Perfect Imperfections

Chapter Eleven

Peeta POV

'Peeta! How was the game?' I poke my head out from the fridge to see my Dad entering the kitchen, his coat tucked under his arm. He must have just come home from the conference he had to attend with my mother.

Before I can reply, Rye and Alex burst through the door, both adorned in the school colours they always proudly wear to my matches.
'He did great Dad! They beat the other team into the ground!' Rye raves, coming behind me to grab a can of lemonade from the fridge door, slapping me happily on the back as he did so.
'That's my boy!' Dad smiled, his voice distracted in a way that I could tell he wasn't listening. I grab an cereal bar and a drink then join Rye and Alex at the table while Dad goes upstairs again.

'Oh and guess who we had the pleasure of meeting and sitting by?' I meet Ryes eyes, confused and also slightly worried, when his voice had the wicked tone it was displaying now, it was never good.
'Who?'
'Miss Katniss Everdeen.'
I spit out my lemonade. Of course Rye and Alex know of my life long crush, I've talked enough about her. However, Rye likes to tease me and I know he'd find it very amusing to tell Katniss how I feel about her.
'Rye please don't say I have to change my name and move to Switzerland.'
'Relax, he didn't actually do anything for once.' Alex laughs at my worry, earning him a sharp glare.

'I was perfectly civil the whole game, we only talked about football and annoying cheerleaders.'
'Rye, I don't think throwing a Starbucks cup at the head cheerleader counts as being civil.' Alex points out.
'I said I was civil towards Katniss, I didn't say anything about being civil to that bitch who ate my last muffin.'
'I should have known it was you who threw that cup at her.' I say, shaking my head amusedly at Rye, he hardly lets his hatred for Glimmer be unknown. He's constantly saying I should forget what mum thinks of me and break up with her. How I wish I had taken the advice when I could.

Alex speaks up, steering the conversation away from Glimmer and back to Katniss. 'She seems nice Peet.'
'Don't call me that-'
'She's pretty too.' Rye chimes in, throwing me a boyish wink across the table.
Suddenly my phone springs to life from where it's positioned on the table next to me, it's ringtone bouncing off the walls of the kitchen. I reach across and grab it, and then nearly drop it again when I see the name on the screen.

Katniss.

I gape at phone for a few seconds, going over how I should answer in my head. Is "hello" too formal? And is "hey" too casual?

'Hi, Katniss?' For some reason my greeting comes out as a question, making the disbelief she's calling me evident in my voice. At my words, Ryes face bursts into a wicked grin and he raises his eyebrows teasingly.

'Hi Peeta,' Her voice replies with clarity through my phone meaning Rye and Alex can hear what she's saying too. I would leave but the kitchen gets the best reception and I don't want this call to cut off due to bad signal. 'Is now an okay time to talk?' Rye starts making kissing noises, I throw my empty lemonade can at him.
'Yeah, now's fine. What did you want to talk about?'
'Oh well this could probably wait until Monday but my uncle just came around with the things you need to help and advise you to apply for scholarships. You know, what we talked about in class?'
Alex's eyebrows raise in question when he hears the word scholarships. Living on the other side of Manhattan would mean he wouldn't have heard mums outburst when I told her I want to go to a culinary school and then her refusal to pay. I guess he still assumes our parents would support me whatever I wanted to do.

'Yeah, of course I remember, I just wasn't expecting anything so fast.'
'Well my uncle says the earlier you start thinking and preparing, the better.' She pauses for a bit before letting out some embarrassed and awkward laughter. 'You know, I don't even know why I called. It's basically a ton of paper work that I can't give to you until Monday anyway. I guess just to let you know.'
'Thank you so much for doing this Katniss, you didn't even have to.'
'You should be doing what you want to do.' Her voice is softer compared to when she spoke before and the tone of it makes my heart contract. When I glance up, both my brothers are studying me carefully.
'Well, thanks again.'
'It's really okay. Um, I'll see you Monday. Congratulations on the football match by the way.'
'Thank you. And yeah, see you Monday.'

--(MONDAY)--

'Peeta!' I glance up from my locker to see Glimmer making her way towards me with Cashmere, Maysilee and Delly trailing behind as usual. When she gets to my side, she wraps her hands around my waist and presses her lips to my cheek, making them smack against my skin. In the films, when a girl does this its romantic, but when Glimmer does it, even I can see its possessive. She's not as subtle as she thinks. As soon as her action is over, she turns back to her friends.

'So guys, I finally got my dress dry-cleaned after that idiot chucked cold coffee all over me.'
'Who even was that?'
'Probably someone whose totally jealous of your looks Glim. Like the whole school is.' This is how it works with these girls, they all kiss Glimmers ass for a living to try and be her favourite. Forget having brains for themselves, they're all dedicated sheep.
'Talking of jealousy, you'll never guess who I saw totally glaring at you this morning?'
'Who?'
'Katniss Everdeen.'

My eyes go from where I was focusing on my trainers, thinking about how I have to clean them, right to Cashmere.
'Oh, her.' The way Glimmer says "her" is like Katniss is something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. 'I have no interest if Katpiss is jealous of me. God, I can't even look at her face without wanting to punch it.'
'God, I know right! Hello, it's called make-up.'
'She probably can't even afford it.'

As Glimmer and Cashmere crack up laughing at Maysilee's comment, I feel the anger building up inside me. The fact that anybody would make fun of someone else for something they can't even control such as the amount of money their family has, makes my pulse quicken and my jaw tense. Add the fact that they're talking about Katniss and I can practically feel my blood boil.
I'm about to interject, but Delly gets there first. 'Isn't that too far? I mean, it's not like she can help how much money she has.'
'Delly, what are you talking-'
'I agree.'
Three sets of eyes turn on me just as the bell rings above us.
'You agree?! I can't believe-'

'Peeta!' Another voice located from behind calls out. Spinning on my heel I see its Madge standing alongside a slightly blushing Katniss with a stack of paper work in her arms. 'Kat has the stuff for you!'
'I was going to give it to you in biology but Madge couldn't seem to wait.' She breaks off to glare at her friend before returning her gaze to me, a soft buzz runs though me as it always does when our eyes meet. 'I'll explain it all through later.' She heaps the paperwork into my arms before smiling goodbye and moving down the corridor. My eyes follow her, taking in the way her braid swings adorably from side to side as she walks and thinking about how much I wish I was holding her hand right now instead of pressed against my locker by four blondes.

'What's this?' Glimmer says with venom, snatching a piece of paper off the top of the pile and scanning it. 'Scholarships? Peeta your parents have tons of money, you don't need this.'
I would try to explain to her about them only supporting a certain college course but it isn't worth the effort, she wouldn't listen.
'Well you know, better safe than sorry. Let's go to homeroom.'

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Hey guys

So this is more of a background chapter than anything moving the plot forward. Two things requested to see more of last chapter was Peeta's family as well as Glimmer so here you are. Hopefully this lets you see more of an overview of Peeta's life and who respects him / listens to him etc.

Planning to do a volleyball chapter next in Katniss POV as someone requested this too.

Should update soon,

Olivia x

Song of the chapter : Alone Together, Fall Out Boy

I don't know where you're going
But do you got room for one more troubled soul?
I don't know where I'm going
But I don't think I'm coming home