Gummy Bear Kisses

Prologue

I've always wanted to be a model, maybe even an actress. I know I'm not pretty enough, but it seems like something that would be great for me. Maybe it could help with my self-confidence-
"Whatcha writing?" I slam my book shut as Peeta Mellark eases himself into the seat beside me in advisory. "Nothing," I mutter, trying to scoot away from him. He just follows me. "Why are you so annoying?"

"Why are you so beautiful?" I feel the blush burn my cheeks and cover my face with my composition notebook. "I'm not," I reply. "Yes, you are and very."

"I'm not some charity case, Mellark," I say. "I know, I know. I'm just being me, the friendly guy that you refuse to go out with. I don't see why you won't-"

"Because I can," I snap. He holds his hands up defensively. "Hey, calm down. I'm only asking you for one date, we've known each other since kindergarten, but you still refuse."

"That gives you no special treatment."

"Okay, Katniss-" the bell rings and I gather my books together. I leave the room, hoping to get away from him.

~Peeta~

Katniss leaves the room in a hurry, leaving her gummy bear duct tape covered composition notebook behind. I pick it up and go out of the room. I look for her and even ask one of her closer friends, Gale, where she went. He doesn't know her schedule apparently. I carry it with me to my next class, algebra. While I sit there, since my work's already finished, I decide to take a peek inside of her notebook. I flip to her most recent page.

November 04
I've always wanted to be a model, maybe even an actress. I know I'm not pretty enough, but it seems like something that would be great for me. Maybe it could help with my self-confidence

She wants to be a model or an actress. She could do it. She can do it.

After school, I jog out of class and down the hall. I run outside and into the parking lot just in time to see Katniss walking across. "KATNISS," I call out. She turns around and takes out one of her ear buds. I hold up her book and her face becomes shocked. I run towards her and hand it to her. "You left it in advisory."

"That was two periods ago! You've had my book for two periods?!"

"Yeah-"

"What did you read?!"

"I..uh, I didn't read anything," I lie. She looks at me and I can see her glossy, gray eyes. "Are you going to cry-"

"No," she says, turning around and walking briskly away from me.

Once I get home, I run upstairs and grab every yearbook I've collected over the years. I go into my room and begin to clip out the pictures of her. I put them in my scanner so I can work on them on my computer. I don't use much photoshop on her because she's naturally beautiful. I work into the wee hours of the morning, trying to create some type of portfolio for her. There's a knock on my bedroom door at around 2 a.m. "Come in," I say, not taking my eyes off of my computer. "Peeta, I heard your printer all the way downstairs," my father says. "Okay. And?"

"It's two o'clock in the morning, you should get some sleep."

"I will...later," I say, printing a picture out. "What are you doing anyway?"

"Helping out a friend," I answer, placing the picture in a portfolio. "Who? Finnick or Johanna?"

"Neither," I reply, rolling back my chair to the bed and grabbing another book. "Neither?" He looks at my computer screen. "Peeta, are you making a shrine?"

"No!"

"According to your older brother, you've been obsessed with her since kindergarten."

"Not obsessed, I like the term intrigued," I say in a matter-of-fact manner. "So you're not making a shrine?"

"No, Dad. I'm making her a portfolio, she wants to be a model or actress."

"Peeta, I'm not sure if you doing all of this work will pay off. She doesn't want to date you, so what do you think she'll do when you give this to her-"

"I'm not, I'm going to send it to a agency. It's kinda like a surprise."

"But what if she doesn't want you to do this, Peeta?"

"Then she'll just have to go with it. I'm going to make her dream come true whether she likes it or not."

"Peeta, she may not want to go."

"So? This is the best thing for her," I say, sighing. "Peeta, you don't want her to go."

"I may not, but she needs this. She's always wanted to do this. This will help with her self-confidence and stuff."

"So will some self-confidence exercises-"

"Dad, I'm doing this because I love her and I know what's best for her."

"Peeta-"

"I know what I'm doing," I huff, placing another picture inside of the portfolio. My dad lets himself out of the room and I continue my work.

A couple of days later, I send it to a modeling agency, hoping that she makes it...