Katniss POV-
After eating every last drop of Peeta and I's homemade pizzas, Finnick and the others decide its time to, and I quote Finnick here, "Get the party started.'
Finnick runs upstairs and retrieves a game only Finnick Odair would play at age 17.
'Candy Country.'
A game for four year olds.
Of course there will be six teams of two which means all the couples are a team.
So Gale and Madge, Cato and Clove, Glimmer and Marvel, Finnick and Annie, Johanna and Thresh, and then me and Peeta.
We aren't a couple but if he wasn't here, I would be alone so I'm happy he's here.
Peeta and I are still kind of awkward about what happened earlier.
I'm not sure what came over us but I know I'm not going to bring it up because I have no idea what I think or feel about it.
I think it was nothing more but a simple hormonal whim, at least on his part.
We play several rounds that consist of Finnick jumping up and down on his usual sugar high because he made up a rule that whoever wins, has to eat a sugar cube.
He and Annie usually win.
We finish up and decide to get into our pajamas and set up our sleeping bags and start the movies.
All the guys head up to Finnick's bedroom to change and all the girls go to a guest bedroom to change.
"What's wrong, Katniss? You have kinda seemed a bit down lately." Annie asks me quietly.
"I am fine. I just miss seeing you guys at school 24/7." I tell her truthfully but tonight, that's not what is bothering me.
Annie smiles and says, "Well, Kat, I am sorry and I will try to see about more gatherings outside school."
Before I can reply, my thoughts are lost with Glimmer's screaming.
"Marvel, put me down now!" Glimmer squeals as Marvel and all the other guys come and pick up their girlfriends, throwing them over their shoulders and down the stairs.
I just stop and stare at all of these idiots as Peeta is the last to shyly come in.
"Would you like to join me down stairs with the rest of your crazy friends?" Peeta asks me with a smirk and I instantly feel better.
I laugh and say, "I would love to."
I link arms with him and together we walk down the stairs, arm in arm and find them all already snuggling up together.
I sigh and find my sleeping bag and Peeta finds his and we exchange sympathetic glances.
The movie begins and I pull the blanket up to my ears and peek out enough to see the action.
And by action, I guess I mean all the couples making out and it's for sure not the action I wanted to see.
Peeta and I can't really focus on the movie because everyone else in the room is not even watching the movie so I shoot Peeta an apologetic look and he just smiles and shrugs his shoulders.
"Um. Can you guys not be disgusting?" I say to Finnick, as he backs into.
I push him back over, annoyed.
He looks up, "Shut up, you're just jealous you're not doing that with your friend over there." He says to me and then kisses Annie wildly.
I roll my eyes, my face feeling hot and look at Peeta, but he just looks away.
I'm going to kill Finnick for that.
After, I'm beyond annoyed and a bit uncomfortable and embarrassed by my friends behavior so I get inside my sleeping bag and soon I'm asleep.
Peeta will have to brave this on his own.
(A few hours later)
I wake up and see Peeta by my side, trying to calm me down.
I sniffle and realize I've been crying and that I'm all sweaty.
Peeta strokes my hair back away from my sticky face, obviously trying to comfort me.
I close my eyes.
"Are you okay?" He asks me quietly.
"I'm fine, I'm sorry." I say, wiping tears off my puffy cheeks.
He sighs, "It's okay."
"I didn't mean to wake you up."
"I wasn't asleep anyways and you didn't make a peep. I could just tell something wasn't right."
"Why weren't you sleeping?" I ask him.
"Too much on my mind is all. Yours too, I guess. Do you want to talk about it?" He asks.
I nod my hand and he takes my hand, helping me up and we sneak onto the back porch of Finnick's house.
Everyone, is still sound asleep of course.
They're all used to my nightmares so even when I do make noise, they sleep through it.
"I'm really sorry that I woke you up. Everyone else just ignores it." I say, embarrassed I woke him up, even if I didn't make a sound, I was probably still clearly having a nightmare
Now he probably thinks I'm crazy.
"Why do they ignore you?" He asks me softly, sitting down on the porch.
I sit across from him and he looks at me with worry and pity.
"I guess it's because they're use to it and they know I'm embarrassed by it so they'd just assume ignore me." I explain truthfully.
Peeta shakes his head, "They should still check on you. You're their friend."
"You probably think they're really bad friends but we've been through a lot so-" I start.
"It's not an excuse for them to ignore you. A lot of the things they do, I don't think they should do."
"Like what?" I ask him, wiping my nose on my shirt.
He sighs, shaking his head.
"Just some of the things you've told me I mean they're all really nice but I just wish they'd treat you a little better. They really do seem to ignore you a lot."
"Yeah, they are good at that." I say.
"What was it about?" He asks sadly.
"What?"
"Your nightmare?"
I shake my head.
"What happened? You can tell me." Peeta says softly.
I hesitate and then remember that I do trust him and he hasn't given me a reason not to trust him.
And I think he actually does care.
