Tuesday morning arrives, with Prim's help I'm able to get through my morning chores quickly. Then I start preparing to leave. I wrap a cloth around the fresh cheese buns that I had I helped Mama make and tucked it into a basket next to the salted pork.
"Be sure to keep your bonnet on, Katniss," Mama told me, "And don't forget your good manners, you have to act a lady now."
I don't let Mama see my grimace. Even though I was going to be out of doors picking berries, something I would usually do in my work dress, she had insisted I wear my new school dress.
"You will just have to use extra caution not to spoil the dress, Katniss," Had been her reply when I mentioned how I didn't want to ruin my new dress with berry juices and grass stains or get a tear in it.
I could hear the crowd by the school-house before I reached the top of the hill. Everyone was shouting and laughing, prepared for a day of fun.
I found Madge quickly and we waited for everyone to arrive. Madge introduced me to Johanna Mason, her Father had taken over the lumberyard, after Mr. Jenkins fell ill and went back east to stay with a relative. The Mason's had moved here from Wisconsin. Johanna said that the railroad had planned on going through their old town, stores and buildings were built, and then the railroad had decided to move the tracks 15 miles to the south. Practically all the townsfolk moved, leaving their buildings and homes abandoned. Johanna had two older brothers and one younger. She pointed to two burly looking boys and said their names were Will and Charlie. They were talking to Gale… I really didn't mind that he had come along, it's good for him to have a bit of fun, but a part of me hoped that he wouldn't talk to me much during the outing – which is a horrible thing to hope for, since he is my oldest friend.
I saw Peeta standing closer to the school, talking with the youngest Anderson boy, Marv. I quickly looked away before I could be caught looking. When it seemed that everyone who was coming was there, the group set off at a nice leisurely pace. As we walked along we started to spread out a bit, once we crossed the railroad track some of the boys started having foot races, while a few girls were picking wild flowers along the way.
I was walking between Madge and Annie, when Peeta hung back from the boys he had been racing and fell into step beside Madge.
"Turned into a large crowd," He said.
"Yes, I think that everyone was ready for some socializing," Madge said. We walked in silence for a bit, then Madge says, "I'm going to go rescue Johanna Mason from Delly Cartwright, excuse me." And she quickened her pace to catch up to Delly Cartwright and Clove Paylor who were walking with Johanna Mason.
I start fidgeting with the handle of my basket, it doesn't make sense that I should be so nervous around him still.
"Couldn't have for a better day than this," Peeta said.
"Yes, this is the perfect weather for a picnic," I say. I feel as if I should have something more interesting to talk about, but my mind is blank.
"Annie," Madge calls back, her and Johanna Mason had separated from Delly and were just a little ways a head of us.
"Excuse me," Annie said, rather nervously and hurried to catch up to Madge and Johanna. Leaving Peeta and I to walk together.
Another moment of silence, just as I'm about to ask him about high school, he gives a small laugh.
"That was very smooth of Madge," He says. I hope he doesn't think that I was behind Madge leaving us to walk together. I look up at Madge just as she sends a glance back at us.
I laugh, "I'm sure she thinks it was very clever."
He offers to carry my basket, I try to say that I could manage but he insists and our hands brush together lightly as he takes the basket from me. I feel the outside of my little finger tingling where his thumb had softly grazed it. With both my hands now free they feel awkward dangling down, so I clasp them in front of me, I suddenly wish that I had taken better care of my hands, they were all calloused and I had a little scar on my left index finger. My fingernails were clean and I had recently cut them, but they weren't pretty little ovals like Madge's lady like hands. I try not to fidget with my hands as we walked in silence, and more silence. Though I notice his walking pace has slowed.
"I am sorry about Gale the other day," I told him quietly.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for. I'm sorry, you and your sister had work to do and I came along and was goofing around."
"No," I say quickly and look at him, he looks back and our eyes meet, my stomach gets fluttery again, I look away and continue, "It wasn't your fault. Gale can just be," Oh great, how I can explain, "Protective… We've been friends forever."
"Yeah, he's made it obvious that he doesn't like me."
My brow furrowed, "I'm sorry."
Peeta just shrugs, "Like you said, he's protective over you."
"Over Prim too."
He just gives a small nod.
