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Katniss fell in love at 15. At least, it felt something like love is supposed to, as far as she knew, which wasn’t much. Thing was, she’d never actually talked to the boy she was supposedly in love with; she’d only ever done things for him and left him notes. See, Katniss had been pining for the blond, blue-eyed boy next door for three years, and she had recently fallen into dismay because he was leaving. He was heading off to some fancy university at the end of the summer, and this might be her last chance to make her feelings known.
The first time Katniss saw the neighbor boy when he moved in, her mouth was like cotton and her heart leaped into her throat, and she was pretty sure it remained there for days after. She had never seen such a…beautiful boy before, with hair golden like wheat at the harvest and eyes bluer than the sky on the clearest of days.
She learned that their last name was Mellark, that they owned a bakery in town, and they had three boys who all looked relatively similar, but there was something special about the youngest one, Peeta, she’d heard him called.
Well, Katniss had actually been trying to make her feelings for Peeta known for some time now. Being far better with actions than with words, she’d been noticing small things she could do for him, and doing them, leaving a note to indicate what she had done, along with any instructions.
The first one she ever wrote was:
I trimmed your hedges. They were looking a little bushy. Hope you don’t mind.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
She’d, actually, accidentally written ‘Love’ at first, and she couldn’t believe her stupidity. Since she’d written in pen and didn’t want to waste another sheet of paper, she’d used some liquid paper on it, blown on it until dry, then had written ‘Sincerely’ over it.
The boy, Peeta, wrote back:
Thanks a lot! I was supposed to do that after wrestling practice, and I was wiped out, so I really appreciate it. I got the credit for it, too. I tried to tell them it wasn’t me, but they wouldn’t believe a neighbor would be so nice. I’m pretty sure they think I made you up because they never see you, but I know you’re real (and nice). :)
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Katniss smiled faintly at his kind words, and at the friendly addition of the smiley face.
He’s a wrestler. Katniss noted that detail about him.
Peeta’s comment about his family never seeing her wasn’t entirely inaccurate. She was pretty elusive, good at treading lightly and keeping out of sight, skills she’d learned from hunting lessons with her father. Not to mention, she often ducked away whenever one of the Mellarks was around, particularly Peeta. She preferred to watch him from afar. It might seem a little stalkerish, but she simply couldn’t take the scrutiny of those blue-blue eyes on her. But somehow, he managed to catch glimpses.
So, yes, her crush knew she existed. What he thought of her, though, was a complete mystery, aside from the fact that he thought she was nice (helpful).
Turned out, Peeta was the nice one, in Katniss’s opinion. He often wore a smile, and he was always eager to help out a friend or family member. Sometimes she heard his conversations through his open bedroom window‒he always slept with it open. Not that she watched him sleep… Through that open window, Katniss heard all kinds of things and gathered much information about Peeta Mellark, mainly revolving around how kind he was. He was kind to his insecure best friend, Delly, and Katniss even witnessed him taking the heat for one of his brothers’ pranks.
Katniss attended the same high school as Peeta, and occasionally, she saw him in the halls or in class. Sometimes she snuck a peek when he was at wrestling practice, too, and she even went to a match with a friend one time‒Peeta had caught sight of her that day, and he seemed surprised, and maybe even…pleased? to see her there. But she was probably just imagining it.
He often looked at her and sometimes even opened his mouth as if to say something, but they never approached one another or spoke. It was like a game, an on-again, off-again one-sided staring contest because neither of them would maintain eye contact if the other met their eyes. She didn’t understand why Peeta looked at her, perhaps to mess with her‒although that didn’t seem like Peeta‒perhaps just idle curiosity.
In his notes, however, Peeta was chatty and friendly, and they grew longer in length and decidedly friendlier over the months he lived next door to her. Sometimes he even doodled on them: a bow and arrow, a heart with an arrow through it. One time, he even sketched what looked like a silhouette of the back of her hair, given her signature braid. So, he was artistic. But why would he waste his talent drawing her and things related to her? Maybe simply because he was writing to her.
One Saturday, Katniss had been out hunting earlier that morning; she had just finished leaving a package of ice-wrapped venison outside Peeta’s door.
