Enemy? Maybe not...

Chapter 2

I'm walking in the woods with my father, when I hear a twig snap from behind us. I jerk my head around, and see an arrow peircing through my father where his heart is. Then, I hear a low laugh, and I recognize who it is that has just shot my father. Gale. He runs off and I turn back to my father. He is dying slowly, I can tell. He is gasping for air, and all I can do is sit there watching him die. I let outa blood-curdling scream, and I hear my father whisper something though I can't tell what he has said. I lean closer and put my ear to his mouth when I realize he's not breathing. I freak out and start to hyperventalate and sob. I just start to scream, because I don't know what else to do. I just witnessed my fathers murder.

I am still sobbing when I wake up. It wasn't just a nightmare. No, it was real. My father did die. Although he wasn't murdered. He was in a car crash. I don't like talking about it. 

I look over at my clock just as the alarm goes off, and turn it off. I run into the shower, then dress in an olive green shirt, and my father's hunting jacket, along with some dark skinny jeans, and my favorite boots. 

I go over to check that Prim is awake and hear her throwing up in the bathroom. I run to check on her, and get her a warm wash rag for her face, and carry her back to bed. 

I go out the front door and lock it, when I turn and see Peeta doing the same. I start to walk quickly so he won't see me, but he does.

He catches up with me and I say, "Where's your fancy car, Mellark?" I have an annoyed tone in my voice.

"I kinda got a ticket so my dad took it away," he says quietly and a little embarrassed. "Mind if I walk with you to school?" What? Why would he want to walk with me? He hates me!

"Whatever. It's not my road. Do what you want," I say a little more harshly than I intended. 

"Is there a problem?" he asks.

"No," I say bluntly.

We walk in silence 'til we are almost to the school when I break it. "Why have you always hated me?" I ask as we come up to the school.

Peeta opens his mouth to speak, but is cut off by the bell. "Nevermind," I say. "Forget it. I gotta go to my locker. Bye Peeta."

School flies by and I'm out of the school's front doors before I know it, only to be pushed to the brick side of the school by strong arms. It's Gale. Shocker there (note the sarcasm). "Gale get off of me!" I yell at him. He doesn't budge. Instead he tries to kiss me, but that plan quickly changes when someone punches Gale in the face, just barely missing me. I'm confused for a second, when I look up and see Peeta waiting for Gale to hit him back. Gale quickly gets up in rage, and throws a punch that Peeta easily dodges.  Peeta punches Gale again only this time in the stomach then starts to yell at him.

"Never touch her again! She doesn't want anything to do with you! Just go home and leave Katniss alone!" he says. I'm taken aback. Never have I ever thought I would hear Peeta Mellark stick up for me.

"And why should I?!?!" Gale yells back at Peeta.

Peeta acts like he puts no thought into his next words, he justs blurts them out. "Because she's my girlfriend! And if I ever see you touch her, go near her, or even look at her again, then I will personally make sure that you never see the light of day again!" 

Gale looks confused. I'm sure I do too. Girlfriend? Peeta and I aren't even friends! But I just go along with it if it will save me from Gale. "Yeah! I'm his girlfriend! So just leave!" I say.

Now Gale turns our lie on us. "Oh really? Then lets see you kiss!"

"I have nothing to prove to you, Hawthorne!" I say as I start to turn around, but Peeta grabs my arm and spins me back around into his embrace, and he kisses me. It's just a short kiss, but hopefully Gale bought it. And i guess he did, because when I look up, he's gone.

"Thanks Peeta," I say, not daring to look him in the eyes. "You didn't have to do that. I could have dealt with Gale myself." I pull away from him and run home before I do something stupid like cry.