"Ebony dear, please get up! You have school in 30 minutes!"
30 minutes... 30 minutes... Wait, 30 minutes?! I need to go! I bolt up out of my old bed and rush to my closet.
I don't have very many clothes, but I'm grateful for what I have. I skim through the closet and find a lilac button-down blouse and my favorite purple skirt.
I rush over to my mirror and brush the tangles out of my hair. Like most people of the town in District 12 I have fair skin and blue eyes. My hair is wavy with natrual ringletts and blonde. I twist the sections of hair on the side of my temples and clip them back to the back of my head, my usual style.
I quickly run to our small kitchen in the center of the house.
"Oh Ebony! Here's your porridge, eat fast!" Mother says to me as I enter through the door.
"Thanks Mom!" I say through slurping spoonfuls of oats. After I finished I grab by school bag and head out the door.
"I'll see you this afternoon Mother!" I say.
"Okay sweetie! Tell Peeta I say hello!"
"Oh okay! Goodbye!" I say turning my face so she won't see me blush.
I close the door behind me and run a couple houses down to the Mellark's bakery. I slow down and look through the glass. It's abandoned besides Mr Mellark at the counter helping a costumer with some cakes. It seems Peeta already left for school.
I try not to feel disappointed. It was my fault I slept in. Before taking off again I examine the exquisite cupcakes and pies on the display table. No doubt Peeta frosted them. The beauty is unmistakable.
I start to run again a couple blocks to the school. I finally enter the gate when I hear a sweet laugh coming from the field. The field is small and muddy, usually. That's where all of our friends meet.
There's Isaac, Paisley, Cole, and Peeta in the center of the circle. He's laughing and smiling his beautiful smile. I'm walking towards my friends when Peeta sees me coming. He looks at me and waves. I wave back. Butterflies swarm in my stomach and I can feel my face going red.
"Hey Ebony! Why are you so late?" Askes Cole.
"Oh, well, I kind of... slept in." I say shyly. Everyone laughs.
"I think the bell is going to go soon, should we head to the building?" Peeta suggests. As if by cue, Ms Featherstone is coming out of the schoolhouse. DONG DONG goes as she rings the rusty bell hanging in front of the school. Paisley, Cole, and Isaac go forward and walk to our class.
Peeta falls beside me and we walk in silence.
He is looking at someone to his left. I glance around him and see Katniss Everdeen and Madge Undersee walk to our class a few meters away.
I've always been a little jealous of Katniss. She constantly gets the boy's attention, especially Peeta's. She seems oblivious to it though. I would love to be friends with her, but she is brave, independent and only really socialises with Madge, and her best friend Gale, he is 2 years older than us. But I do admire her for being so strong.
When the two girls get lost in the sea of people Peeta sighs and turns to me.
"So, Ms Greene, how's your family's book shop?" He askes in a ridiculous Capitol accent.
"It's doing well, thank you for asking, Mr Mellark. How is the bakery?" I relply mimicking the accent.
"It's great thanks." He says.
We enter the class room together. Peeta is my best friend. I might be considered his best friend, we have known each other the longest out of the others.
We sit down at a desk and wait for class to start. Peeta is glancing to the side every now and then to look at Katniss. I sigh to myself and wait patiently for our teacher to begin.
The day dragged on, all of the lessons blurring together. English, Math, Panem history... Coal studies.
At the end of school we all met together again on the grass. Peeta is turning his head to the gate and eyeing the gate, no doubt examining Katniss. I look over and see her little sister Prim. I bring my attention to Paisely, she brought up the idea of all of us coming to her house to catch up and do a bit of homework.
"Yes! I would love to, but I have to go back to the house and ask Mom." I say.
"I'll come with you, I have to ask my parents as well. They might be busy with the bakery." Peeta says.
The butterflies came back again. My face is growing hot.
We walk together to the bakery.
"So, Reaping Day is in a week." Peeta says glumly.
"Oh, right." I reply. That's a way to ruin a happy moment for me.
"How many times is your name in?" Peeta askes worriedly.
"Fifteen. We were running dangerously low on money and food at one point. What about you?" I say just as carefully.
"Ten." He says vaguely.
"Oh. You know Gale Hawthorne? I heard his name was put in forty- two times." I say.
"Yeah I heard that too." He says looking at his feet.
We enter the bakery and as usual, it smells of baking bread and frosting.
"Hello kids. How are you today Miss Ebony?" Mr Mellark says warmly.
"Oh, I'm good. How are you?" I reply with a smile.
"I'm fine. How's Aiden?"
Aiden is my older brother. He's nineteen and works in the mines, along with my father.
"He's okay. He doesn't like working in the mines, but... what are you going to do." I say.
There is an uncomfortable silence for a while, thankfully Peeta speaks.
"Dad, we are going to Paisleys house, is that alright?" Peeta askes hopefully.
"Sure son, just get out quickly, I think your mother has some chores for you to do." He says with a sneaky wink.
"Thanks!" Peeta says with a whisper.
We tiptoe out of the bakery and out onto the street. We can both hear Peeta's mother yelling something from the other room so we start to run down the rough dirt road to my house.
We are both giggling.
We come into my house and find my mom behind the counter of the book shop. Peeta knows this house very well, he's been over so many times ever since we were at least five.
Ask my mother if I can go and she says yes.
"Thanks mom." I say walking out the door. We make our way to the florist (Paisley's family owns the shop.)
I love going to their house because in the backyard it is covered with flowers. Purple, green, yellow, pink, and red everywhere. The petals are big and small, petite, and absolutely gorgeous. I guess Paisley's family is doing well and have a comfortable amount of money, due to all of the funerals and the flowers needed for them.
We sit down on the grass and talk about the things we need for the up coming tests on the history of Panem and stuff like that. Then somehow the Reaping comes up and we all get into a bad mood.
Paisley only has her name in six times, Isaac has his in eight, Cole has eleven. Out of all of us, I have the most. The thought of that makes me feel sick. Peeta sees my reaction and puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close. I'm sure he doesn't mean this as something more than comforting a friend, but the swarming of butterflies turn to raging, and that doesn't necessarily help my stomach. I try to enjoy his warmth and not think about the upcoming event.
That day I was happy. That day I had Peeta. The next week I would be miserable. I will be anxious to death. Peeta wouldn't be mine. Next week I will loose my best friend, forever.