This is fresh game I got while hunting. It was a good haul, and I had extra. Thought you might like it. Deer and squirrel. It may sound gross to you, but it’s better than you’d think. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I’ve also included some of my uncle’s famous deer jerky. It’s wrapped up in ice, but please take it in soon, so it doesn’t go bad, and freeze it if you’re not going to eat it right away.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Peeta just so happened to be coming out of his house as Katniss slipped the note in its usual spot. He saw her and once again, opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, she took off.
“Wait, Katniss!” he called out.
He knew her name? Well, sure. If she could know things about him, then he could know things about her. And they did have a class together. But she didn’t think he’d been paying attention, or would even care to.
“I just want to-” he began, but she’d already hightailed it into her house.
Peeta pursued her, even going so far as to ring her doorbell, but like the coward she was, she shut her curtains and hid, pretending not to be home, even though he clearly knew she was. Fortunately, her mother and Prim had gone to the market, so they weren’t there to answer the door, either, and put her in the awkward position of facing Peeta.
The next day, Peeta was mowing the lawn, shirtless. The sight got her flustered, so she focused instead on his lawn. She noticed his yard was covered in dandelions, a flower she appreciated because they were edible‒a fact shared with her by her father‒and one which she also appreciated because of him.
Don’t forget to drink a lot of water on hot days like this. And wear sunscreen when you mow the lawn.
Crap. Why did she write that? She’d basically just told him that she’d been watching him mow the lawn, bare-chested. She lamented over her poor judgment. Although, she had to do something. With his fair skin, he’d be a lobster in no time!
She finished the letter.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
P.S. It’s kind of a shame to cut down all the dandelions. They’re edible, you know.
The note she received after read as thus:
Thanks for the advice. I’ll make sure and do that. ;)
A winking face? He put a winking face. What did that mean? Maybe he thought her dumb for suggesting it, or that it was obvious. And he was just too nice to say something mean or ignore her note…
She read on.
Oh, and thank you for the game. I froze it like you told me to, and I think my dad is going to cook some up tonight. The deer jerky was actually delicious, by the way. :) I had to hoard it to make sure I got some or my brothers would have devoured it. I wasn’t too stingy, though. I gave them each two pieces.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
P.S. I saved some of the dandelions for you.
Katniss understood the hoarding food thing, having gone hungry before. But wait, why was she focusing on that?
More importantly, sure enough, he had saved some dandelions for her. And he hadn’t just picked a bouquet, but he’d pulled them out by the roots and stuck them in a small pot with soil and set them outside her bedroom window.
Katniss smiled at her neighbor’s thoughtful gift, which she put on the windowsill of her bedroom window.
Things went on like this over the next two years‒Katniss would do things for Peeta and leave him notes, and he would respond back and/or likewise do something for her (usually by way of food) and leave a note. He’d leave her bread or cheese buns or pastries. Cheese buns were her favorite. It was a good system they had going. It negated the need for face-to-face communication with the boy she liked, which Katniss still couldn’t bring herself to do‒How could she? Not when every time she saw him she went soft in the knees and started to sweat. Apparently, looking at Peeta Mellark equaled loss of control of her muscles and sweat glands‒but it allowed her some form of contact with him.
It wasn’t as though Peeta never attempted to talk to her, but she always stealthily managed to avoid him. And he seemed to pick up on the hint.
One day, Peeta initiated a conversational note, leaving it on the outer sill of her bedroom window per usual:
Can you believe that chemistry test today? Killer! I’m much better in English. I think I might need a smart, scientific girl to tutor me so I don’t flunk and ruin my chances of going to college. I don’t know if I’m good enough to get there on a wrestling scholarship. Maybe she could be pretty, too. ;)
Anyone you can recommend to help me out?
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
The note gave Katniss pause. Well, she was pretty good in science. She always got among the highest marks in the class. But Peeta couldn’t possibly be referring to her. He wanted a pretty study partner, and she wasn’t pretty. Although she rolled her eyes at the notion of Peeta wanting a pretty study partner to, most likely, ‘not’ study with, she knew the perfect person to recommend for him. He needed someone studious and beautiful, like Madge. Madge had top grades, was on student council, and with her shiny, flowing blonde hair, blue eyes, and great figure, she was surely the ultimate desire of every boy in school.
Besides that, why was Peeta asking for help, and from her? Peeta was much smarter than he was pretending to be. And definitely athletic. He’d have no trouble getting into college on his body (she blushed at the way she’d worded that in her head)‒his athleticism, rather‒or his brain.
