends?" He stumbled a bit over his words a bit.

I kept my gaze on my hands, Papa hadn't said anything about not being friends with boys, I was friends with Gale after all, but this seemed different, "I think so… I'd have to ask Papa," I said shyly.

"Oh," Peeta said "OK, well… see you later, Katniss."

Prim walked up, eyeing Peeta with obvious interest. He gave both of us a wave before walking away.

"Good-bye," I said.

Prim and I turned and started climbing up the hill that we had gone sledding on last winter.

Once we're over the ledge and away from the eyes of town, I say to Prim, "Come on, lets run, we'll get home faster."

I take off running, my bonnet quickly falls off and is hanging onto my neck by the limp strings, my skirt is whipping around my legs and my bare feet hit the warm grass and the cool dirt. It was so refreshing to feel the wind rushing around me as I ran as fast as I could. I slowed down when I saw how Prim is far behind me.

She finally catches up, "I hate running. We aren't supposed to run, Katniss."

I don't run again, but we both keep up a good pace. We hear a horse coming down the road and see Papa in his wagon riding into town.

"Hi-ya girls," He calls, "Have to get a new blade from town, hit a rock and one broke clean off… Hurry home now, Mama's waiting."

We nod and pick up our pace even more. We change right away and get to work. When Papa gets back he heads right back to the fields where Mr. Hawthorne and Gale have been managing with a missing blade as best they can.

After supper, Mr. Hawthorne and Gale leave and Papa does his barn chores. I go upstairs to turn down our bed and then come back down, Papa is in the middle of telling Mama something.

"I was waiting for Mellark to find the correct blade when he comes straight up to me, expression as solemn as they come, and he says to me, 'Excuse me sir, I know you're busy, but I was hoping I might have a word with you.' And I said 'why sure, young man, what can I help you with'." Papa looks up at me with a twinkle in his eye as I come down and then he continues, "he looked me straight in the eye and asked 'I was hoping that though she isn't 15 and can't accept any gifts from me yet, I would like to be friends with Katniss'." Papa starts chuckling to himself, "And I said 'why son, if my little bird wants to be friends with you, then you can be friends with her'. He thanked me real nice and then ran out the door." Papa looks up at me, "That's one determined young man, there."

"How did he know that you couldn't court till you were 15?" Mama asked me.

"Oh, well, he offered me some more candy, and I told him that you and Papa said that I was too young to accept gifts from boys. Then he asked when I could, and I-I told him."

"You're a good girl, Katniss," Papa says, still chuckling a little to himself.

"Yes you are, Katniss," Mama says gently, "You can be friends with him, but don't let him try any funny business with you. You know not to go anywhere alone with him, right?"

"Yes, Mama," I said, "Of course."

"He's such a nice boy, I'm sure he wouldn't try any funny business," Prim said, her chin was propped up by her hand as she looked off into the distance dreamily, "He must like you an awful lot, Katniss."

"That's enough, Prim."

Prim and I finished our school work and then said good night to Mama and Papa.

Prim snuggled up to me in bed.

I could she was looking at me, I turned to face her.

"Do you like him, Katniss?"

I think for a moment, "I don't know… he is nice." I turn my head and look at the roof beams above me, I think back to the fluttering in my stomach when he complimented me, then I remember his blue eyes, "His eyes are so blue… I never noticed them before, they're such a pretty shade of blue."

I turn to face Prim again and her eyes are shining, I can tell she's barely suppressing a squeal, "You're talking about his eyes? Oh Katniss you do like him!" Then she burst into giggles.

"Sleep girls," Mama calls up.

"Are you going to marry him? If he asked you, would you?" Prim asked quietly.

"I don't know, Prim. Go to sleep or Mama will scold."

Prim thinks that I like him, he is nice, but do I like him as a possible beau? I don't know much about him. I start to compile a mental list. His Father owns the bakery. He has two older brothers, the eldest is going to school in Iowa the other is Gale's age I think. He does well in school. He's nice.

I stop and think a bit more, my heart rate picks up a bit more as I add, he thinks I have a pretty singing voice. He wants to be my friend. Well, if I become friends with him, then I'll learn more about him.

The next day at lunch, Madge surprised me by bringing her lunch from home, instead of going home for lunch. What surprised me even more was when Peeta came and sat by us under the tree.

"May I sit here?"

Madge and I both nodded. He plopped down on the grass and leaned back, resting on his elbows.

Madge and I just stare at him for a moment before looking at each other. Madge let out a small giggle, but I'm thankful that it was at least short and quiet but Peeta still looked over at her.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing, Peeta," Madge said, there's a small pause then she tells him what she had just been telling me, "Miss. Twill said that if I pass the exam then I'll be able to move upstairs in the fall."

"Good job," He told her with a small, he started nervously picking the grass then looked up again, "I'll be going to high school in the fall."

"Your leaving?" I blurt out, then take a breath and continue, "I mean… That's great, I'm sure you'll learn a lot."

"Yeah…" He says slowly.

"Don't you want to go?" Madge asks him.

