"Well." Johanna stands up, breaking the silence. "Now that I know that I actually know you, Peeta tells me there was a jackass that did that to your arm." Johanna points to me arm. "Who the fuck is he?"
Annie wrinkles her nose. "I hate him."
"He ex boyfriend."
"Why?" she asks.
"Um…" I shrug. "I don't know."
"She hates him." Annie says.
"If you hate him, why were you dating him?" Finnick asks.
"She was dating him because she was trying to distract herself from Peeta." Annie says.
I look at Annie in rage and then turn around and go in the house, slamming the door behind me.
Annie doesn't hesitate to follow me.
"What the fuck!" I whisper shout. "It's been eleven years! You can't just lie something like that on him!"
"Oh calm down." She waves me off. "Clearly he still has feelings for you."
"We don't know that." I whisper.
She laughs. "Yes we do. He won't stop staring at you, and he's smiling a lot. When you left, I heard Finnick whisper 'now's your chance' to him! He still loves you, Katniss! He bet he still has those fucking rings."
"Bullshit. He probably threw them in the garbage."
"You're an idiot!" she whispers.
"Annie-" I begin.
"Let's ask him." She says.
"What! No!" she grabs my hand and drags me back outside.
"Katniss thinks you threw the rings away." She says, shoving me out the door and slamming it. "I told her she's an idiot; because clearly you still have feelings for her, and I know she still…" she lets out a long breath. "She still loves you."
I'm glaring at her right now, and she just smiles.
Finnick snickers. "Told you." Peeta glares at him, and Johanna smirks.
"Do you still have them?" Annie asks.
He lets out a long sigh. "I've still got them." He says.
"They're in his fucking pocket." Johanna says. "He keeps them in his wallet, and he loves you. He won't admit it, but he's twenty three, spends every fucking second of his life at the goddamn desk, and if he's not at the desk, he's out on the water. He's a loner."
"And a virgin." Finnick says. Peeta punches his arm. "Oh come on." He says. "Are you really getting mad? Once she gets out of her shell she'll start making fun of you too. She always did."
"She won't make fun of him." Annie says. "She's a damn virgin."
"So are you." I say. "And you won't get a boyfriend either! Why? Because you still have a crush on Finnick!"
Annie looks at me in outrage, and I glare back. She knows I spill shit when I get mad.
My phone starts ringing from inside, so I go in and get it.
"Hello?" I ask.
"Hi." Prim sounds pissed. I go back outside.
"What?" I ask.
"My fucking dance teacher is what's wrong! She sent me out because I was on my phone! I'm suspended for a fucking week and Mama won't come get me! I don't want to go home!"
I sigh. "I'll come and get you and you can sleep over." I walk in the house and get my keys and wallet and go back outside. "You better not bitch and be rude to Mama and Daddy because they won't come get you."
"I won't." she syas. "One more thing."
"What?" I ask.
"I need you to take me home so I can get my stuff and…can Luke sleep over too?"
"No."
"Why?" she demands.
"Because you're sixteen and I know you guys like each other! I don't want you sixteen and pregnant and-"
"Please?" she begs. "Oh please Katniss? I really want to start dating him and we can't with Mama and Daddy around! You know how Daddy is with boys! F I told him how you and Peeta were he'd flip his top! Please Katniss? Give me a change! Imagine if it was Peeta and you were in my shoes."
I shut my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. "Fine, but you're sleeping in separate rooms tonight and if I find out that you-"
"I'm not going to have sex with him!" she snaps. "I swear. Thanks Katniss."
"Yeah, whatever. I'm on my way." I hang up on him.
"What the fuck just happened?" Johanna asks.
"I have to pick up my sister." I say. "She got kicked out of dance for being on her phone, and now her and Luke are spending the night."
"They're sleeping in different rooms." Annie says.
"Yeah, I made that clear. Whatever, I'll be back."
I get in my car and go get Prim. I wait in the car for her, and then I get Luke.
"I'm just letting you guys know," I say. "That Peeta and Finnick and Johanna are at our house."
"Really?" Prim asks. "Oh, yay! I love Peeta!"
I smile. "It's awkward, okay? Don't say anything to piss me or Annie off."
"Can we go to the beach?" Luke asks.
"Yes." I say. "But when it's dinner time, your asses better be back at the house."
I pull into the driveway and Prim and Luke go inside. I follow them, and they toss their shit on the couch. Luke is in tan shorts and a Hollister shirt, and Prim is in short shorts and a tank top. Her long hair is down.
They go marching outside. I follow them.
Finnick and Peeta are grilling and Annie and Johanna are laughing because Finnick burnt his hand, and Peeta's laughing. It makes me smile.
"Hi." Prim says.
"Dammit, your tits got huge." Johanna says. "And puberty did you well, Luke."
"Thanks Johanna." He says.
They were only six when they left, but they still remember them. Prim loved Peeta.
"Wow Prim, you really grew up." Peeta says. "You too, Luke."
"You look like your Dad, Luke, and Prim, god, you're your mother." Finn says.
"Thanks." Prim smiles.
"Okay, go to the beach." I say. They walk off. "Stay virgins!" I yell after them. Both of them flip me off, and I snicker.