Katniss couldn’t help thinking he was just asking her to set him up with a makeout partner, and it annoyed Katniss to no end. But she liked Peeta, and she wanted him to be happy.
So, fine.
She wrote out the note as she always did:
I’m sure you did fine, but if you really think you need a tutor, Madge Undersee is smart and seems really helpful. Maybe you should ask her.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Strangely, Peeta never responded to that one, and Katniss never saw him studying with Madge, at home or school, so he must not have taken her advice. A part of her was glad, but the other part assumed she’d failed in helping him out this time.
But Peeta was amazing. He could find his own dates; she had no interest in aiding him in that department.
A couple of weeks later, Katniss received another note. Curiously, she opened it. It wasn't in response to the last one she’d left.
I heard you singing. Your voice is beautiful. I swear all the birds stopped to listen. I wish you’d talk to me, so I could hear your speaking voice as I’m sure that’s beautiful, too.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Katniss’s cheeks heated up. He’d complimented her. He liked her singing, really? She could carry a tune, yes, but her father had been the one who could make the birds stop to listen. Odd Peeta would put it that way when that’s what everyone used to say about her father. She hadn’t sung in a long while, not really since her father’s death because her mother didn’t like it when she did. It reminded her too much of her husband, as it reminded Katniss of her father. Maybe that’s why her mother doted on Prim and largely ignored her, even seemed to dislike her at times…
However, spring was in the air that day, and Katniss had been in a good mood and thinking of her neighbor, and the melody and words had just come out.
She left a succinct note thanking him for the compliment but saying nothing more.
One day, Katniss got sick. Mono. How she got mono was beyond her because she’d heard it called the ‘kissing disease,’ and she’d never even kissed a boy. Her mother told her she could get it in other ways, though.
Peeta left a package and a note for her not long after she came down with it.
I baked some bread for you. It’s good, hearty bread if I do say so myself, heh. It’ll help keep up your strength. I know you like the cheese buns, but you should probably wait until you’re healthy to have those. I promise to bake you a big batch once you’re well, so get well soon! :) The soup is lamb, just like you like, but only the broth.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Katniss didn’t really feel like writing (or doing much of anything else), but she steeled herself, for she owed it to Peeta. In fact, writing him back was the very least she could do after he did something so generous and thoughtful.
Thank you. The bread and soup were delicious, and I can already feel my strength returning.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Katniss was sick for about two-and-a-half weeks, and during that time, she couldn’t go to school or outside to hunt. It was extremely boring, but over that period of time, Peeta left her many notes. In his notes, he talked about the goings-on at school, shared what was on his music playlists, gave book recs (and other suggestions to keep her occupied) as well as talked about other general nonsense. Receiving a letter from him always made Katniss smile and lifted her spirits. She always felt a sudden burst of energy, too, when she got a letter from him.
The best thing about being back at school was getting to see Peeta in the halls and in class again, but about a week after her return, sadly, he became ill. It was the same thing, so she heard, and Katniss couldn’t believe it. On one hand, she felt awful that he was sick, and briefly, she wondered if she’d passed it on to him, but that couldn’t be since they’d had no contact. On the other hand, she felt a sudden surge of jealousy when considering that he may have contracted it from some other girl at school. Perhaps he had found a makeout partner, after all. Katniss kept her eyes and ears peeled for anyone missing, but the mystery remained.
A few days into his illness, Peeta sent her a note.
Apparently, we’re sharing illnesses now. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m kinda bummed that I had to get sick in such a boring way. I swear I haven’t been kissing any other girls. I kind of wished I could have really earned this sickness, though. ;)
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Earned it? What did he mean by that? And what was with those damn winking faces? What was the purpose of those? Was he teasing her? And why was he bringing up other girls? It wasn’t like she was his girl and he was trying to tell her he’d been loyal. Maybe he was rubbing it in about how he could be and wanted to be kissing a lot of girls…
Trying to keep her cool, she wrote back.
I’m sorry if I got you sick. I don’t know how it would have happened, either. I swear I didn’t lick your spoon when I brought you leftover stew that one time. Here’s some broth, crackers, and herbal medicine my mother made. The stuff really is magic. I seriously think it cut my healing time in half. Hope it does for you, too. Oh, and the spoon is clean, I promise.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
P.S. What did you mean about earning your sickness?
She supposed it was okay to ask. She’d never know, otherwise. Although, she really hoped he didn’t bring up other girls again, because it turned her into a green-eyed monster.
