Chapter 4 – Katniss's POV

"Was it that good?" I asked him. Is jaw was just about touching the floor after we watched the video. "Peeta?"

"That was amazing! What do you mean Haymitch is the only reason you are in this class? I can't even begin to compete with that!" I looked at my shoes again. "You can look me in the eyes, I'm okay with that." I looked up at him.

"Better?"

"Yeah." I stared into his blue eyes. They were gorgeous.

"Peeta, why-" Haymitch took the stand, looking less drunk.

"Now students, I am going to assign you a semester-long project. This will happen next semester as well. You are going to pair up with someone, write a song, and perform it."

"Is that it?" A voice came from the front of the room.

"Yeah, just try, I know all of you have the stuff to do it, so make sure it gets done. Go, pair up!" Everyone ran to me. They were yelling and begging me to be partners with them.

"Everyone," They kept yelling. "I already have a partner." Some asked who it was all at different times. "Peeta." I hesitated at saying it, and I glanced at him. He was standing in the back of the room, allowing me to make the decision. When I said his name, he smiled. "Sorry, but everyone here is a great singer and I'm not the only one. Now bye."

Grabbing Peeta's arm, we ran out of the classroom. Thank God nobody followed me. "I hate group projects, I always end up doing all the work." I realized I was still holding onto his arm, but I didn't let go.

"I won't let that happen, Katniss. We have to work equally on this project." He paused and took a breath. "Who assigns homework on the first day of school?" I shrugged. Peeta looked down at my hand, which had a tight grasp on his upper arm and down to his hand in his pocket.

"Do you want me to let go?"

"No." He was quick to answer. "No, it's okay." I could feel the pulse in his arm. It spiked. I laughed under my breath. We walked up the stairs together. "Can I see your hand?" He asked. I gave him a weird look. "No, your schedule."

"Oh, yeah. Here." He grabbed it and held it in front of his face and chuckled. "What is it?"

"Nothing, it's just that we have every class together."

"No way." I gasped.

"Way." He said in the same tone I did. "To science then." On the way to the classroom, I spotted Gale with his friends. Gale saw me with Peeta and pushed through the hallway. He pulled me into a locker bay and into a corner.

I saw Peeta out of the corner of my eye. His jaw was clenched and he looked as if he could punch through a wall. Gale forced my head so that I would be looking at him. "WHO IS THAT?" He whispered in a loud tone.

"That's Peeta."

"Why are you two holding hands?"

"He was looking at my schedule. I write it on my hands." I trembled. Gale was intimidating. I felt his hands crush my wrists and they began to throb. I started to cry again. Stupid teenage hormones. "Why do you care, we aren't dating anymore!"

I looked to Peeta. He made his way through the hallway and stood a few feet behind Gale. "I care because you had a chance with me this morning and now you are with another guy? Filthy bitch!"

Peeta jumps in "Excuse me, but you have no right to call her that."

"Who are you to be telling me what to do?" Gale was still taller and bigger than Peeta, but my guess was that Peeta is stronger than Gale. "I asked you a question!"

"I'm Peeta, you must be Gale."

"I don't want no sissy talk. Who are you to be telling me what to do?" Gale pushed me down and I fell. Hard. I heard a group of people gasp.

"Gale, you really think she's going to want you back, after the way you abuse her?" I heard someone punch someone else. I couldn't tell, my head was spinning. Then someone fell down and another stormed off. I heard Peeta's voice. "Katniss, come on. Let's go."

I tried to push myself up, but my head kept spinning. "I can't." I managed to get out. I felt arms behind my knees and back. Peeta had picked me up. He carried me downstairs, to the junior high building, and into the school's nurse. I closed my eyes. I had never been in here before.

"What happened?" A female voice. I assume the nurse's.

"She got pushed in the hallway."

"What about you? Your forehead and mouth!"

"Take care of her first, I'll be fine." Those were the last words I remember hearing. I slipped into unconsciousness.