I'm coming back into focus when Caesar asks him if he has a girlfriend back home. Peeta hesitates, then gives an unconvincing shake of his head.
"Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what’s her name?" says Caesar.
Peeta sighs. "Well, there is this one girl. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I was alive until the reaping."
Sounds of sympathy from the crowd. Unrequited love they can relate to.
"She have another fellow?" asks Caesar.
"I don’t know, but a lot of boys like her," says Peeta.
"So, here’s what you do. You win, you go home. She can’t turn you down then, eh?" says Caesar encouraging-ly.
"I don’t think it’s going to work out. Winning...won’t help in my case," says Peeta.
"Why ever not?" says Caesar, mystified.
Peeta blushes beet red and stammers out. "Because...because...she came here with me.”
"KENNEDY JANE MARTIN!"
My eyes snapped up from the glorious story written before me that I had my face buried into, Lydia was bursting through my door into my bedroom looking all out of sorts. Oh what is it now? I literally finally am able to sit down and read for a few moments but here she comes to interrupt. It's a never ending cycle.
I sighed as I closed the book, I'll have to read about how amazing Peeta is later. "Yes, Lydia?" I asked as I set the book on my nightstand.
"Why haven't you been answering my phone calls? I've literally been calling you for the past ten minutes." She huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest in pure annoyance.
"About that, I was just kind of absorbed in my book and I guess I didn't hear the phone ringing," I was totally lying. I had heard the phone ringing. For the first ten calls, I actually sent her straight to voicemail..
She scoffed, "Ken, you sent me to voicemail!"
"Okay you're right, I'm sorry. But, in my defense-- I was reading about Peeta and Katniss. It's damn near impossible to ignore them." I pointed out with a serious expression. One simply does not stop reading an Everlark scene mid-way through, it's not logical.
Her spring green eyes widened, "But you can ignore your own cousin? You make no sense, and haven't you already read that book like seven times?"
"Nine, actually. Anyway, not that I don't love seeing you or anything, but what are you doing here?" I asked as I quickly changed the subject, once I start talking about The Hunger Games, it takes a lot to get me to stop. I am actually doing her a huge favor right now.
Lydia flipped her curly hair off of her shoulder and sat down on the edge of my bed, folding her legs over one another gracefully, and then turned to face me, "What are you wearing to the party tonight?"
I rose an eyebrow, "Why?"
"So we don't clash, duh." She retorted.
"Why do you always think we'll clash? It's happened maybe one time," I huffed as I slid off of my bed and padded my way over to my closet, sifting through the plethora of dresses that I have accumulated over the years. A huge bonus to being the cousin and best friend of Lydia Martin, was that she was literally like a fashion barometer. She could pick out the latest trends, and what fit me best. I'm not really a huge mainstream kind of girl, but some of the things that she finds for me are freaking gorgeous.
Once my small hands latched onto the soft black cotton fabric of the designated dress, I tugged it off the hanger and spun around to show it to my impatient cousin. Her eyes seemed to analyze it as they traveled across the expanse of the bodice and the cinched waist, and wait for it.... "I'd pair that with some black leggings, maybe some black boots." She said in concentration.
I nodded, "That's actually what I was going to do.... whoa, we're like on the same wave length." I replied with a laugh as I tossed the dress on my bed and headed towards my dresser to find the pair of leggings that I needed.
"Did you go to the lacrosse scrimmage?" Lydia inquired, I was watching her reflection in the mirror and she was picking at her nails, obviously trying a bit too hard to not look at me.
"Uh, no... Why? Didn't you go?" I responded as I sifted through the drawer awkwardly, why would she be asking me about the lacrosse scrimmage? That means that she obviously didn't go, and that doesn't make any sense to me, she usually loves to watch Jackson play.
She shrugged, "I had other things to do... I heard that Scott McCall made first line though."
"Yeah, he should have. He did awesome at practice the other day, we honestly need more players like that." I stated as I snatched up the leggings and then slammed the drawer shut, upon turning around to toss them on my bed again, I caught Lydia staring at me intently.
I rose an eyebrow as I awkwardly tossed the leggings on the bed, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?" She replied in confusion.
"Like you are planning something that I'm not going to like at all," I replied as I crossed my arms over my chest. She is always trying to set me up with people, and I have a feeling that's exactly what she is thinking right now.
She chuckled, "I'm not planning anything for you."
"Then what are you planning?" I inquired.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see..." She hummed as she flashed a killer smile, hmm I don't like that sound of that at all.
ღ
By the time I got to the party, there were already loads of people there... my hair wasn't cooperating the way that I had wanted it to, so it took an extra hour to get it to lay semi-decently. And then I realized that I had to pee when I was literally backing out of my driveway, so I had to go back inside and relieve myself. It was a whole ordeal.