"Well, yes… I guess… My Parents want me to. Ma wanted Ed to go, but he flat out refused. He plans on moving farther west when he's old enough, and says that he needs work experience not long division."

"He could learn so much more from high school than he could working," I said, thinking aloud.

Peeta looks over at me and our eyes meet for a second, just for a second because when I look into his blue eyes my stomach feels fluttery, so I look away quickly.

"I mean, I would love to go, if I could," I say and start mirroring Peeta's previous behavior and pull at some grass.

"Better high school than finishing school," Madge says glumly, "All I'll learn is how to be a wife, then when I graduate they'll stick me with a husband."

I laughed out loud, "I think they'll let you pick your husband, Madge."

"I wish I could just stay here," Madge said and looked up, "If I were a better student I could be a school teacher, or even talk my parents into letting me go to high school."

"You just need to study," I tell her. But she shake her head 'no'.

"I just can't remember so many facts and dates… I don't know how you do it."

"Well," Peeta says, joining in our conversation, "I'm sure you'll meet lots of interesting people and see some amazing things."

"Philadelphia is such a long way a ways. I won't be able to come back often, probably only for the summer."

I roll the grass that I had pulled up between my fingers, I was going to miss Madge terribly. All this talk about leaving and going to different schools, makes me feel very… stuck. I would love to go to high school. It was something my family probably couldn't afford, I don't know where the closest high school is, but it would cost to travel there, then for room and board and all the books. No, I'll be stuck here while Madge and Peeta are off doing something. I shouldn't think like this, it was naughty, Mama and Papa have worked very hard and have given Prim and I so much, I should be grateful, not brooding over what I can't have.

I knew I would miss Madge when she goes, but at least it won't be for at least another year, but Peeta would be leaving this fall… Will I miss him? A few weeks ago I probably wouldn't have, but now… I don't know, he wants to be friends with me. Why does he want to be friends, he's going to leave. He'll meet some city girl who's parents can afford to send her to high school, he'll bring her back here to meet his parents, she'll be dressed in frills and bows from head to toe. She probably won't like the country, so they'll get married and live in some city… Why should this bother me.

I look up at Peeta, "What high school are you going to?"

"In Dubuque… I have family there."

"Oh," Is all I say.

"Charlie just graduated from the same school," Peeta starts talking about his oldest brother, "He got a job at a bank there."

His brother isn't coming back home; I don't know much about the oldest Mellark but the thought of not wanting to come back home to your parents, eighteen or not, surprised me. Then I'm hit with a sudden thought, what if Peeta decided not to come back.

There is still probably 5 minutes or so before the bell rings, but we're silent. I'm lost in my thoughts, while Madge is watching the boys play kick the can. I pull myself out of my thoughts when I notice Peeta bent over his slate.

"Are you working on your lesson?" I ask.

He looks up at me, "Oh… No, I'm just messing around."

My eyes must show my interest.

"Just drawing pictures," He adds.

"Oh, what are you drawing?" I ask. I see him use his sleeve to smear part of his slate clean, then he leans over and shows it to me.

"That's really good, Peeta," I tell him and take the slate from him to look closer, it's the willow tree that we were resting under. He used only his slate pen, but made it look like so much more.

"It's nothing, just messing around," He tried to sound nonchalant, but I could tell he appreciated the praise.

"What did you erase?" I ask and his cheeks flush red. So I quickly say, "I-I'm sorry, it's none of my business. I shouldn't've asked."

"No, don't apologize."

Madge leaned towards me to take a look at it.

"That's beautiful. Do you like to draw?"

He shrugs, "Yeah. Just for fun. I got an art set last Christmas, with paint and paintbrushes."

"That's a nice gift," Madge says, and I hand Peeta's slate back to him.

"Yeah, Pa surprised me with it. Ma wasn't pleased though, she thinks it a waste of time and money."

"But you are so good at it."

"They aren't anything special really," Peeta says modestly.

"What do you paint?" She asks him.

"Oh, lots of stuff. Just whatever comes to mind. Mostly scenery… and some people."

"Can I see some of your paintings?" Madge asks. I would never have the gull to ask, but I would like to see some of them too. Apart from the pictures that teachers have pinned up to the wall and the pictures that are in some of Papa's books, I haven't seen any before.

"It's really nothing special," Peeta insists.

The bell rings, calling everyone to return to their classroom.

Peeta sits with us the next day also. The day following that, one of the town boys calls us over to join their game of drop the handkerchief. Both times Peeta was it, he dropped the handkerchief behind me, making me chase him. The second time, about halfway around the circle I saw him slow down his pace a little, giving me enough time to grab on to his arm to tag him, I was surprised by how firm his arm was. He turned to face me and our eyes met, again I feel the fluttering in my stomach and I quickly look away.

"Well, that's me caught then," Peeta says good naturedly.

I wasn't the only one to notice that he hadn't run as fast because I hear whispers, "I think he wanted to be caught by Katniss."

The last day of school arrives, Madge takes the exam and passes into the 6th reader. After Madge and I eat our lunch, the games are starting again. We stand to join them, when Peeta walks over.

"Hi," He says.

"Hi… Looks like they are going to be playing blind man's bluff," I say and jester towards the other kids.