Peeta wrote back that very day; it read as follows:
I didn’t think you licked my spoon, Katniss. Haha. ;) Thank you so much for the food and medicine! I’m sure it’ll help a lot. Oh, and what I meant was, well…you know, if I HAD to get sick, I would have rather gotten sick from having a little contact…with said person passing the illness along… ;)
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor <3
Oh my god.
Katniss dropped his note in her lap, then hastily picked it up to re-read.
Is Peeta saying he wants contact with me? To kiss me? Is he interested in me?
No, he couldn’t be!
He had doodled a heart, though…
She didn’t quite know what to say, and so she wrote back:
You’re weird, Peeta Mellark. :)
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Surprisingly, it was the first time she’d referred to him by name, even if only on paper. She added the smiley face so as not to sound rude.
His response was:
I know, Katniss Everdeen. ;)
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor <3
Another heart. And this one had Katniss grinning like an idiot.
Peeta was two weeks and a couple of days into his sickness when a beautiful, blonde girl came over to his house. Katniss recognized her from school as one of the popular girls, a cheerleader, but she didn’t know her name as she’d never bothered to pay attention to her.
She was paying attention now, though.
Katniss hid in her bushes while Peeta met with the girl outside his house. She was acting all coy, flirtily playing with her hair, twisting her foot into the ground, leaning closer, and then…she touched him! She touched his chest, and Katniss had the irrational urge to break her hand.
Then, she handed Peeta something.
“This is really nice of you, Glimmer, but Mr. Abernathy already sent me the file for the homework assignment to upload,” said Peeta.
Glimmer?
Katniss made a face. What kind of name was Glimmer? A cheerleader name, clearly.
Ah, and she was bringing his homework to him. Of course, that was a ruse.
“Oh. Well…I did come all the way over here to give you this. Maybe we could do something else…” She batted her long, thick eyelashes. Her act was ridiculously transparent, almost laughably so. And Katniss might be laughing if she wasn’t so pissed off.
“I’ve been very sick, Glimmer,” replied Peeta, his patience seeming to wear thin. “I feel like crap, and I’m probably still highly contagious.” Peeta glanced over at Katniss’s yard, and he caught sight of her when she was peeking over the fence. He gave her a little wink. Mortified over being caught, Katniss quickly ducked down, her heart drumming against her ribs.
Damn it. She was no better than Glimmer!
Even humiliated as she was, Katniss remained immobilized, leaning her back against the fence separating hers and Peeta’s yards. She heard him tell Glimmer, “You should probably get out of here.”
As soon as Glimmer left, Katniss heard Peeta’s heavy tread getting closer. She thought to sneak away, but that would look pathetic, so she garnered her courage and stood up.
“Hey there,” said Peeta, looking over at her from a few feet away and smiling. He gave a little wave. She said nothing, and he probably expected as much because he kept going. “I feel okay, actually. The soup and your mom’s herbs really were magic. I don’t think I’m contagious anymore. I just said that to get rid of Glimmer. She’s not my type. She’s kinda vapid, not to mention a bitch. I prefer smarter girls with substance. And I like dark hair. Gray eyes and braids are nice, too.” He flashed her a crooked grin.
Oh my god. Was he flirting with her?
Katniss felt her heart speed up again, and it had only just slowed. Normally, she would have taken off by now, but her feet seemed frozen in place.
“Wanna come over?” he asked shyly, shoving his hands into his pockets. “My family isn’t home. We could hang out and talk…or not. We could just listen to music or watch stupid videos, if you want. I don’t think it’s likely we’ll infect each other again.” He grinned charmingly at her.
Katniss opened her mouth, thinking this would be the moment when she would finally express herself verbally to the boy she liked, but then…she did what she did best. She turned tail and ran.
Later, she felt supremely guilty, so she wrote to him. She snuck out at night to slip it through the crack of his window.
Sorry I ran off like that. I didn’t mean to be rude.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Peeta didn’t write back for a couple of days, and it was pretty basic, but she’d caught sight of him looking over at her window a few times, almost dare she say, longingly.
Summer was in full swing, and it was a hot one. Peeta’s family was one of the lucky, wealthy ones that had a pool, and it was the envy of many in the neighborhood, including Katniss’s family. On another note, Katniss had heard that Peeta got into university, a good one, too, and he was currently telling one of his friends on the phone that he was being allowed to have a graduation/pool party in a week.