"Prim looks like your Mom." Peeta says. "A lot like her."
I nod. "Yeah, and I look nothing like her."
"No…you have her face shape, and her nose and mouth and body. Everything else is your Dad's."
I nod.
"I used to think I was adopted." I say. Finnick laughs. "Why?"
"Because…in high school, I looked nothing like my Mom. Even in middle school I didn't really look like her. God, I never looked like her! Even in elementary."
"I disagree." Peeta says. "You look like her in many ways. You just have your Dad's hair and eyes."
I shrug. "I still don't think so."
He shrugs.
Annie went into the house to make the mashed potatoes and green beans. I get paper plates. She comes out with a pot of mashed potatoes and a bowl of green beans and puts them on the decks table. Yes, we have a back deck.
Peeta drops one of the pieces of chicken, and I snicker, which makes everyone else snicker.
"You dropped something." I tease. He rolls his eyes.
They finish the chicken, and dinner is ready. I go out to the beach. I can see Prim and Luke.
"Prim! Luke!" I yell. "Dinner!"
I go back to the deck, and they run to the backyard.
We all get our food, and I get the stereo from inside and I put in my CD of random songs and press play.
We all sing along, and eat, and laugh, and it's like old times, but if different, because we're not kids anymore, and we can say what we feel, and our parents don't control us.
Everyone helps us clean up, and we go out to the beach. I have on a black pushup top and light pink bottoms for my bikini, and Annie has on a teal top and bottom. Johanna wear a black top and black bottom, pushup. Peeta has on a black and white striped Hollister bottom, and Finnick actually has tel Hollister bottoms, which are the same as Annie's.
"We need a picture." Annie says, shoving the camera at Prim.
I get the middle; one arm goes around Peeta's waist, and the other goes around Annie. Finnick stands next to Annie with his arm on her shoulder, Peeta has his arm on my shoulder, and Johanna has her arm around Peeta, and we're all leaning into one another and smiling.
Prim hands me the camera. "Oh my god, this needs to go on the wall!" everyone looks over my shoulder.
I didn't even realize I was leaning my head onto Peeta, and it's such a cute picture. I love it so much.
I put the camera on the deck.
"Let's go in the water." Annie says. I put my hands on Peeta's chest and push him into the water. He gets waist deep and falls, and he grabs onto my lips and pulls me down with him. We come up laughing.
All of us start messing around and splashing each other, and then Annie screams and runs from the water, grabbing her ass.
"What?" I demand, and then I scream, because something jabbed my ass. I whip around. "Oh, you bitch!" I shove Finnick down, and Annie and I splash him for a while before giving up.
I notice then, that Mama and Daddy and Annie's parents are on the deck. I grab Annie's arm.
Daddy and don't look happy.
We both leave them in the water and go out to the deck.
"Where is he?" Daddy asks
"Who?"
"Gale."
"What-"
"Prim told me what he did to you." He says. "Now who are those boys?"
"Um…Peeta and Johanna and Finnick."
"Really?" Mama asks. I nod. "Oh, I really love those kids."
"Where's Gale?"
"Daddy, I don't know."
"Well did you break up with him?" Mr. Cresta asks. He's my Daddy too, and Mrs. Cresta is my Mama.
"Yes, and I'm getting a restraining order."
Daddy sighs. "If he shows up…"
"He won't, and Peeta and Finnick are here. I'm safe, okay? Peeta lives right next door."
He sighs and nods. I kiss all of their cheeks to say goodbye, and then I run back to the water and jump on Peeta's back, knocking him into the water.
It's starting to get dark, so after our parents leave, we go inside. I take a shower and put on black spandex shorts and a skin tight white tank top. Peeta, Finnick, and Johanna go to Peeta's house to shower and dress, and then come back over.
We all settle in the living room on the back leather couch.
When you walk in the door to our house, the kitchen is directly at your left. all steel appliances, marble countertops, all that jazz. Right on the right is a hall with three bedrooms. The living room is right there, and if you go in the kitchen, there's a hall with two bedrooms. There's a bathroom in each hall, and there's a bathroom off of the kitchen, and there's a door to the garage in the kitchen hall, and the dining room is in the kitchen. It's a big house. No basement, but still, a nice big house. The desk has French doors.
We're all settled on the couch now, everyone but Prim.
"KATNISS!" she screams.
"What!" I bellow.
"Come here!"
She's in the bathroom in the hall right by the door. My room and Annie's room is in that hall, the other hall has two guest rooms and the spare room in our hall is a guest room.
I get up and go into the bathroom.
"What the fuck is your problem?" I demand. She's on the toilet.
"Look!" she hisses, and points to her underwear.
I start laughing, because she started her period. She started late because of dance. I started late. I was actually seventeen, because I was in softball, and I can slay at that game.
"It's not funny!" she snaps. "What do I do?"
"I'm getting Annie." I say. She doesn't protest. Annie is just as much her sister as I am.
"Hey Ann?" I call.
"Yeah?" she replies.
"Come here a second?"
She sighs, and then walks into the bathroom. She smiles.
"What do I do?" Prim repeats.
