The Girl With The Silver Eyes

Chapter 5

Katniss

Peeta and I haven't really spoken since I stayed at his house. After we kissed, I told him that I wasn't ready to be in a relationship. But that I did feel something. That maybe in a few months, we could try. He said he was fine with that. But I could see it in his eyes. It broke his heart. He never met my eyes at school today and I hang my head slightly as I walk to my truck at the back of the parking lot. Prim caught the flu from Rue's little sister, Marigold, so she stayed home sick today. I'm about to open the door when someone taps my shoulder. I turn around to be met with the bright green eyes of Glimmer Maraschino, who is surprisingly alone, lacking her entourage of rich girls.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"To know what's up with you and Mellark," she says. "You keep avoiding each other. You kept shooting glances at each other, but you wouldn't actually meet glances."

"It's nothing," I say.

"He told you about his crush on you didn't he," she says smiling.

"How do you know about that?" I ask her.

"Practically everyone but you knows Sweetie," she says. "Why do you think most girls avoid you? They're jealous because you're the only one Thats really ever caught Peeta's eye. And he's hot. That goes a long way at a school like this."

"We kissed," I admit. "But I told him I wasn't ready for a relationship."

"No," she says. "You most certainly are not. But you will be once I'm through with you."

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"I'm going to help you gain the confidence to go out with him," she says.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I like you," she says. "I don't want Peeta. And I really think you two would be adorable together. You are both the equal amount of attractiveness. You compliment each other. And I want to help you."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" I ask.

"First things first," she says. "I'm taking you shopping to get some clothes to show off that beautiful body you keep trying to hide."

"I'm not beautiful," I say.

"Sure Sweetie, keep telling yourself that," she says taking my hand and dragging me towards her lavender Camero.

"What about my truck?" I ask.

"Lock it up," she says. "We'll be back before sundown. It'll be fine here. Marvel's got football practice so I'll ask him to keep an eye on it for you." She takes out her phone and her fingers move like lightning as she sends a message to her boyfriend. "Now come on, we have to get you at least half a new wardrobe."

"I can't afford that," I say and she giggles and pulls out a credit card.

"My father spoils me," she says. "He thinks love is won by money. He won't even notice."

"I can't let you do that," I say.

"I'm doing it wether you like it or not," she says. "And don't even try to sneak things back onto the rack. I'm gonna know. Now come on, we're waisting time sitting here arguing." She pushes me into her car and slams the door. She drives me to the mall and drags me into one of those stores that the rich girls always seem to be walking out the catalogues of. The kind that have TV ads with twenty something year olds with eating disorders posing as high school girls. I look around, feeling really uncomfortable.

"I'm not sure I belong here," I say. "I don't really want to dress trashy."

"I'm not going to do that," she says. "If you sort through this stuff, there's plenty that will look nice on you and show off what you got without showing too much. I'm trying to help you gain confidence, not make you into a hooker." She holds up a pale blue sundress and looks at me with her head tilted to the side. "How do you feel about this?"

"It's pretty," I admit.

"Let me grab a few more things and then I'll have you try it on," she says and then picks out a couple skits, a pair of shorts and shirts that I don't even pay attention to. "Come on, don't be shy." I follow her to the dressing rooms and she pulls me inside. She locks the door and hands me a tank top and a denim skirt. I raise an eyebrow at her and she sighs.

"Do you want me to turn around?" she asks and I nod. She laughs as she turns to face the wall. "We were in the same gym class last year. We changed in the same locker room."

"But we weren't intently watching each other change," I say as I slide the shirt I wore to school over my head and slide into the clothes she handed me. They fit pretty well and the skirt falls just above my knees, which I'm comfortable with. The tank top hugs my frame in a way I'm not used to, but it's quite comfortable.

"Can I look yet?" she asks.

"I guess," I say and when she looks at me, she smiles.

"You are even prettier than I thought," she says walking around me. I feel her take the hair tie off the end of my braid and undo my sister's careful work from this morning and let it fall over my shoulders. "Your hair is really long. You can do more with it than tie it in a braid everyday. Let it lose every once in a while."

"But I always wear it like that," I say. "It's practical."

"Well, sometimes we need to put practicality aside," she says taking my shoulders and turning me to face the mirror.

"That's not me," I say as I look at the girl in the mirror. Her dark hair tumbles in waves down to her elbows. She has curves that are complemented by the fitted clothing. The pale green tank top compliments her olive skin and she looks normal. Like she fits in.

"Stop kidding yourself," Glimmer says tucking a stand of my bangs behind me ear. "You are gorgeous Darling. What you're seeing right now in this mirror is what Peeta sees beneath those baggy clothes and solitary disposition."

"You can see my bra," I comment and cross my arms over my chest.

"That's okay," she says. "We're going to Victoria's Secret after this."

"What?!" I ask a little shocked.

"It's okay," she says. "I'm not going to force you into anything there. But you do need something that will look nice under your new clothes. Then we need shoes and some jewelry. Oh and some eye make up to enhance those sliver jewels you have for eyes."

"I know I already asked this, but why are you doing this for me?" I ask her.

"Because," she says. "I really like you and I've always wanted to be friends with you even though you've made it very clear that you don't really want them. I'd ask you to hang with us sometime, but it's hard enough keeping Clove from going after you as it is. I'm only friends with her to keep her under some control. She's a real bully, just like her boyfriend. Maybe one of these days though, you, me, and Tara can have a night out."

"You know, I think I might like that," I say.

"I think maybe this weekend when Clove goes to her dad's we three can have a sleep over at the beach house. It's still rather warm out," she says.

"That sounds fun," I say, totally surprising myself. I don't do this. Go shopping, have slumber parties, none of it. But I believe that Glimmer's intentions are genuine and like Prim wanted me to, I think I will try to have fun this year.

"Great," she says and then the subject drops as she holds up the sundress. "Now try this on. I just know it's gonna make your eyes pop!"