Peeta changes the topic after a short pause.
"Maybe we can get everyone to play our game, and see who can catch the most berries."
The thought of him referring to it as "our game" brought the, now familiar, fluttering feeling in my stomach. Then I laughed as I remembered his exaggerated enthusiasm when him and Prim had played the game.
"I'm sure I'll be the best, after all I had all that practice," He gives me an self-satisfied smile.
I laugh again. I feel his gaze on me.
"Your laugh is so pretty."
I almost laugh nervously, I had never heard of a laugh being pretty before. Mama and Prim both had the same laugh, a joyful one that sounded like little bells, Papa had a hearty laugh that made me feel warm and happy, but I had never thought of a laugh as pretty before, especially not my laughter. I don't want to seem ungrateful for his compliment, so I say, "Thank you."
"Just like your singing."
I look down for a moment, my cheeks feel warm as I remember him complimenting my singing also. I look up at him, our eyes meet, more just to see what would happen, I don't look away as my stomach starts fluttering. His blue eyes sparkle in the bright late spring sunlight, the look in his eye is so soft and warm, I felt the flutters in my stomach turn to warmth that spread up into my chest and my heart felt like it skipped a beat. A shout from ahead of us brought us back to the present. We had stopped walking, we could hear everyone just a little ways in front of us but couldn't see them, we were alone. My cheeks flushed red.
"What did I tell you about those googley eyes," I said as we started walking again.
He laughed, "Sorry, I'll do my best."
Everyone was getting situated when we joined the crowd, baskets and pails were arranged together and everyone huddled around the berry bushes.
"Thank you for carrying my basket," I say to Peeta.
"Any time," He says as he hands it over to me, locking eyes with me as our hands brushed against each other again.
I went over to Madge who was standing near Annie and Johanna. They all greeted me with a smile and then looked back at each other and exchanged looks, which I pretended not to notice.
"You and Peeta certainly seemed absorbed with one another," Madge tells me quietly with a grin.
I blush and focus my attention on the berries in front of me.
Everyone is laughing and having great fun, filling their pails as much as their stomachs. I looked over at Peeta and he met my gaze straightaway and gave me a small smile, I gave him the smallest of smiles in return and quickly looked down, feeling embarrassed that I had been caught looking at him. When I looked up again I saw that Delly was approaching him, I could overhear her telling him all about the delicious things she had brought and how he simply must try the cake that she had made, she then started gushing about how well Peeta had done in the foot races on the way here. The more I listened to her cooing compliments to him the more I pressed my lips together and kept my gaze straight in front of me.
It was only when Madge suggested that we all sit down to eat that Delly left Peeta's side. Delly then took it as her responsibility to direct everyone where it would be best to sit. I took a spot next to Madge and opened up my basket, to share with those close to me. Peeta soon joined our little group. A few times I could feel Delly giving me dirty looks, I couldn't help but feel a little triumphant in Peeta choosing to sit close me instead of sitting by her and eating her expensive sugary treats. Marv Anderson took a seat next to Peeta, joining our group. Johanna was entertaining as she shared stories of her life in Wisconsin. Her Mother had passed away several years ago during childbirth, it had just been Johanna, her brothers and her Father for a long time.
"Pops married Sarah two years back," Johanna said, "Auntie had been harpin' on him to get another female in the house to teach me the 'feminine ways'," she gave a very unladylike before continuing, "So he went and posted an ad for a wife and she responded... Charlie was betting that she'd turn tail and run once she met us, she was from the East so we figured she'd be a fancy pampered little thing but she turned out to be made of stronger stuff."
Her brother Will called over to us from his group, "Yeah, even got a dress on our Jo-Jo!"
Johanna flung the crust of her bread at him with a well aimed throw, the bread smacked him right on his forehead. Everyone burst into laughter.
"You didn't wear dresses?" Madge asked, looking baffled at the thought.
"Course not. I was felling trees with Pops and my brothers, can you imagine wearing skirts while doing that? I'd get tripped up or caught up on something and have trees falling on me," She said before cramming some food into her mouth. Once she had chewed and swallowed most of her food in her mouth she went on, "Plus, they get in the way an awful lot on horses."
