The Girl With The Silver Eyes

Chapter 6

Peeta

"So what's going on between you and Everdeen?" Marvel asks as we walk out to our cars after practice.

"Nothing," I say.

"That's not what I think," he says.

"Oh, and what's running through your brain damaged head?" I ask him.

"I think you told her how you feel," he says. "That's why you two wouldn't even look at each other all day today even though you chitchatted away all last week." I don't say any thing and he nudges me. "I'm right aren't I?"

"Fine!" I say. "She had a nightmare and we talked and it came out."

"And?" he asks, knowing there's more.

"She kissed me," I say. "And then told me that she didn't want a relationship yet. That maybe in a few months she'd be willing to try it." I kick the tire on my truck and turn to him. "I thought I was doing everything right and then it's like I opened up a door she wasn't willing to walk through. What's so bad about me that she won't even give me a chance?"

"She's been hurt a lot Peeta," he reminds me. "She doesn't trust easily." His phone beeps and he pulls it out and gets a funny look on his face.

"What?" I ask. He hands his phone to me and I read a message from his girlfriend Glimmer and the time says it was just after school:

Went shopping with Kitty Everdeen. Keep an 👀 on her truck so she doesn't worry. Thanks Bae
~Glim💎

"What the hell?" I say. "That makes no sense. Katniss does not go shopping and she most defiantly does not willingly leave that truck somewhere."

"That's what I thought," he says. "Anybody who remotely knows that girl knows that that's not her style. She loves that thing more than life itself."

"Since when has your girlfriend shown any interest in Katniss?" I say.

"She likes her," he says. "She wants to be friends with her but's afraid of what Clove will do. You know that girl has got a grudge against Katniss for some reason. Glimmer's only friends with her to try to keep her from going after the defenseless. I know Tara is downright uncomfortable around her."

"Yet she still hangs around her," I say. "Face it Marvel. Your girlfriend is the queen bee and she's just trying to expand her hive."

"I will admit that she does control most of the girls at this school, but she isn't trying to do anything harmful," he says. "Her intentions with Katniss are purely to be her friend. She wants more friends like that who aren't so vain and are only looking for popularity and money. More who isn't friends with just to save others from suffering." I hear a car pull up and look over to see Glimmer and Katniss get out of Glimmer's purple Camero. And Katniss takes my breath away.

She's wearing a black skirt that stops mid thigh and an army camo spaghetti strap tank top. Her hair is out of its braid and up in a high ponytail. She still wears her old laced hunting boots and she's absolutely breath taking as she rolls up the tarp that covers the bed of her truck and helps Glimmer load shopping bags into her truck. I hear other boys who are just coming to their vehicles muttering amongst themselves.

"Is that Everdeen?"

"That's most certainly her truck!"

"Who knew Everdeen had legs?!"

"Who knew she had any of that?!"

"I wish I'd pay more attention, might have gotten to be the one to discover what lies underneath that hunting jacket. Damn! What a rack!"

I want to turn around and punch the one who said the last one but Marvel grabs my arm.

"Don't draw attention," he says. "I know it's hard. It happens when you got it for a hottie. You can't blame them. She has most defiantly got it. And this is the first time any of them are seeing it."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," I say.

"Yeah, but until you two are actually dating, you have no right to defend her like she's yours. Right now, she's fair game," he says. "Trust me, I hear the whispers about Glimmer. But you can't punch out every guy that crushes on your girl. You've got to live with it when you got a girl like that. Trust me, you'll know which ones are worth it."

I see Katniss and Glimmer chatting briefly before they wave goodbye to each other and Katniss gets in her truck and drives away, her old diesel Dodge rumbling as it pulls away. Glimmer walks over to us and I notice that the other boys have left.

"Hey Marvy. Hey Peeta," she says. "What are you two still doing here?"

"You told me to watch the truck," Marvel says matter of factly.

"And you just so happened to join him didn't you Lover Boy?" she says smirking. "So, what do you think?"

"I have no idea what to think," I say.

"She was reluctant, but I got her to let me spoil her just a little bit," she says.

"So what, was Katniss just a Barbie for you to dress up?" I ask her and she gets a hurt look on her face.

"That hurt Peeta," she says. "And no, I did it for her. She keeps hiding in those baggy clothes with her tail between her legs. She has absolutely no confidence in how she looks when you and I both know how gorgeous she is. So yes, I dressed her up in clothes that show of her figure. But it wasn't to add another little Barbie to my posse. It was to give a beautiful girl the confidence to believe that she is indeed beautiful and deserving of someone like you. Because in my mind, that's the only reason she turned you down. I'm sorry if you think I'm shallow, but I have a start that may lead her to be my friend. And I won't let your attitude get in my way." She turns and walks away. I hear her car roar to life and she drives away.

"I don't not think I've ever in my life heard her speak to anyone like that," Marvel says. "You really just pissed her off big time."

"Yeah," I say. "I know. I'll apologize later. Right now I want to go home and think about all this."

"I don't blame you," he says. "You've had a long day."

"See you later man," I say as I hop in my truck.

"See ya," he replies as I start it up and drive away, thinking about how screwed up my life is.