Everybody Talks (Hunger Game Fanfiction) #Watty's2014

Chapter Nine: The Project

<---<< The next day. >>--->

I'm already in art, sat in my seat when Peeta walks in and sits beside me, he looks at the ground for a while and then starts talking, it's as though he was gathering his courage, "Katniss I think that I owe you an explanation."
I'm confused, why does he owe me an explanation?, I know he's an idiot... Isn't that explanation enough?!, "About what?"
"The drawing that I did that made you angry and upset... The Primrose."
Oh yeah... That. I say nothing so he continues, "Well, I knew about the err... the car accident but I didn't draw the picture to make you upset on purpose, it was meant to show you that I'm on your side, you never did anything to make me mad and fall out with you when we were younger and I don't hate you so I really don't want you to hate me. You and Prim were a big part of my life, I miss her a lot and I miss you too... I just thought you should know."
I don't talk to him at all for the rest of the art lesson, or for the rest of the day... In fact I barely even look at him, I need a little time to think about what he told me.

<---<< 3 weeks later >>--->

Over the past three weeks, ever since that biology lesson when he was actually nice to me and the explanation behind the Primrose drawing we've started to become close friends again, like when we were younger.
We haven't told The Victors or The Careers about it, we agreed not to, not until we can figure out who's actually a saying what about each other anyway. Peeta seems to think no one in The Careers is saying anything bad about The Victors and I'm not sure why but I completely trust and believe him.
It's over the last two days when we started to be completely friendly to each other. I'm naturally a very hostile person so for me to trust Peeta like I do after just three weeks is actually quite extraordinary.
Right now we're sat in Art, Miss Trinket is in a particularly foul mood today and as she stands up and stomps around the classroom glaring at everyone and criticising their work she decides to basically scream in her horrible, shrill voice, "Now remember, you're art projects are due in tomorrow and you will be presenting them to the full class."
I lean down and hit my head off the table, "Sugar muffins!"
I hear Peeta snort from beside me so I jerk my head back up and look at him, "What?!"
He snorts again and mimics my voice, "Sugar muffins!"
I playfully punch him on the shoulder and I realise how flirtatious I am actually being with him and he's flirting back as well! I decide to back off a little and just shrug my shoulders, I'm not sure how I feel about him in that way, "I'm trying not to swear because I feel as though I do it too much but it won't last long so appreciate it while it does."
He nods his head as we both start to laugh, "Fair enough. Good point, well made." We both laugh more and earn our selves a glare from Miss Trinket. I remember why this whole conversation started in the first place, "Peeta, we haven't done anything for the project, what are we going to do?"
"How about we go to mine after school today to pick up my art supplies, we can't stay there though, my mothers home and," he seems to he thinking about his about his wording carefully before he says this part, "lets just say I'm not her favourite person to be around at the moment."
I nod, I can see that he doesn't want to talk about it so I'm not going to push him, we're not that close... Not yet anyway.
"It's no problem for us to go back to mine, my mother will be sleeping and then she'll be at work from 5pm until 5am. We could be working for a while as well so maybe you could stay over for the night, you can sleep on the sofa or in the spare room but only if it's getting too late."
He agrees and then art is over, we walk together to biology as no one else that we know is in our class. We talk through most of the lesson, not paying attention to anything but we're still trying to figure out who's been saying what in our groups.
Before I know it it's the end of the day, me and Peeta decided that we'd drive separately to the bakery which he lives next to so that we don't raise any suspicions. I meet the victors and explain to that I have too much homework to do so I can't hang out with them like I usually do. They say the understand and I head straight to the bakery on my moped. Peeta is already there and is waiting for me at the door, smiling his cute grin... WAIT! Did I just say that he's cute! Stop it Katniss!, you're just friends and nothing more! Why would he even think of you in that way when he could have any girl in the whole school! You hated each other less than 4 weeks ago!
I walk up to him and we head inside, he tells me to be quiet and to wait in the hall, he leaves me there and goes into a room, he grabs a big case and we head back outside, we go to mine with me on my moped and him in his car and then we head inside.
We start work on the project straight away, we don't have time to waste.
After a while of discussing it we decide that we'll paint a canvas with a meadow scene using the meadow right near my house as inspiration.
We draw each flower that will be on the canvas individually on pieces of paper and Peeta shows me how to paint them in the easiest but most effective style of painting for beginners.
After around an hour and a half my mother comes downstairs, she gives me a weird look and then spots Peeta and she doesn't seem pleased, she knows what happened in that first art lesson and when we played dodgeball.
Luckily she decides to stay quiet and she says nothing, after about half an hour, in which she gets something to eat, she leaves the house and sets off to work, Peeta looks at me and raises his eyebrows, "What's her problem with me?!"
I giggle a little, "She doesn't like you!"
He fake gasps and pretends to act hurt then he points up to his head and then down to his feet, "Who wouldn't love this! I'm amazing! "
This makes me laugh harder, I rest my hand on my chin and sarcastically say, "Hmmmmm, it could be because you nearly broke her Daughter's nose."
He laughs more, "I guess it could be that, I'd actually forgotten about that."
We finish the rest of the individual drawings and then move onto the final piece, at this point it's already half past 11 but surprisingly I'm not tired at all, in fact I'm in high spirits and feeling awake. I draw most of the picture in pencil first with some help from Peeta and Peeta paints most of it with a little help from me but I do the big bits and he does the small, complicated, intricate bits which are full of detail. By around one in the morning we've finished the final piece and it looks beautiful thanks to Peeta's art skills, I barely did anything to make it look nice.
"It's beautiful Peeta, I'm so glad I got paired with you, even if I wasn't when we first found out."
I look into his perfect ocean blue eyes and smile, he smiles back and he looks into my grey eyes, "I'm glad I got paired with you too."
Before I have chance to reply Peeta has leaned in and his lips are on mine, what surprises me the most is that I kiss him back without a moments hesitation.

Author's note:

Please tell me what you thought of the chapter! Do you think that things are moving too quickly between Katniss and Peeta? And tell us who you think is saying the things! (If anyone gets it right then they'll get a dedication on one of the chapters!
Thankyou for your ongoing support (and consideration ;) )
Lauren :) xx
(asdfghjklaurenn)