"Oh," He looks over there also, but then turns back to me, "Can I talk to you for a moment?

"OK," I say softly. Madge casually walks off, joining the others.

I bit the inside of my cheek nervously, why am I nervous around him still? Every lunch he comes and sits with Madge and I until the games begin. We usually don't talk alone though.

He doesn't say anything though, we are just standing together by the willow tree.

I decide to get some type of conversation going, "I guess this is your last day at this school, huh?"

He nods.

"I'm sure you're going to miss Miss. Trinket's silly accent."

He chuckles, breaking the tension he must have been feeling, because he finally looks up at me, "Will we be able to see each other before I go?"

"O-Oh, um, I'm- I'm not sure," I say, my brow is furrowed, in what way did he want us to see each other, "We're bound to see each other on Sundays at the least. I'll come into town once in a while also."

"I'd like to be able to visit you. I'll miss our conversations."

I try to think back to our conversations, we've had several, but none of them have been of any real importance, but somehow I know that I will miss them also. But I can't be so forward as to say that.

"You may come and visit my family," I make sure to say family so he knows that we will not be allowed to be alone, "If you want to, you may come over for tea on Sunday."

The way my invitation lights up his face, makes me blush.

"I would like that, a lot."

"I will have to make sure it is alright with my folks," I say quickly, I feel the need to make sure he knows that it's it won't be the type of visit that a beau makes, "I don't think that they will mind a friend visiting."

He smiles a knowing smile, I know that he picked up on my meaning, he was a friend not a suitor.

Miss. Trinket is absolutely thrilled when Peeta tells her that he will be going to high school.

"Oh, Mr. Mellark, that is just wonderful. Education, even out here in the wild, is so important."

Clove tells me that she plans on going to high school the year following, making me feel even more left out.

When the school day ends I give Madge a hug and tell her I'll try to visit.

After supper is cleared away and Papa has returned from the evening chores I ask both of them.

"Would it be alright for Peeta Mellark to stop by for tea this Sunday?"

Mama looks rather startled, "Katniss."

"He knows it is a friendly visit, nothing like a suitor calling."

Mama looks at Papa, I can tell they are both thinking.

"He's going to be going away in the fall," I say, I try to my voice even, "To Iowa to go to high school."

"High school, huh?" Papa says.

Mama looks at me, "Don't let your self form an attachment to him, Katniss." I can tell her worries are right along the same as mine, about him meeting and marrying some city girl.

"I'm not, Mama," I tell her, "Next fall, Madge is going to be going to finishing school… Everyone is leaving."

"Everyone is not leaving, Katniss. Don't be dramatic," Mama scolds.

"Sorry, Mama."

"Do you wish you could go to high school?" Papa asks me.

"Oh, Papa, I know it's expensive," I say dismissively.

"But would you want to?"

I close my eyes, "I would… but I am perfectly happy not to."

Papa just nods, then tells me, "Yes, little bird, young Mellark may come over for tea. Probably heard about your Mama's cheese rolls and wants to try some for himself."

"Oh, Charles," Mama says with a laugh.

Sunday rolls around, Peeta approaches Papa after service. Before Peeta can say anything Papa just laughs, "Yes, you may come to visit. Thank you for checking."

I notice Peeta's ears turn a little red and he thanks Papa and hurries away.

Papa chuckles to himself a bit more and looks at me, "He is a good boy… good and nervous around me."

Shortly after lunch Peeta comes riding up on a gray spotted horse. Papa helps him lead the horse to the water trough. When he comes inside I have to do a double take, his eye was swollen.

"What happened?" I ask before Mama or Prim can say hello.

"Sorry, for my appearance. Just fell into the fence post as I was getting ol' gray saddled," He says with a shrug, "It's not as bad as it looks."

Mama stands up and swoops over to her little cabinet that holds all her tonics and ointments. She wraps some herbs up in a towel then dips the little bundle in the water, then she returns and walks over to Peeta.

"Here, this will help with the swelling," She says gently and hands him the towel.

"Thank you. Sorry for the trouble."

"No trouble at all. In a day or two you may come back and I'll have something for the bruise that will be there when the swelling goes down."

His face brightens up at the invitation to return.

"Well, Katniss tells us you're going to be heading off to high school in the fall, congratulations."

"Thank you, sir. It's a good experience. My Aunt and Uncle live in Dubuque, so I will be staying with them."

"That's nice you can still be with family."

Prim starts peppering him with questions about what high school will be like, what will he study. Peeta patiently answers all her questions, though most he can't answer well because he hasn't been to high school yet.

He stays and talks with us for a while, alternating between sipping the tea and holding the bundle of herbs to his eye. We he stands to leave he makes to hand the towel back to Mama.

"Oh you can keep it, stop by the stream on your way home and get it cold and wet again. Like I said, stop by tomorrow or the next and I'll see what I can do about the bruise."

"Thank you ma'am, I really appreciate it."

After he left, Mama looks over at Papa and scoffs, "Fence post my foot," is all she says.


A/N: Thanks so much for reading, reviewing, following and/or favoriting. I'm glad you're enjoying it!