The Girl With The Silver Eyes

Chapter 12

Katniss

"Come on Katniss!" Glimmer says. "We're going to be late if you keep dawdling like this." I sigh and follow her out of the room where she had been pinning my hair half up. As I walk, the long ruffles on the back graze my raw legs that Glimmer had insisted on waxing, among other things.

We walk down the stairs and are met with her parents and Prim. As usual, my mother is absent, working the night shift at the hospital. Prim runs to me and hugs me.

"What's all this?" I ask her. She looks up at me smiling.

"You look beautiful!" she says. "and happy." I smile at her and ruffle her braids.

"I am happy," I confirm and before I can say more, there is a knock on the door.

"That'd be the boys," Glimmer says and I follow her nervously to the door she opens it and squeals as Marvel picks her up and spins her around. I jump out of the way to avoid her flailing legs. I look past them to Peeta who nervously smiles at me. I walk past the two bumbling fools and greet him.

"Hi," I say, feeling small even in these heels next to him.

"You look really pretty," he says.

"You don't look so bad yourself," I say admiring his black dress shirt and red tie that matches my dress.

"Should we wait for them?" he asks nodding to the two love birds on the porch, chatting away. I turn to him and laugh.

"I think they'll understand," I say and we turn walking to his truck. He opens the door for me and I climb inside, shutting the door while he goes around to the driver's side. He gets in and he starts driving us to the school. The silence is awkward so I turn on the radio. He looks at me and I shrug.

"Was your mom there to see you off?" he asks. I shake my head.

"She was working again," I say. He gently takes my hand in his, obviously trying to comfort me. I instantly want to drop the subject. "So, you ever been to one of these things?"

"Yeah," he says. "In all honesty, I've never had much fun at these things."

"Then why are we going?" I ask.

"Because it wasn't really fun because there wasn't anyone to share it with," he says. "Together, I think we'll find a way to have some fun."

"You sure?" I ask.

"Yeah," he says as we pull up. "I'm pretty sure." He gets out and opens the door for me and helping me down. Then, as I watch, he gets something out of the glove box and holds it out to me. I open it and see that it's a small wrist corsage made with a red rose, an orange daisy, and a black eyed Susan.

"Oh Peeta," I say. "It's beautiful. You didn't need to get me this." He smiles at me shyly as he slips it on my wrist.

"I didn't buy it," he says. "I made it."

"Well in that case, it's even more special," I say and I kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he says and then he glances at the school. "You want to go in?" I shrug.

"Sure. It's no big deal to me," I say and he gently takes my hand. We walk together to the school. We pay and are nearly drowned in the music as we walk over to some of Peeta's friends and their girlfriends that I met last night. I stay quiet while they talk and every once in a while, Peeta glances at me as though to ask me if I'm okay. I just nod and the conversations go on. Eventually, Peeta leads me away from them and forces me to look at him.

"You aren't having a good time," he says sadly and I shake my head.

"I am," I say. "I'm just not as at ease around so many people like you are. I met these people yesterday. It's just a little weird for me. Just give it time." As I finish speaking, a slow song comes on and Peeta smirks at me.

"Would it be too forward to ask you to dance?" he says and I laugh.

"No, I think it's quite fitting," I say and we carefully make out way to the center of the room. Peeta pulls me close and I lay my hands over his shoulders. His hands rest carefully on my waist, shooting a look at a chaperone before turning back to me.

"I'm so happy to be spending tonight with you," he says and I nod.

"Me too," I say. "I've loved these last few months since you got me out of my shell."

"Do you believe in fate?" he asks and I laugh.

"Fate is an illusion created in our minds," I say matter-of-factly. "Why?"

"Because I do," he says. "I always have and I always will, no matter how foolish it makes me."

"It doesn't make you foolish Peeta," I say. "Fate may be an illusion, but there have been more than a few times that I wonder if things are really meant to be the way they are."

"So, you'll let me believe that fate brought us together?" he asks.

"If that makes you happy," I say and he chuckles.

"You know, you can be quite reasonable when you want to be," he says.

"It comes with hanging around you," I say and he laughs again. The song ends, giving way to a violent stinging of a fiddle and my eyes light up. One of my favorite songs is being played. I give Peeta a look. "Did you do this?"

"Do what?" he asks innocently.

"'The Fever' doesn't just show up at a high school dance Mr. Mellark," I say and he chuckles.

"Okay, maybe I had something to do with it," he says and I feel a smirk come on as I grab his hand and start dancing with him like a moron, making a fool out of both of us. But I don't care. Especially when our friends join us moments later.