The Girl With The Silver Eyes

Chapter 11

Katniss

"So how do you think you stand in the running for Homecoming Court?" Glimmer asks me as she ties the corset on the back of my green dress.

"You're kidding right?" Clove says stepping forward, her long black dress brushing on the floor. "You're the only one of the five of us who has even a chance Glim. Don't get her hopes up."

"I'm not getting my hopes up," I say. "Not to burst your bubble Glimmer, but I'm not like you. People don't like me."

"We like you," Tara says as she sits in front a mirror while Glimmer's Aunt Cashmere, a cosmetologist, does her hair and makeup. "All the guys like you. You do have a chance."

"She's right," Johanna says as she gets up and straitens her T-shirt. "They all love you. They love you so much, forget Court. They'll pick you up and put you right on that throne in front of a senior."

"Please stop," I say. "Lets just get ready and go see our guys beat the Capitol City Tracker Jackers because honestly, I can't think of anything else I want to do right now. I never got into this stuff before, but now that have something, someone to root for, I really want to do it."

"That sounds like a plan," Glimmer says as she pins my hair half up and leaves the rest in curls down my back. "After all, I do have some cheerleading to do." I turn and look at her as she stands in her pale pink dress. "We could still use you come basketball season. You'd make a perfect Mockingjay. We haven't had one of those in a while."

"You mean you want her to be a flyer?" Clove says. "Are you kidding? Who should throw her?"

"I'll think about it," I say looking at the clock on the wall. "But right now, I think we should be heading to the field or else we're gonna be late."

"Omg!" Tara shrieks. "She's right!" They all scramble out and I'm left with Johanna.

"Come on Brainless," she says holding out her hand. "We don't want you to be late to Lover Boy. He's been waiting eleven years to do this." I take her hand, grateful of her support on the unsteady silver sandal stilettos Glimmer picked out for me.

When I'm finally able to get down the stairs, all the girls decide to ride in Glimmer's car while I insist on driving myself. I don't really intend on spending my night partying tonight. That's kind of what tomorrow is for.

I get there to see half the football team is in the parking lot, talking to the girls and getting ready for the ceremony. I get out of my truck and lock the door. I start walking towards the crowd and suddenly someone covers my eyes with his hands.

"Guess who?" my boyfriend whispers.

"Glimmer?" I ask smirking.

"No," he says. "Guess again."

"Marvel?" I ask.

"No."

"Oh it couldn't be Peeta!" I say laughing. He lets go of me and I turn around.

"You look gorgeous," he says.

"You don't look too bad yourself Buddy," I say. It's true. He's wearing his jersey and the material doesn't leave much of his well defined upper body.

"I'm serious Kit-Kat," he says. "You just look like you walked right out of the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz."

"I'm not quite sure if that was a complement or not," I say.

"I meant it as a complement," he says. "You are stunning."

"Well thank you," I say looking down to try to hide the blush on my cheeks. "It means a lot to me."

"Do you want to formally meet some of my friends?" he asks.

"Uh, sure," I say nervously as I let him take my hand and lead me over to a group of guys laughing. The turn around when we walk up and a few of them nod to me while the others just sort of stare.

"Katniss," Peeta says. "This is Joey, Thom, Darius, and you already know Marvel and Trace." I shyly wave hello, half hiding myself in Peeta's shadow.

"It's nice to finally meet you face to face," Thom says. "We've all known about you since grade school, but its nice to know that the poor boy wasn't barking up the wrong tree."

"No," I say taking Peeta's hand in mine. "I took a little convincing from the both of us, but he got me in the end." They all laugh, making me feel a little more at ease with them.

"Catnip?" I hear a voice behind me ask. "Is that you?" I turn to see Gale standing there. I've been so distracted with Peeta and my new friends, I'd lost track of my best friend who had graduated last year. It wasn't because he had gone to college, but to work for the same company our fathers had. I just simply didn't have time to run off and hunt with him anymore.

"Gale?" I say. "Since when do you come to football games?"

"Since when do you wear dresses?" he replies teasingly but I see the hint of something in his eyes I can't quite read.

"I'm uh, walking the field tonight," I say.

"With who?" he asks.

"With me," Peeta replies and I look over my shoulder to see him standing there with a somewhat defensive posture.

"You can't be serious," Gale says. "A jock? Really? When I heard you were going out with someone, I thought you'd have a little class."

"I'm happy," I say. "And yes he is a jock. But he's also a strait A student, and an artist, and he makes me happy Gale. That's all that matters."

"Are you happy?" he asks. "I mean really happy?"

"Yes," I say. "I am. For the first time in a very long time, I'm actually happy." Gale nods and walks away l feel Peeta staring at me. "What?"

"That's the guy I've hated for nearly eleven years," he says. "Nice to see the feeling is mutual."

"Don't start," I say. "Not right now. We'll talk about it later, but I don't want to fight with you."

"Okay," he says and I notice that everyone has started to line up.

"I guess it's time," I say. He nods and kisses my knuckles before escorting me over to the line of our classmates.

They put us in order by the boys, first by class, freshman to seniors, and then by alphabetical order, which ends up putting us between Marvel and Glimmer and Trace and Tara. When the two before Marvel and Glimmer move onto the field, Glimmer looks back and winks at me. I look at Peeta and see he's slightly shaking.

"You nervous or something?" I ask.

"I um," he starts.

"Just take my hand and we'll walk strait forward," I say. "It'll be over in less than thirty seconds."

"Yeah," he says. "I guess it will." We link hands and watch as Marvel and Glimmer walks forward and hear the cheers. Thats no surprise. The cheer caption and quarterback pairing is always a crowd pleaser. I turn to Peeta and he gives me a reassuring smile. We are interrupted from our moment when we hear our music teacher announce our names.

"Number 12, Peeta Mellark escorting Katniss Everdeen," We walk forward and the crowd watches us, clapping happily. I look at Peeta with a smile on my face and we walk across the fifty yard line, towards the benches. When we stop, yearbook snaps a quick picture and then it's time for Peeta and I to separate.

"Is it too cliche for me to tell you to not get hurt?" I ask.

"No," he says. "And I promise to be careful. And I also promise that I will take my beautiful Emerald Queen out for mint chip ice cream after I don't get hurt. Deal?"

"Deal," I chuckle and kiss his cheek before leaving and going to find Johanna.

Long story short, the Panem Coal Miners beat the Capitol City Tracker Jackers 28 to 7.

And the ice cream was delicious.