I understood perfectly, I have never chopped down trees or anything, but there had been so many times that I had wished that I could wear trousers. When I was younger, I had tried to convince Gale to give me a pair of Rory's old trousers but he had flat-out refused.
Everyone was enjoying themselves, talking and laughing while eating from friends' baskets. Gale had been sticking close to Thom Paylor, Cato Anderson and the Mason brothers, they sat together a little ways away from our group. The Wells sisters sat with them along with Clove and Delly. Maggie kept her attention on Thom, her beau, while Delly kept sending scowls in my direction.
After everyone had finished eating a few of the boys, Peeta included, showed off by seeing who could catch the most berries. Peeta might not have won, but he was certainly the most entertaining.
I heard Gale say good-bye to Thom, he had to get back home. He looked over at me and raised his hand in a half hearted wave. My stomach sank, it felt horribly not being on good terms with him.
I walked over towards him.
"Got to get home for chores," he told me.
I nodded, I looked down at the tip of my shoe sticking out from under my skirts. I looked up, "I don't want things to be like this between us, Gale. I want to be friends."
"We're still friends," He said, he looked over my shoulder for a moment, judging by the direction he was looking and the hard look in his eye and the muscle that twitched in his jaw I guessed that he was probably glaring at Peeta. He looked back at me and then was quiet for a while, "Are you going to be heading home?" He asked.
"Not yet," I said, the guilt of staying to socialize instead of going home to help with the chores sank in. The long look that Gale gave me didn't help.
"Do you want me to wait for you?"
"Thank you, no… You don't need to be late on a count of me."
Another look from him, "Right… well, see you later than."
Madge came up next to us, "Glad you got to come, Gale."
"It was a lot of fun."
"I was actually getting ready to head home, would you mind if I tagged along with you?" She asked.
I looked over at her questioningly, why would she have to leave the picnic early?
"I have some things to see to at home," She told me, answering my unspoken question.
"Oh, OK," I said then looked around, a few were starting to pack up, but most people were still sitting content on the green grass, with their berry stained mouths. I said good-bye to Madge before sitting back down with my small group.
We all sat around, a few people picked some more berries, but the outing was winding down to it's end, everyone just seemed to be stalling before officially it the end of our picnic.
The walk back was much more subdued, everyone was still chatting with one another, but there was no foot races or loud laughter.
Peeta fell into step with Annie and I shortly after we began walking and asked if he could see us home. Both of us nodded that he could, though I then realized that him and I would be alone for the long stretch between Annie's house and mine. I started biting the inside of my cheek nervously, Mama and Papa might not like the idea, they had told me not to be alone with him. I tried to sooth my guilt with the fact that he was just being a good friend, I've walked home from town with Gale alone before, of course Gale lived much closer than Peeta... but Annie was also with us, we weren't alone, yet.
We were saying goodbye to the group near the school before everyone headed in their own direction, when I saw Papa's wagon. Papa himself was just coming out of a shop, he looked over and gave me a wave, pulling himself into the wagon. Pulling the horses to a stop in front of us, he nodded to the other kids. He was heading back home after picking up a few things and would give me a ride home. I felt relief that I wouldn't be alone with Peeta for the mile walk back to my house, but there was also a feeling of disappointment. That feeling of disappointment grew when I saw Delly moving to talk to Peeta after I had said my goodbyes.
"Did everyone have fun, little bird?"
"Oh, yes Papa," I answered, forcing myself not to think about Delly's attentions toward Peeta. I offered him some of the berries I had brought back, while I told him about our picnic.
At home Prim was waiting for me to tell her all about it, she could not wait until she was old enough to have an outing with friends.
The rest of the day, while I was going through my chores, my mind kept drifting back towards Delly and Peeta. The Cartwrights live right next to the Mellarks, had they walked home together, I shook my head, no, he had asked to walk both Annie and I home, surely he would have seen Annie home after I left. I shook my head to my self again, I had no right to care who Peeta walked home, he was very nice and had several friends, I was only one of his friends. He was bound to meet lots of other friends while he was in high school and might even walk other girls home. The sinking feeling in my stomach was hard to ignore.
The following day I was resolved to not fret over anything relating to Peeta, there was plenty of work to be done and I kept myself focused on that.
