You Only Live Once

Prologue

"But I'm gonna miss you so much, Kit!"
"And will too, Little Duck. But I have to go." I say to my little sister Prim.

Today is the day I'll finally leave for college and Prim is helping me pack my stuff.
I'm excitedl really, just like every other 18 year old would be by going to college.

"I hope you call me everydays. I want to know every single details! " Prim says excitedly.
She is always like this, more excited than myself.

I chuckle "I will Primmy. Cross my heart." I say.

Prim smiles "Okay. I still can't believe my big sister is going to NYU. I hope I get to go there too!"

I snort "You're so smart Prim! I bet you could get into Brown." It is true, Prim is the smartest person I know, she could get anywhere if she wanted to.

I see her cheeks flushing. Her ways of dealing with complements are pretty cute. Prim is really shy, and never knows what to say in this types of situation.

We pack the rest of my stuff in silence.
When everything is ready we go downstairs, where my parents are sitting in the table.

"Look who is here! My college girl arrived!" My dad says. He comes up to me and hugs me.
"Dad, you're suffocating me." I say.
"Oh, sorry darling." he says pulling away. "It's just that me and your mother are so proud of our little girl, all so grown up." I notice he is starting to tear up.
Typical dad, he always gets emotional in moments like this. It is actually pretty funny.

"Dad, come on. Don't cry." I say, chuckling.

"Sorry sweetie, daddy is very emotional today, you know." My dad says, running his eyes.

Then my mom comes to me and hugs me.
"We're going to miss you very much, sweetheart." she says.

"I'm gonna miss you guys to. But it's not like I'll never come back. I promise I'll visit you guys." I say.

"We know. Just don't do anything too stupid. No drugs!" My mom says, always overprotective. But I guess all mothers are like that.

"Just a little pot." I say mockingly.

"That's my girl." My dad says sarcasticly.

I chuckle. Prim runs up to me and embraces me. "Do you really have to go Kit? Please, don't go. I don't care if I have to share my bedroom." She says.

I chuckle when I remember the day I found out I got into NYU. Prim was rejubiliant because she would have our bedroom all to herself.

"Prim, come on. Your fourteen! I'm sure you'll live fine without your big sister following you everywhere. "I say.

"But who is going to choose you your outfits from now on? It's just that, no offence, you don't have a great fashion sense." She says.

"Don't be so diva!" I say, pretending to be hurt.

"You'll be fine. Just don't dye your hair red or something. I like the way it is now." I roll my eyes. From both of us, Prim is by far, the one with the prettier hair. She has blond wavey hair, that falls down her shoulders, while I have dark brown hair, that I always use in my usual side braid. I guess it's one of my trade marks.

"Okay, I'll take you to the station." My dad says, picking up his car keys. I'll have to catch a train to New York to go to college. My dad said he would drive me there, but I'd much rather go by myself. I'm independent enough.

"Okay, love you guys." I say, giving my mom and sister one last hug. "See you on Christmas Break!" I say.

I go to the car with my dad and we drive in silence to the train station.

"Okay, We're here." My dad says.

I hug him "See you dad."

"I love you, Kitty." My dad says, using the nickname he have me when I was five and brought a straigh cat home.
"I love you, dad." I say.

And with that I'm out of the car.
I pick up my luggage and go get my ticket.
After that I wait in the plataform that will take me to my train. The train station is completely crowded, people running around, talkimg, carrying their luggage. Completely indifferent to everyone else around them.
I sometimes like to watch the people, waiting for then to notice that someone is staring, and I have to glance somewhere else.

I see my train arriving to the station. And I basically run to it, so that I can choose where to sit.
But obviously other people do the same, so I end up sitting next to the entrance.
The doors are already closed and the train is already starting to move when I hear a loud thud of something hitting against the door.
I look through the small window on the door to see a boy squashed against the door.
He says something that I can't understand. The train starts picking up its pace and the boy makes an alarmed expression and points towards something next to me.
I look to my side and see an emergency button to open the doors.
I take some time to realize that he wants me to open the doors, so that he can come in. Should I open him the door?
I study my options for a second. It is against the rules. An emergency button is only used for emergencies. I look back at the boy still wearing the same alarmed expression, running faster now that the train is going faster. I decide that this could be an emergency so I press the button, opening the doors.
The boy runs faster and jumps inside, panting heavily, while everyone looks at us. I immediatly feel embaressed. Every eyes are on me, and I can feel myself get hotter.

"Okay, everyone, I'm in, I did it! You can go back to whatever you've been doing!" The boy says loudly to all the people inside the carriage. They all look away and the boy plops himself in the sit next to mine.
Shit! Did he really need to sit here? Aren't there any other places? I was hoping to have a calm ride to New York but something tells me this boy isn't going to allow that.

"Thanks about that." he says to me, still trying to controll his breath.
I look at him. He has blonde hair, much like Prim, and deep blue eyes . His cheeks are flushed from running and his hair is messy. Actually, he looks a complete mess. As if he just roles out of the bed.
I give him a brief smile and look back down.
"I overslept." he says again. Doesn't he understand that I don't feel like talking right now?apparently he doesn't even need me to have a conversation. "I really thought I was going to miss the train." He says.

"That sure would be tragic." I say sarcasticly.

He chuckles "I'm sure it would. Having to ask my brother for a ride all the way to New York? That's the same as suicide." he says.

I roll my eyes. "By the way, I'm Peeta Mellark, going to NYU. How about you, sarcastic girl?" He says, holding his hand out for me to shake.

I hesitantly shake his hand "Katniss Everdeen, on the way to NYU." I say.

"Well Miss Everdeen, I guess we'll see each other around a lot."