Those Ocean Eyes

Chapter 13:

KATNISS

When I come back from Madge's I still feel sad as I close the door. It was hard knowing my friend is going through a hard time and that I can't do anything about it. I managed to sell some game before going home, so there were some extra coins in my pocket. It felt wrong. I was supposed to be with Madge after all. But I wasn't even at home, and even that felt like a lie somehow. And I really needed some new clothes. Geez, when was the last time I bought a new shirt?

I placed my gamebag by the doorway, yawning loudly as I walked to the kitchen. Mother is probably working and Prim had to be studying. Dad was probably down at the bar. Or else I would've heard her giggling, crying or what different types of screaming there was. She was never quiet, my little duck. Not unless-

I stopped. My eyes turn wide like plates and my whole body freezes right in the middle of the kitchen. I see two things.

Flowers. Beautiful flowers on the table in every single color, more than a rainbow consisted of and more beautiful than a rainbow even was. The stalks wrapped around in a red satin strand and it was the kinds of flowers you can't find in District 12. The ones I couldn't even the name of and ones I sure didn't exist in my father's book.

Often, flowers' message is associated with romance. A nice gift to the one you like, a symbol. I would have blushed in amazement and loved it if I wasn't in this situation. I didn't think I was that kind of girl who would care for some flowers, but I think I truly would. But right now, I can't.

Because right now, that flower only gave a whole other message.

Expensive.

Those kinds of flowers were expensive, nothing a Seam ever could or would buy. Ever. And the red satin and beautiful colored flowers didn't fit in in our little Seam house with old curtains and even older walls. It was a Merchant thing. Only a townie would afford that. One I knew.

That's why I want to die when the second thing I see is my mother, Hazel, and Gale sitting beside the table.

"Katniss." The way Hazel said my name, full of disappointment and sadness made me shiver. And the only thing I can do is to stand there, with a face red as the flowers and only guess.

How much do they know?

Not only that, why was even Hazel and Gale here? Why did my mother look like a ghost, and Gale look like he'd done something bad? Guilty, with both his hands in his lap that he keeps watching on, the most interesting thing in the world.

And Prim was probably in her room with her ear pressed against the door.

"Ehm..." I try to say anything, but the flowers are taking all the energy in the room and keep shining into their eyes.

"Those are for you." mother says, noticing the distraction but lifts up a card that's still wet from laying beside the flowers petals.

I swallow, glancing at Gale but receive nothing before reaching for the card.

Miss you....

I blushed even more and threw the card away. I don't know if I should be angry or not, but right now it's the only thing I feel. Why would Peeta do such a daring thing? He knows that I haven't told my family and it's the first thing he asked when we shared our first kiss.

But maybe it arrived early. Maybe he did actually miss me so much that he was willing to do it, knowing that I could come up with a quick lie if my mother asked.

And that only made me angrier. Why were Hazel and Gale even here? Hazel looked at me with confronting eyes like I was guilty. Like she knew. But she can't know, so that means Hazel has already made up her mind about me. And that's really rude.