I open up the cabinet and toss her a pad. I hate pads and I only use tampons. Same with Annie, but we keep pads in the house just in case.
"Put this in your underwear." I say. I walk out and get her clean underwear from her bag. She puts it on and pulls her pants up and stands up, and she wrinkles her nose.
"It feels like a diaper."
I start laughing again.
"Which is why I use tampons."
I walk out. Prim follows, and then Annie. Clearly, she's uncomfortable.
"I'm going to call Mama." I say, and I go out to the front porch.
I dial her and wait.
"Hello?" she asks.
"Hi." I say. "Prim started her period." I say.
"Really?" Mama asks.
"Yes. She's fine, she's very uncomfortable."
"Okay. Does she wanna go home?"
"I'll ask. I open the front door. "Prim, Mama wants to know if you want to go home?"
She hesitates, and then nods.
"She said yes. Want me to drop her off?"
"No, I'll come get her. What about Luke?"
"Luke, do you want to go home?"
He nods.
"Yes." I say.
"Alright, I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
"Okay. I love you."
"I love you too." She hangs up.
I go in the house and shut the front door. Nugget whines. I look at him, and he's sitting at the back door. I let him out, and then sit down on the couch next to Peeta.
They're watching a Disney movie. It's Belle.
I don't care how old I am. I'll still watch Disney channel.
"Peet." Finn says.
"What?" Peeta asks.
"Can I move in?"
"Yeah, can I?" Johanna asks.
He shrugs. "I don't care."
"You don't care if I get a puppy tomorrow?" Finnick asks.
"No." Peeta says.
"Where are you getting a puppy from?" Johanna asks.
"That pet store in town. Furry People."
"They're expensive." Johanna says. I look at Annie with a smirk, because that's our pet store.
"I can get you a puppy from there for free." I say.
"How?" Peeta asks. "I've wanted a kitten from there but it's expensive. I can see why though. Ot's the only place in town with all pets and supplies for them."
"How the hell are you going to get animals for free from there?" Finnick asks. "Do you know the owner?"
"I am the owner."
"What?" Finn says.
"Well, Annie and I. We bought that old building, fixed it up, and made it a pet shop. So yeah, I can get you anything for free from there, because I own it."
"So you can get me a kitten?" Peeta asks.
"If you want a kitten, you can have a kitten."
"And a puppy?" Finnick asks. I nod.
"What about bunnies?" Johanna demands.
"That too."
"Oh, I don't want to wait until tomorrow!" Finn whines.
"So let's go now." Annie says.
"It's closed." Finn says.
I wave the key in his face.
"Who's car are we taking, because I need gas and I don't feel like driving." Peeta says.
"We'll take mine."
"It's eleven at night guys." Luke says.
"Well too bad." Annie says.
"I want to go." Prim says.
"No. Mama's here anyways." I say.
"Well I'll tell her to leave." Prim says.
"We don't have room for you guys."
She sighs in irritation. "Fine."
She grabs her shit and walks out, and Luke follows.
I grab my keys and wallet and phone and go outside.
"I don't have a shirt on." Finnick says.
"Yeah uh…" Peeta hesitates. They're both shirtless.
"So?" I ask.
They shrug, and we all get in my car.
"I don't have shoes." Johanna says.
"Neither do I." I reply.
I slam on the gas after backing out of the driveway and put the top down as we fly over the bridge to town.
I pull into the parking lot and park, and then we go around the front and I unlock the door. The bell rings, and the puppies start barking as I flick on the lights and toss my keys and phone and wallet on the counter.
We have a veterinary hospital here too. Annie and I went to school for business, but we took vet classes too, so we could be vets but we didn't want to. We do everything here in the shop.
"How do we opens the cages?" Peeta asks. I toss him the kitten keys. "Follow the numbers in the bottom left." I say, and I toss Finn the puppy keys.
Johanna finds a bunny, and she falls in love with it. It's black with white spots.
"I want it." She says. "Is it a boy?"
"Yes."
"It's named Midnight." She decides.
Finnick gasps, and then a puppy comes running around the shop. Finn chases it, and I pick it up and hand it to him. It's a lab.
"What if I want a puppy instead?" Peeta asks, handing me the keys.
"Then you get a puppy.
"Come with me." he says, grabbing my hand. I move around the counter and let him pull me to the back.
His hand is warm in mine. It's familiar, but different.
"He's cute." He says, pointing to a beagle. I smile.
"It's a she, and she's my favorite right now."
He unlocks the cage and picks her up, and he's so cute with her. "I want her." He says. I smile.
"Okay." Johanna and Finn and Annie are in the front.
We're both quiet, studying each other's eyes.
"I've missed you." He whispers.
"I've missed you too." I whisper, shutting the locking the cage.
Annie and I get them the best of everything, and we go ahead and give the puppies the shots they need, and then we leave.
…..a…..
We don't get to the house until one thirty in the morning.
After much debating, everyone decides to spend the night. Johanna with sleep in the spare by Annie and I and Peeta and Finn will sleep in the kitchen hall.
We put on a movie, and I end up falling asleep on the couch, using Peeta's arm as my pillow.