She decided it best to write him.
Congratulations on your acceptance to university. I knew you could do it.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Katniss had hesitated, considering saying something like she’d miss him around here. But no, she couldn’t do that. For one, it was entirely too sappy. And two, it would hint at her undying love for him. And she could never tell him about that. Least of all, now. So, she kept it simple. She supposed she could have said she’d keep up with the hedges for him, but that was stupid. Congratulating him was better, and neutral. Anyone could say that.
Twin tears dropped onto the piece of notebook paper. She quickly wiped them away with her sleeve, but she had stained a portion of her signature. Oh well. He wouldn’t notice. She left the letter in the regular spot.
Not long after, Katniss received a response letter, which said:
Thank you so much, Katniss! I’m really excited, but I do have mixed feelings… I’m a little sad, to be completely honest.
Sad? Why would he be sad? Maybe sad about leaving his family. But he didn’t really seem super close to any of them.
She read on.
So, I’m having a graduation party next Saturday. It’s a pool party, too. I’ll have some friends over. I think you know most of them from school. It’s not going to be a lot of people, though. Maybe you could come? I’d really like it if you came… You could bring Prim, and even your mother if you want to.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
At first, Katniss was thrilled to receive an invitation from him; she wanted to go to his party; she really did, and she considered it. She even stood in front of her closet for an hour, obsessing over what to wear. But then she thought better of it. After pulling out her bathing suit, she decided there was no way she wanted Peeta to see her in it. Not with how plain and shabby it was and with her small chest and bony frame. Surely, he’d have girls from school over with much prettier suits and with bodies that nicely filled them out.
Like a coward, Katniss never responded to his letter.
However, she did go out in the yard the day of his graduation pool party. The sight of Peeta’s naked chest (not that she hadn’t seen it before) made her want to pull her shirt up over her burning face, but she kept it together. She even waved at him when he looked over, though the shame and regret was likely prominently etched on her face.
Peeta spoke this time, and why wouldn’t he? Any normal person would rather than rushing off to write a note.
“It’s so hot, Katniss. Won’t you come over and swim?” He paused a moment, and he looked so sad it nearly broke Katniss’s heart. “Come to my party, please.” He was practically begging her; she couldn’t believe it. “I really want you to come…”
Katniss felt tears welling up. She really wanted to come, but… She stared down at her feet, feeling small and worthless.
“If you don’t want to come to the party,” Peeta began again, “will you at least come over after and swim with me? It’ll probably be wrapping up in another hour or two.”
She sucked in a breath, preparing to answer him, but again, she froze up. And she simply turned and walked off. She did, however, make a graduation card for him that evening, and in a note, she apologized profusely for not going, saying she didn’t have anything to wear.
The next day, Katniss received a note from Peeta, and as she began to read, a knot formed in her stomach‒a thicker, more painful knot than the one the previous day when he’d looked at her so sadly.
Katniss, I’ve tried to subtly let you know that I like you, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Or, I guess you’re just not interested in me. I’m sorry I’ve been bothering you. I won’t do it anymore.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Once Katniss got over the terrible feeling of hurting him, she realized what this meant. He liked her back! She clapped her hand over her mouth, and her eyes brimmed with tears.
Oh my god! He likes me!
Well, she had suspected it, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to accept it. She’d convinced herself that he was only being nice, only being Peeta, not that he actually wanted her.
Katniss fell back on her bed and subdued a squeal into her pillow.
Minutes later, she gathered herself and pondered how best to remedy this. She needed Peeta to know before he left that she liked him, too. Even if it was useless to tell him now, only one month before he went off to college, she had to tell him.
And so, at long last, she wrote the note she should have long ago:
I like you, Peeta Mellark.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
Plain and simple. And it felt weak because, of course, she felt something much stronger than like for him. She had considered using love, but she supposed she could tell him that in person, providing everything went well.
She was just heading over to take him the letter when Peeta came bounding over her hedges.
What the…?
They met in the side yard by her window where he always left his notes.
“Hi,” he said, all smiles.
“Hi,” she finally managed to say, barely meeting his eyes and blushing hotly.
Peeta stuck his hands in his pockets and kicked at the dirt at his feet. “So, I saw what you wrote to me. In the first note…”
“What?” She gaped. He couldn’t mean…no…
“You wrote ‘love’ instead of sincerely,” Peeta told her, “but then you whited it out.”