Summer came with it's hot days and muggy nights. Though there was plenty of work to be done, the days felt empty without going into town to go to school during the week. The church was hot and stuffy through all the services, windows and doors would be left open in the hope of a breeze, afterwards everyone would pile out with flushed faces and damp clothing, no one dawdled much to socialize, everyone wanted to reach their homes and remove their church clothes.
Papa took us swimming a few times at the lake, Mama would come with some stitching and sit along the bank. In town the talk began that there was going to be a 4th of July celebration. Madge told me that she was going to be reading part of the Declaration of Independence, she was terribly nervous about it, her Father had encouraged her to accept the responsibility along with Delly Cartwright and Bonnie Wells. She stopped by to visit once and asked me to listen to her segment, after a perfect recitation she put her head in her hands, "Oh, it's hopeless, Katniss. I'm going to get up and see all those people watching me… I won't be able to remember a single line, I just know it."
Mama, who was sitting near by chuckled a little and helped assure poor nervous Madge that she would be fine and not to over think it.
"You know your lines perfectly and you'll be able to recite them just as nicely as you did now."
The subject was changed to what other events the 4th of July would hold. It was known for certain that there was going to be horse races, everyone was going to bringing different dishes to share in front of the church and Madge had heard that there was going to be free lemonade and that Mr. Mason was going to be rigging up a dance floor.
On her next visit she was full of "gossip" as Mama calls it, of who had asked who to the dance, or who had promised the first dance to who.
"I tried to ask Father if he'd allow me to go to the dance with the group," Madge said, "But he said that there was no good reason for us to go unaccompanied by an adult." At this she gave a sigh, "It feels like I'll never be old enough… I can't wait to have a young man knock on the door, it will be so exciting."
Would Peeta have asked me, if I were old enough? My cheeks blush and I lower my head a little, pretending to look closer at my stitch in the fabric I was mending.
She leaned closer to me and lowered her voice, "I can bet that you're thinking about Mr. Peeta Mellark," saying his name while fluttering her eyelashes.
I scowled at her, she's getting as bad as Prim with her teasing.
"I was not," I said firmly.
"Oh come on, Katniss, your cheeks turned red… Anyone can see that he's sweet on you."
"Madge," I hissed. Mama was still sitting close, she wasn't saying anything, so she might not have heard.
Madge sat up right again and shot me a grin.
I ignored her and she stayed silent.
When it got to be closer to time to get supper started, Mama sent me out to get some water, Madge offered to keep me company but then she had to get back home.
Madge picked a blade of tall grass as we walked along.
"I don't know why you're so embarrassed about Peeta being sweet on you."
"He's just a friend, Madge," I said, blushing further.
Madge rolled her eyes, "That's not what he wants."
"Well it doesn't matter anyhow," I say with a with a shrug, as if I were indifferent, "I am not old enough to have anyone sweet on me."
"I don't think that that's stopping him," Madge said, "Anyway, I know that he's going to miss you when he leaves."
She gives me a side glance and then says in an excited voice, "I was talking to Peeta yesterday, while Mother was visiting with Mrs. Mellark. I asked him when he was going to be leaving and if he was looking forward to it," She paused, "He said that he was going to miss everyone… I then said that I was sure that there was one person that he was particularly going to miss."
"Oh, Madge, you didn't?"
She gave me another smile, "His face turned red and he said that, 'yes, there was someone particular'." Madge then broke down into a fit of giggles, "You are so lucky. There hasn't been any boy to take interest in me." I noticed her brow furrow slightly with disappointment as she said this.
"When did Peeta say he was leaving?" I asked.
"In about a month. He is planning on coming home for the Christmas holidays."
"Oh… that would be so hard to leave home for so long." Though high school would be wonderful, I would be to scared to be away from Mama and Papa for so long.
"He's lucky he's not going too far. Mother is still talking about Philadelphia."
My brow furrowed, school would be so different without Madge there. She was going to be upstairs with me in the fall, it was going to be nice to be desk partners again.
Madge dawdled a bit larger, chatting with me, bidding me good-bye. The Forth of July party was this coming Friday and we made plans to keep an eye out for one another during the celebrations.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The young lovebirds will find themselves with a few opportunities to be alone before Peeta leaves... will be updating either tomorrow or the next, so you shan't have to wait too long to find out what will come of this... alone time.
