A/N: This story is no longer on Hiatus because my writer's block has magically disappeared! I think I finally know where I'm going with this story, so thank you everyone who has continued to wait exremely patiently for updates! - KT :)
Gale grunted as he began roasting the kabobs while Katniss, Rue, and Prim lounged on the Panem University swim towels Katniss and Gale brought down from their apartment. "I'm glad you like premed club, Prim." Katniss said sincerely. "Have you called Mom?"
"Oh – no." Prim said. "I haven't read all the herbal remedies magazines she gave me when I came out here."
"Has she called you?" Prim shook her head no. "Not even to see how your classes are?"
"No." Prim paused. "Katniss, do you think she's lonely?" She asked worriedly. "I mean, it's just her."
"Naw, she's not lonely." Gale said reassuringly as he handed Prim a plate with a kabob and Katniss a plate with three kabobs heavy on the meat. "Ma checks on her. Your ma's proud of ya for getting that scholarship, Prim. My ma told me that."
"Maybe I should call her." Prim mused. "Maybe mom didn't call me yet because she wants me to study."
"And she knows your sister has you taken care of." Gale said putting an arm around Katniss.
"Tell your ma that I say hi to everyone." Katniss said leaning into Gale's muscular form.
"Kat, don't you ever call mom? Or text? She can text, you know."
"I know, little duck. It's – I guess – I've just been busy this year so far like you." Prim nodded.
"Rue Skypes with her mom, dad, and siblings on Sunday afternoons." Prim said.
"And you Skype with Rory about every few days." Gale pointed out as Prim blushed.
After the four ate as many kabobs as they could, they wrapped the rest in foil and stuck them in the fridge. Katniss gathered her archery things and they piled in Gale's beat up construction truck to drive back to campus to the Intramural fields that were in between the rec center and a cluster of dormitories including the Engineering and Science dorms.
"Ok, Gale, set up the target on the end of the field! Not facing the sidewalk! I don't want anyone being impaled by an arrow!" Katniss ordered.
"Kat, why do you want us to learn archery again?"
"Because it's awesome, and because we need more people in the club." Katniss explained before Gale came jogging back to them. The wooden round target was set up midway down a soccer field leaving ample room between the back of the target and the sidewalk.
"Ok, now, hold the bow like this and the arrow like so –" Katniss stood next to Prim and helped her adjust her grip. "There. Now, breathe. Aim – PRIM! Seriously?" Katniss yelped as the arrow missed the target by a foot to the right.
"Katniss! Gimme a break, will you?" Prim yelped.
"But you missed it by a foot!"
"Maybe you were holding me wrong!" Prim responded rolling her eyes.
"I can test that." Rue said. "May I?" Katniss grinned at her eager pupil. Rue was patient as Katniss helped her adjust her bow and arrow.
"Ok, aim, breathe, and – See, Prim?" Katniss rolled her eyes at Prim as Rue cheered. "Look at that. One inch from the bulls-eye. One. Inch."
"Luckily she doesn't have to throw a scalpel at anyone to get into med school." Gale sniggered.
"Alright, I do have a slight advantage." Rue confessed to Prim as Katniss jogged toward the target to retrieve the two arrows. "I would climb trees in the orchard and lob the rotten peaches at Thresh whenever he'd help Daddy in the fields."
"Why?" Prim giggled.
"Because he teased me a lot."
"Ok, guys, try again." Katniss handed Prim the bow and helped her adjust her grip again. This time, Prim hit the target on the right side of the bullseye, one inch away from the wooden edge. "Good. You at least hit the thing." Her shot was followed by Rue's first bullseye. "You should come to Archery club next Wednesday." Katniss said grinning at her little sister's roommate. "Gale, wanna load that in the truck?" Gale grunted and picked up the wooden target and Katniss' bow and arrows before heading over to his truck.
"Well, I gotta study for a quiz on Friday in intro to agriculture." Rue annnounced before bidding the girls goodnight.
"Kat, wanna grab a bite in the dorms? My guest pass?" Prim suggested.
"Tell you what," Katniss said looking across the street from the IM fields to a row of stores across the street from campus. "I entered this random career center raffle and got a gift card to Coldstone –"
"ICE-CREAM!" Prim cheered.
"Call me when you want me to pick ya up." Gale said sensing Katniss wanted a girl date with her sister.
"Thanks, Gale." Katniss replied smiling. The girls rode in the cab of Gale's truck to Coldstone before he drove back to the apartment.
Prim grinned as she ordered her coffee ice cream with M&M's, graham crackers, and oreos. Katniss followed with strawberry ice-cream drizzled with chocolate syrup and mixed with almonds. "So, if you ordered something super-random, I would ask you if you were pregnant." Prim said with a teasing glint in her eye before Katniss choked on her ice cream.
"PRIM!" Katniss gasped. "You – I can't believe you said that!"
"I'm not naïve, Kat. I well –" She blushed not wanting to think too hard about her sister's activities with Peeta and Gale. "I'm just saying."
"Well don't say anything else." Katniss grumbled. "I'm glad things are going well. You and Rue really are good roommates."
"Yeah. Maybe our Sophomore year, we can rent an apartment together. Our scholarship covers room and board, right?" Katniss nodded.
"Yeah, I can go with you to Financial Aid if you want like mid-next semester." Prim nodded.
"Kat, were you scared when you first came here? I mean, I know I have you to help me, but you had no one." Katniss shrugged.
"Gale was here." Katniss explained. "So I had him. But I guess I could figure stuff out ok and I had a scholarship so money wasn't a thing. Of course, I got a job in the cafeteria and then as part of the landscape crew just because, you know?" Prim nodded.
"Kat, you've had to do a lot of stuff yourself." Prim pointed out before Katniss shrugged.
"It makes me stronger." Katniss replied. "Oh, Homecoming is next weekend. Peeta's playing. I can take you and Rue again."
"Cool!" Prim squealed before giving her sister a hug. "Kat, you're the best!"
"C'mon, I'll walk you back home and then I'll call Gale to pick me up. I know you want straight A's to make it into med school, little duck." Prim chuckled then blushed.
"Kat, please don't call me 'little duck' around Rue or Peeta or Gale or – anyone else from Panem U that we know, ok?" Katniss sighed.
"Ok. Because you're a grown college student now, little sis." Katniss agreed before Prim stuck out her tongue. "Hey, I can call you little sis!I still have to call you little something!"