Panem High

Chapter Nine - Hello, Goodbye

%Katniss%

It was Thursday, and all day Annie had not shut up about her date with Finnick. 'What should I wear?' 'Where do you think he's taking me for dinner?' 'Should I dress up, just in case?' 'Wear a dress or something equally as nice?' 'Dark eyeshadow or natural?' 'How should I act?' 'What type of girl does he like?' 'I'm nervous. I sound nervous. Do you think I sound nervous?'

Katniss banged her head against her locker. "Oh my god, Annie, I love you, but I'm going to put you in a mental institution if you don't stop talking."

Annie frowned. "I'm just being cautious about my date with Finnick. I don't think it's going to go well," she said glumly. Katniss rolled her eyes. "Your date is tomorrow. You'll do fine, it'll smoothly, I promise. If it makes you feel any better, I'll help you plan it out today after school," she offered, trying for a smile. Annie looked up immediately, a huge grin plastered across her face. How did I know that would work? Katniss asked herself. "Awesome! Kat, you're the best," she said, giving her a quick hug. "Wait, but my date's tomorrow."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it? Which, coincidentally, happens to be the same night as girls' night. Just because you're going to miss it, doesn't mean I'm going to."

"You're still hung up over that? The other girls don't seem to mind."

"Yes, I am, actually. You're the only one who acts normal besides me!" She grabbed Annie's shoulders. "And if I start acting like them, they'll drag me to the dark side and I may never come back." She couldn't believe she actually managed to keep a straight face doing that. Annie rolled her eyes and pushed Katniss' hands off her. "May the force be with you, then, because I'm going on that date. It's not everyday Finnick Odair asks you out," she said sternly, walking off.

Katniss sighed, shaking her head. She opened her locker again and grabbed her stuff. She was just turning around when she slammed right into someone.

Her books flew onto the ground, as did the things of the person she bumped into.

Katniss tossed her hair over her shoulder and got on her knees. "God, I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz," she said, putting a hand to her forehead. "It's fine, really," the person responded. Katniss looked up and saw the bright blue eyes of the baker's son. "Hello," she said, shocked. He was grabbing his stuff in a hurry, glancing up a few times at Katniss. "Hello," he replied. "You're Peeta Mellark, right?" she asked, already knowing the answer. He looked up with a start, slowly putting down the books he had in his hands. "Uh, yeah," he said awkwardly.

"I'm Katniss-"

"Everdeen. Yeah, I know. Sorry, that sounded rude."

Katniss frowned, surprised that he knew her name. She briefly wondered if more people knew her name and she just never noticed. Discarding the thought, she smiled at Peeta. She started gathering her stuff, choosing her next words carefully. "Uh, a few days ago, in gym class, you know, you caught that ball that was gonna hit me? Yeah, well, how come you took off before I could thank you?" she asked. She grabbed the book they were discussing in literature class and added it to her pile. She snatched her notebook, which felt heavier than usual.

Peeta thought for a moment. "I didn't need a thank you."

"But I would have liked to give one."

"Really, it's fine. It was nothing."

"Still."

He smiled. "If it means that much to you, why don't you do it now?" he asked. Katniss blinked, realizing this. "Oh... Well, then, I'd like to formally give my thanks to thee. With much gratitude, I, Katniss Everdeen, thank you for your protection and services," she said in posh voice, bowing slightly. Peeta laughed, and Katniss was surprised by how much she enjoyed the pleasant sound. "It was all the pleasure," he said. He got to his feet and held his hand out to her. She grabbed his hand and stood up.

"Goodbye," she said, smiling as the bell rang. He just nodded, suddenly silent, and brushed past her. Katniss shrugged it off and went on her way to math class.

A/N: okay, chapter nine, done. Sorry it was short. It's more of a filler chapter, I should say. But we had an Everlark moment, and Katniss finally got to thank him! And, being as cliché as I am, there will be an issue with their run in with each other. (Pun intended.) You'll probably be able to guess what the issue is, seeing as I dropped a very not-so-subtle clue.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!
Happy New Years everyone!
xo everywhereandnowhere