Hunger Games High

~Chapter Twelve~

Katniss POV
{a few months later}

     Today is the high school graduation. It's bittersweet for me to be honest. Everyone thinks I'm crazy about missing school and not being very excited about summer, but it's true. I really am going to miss it. Not so much the tests and homework, but all my friends and teachers. Of course I'll keep in touch with some of them and the victors will stick together for a while longer, but honestly you never know what your future will hold, and as sad as it may sound, me and my best friends could completely lose contact with each other. But enough of that, today's graduation!
     I walk over to the Mellarks to get ready. We usually take turns with whose house we go to, and since Madge just went clothes shopping with her aunt for her birthday, we go to her house.
     Not even thirty seconds after I knock, the door swings open,
     "Katniss!" Peeta exclaims and engulfs me in a hug. We've been dating now for three months and it's been great. Since I'm not going to college, because we can't afford it since my mom doesn't make much, Peeta decided to go to a local college only fifteen minutes away. It took a lot of convincing on his part to stay. He had gotten accepted to a really nice school in District 11, a big city about four hours away, and I didn't want to keep him from going, but after much persuasion from him, I agreed to him staying. Honestly, I'm glad that he's staying even though I feel bad for him turning down his offer for the other school.
     "Hey Peetie Pie, how are you?" I ask. I call him Peetie Pie on occasion. I started calling him that when I learned he knew how to bake pies and not only cakes. Which is great because my favorite dessert is blueberry pie.
     "I'm good, I've missed you though." He makes a fake pouty face. I playfully roll my eyes,
     "Oh Peeta, you just saw me yesterday. It wasn't that long ago!" I say as he chuckles. We exchange a quick, small kiss,
     "I know but that's too long!" We laugh for a minute then he lets me go up to Madge's room to get ready.
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     We all arrived to the school auditorium fifteen minutes early so we can find a good place to sit. Johanna, Gale, Annie, Finnick, Madge, Peeta, and I all go over to an empty row and sit down. For a while we play little games like rock-paper-scissors and talk, until Principle Snow walks up on stage.
     "Welcome, to our annual 75th senior graduation," everyone claps and cheers until Principle Snow continues, " I'm so proud of all of our students here!" Yeah right, Principle Snow hates us. Graduating here is not the same as anywhere else. It's much harder. Not because of the homework load, or test levels, but because of Principle Snow. It's almost as if high school is a game, where Snow tried to put different "obstacles" up to try and get us to drop out. Only the strong survive. Now our group name "Victors" makes sense.
     "Now onto awards!" whoops, I tuned out during his whole speech. Oh well. They call up multiple students for different awards such as "Most Eccentric" and "Best Grades" then I hear my name. My stomach drops, I wasn't paying attention. I feel Madge and Annie push me out of my seat and into the walkway. I walk up to the stage trying to figure out what award I've received. Probably something like "Most Stubborn" or "Most C's" But I'm surprised when I hear I've won "Most Changed". Principle Snow goes onto tell how he's seen a change in my attendance, grades, and most importantly my attitude. Then Mr Cinna comes up and tells more about how he's noticed a lot of change since my freshman years and how he's so proud. He even gives me a nickname "Girl on Fire", but I hardly heard a word because of a certain smell. The smell gagged me, yet smelled oddly familiar. As I walk off the stage I see out of the corner of my eye a white rose sticking out of the pocket of Snow's blazer. Weird.
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     After graduation I go back home and crash. Then cry. It's not that I'm going to miss school, and the homework, and stress, but mostly the memories. I've had many good and bad memories. From when Clove punched me in the stomach because I bumped her arm in art, to when I met Peeta. And now, that part of my life is over, and will never come back.