A little Braver

*Hangs head down in shame*

I am sooo sorry I haven't updated! My computer deleted everything on it so I had to write this chapter and all of the others all over again! But don't worry! The next chapter will be on time! Also, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIES AND ACTUALLY READING THE CRAPPY STORY!

*Does retarded happy dance while sister thinks I'm having a seizure*

Again I want to thank my friend for editing this story! Anyways, I am not the awesome Suzanne Collins, if I was there would have been no love triangle and katniss would have picked Peeta right away! Oops, off topic… All of the characters belong to her, NOT ME!

Katniss POV

As I walk home with my dad, I think about the amazing day I just had. Peeta was so nice I hope we become friends. When my dad asks me how my day was, I tell him all about Peeta.

"Well, if he is such a special little guy, I hope to meet him," he says.

"I can introduce you to him tomorrow!" I exclaim.

My mom is just as excited, as my dad was that I made a friend when I tell her about Peeta at dinner that night. When I go to bed that evening, the last thought through my head is that I hope Peeta had as good a day as I had.

The next day…

That morning I wake up earlier then I ever have and I am full of energy. I run down the rickety stairs to the dining room where mom is attempting to feed a crying Prim.

"Hi Kat, you're up early." She says.

"Yeah, well I want to get to school early so I can see Peeta again." I say.

"Well you should go tell your father; he's up they're looking for you right now." She tells me.

I run up stairs and right into my father.

"Oomph. Oh, sorry dad."

"It's okay, lets get you dressed and ready for school."

I run into my bedroom and put one of mother's old dresses and run back down the stairs. When I start to head towards the door, father stops me.

"Whoa there! Don't you want some breakfast? And how about we take a lunch to school while we're at it?"

He forces me to sit at the table and eat so I shovel it all done my throat in a matter of minutes. After grabbing my lunch, I grab father's hand a run to school. I want him to meet Peeta as soon as possible. When we finally arrive at school, the sight that greets me makes me stop in my tracks.

There's Peeta Mellark, in the middle of a crowd, covered in bruises and scrapes. I snap out of my trace when I can hear someone on my left crying. I'm greeted by another shocker, Delly Cartwright, happy, bubbly Delly, is sitting on the concrete bawling.

I start to push through the crowd of people towards Peeta and the scene makes me want to vomit, it's even worse up close. He has bruises all along his face and a black eye, but what really worries me is the cut he has just below his left eye. What happened to this sweet boy?

"Peeta." I somehow manage to get out.

He looks up and my eyes fill with even more tears.

"Hey Katniss." He says in a weak voice.

This is the final straw and all of my un-shed tears spill over my cheeks. I pull his hand to follow me because I don't think words would be able to escape me right now. When we reach my father he takes Peeta's other hand and we immediately start walking to my mother, the healer.

We open the door to our house and my mother takes in the scene. My crying face, Peeta's bloody face and my father's poignant face. She hands Prim to my father then leads Peeta to our couch. She cleans off his face and arms, and then starts inspecting his cut. She pulls out a needle and thread from her bag and I know the next part is going to hurt. I run over to our table and grab a towel for Peeta to bite into, and then she starts stitching the cut. His moans cause physical pain to my chest and I just want it to stop but I know my mother needs to finish the stitching or the cut will cause serious damage.

She pulls out the needle and his cries stop to my relief.

"Peeta dear, can you please take off your shirt?" She asks sweetly.

"Why?" He asks.

"So I can inspect your chest for bruises. The way you walked showed that there is pain coming from here." She explains.

"Oh, okay." He says.

He takes off his shirt and another wave of tears come to me. His chest is peppered with bruises and you can't see any skin that isn't harmed. It's all black and blue, like a painting.

When he is all wrapped up in gauze and stitched up, my mother offers him a cup of tea and tells us to stay from school today.

"Peeta, how did you injure yourself so badly? What happened?" She asks.

Peeta hesitates with his answer then replies with, "I fell down the stairs in my house last night."

I don't know how, but I can tell that he is lying; maybe it's his eyes? We spend the rest of the day talking and getting to know each other, and I formally introduce Peeta to my family, including Prim. Right before my father has to take his shift in the mines, he volunteers to take Peeta home.

"I didn't think you would have a crush this early in life Kat." Mother says.

"What? I don't have a crush on Peeta! He's just my friend!" I argue.

"Okay Kat, lets get you a bath and into bed." Her tone makes it clear that she does not believe me. I don't even think I believe myself.

Okay! I finally got this chapter in! Yess! Peeta gets to meet Katniss's family! Who else is excited? Katniss may be a little softer then she is in the book, but she's FIVE YEARS OLD. And hasn't had a hard life yet. I mean, she probably doesn't know what the hunger games are. Her dad hunts and works in the coalmines so that means they aren't starving and he dad hasn't died yet so she hasn't had to grow up yet! I figured she would be a little like Prim when she's younger and it would be easier for her to let people in. What do you think? If you have anything you want in the story tell me and I May or may not put it in.. I'll bring Gale into the story soon! Maybe in the next 3 or 4 chapters! Thank you guys for reading and oh lookie! There's a little magic button that sends a message that may or may not make me start dancing like a retard… Its right there!

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