Anyway, when I walked through the front door and into the living room, I was being greeted by younger classmen, specifically the ones that thought they were really cool but were total d-bags and were a complete waste of my time. I simply smiled and then walked past them, looking for Allison or Lydia. I mean, I have other friends-- but I can't seem to really think of anyone that I would like to talk to right now.
"Hey Kennedy,"
I turned around to face a boy that was barely up to my shoulder in height, and had bleach blonde hair in a Bieber flip, and it was straightened. The amount of Axe he had on was burning my sinuses, why does he think spraying half of the damn bottle is acceptable? Ugh.
"Uh, hey." I responded awkwardly as I glanced around, why was this kid talking to me?
He smirked as he shot a smug look over his shoulder to his little gang of other pubescent boys that were obviously giving their one track minds boners at the fact that their friend was talking to me.
"You are looking fine," His eyes trailed down the front side of my body, and I couldn't help but let out a laugh as I shook my head from side to side.
"Listen, kid, I'm sure you have some decent qualities within you... but I'm not interested." I stated as I patted his head and then turned on my heel, making my way through the throngs of people. The music was really loud towards the patio, and that's where the drinks were set-up.
With a shake of my head I grabbed a red cup and poured some Pepsi in it, I'm not drinking while I'm driving. Upon turning around though, I was met with a sight much more pleasing than my plastic cup filled with a sugary beverage. Stiles was standing in front of me, his hazel eyes wide and pale cheeks now painted a bright red.
"Uh, hi-hi." He stammered, his eyes blinking rapidly.
I couldn't help but smile, "Hey. Were you going to get a drink?"
"Wh-what? I mean, yea-yes. I was, I think... how are you?" He was stumbling over his words, and his face was only getting redder by the second. I couldn't help but chuckle at how nervous he seemed.
"I'm well, how are you?" I asked. I needed to stop looking at him so intently, but I can't help it. My eyes are literally analyzing his face, committing each and every inch to memory. The arch of his eyebrows, the slope in his nose, the amount of small brown moles that were scattered across the canvas of his cheeks and neck. I sound like such a stalker. But I can't help it.
Again he was blinking rapidly as he bobbed his head form side to side in utter confusion, "Me? I'm awesome, totally freaking awesome...awesome."
"I can see that," I chuckled as I took a sip of my drink to try and hide the total creeper smile that I was wearing. I need to get a hold of myself, this is probably why Lydia didn't want me talking to him-- ah crap. Lydia.
He is only into you because you're my cousin. Her over the top fake voice was bouncing around in my skull, and I wanted nothing more than to just make it shut up. Maybe he isn't in to me just because I'm Lydia's cousin.
"Why, um.. I mean, why aren't you with-- Lydia?" He questioned as he looked around the room for my cousin.
And that is what killed me. I felt the literal jab in my chest. Why is he asking about Lydia? He must like her, then. She was right. He isn't even into me at all. Why am I so stupid? I keep doing this, getting my hopes up to only have them be tore down. I need to stop doing that.
I cleared my throat as I blinked a few times, "Probably with her boyfriend." I made sure to emphasize the fact that she had a boyfriend. If he was going to bring her up, I am going to bring up the fact that she is in a happy relationship. I sound petty and jealous, and I shouldn't be feeling like this. Stiles is just some stupid boy that happens to be in most of my classes. That's it. He isn't anything special. I don't know why I thought he would be.
"What?" He asked as he glanced at me oddly.
"What?" I echoed in confusion.
He swallowed nervously as he rose an eyebrow, "I-I asked why you weren't with her, and-and what you said was...well a bit of a weird way to answer."
My eyes widened when I realized that I had totally misinterpreted the question and the context of why Lydia was even brought up in the first place. Oh this is bad. "Did I? Oh, must be the alcohol... um, it was nice talking to you." I rambled as I quickly walked away from him, making my way out into the back.
Why do I even bother talking? I just totally embarrassed myself. Great, nice going Kennedy. This isn't good. I shouldn't be feeling jealous like this over just any guy. I think this means that Stiles Stilinski is more than just some guy...
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what the fox say ringdingindignigindgin dgingingdingidngignng
sorry, i'm beyond obsessed with that song. like, you don't even know. right now my jams are the fox, wrecking ball, royals, summertime sadness, red hands, counting stars, applause, the other side, this place is a shelter, and best song ever.
anyway back to the story, i hope you are all liking this so far! i like kennedy, she's a little hipster. if you wanna see her dress, it's posted on my polyvore!
p.s. if you haven't yet, go and check out my dear friend @occlumency 's new story, Huntress, it's so freaking good, like her writing is flawless. much better than mine.
fan, vote, and comment! xx