Oh no…
No, no, no, no, no.
“Uh, um…” Idiot! What an idiot she was! He saw that? How did that happen?
“It was a bit faded, and I used some sandpaper to bring it through so I could see it. I know you didn’t want me to see that, but I’m glad I did, because now I know.”
Katniss swallowed thickly, her eyes flitting away. “Can you just…I don’t know, um…forget you saw that?”
“I don’t wanna forget,” he said.
“Oh,” she breathed, a sudden feeling of giddiness rushing over her. She stared down at the letter in her hand. “This may be stupid, especially after what you saw, but…” And she handed him the letter.
Once he read it, Peeta laughed, and Katniss’s cheeks went crimson. Was he making fun of her?
“I’m sorry, Katniss,” he chuckled. “I don’t mean to laugh, sweetheart.” Sweetheart? “And I’m not making fun of you, I swear. It’s just…well, I’m just so damn happy that you like me, too.”
“Peeta…”
“You had to go and say my name, didn’t you?” He sighed, and Katniss barely had time to react before he was surging forward, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“I’m madly in love with you, Katniss Everdeen,” he said. “Have been since basically the moment I saw you.” Katniss gave a little gasp, and then he kissed her.
Her first kiss. It was warm, soft, and tender. And then, Peeta tilted his head and deepened it, and she felt something stirring from deep within, rising up in her chest and spreading all throughout her body to the tips of her being.
The last month of the summer after she turned 18 was the best (and worst) month of Katniss’s life. She and Peeta were inseparable. They did everything together: listening to music, swimming, going on dates, and kissing‒there was a lot of kissing. Things went a bit further between them than that, some tender, curious touches, mainly. But they didn’t give themselves to each other entirely. It just didn’t feel time yet. Besides, Katniss knew Peeta was leaving soon. And the closer it got, the more she ached.
How was she ever going to say goodbye to Peeta? Her neighbor. The boy who had written her notes. The boy she desperately loved.
But she had to. She convinced him to go off to school, even when he said he didn’t want to leave her. She needed to do what was best for him, which had always been her philosophy from the start.
They kept in touch, by letter and e-mail, because the latter was speedier.
Only now, they signed their letters and e-mails: Love, Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend.
Peeta was thriving at school, and Katniss knew how busy he was. In spite of that, he wrote to her regularly, keeping her apprised of every little detail about his day and his university life. But eventually, as she’d feared, his letters became fewer and farther between. And Katniss worried that Peeta was going to break up with her. Maybe he’d lost interest. Maybe it was too hard. Maybe he’d found another girl, a better girl, one nearby at college, and he was going to dump her. He just hadn’t found the right way to do it yet. Surely, he wouldn’t just move on without telling her. Peeta was a good guy, and she expected him to do the right thing by her, even if he needed to say farewell.
When she’d all but given up hope, Katniss received a letter. It said:
I’m back. Meet me at sunset in our spot. I need to see you. I’ve missed you so badly that it burns.
Love,
Your Boyfriend
What? He’s back?!
How could this be?
Katniss could barely contain her excitement as she rushed to meet him, getting there 45 minutes early. She noticed a blanket had been laid out under Peeta’s apple tree, and so she plopped down on it to wait for him, staring off at the horizon.
About twenty minutes later, she heard a familiar “Hey, you” come from behind her, and her body sizzled with electricity. She stood and turned as if in slow motion.
He looked older. How was that possible? It hadn’t been that long.
“You’re back,” she muttered, a few tears slipping free and running down her cheeks.
“I’m back.”
“Not that I’m not happy, Peeta, but um…why?”
“Decided that school wasn’t for me,” he said. “Not that one, anyway. I’m going to finish out here.”
“But…I don’t…I don’t get it. It’s such a good school, so much better than here, and you were doing so well.”
“Yeah, but there was one major thing it was missing that I really needed.”
“What?”
“You.”
Katniss laugh-cried. "Are you sure, Peeta?"
"I'm so sure."
Katniss grinned so hard her face hurt.
“I-I…I need you, too, Peeta.”
She ran at him, and he held out his arms, catching her and effortlessly picking her up and spinning her around. He held her against his body, caressed her face, then pressed his lips to hers. And they kissed and touched as though they couldn’t get enough of one another.
Katniss and Peeta made love that night under the apple tree amidst promises to be together always.
