Since the Beginning

School Is For Chumps

Chapter 4

~Katniss POV~

"What's school?" I ask daddy after he tells me I'll be starting it in two weeks.

"It's where you go to learn very interesting stuff." I grin.

"Oh! Well I can do that once a week!" He chuckles and shakes his head.

"It's actually five days a week, sweetheart." My jaw drops.

"FIVE!? But when can I play outside with Peeta!?"

"On Saturday and Sunday!"

"That's not enough time to play!"

"Sure it is!"

"Why do I have to go to school!? Why not Prim!?" She giggles from her pile of blankets in response to her name.

"When you were one year old, you didn't have to go either. You start kindergarten when you're five and hey! you are five!" I scowl at him.

"Will Peeta be there?" I ask softly. He nods and I feel a weight off my shoulders.

"Yeah, all kids have to go." I glare at Prim.

"Then what about-"

"All FIVE year olds have to go." I glare at him as I jump up and run to the door.

"I'M GOING TO THE BAKERY." I yell as I close the door and run as fast as my legs can carry me down the hill and to Peeta's bakery. I run in the
front and see Mrs. Mellark at the register. "Mrs. Mellark, did you have to go to school?" I ask her, standing on my toes. Her head shoots up, those blue eyes stabbing into my own grey ones. I just wait politely for her response.

"The boys are upstairs." She says, starting to walk back to the racks.

"But wait!" She freezes and turns to me, annoyed almost. "Did YOU have to go to school?" She rolls her eyes.

"Yes."

"Does EVERYONE have to?"

"Yes."

"But why does EVERYONE have to go? I mean, we can learn stuff at home, you don't have to go to some special place to learn how-"

"Kat!" I look at behind me and see Rye.

"Hi Rye. I was just asking your mommy if she had to go to school."

"That's fabulous, I'll take you upstairs to Peeta now," he says, a bit hurried. He picks me up and carries me up the stairs to their house.

"But your mommy never answered!" I say as we go up the stairs.

"Yeah, well she's not that much of a talker."

"She's not?" He shakes his head but smiles at me.

"Naw. Don't worry about her." We get up to their house and I see David and Peeta on the floor wrestling. Rye just stops and watches until David pins down Peeta. "You two are so stupid. You don't fight in front of a lady." They both look up and see me.

"Hey Kat!" Peeta says, grinning at me from the ground.

"Hey Peet! What're you doing on the floor?" He scowls at David.

"I got pinned."

"But when we wrestle you always win!"

"Cuz David's to FAT!" He yells. I giggle even though I shouldn't.

"Or Peeta's too WEAK." David laughs evilly.

"Am not! I'll bet one day I'LL be the one to win." Peeta says as David lets him up.