"You want the nightmare or what happened to my dad?" I ask.
Peeta shrugs, "Whatever you feel comfortable telling me, I won't tell anyone."
"Everyone knows but it'll probably take a while to explain." I say, trying to get him to drop it, but of course he just says "I have all the time you need."
"When I was eleven and my dad was at work and he was killed in some crazy explosion. It killed Gale's dad too."
Peeta frowns, "Oh, Katniss. I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
"It's alright, it was five years ago." I sigh.
"That must have be really hard for you to deal with."
"It was but it didn't help that my mother just decided to pretty much abandon my sister and I."
He gives me a look.
"Up until this last year, I've had to do everything. Prim is four years younger than me so she was seven when it happened. I basically had to become her mother and my own mother and I felt like my mother's mother too at times."
"Did she really leave you?" He asks me.
I shake my head, "No, but it was just like she wasn't even there. She never talked or got out of bed. She quit her job but we still got money from my dad dying. I did all the shopping, cooking, cleaning and caring for myself and Prim."
"Oh my gosh, that is horrible. I had no idea." He says sympathetically.
"She's a lot better now. She finally went back to work, if that counts. And she attempts to cook and clean now so I guess I really can't complain."
"But still, you were still a kid yourself and you had to care for yourself and a small child."
"Yeah. I get so frustrated with my mom. Sometimes, she just makes me so mad I can't take it. I usually just ignore her though."
He nods, "Don't feel bad, I usually ignore my mom too."
"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to keep you up." I say, hoping we can just go to bed before he gets it all out of me.
"Katniss, I know what you are doing. You can tell me anything you want. I promise, I'm not going to judge you or tell anyone."
I swallow hard, "Can I tell you something totally off topic?"
"Of course. Anything that's on your mind." He says.
"The reason I was in such a bad mood Monday was because since our freshman year, they all decided to pair up and become couples. I am not sure if you noticed but I'm the only single one of them."
Peeta laughs a little, "I noticed."
"And since then my Friday nights have pretty much been summed up by what we got the pleasure of experiencing earlier only I'm alone while they do that." I say.
He chuckles, "Man, I'm pretty disappointed I missed out on two years of that."
"You're not missing out on anything. It's disgusting."
"What? You're not a romantic?"
I roll my eyes, "They never invite me to go do anything with them and when they do they all do that. I just miss how it use to be and I'm so frustrated because they complain about me never showing up but they fail to invite me."
"If it helps you're like my only friend."
I frown, "Peeta."
"I'm serious."
I groan, "I am not trying to complain because since I met you I've been so happy."
He smiles, "This week has been surprisingly fun. I was nervous coming in."
I swallow hard, "Can I tell you something else?"
"Go ahead."
"For awhile I've been feeling so empty, especially when I am around them."
"You're lonely."
"I guess so." I shrug my shoulders.
He nods.
"I know you probably think I'm insane but I've never wanted to have a boyfriend or to get married and I still kind of hate the idea but I just-"
"You don't want a relationship?"
I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know what I want."
He laughs, "You'll figure it out, it just takes time."
"I doubt it. The only people I've ever attracted are self righteous jocks. Besides, nobody is gonna put up with me."
"You'd be surprised." He says.
I shake my head, "I am not even sure if I want it because I definitely don't want kids so I have nothing else to offer."
Peeta laughs a little, "There's more to offer in a relationship than kids."
"Like what?"
"I don't know...Maybe love?" He laughs.
I laugh a little, "I am not sure I even know what that is."
"You don't know what love is?"
I shake my head.
"You love your little sister. I know that much. Love feels like that." He says.
I think about Prim and my heart feels suddenly happy.
I close my eyes and then reopen them.
"Do you ever feel like your life is missing something?" I come out and ask him.
Peeta nods.
"I just feel like it has nothing to do with my family or my friends but maybe I'm the problem." I say.
"I feel like I have this missing piece in my life that I want to find so badly but I'm so hopeless. I don't know what to do about it." I say truthfully.
"You'll figure it out soon." Peeta assures me.
I groan, "And my nightmare was about my dad, I won't go into detail because it's already so late but basically, there's my life story. You should feel special because I never open up to anyone about anything."
Peeta laughs a little, "Thank you for trusting me and I promise I won't say a word. You can always talk to me about anything. And I know things seem horrible now but it'll get better eventually." He says, I can see he believes every word he says.
So I decide to believe him too.
I get up and he stands up too.
"Thank you." I say softly, looking up at him in the dark night.
"Thank you too. Tonight was a lot of fun." He whispers.
"I am sorry I poured all this on you." I say guiltily.
He gives me a sad smile "It's fine, Katniss. Are you ready to go back to bed?"
I nod my head but not before he slowly pulls me into a hug.
After a minute, we go back into the house.
I crawl inside my sleeping bag and he crawls in his.
"Goodnight, Peeta." I whisper to him from across the room.
"Goodnight, Katniss." He says softly and minutes later, I'm out like a light.