I will always stay with you

Chapter 7

Peeta POV

We pull into the parking lot of the ice cream place and decide to text Finnick to see if he is free and wants to come hang out with us. He says yes and tells us what ice cream he wants, so we go in and buy it then sit by the car and wait for Finnick. 

When he comes the conversation flows smoothly, which just basically means that Finnick talks the whole time. He has a bag of sugar cubes that he sprinkles onto his ice cream. It looks super gross to me but he seems to like it. 

We finish our ice cream and decide to go to one of the state parks close to 12. Katniss rides with me and Finnick drives behind us for the 45 minuet drive up the the park. We find one of the loops the Katniss has gone on and says is really good and begin our hike. Its 7.3 miles total so im glad I wore my grubby sneakers. 

Finnick is running around ahead on the path so I speed up to walk beside Katniss. "I love this place" she whispers to no one in particular. I just look at her. god she is so beautiful. I know she thinks she isnt pretty but she is. And her looks aren't the only beautiful thing about her. She has such an amazing personality, she is so strong willed and so independent. I know we have only been friends for like 2 weeks but I feel like I already know her so well. And I already like her so much, I know that someone that amazing would never like me back but I can live with just being her friend. 

We are about 2 miles in when I spot an mulberry bush. "Oh look" I say pointing to the bush. I run over and pick off a big juicy berry. I pop it into my mouth and chew. Oh that is so good mulberries are like raspberries and blackberries mixed together, just a little bit less sweet. These ones are really ripe though. 

"What are you eating" Katniss shouts from down the hill. 

"A mulberry" I answer. I pluck another one off of the bush and toss it to Katniss who catches it and gives it a suspicious look. "It's edible, I promise" She gives me a weird look but pops the berry into her mouth. Finnick comes and grabs one but complains that it isn't sweet enough. I just laugh, grab a few more and continue walking. 

I am starting to break into a sweat at about 5 miles in because the sun is high in the sky and we kind of forgot to bring any water. I have a granola bar in my pocket which is probably all melted by now. I pull it out and break it into 3 pieces. I eat one then offer one to Finnick who just seems content with his sugar cubes. I give the other 3rd to Katniss who snarfs it down in one bite. I give her a smirk and say "wow"

I stop looking at my feet when we get to a fairly strait easy place in the path and glance around at the beautiful scenery. There are huge trees towering hundreds of feet above our heads, letting in little bits of sunlight here and there. Every now and then I see a spider web in between two trees. Some are circular and some are other shapes. 

One was even a triangle web and when the sunlight hit it the strands shone back at me. In the corner of the web a little black spider was working away at a smaller bug, probably a gnat. Little animals scuttled around on the forest floor. Mice, rabbits and squirrels. Above in the trees all kinds of birds were flying around and making beautiful music. 

I think we are close to the end of our hike when we find a fallen tree trunk to sit on. Finnick keeps skipping around so I can talk to Katniss. 

"So how is it, hanging out with me?" I ask with a smile

She looks at me, takes my hand and says "Its great! You are such a nice, cool fun person and I really like you"My hear flutters, could she actually like me like that. No. She couldn't. She just like me as a friend. 

"I like you too" I say, sure, nothing will ever happen between us. We give each other a small hug and sit there for a while. 

We rest until she says "so what is your favorite thing to make from the bakery?"

"I think the answer to that would be cheese buns. Its super fun putting different kinds of cheese inside of them." I say " And sometimes I put--"

"Peeta!! shut up!"She whisper shouts 

"What you you mean shut up." I ask kind of annoyed. "You just asked me a question. " 

"I said shut up!!" She looks terrified"Stop talking loudly, and slowly turn around. Slowly!" She is looking over my shoulder so I do what she says. I slowly swing my leg over the log that we are sitting on and see possibly the most terrifying thing I have ever seen in my life. 

Right behind me is a slobbering, glaring, growling mountain lion.