Panem High School {COMPLETED}

Chapter 13 - Katniss

(Thank you guys so much for over a thousand reads! You have no idea how much every comment and vote encourage me!

Also, if you've already read chapter 4, Im changing something. Annie is dyslexic now. That's all.)

(Katniss's POV)

I really am surprised by how well I've adjusted. It's only the first Friday, and already I know several people. Madge even said I was her friend.

That might sound weird. But I'm not used to making friends easily. In fact, Im terrible at it. At all of my schools, there were people who let me sit and talk with them, but they weren't exactly "friends." After a few days they would make it clear that I needed to make my own friends. Madge and Peeta aren't like that, I don't think. They seem to be genuinely trying to be my friend. Which is nice, I guess. If I didn't feel so awkward and nervous when I talk to Peeta.

Prim and Rue have become best friends. If only I made friends as quickly as my sister. Anyway, Prim is spending the night at Rue's house tonight. Mom said I could invite a friend over if I wanted to, but... I don't know. It's hard to tell when people really are your friends or just acting.

During biology, Mrs. Culwell tells us to choose lab partners. "You can sit with your partner. But don't expect to keep them. If you can't do your work quietly with this lab partner, you'll get a new one."

I glance around. I'm too self-conscious to go find a lab partner. If no one wants to be my partner, Mrs. Culwell will assign me one. Surprisingly, it only takes a second for someone to come up.

Peeta smiles his disarming smile. "Want to be lab partners?"

I smile back, shyly. "Uh, sure," I say. Real smart, Katniss.

Annie and Finnick sit down at the other two seats at our table. "This is perfect, then!" Finnick says. Annie giggles. I never realized how pretty she is.

"I talked him into it," Peeta says as he sits down.

"Talked who into what?" I blurt out.

"Gale into asking Madge out," he says with a mischievous smile.

Annie gasps and claps her hands. "Oh yes! Finally!" she says, then laughs. "It's about time he did."

"They certainly like each other a lot," Finnick says. "Almost as much as Katmiss obviously likes me," he adds. I roll my eyes, and he laughs. He's one of those boys who flirts a lot. And I mean a lot. Also, I have a feeling if I tried to touch his perfectly styled hair, he'd bite my head off.

"Ok, students, please open your lab books to lab 1A," Mrs. Culwell says loudly, over the noise of talking students. The room gets quiet quickly. For some reason, I glance at Clove, who is in every one of my classes except drama. To my surprise, she does have a lab partner, who I vaguely recognize. I can't remember the girl's name, though.

Annie looks like she's having trouble reading her lab, but Finnick is helping. I wonder if she has a learning disability or something.

The 1A lab is basically a quick run-through on how to use microscopes. It's easy to understand, at least in my opinion, but there are several loud kids who keep complaining that this is confusing. Marvel, a really tall boy who had been at Glimmer's table the first day, is one of them. It's annoying. Most people annoy me. Another reason why I'm not good at making friends.

I tune out Marvel and his friends, and my mind starts to wander. I wonder, about Clove. She's changed so much since Monday, as far as I can see. Maybe, when this is all over, I'll have done her a favor.

I'm jerked back to reality when I realize Mrs. Culwell is asking me a question. "-position the slide?"

"What?" I want to smack myself. Way to sound smart.

"Are you even listening to me?" Mrs. Culwell is a sweet lady. Old, little, but when she's mad, you don't want to be anywhere near her. "This whole class is my hardest one to teach, and I can just take off 25 points on your labs." She turns to Marvel, who immediately shuts up.

"Sorry," he says, then mutters something under his breath that I don't quite catch.

"What?"

"Nothing. I said nothing," he says.

Mrs. Culwell turns back to me. "Now, can you show me how to position your slide?"

The day flies by, and after school I walk home by myself.