Finding the Missing Piece: An Everlark Story

Chapter Nine

Katniss POV-

"Peeta, will you teach me how to paint?" I ask him, breaking the silence of our car ride.

"I thought that you wanted to go home?" Peeta says, cracking a smile.

"Well, now I want to you teach me to paint."

Peeta laughs, "Sure, I would love to teach you how to paint. We will have to stop by the craft store though, I don't wanna go home to get anything."

"Okay." I say and a few minutes later he pulls into the parking lot of a craft store.

"You ready?" He asks, pulling me from my day dream.

"Yeah." I say.

Peeta nods and gets out of the car and I do the same.

"Do you know what you want me to help you paint?" He says, looking intently at the painting on the walls.

I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know. Something simple. How about like a flower or something?" I suggest.

He turns to me, "What is your favorite flower?"

I think a minute and remember a yellow flower I used to see in the woods with my father.

"I like dandelions. What about you?"

Peeta doesn't hesitate when he says, "I don't have a favorite flower."

"Why?" I ask him curiously, knowing there's got to be a good explanation to it.

He sighs, "I think they're all beautiful."

"Really?" I ask him.

"I think all things have beauty, I don't think it matters the color or smell or size or anything." He looks at me.

I give him a little nod.

"There is beauty in everything. There's the sky, grass, trees, flowers, even rocks, and the sun too, it's the same way with humans."

I swallow hard, "I've never looked at it like that. I guess there is." I say.

Peeta sighs, "I don't judge looks and I try to see something beautiful in even the worst people." He says.

"Even in me?" I ask him.

"You're not a bad person."

I stop and think for a second but come up with no response.

"There's my answer as to why I don't have a favorite anything when it comes to nature."

"That is a really nice way of thinking, Peeta." I tell him truthfully.

"Thanks." He says softly.

I stand there awkwardly and he speaks up, "I like the dandelion idea and I think we should stick to it." He says, taking my hand before I can change my mind and drags me to an aisle with blank canvases of all shapes and sizes.

I feel a tingling sensation circulate throughout my body as Peeta touches me and it's not the first time I've felt them with him, now that I think about it.

He picks out two canvases and then heads to the brush section, picking out several brushes then proceeds to the paint section.

Peeta picks out several shades of blue, green, orange, yellow and some white and we head to the checkout.

"That's a lot of money, Peeta. Let me help you pay for that." I say, shocked at how much money a bit of paint and brushes are.

"Don't worry about it." He says handing the cashier the money.

I give him a look, "I'm paying you back when we get to my house."

"Nope." He says and grabs the bag.

We get into the car and head to my house.

Half way there he speaks up, after obviously thinking hard about something.

"You know, if you really think about it, you're a lot like a dandelion." He tells me.

I laugh, "And how is that?" I ask him, confused as to where this is going.

"You say that you are a simple looking person. And I think that's true. You don't wear a mask of makeup or lots of jewelry or colorful clothes. You're just simple." He explains.

"Okay."

"Dandelions are what?"

"A fuzzy yellow ball with a stem attached." I say.

Peeta laughs, "Yes and some flowers-"

"Have five different colors." I suggest.

"Exactly." He stops and I don't say anything but minutes later he continutes.

"Just like a dandelion, you're simple but beautiful. You're not made up like some girls. You're real." Peeta says but suddenly seems to stumble with his words.

I chuckle, "I sure hope so." I mutter and Peeta laughs, "You know what I mean."

"And you're also stubborn like a dandelion, they are hard to get rid of and wont give up without a fight." Peeta says and I begin to laugh.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" I laugh.

"Of course not, it's just an example. I'm not trying to sound horrible." He says embarrassedly.

"No, keep going." I say, wanting to hear what he thinks.

He has a different way of seeing things than I do.

"And if dandelions want to be somewhere, they'll do it unless they're with me. I found out just about how stubborn they are tonight." He chuckles.

"Are you sure you are still even talking about the flower? Because now you're just describing me." I laugh, feeling awful for how I acted earlier.

I did give him a pretty hard time earlier.

He gives me a smile and then continues, "You know I haven't known you long and I really don't know how you act around your friends without me around, but I see two totally different people."

My heart sinks, thinking the worst.

"You do?"

"With me, you dont seem shy or upset. I haven't given you a reason to be upset or anything yet, but I hope I never will. But I feel like I see what I think is the real Katniss." He tells me.

"I don't even know the real Katniss." I tell him truthfully.

I've never been able to figure myself out so why would anyone else be able to?

"I don't know if it has anything to do with me but I hope that I am part of the reason you change." Peeta tells me quietly.

As he finishes I just stare into his eyes that are focused on the road ahead of him.

I don't say anything and the rest of the way we stay quiet until we pull up into my driveway.

"Do you have your house key?" He asks me.

I nod my head, taking them from my pocket and we go inside.