I wake to the sun shining through my thin curtains and directly into my eyes. I sigh as I sit up running my hands through my tangled hair, like most mornings I pull it to the side and put it in a plait that runs down my back. I climb out of bed and look at myself in my broken mirror sighing again. I never sleep well before the start of a new term and this being my senior year will be no different. My face is pale and I have dark circles under my eyes. I lean in closer and notice that round my grey irises the whites of my eyes are red. I look like I have been crying. There is a knock on my door and I turn, my mum's head appears around the door.

"Oh you are up," she says opening the door wider and rubs her hands together. I nod, "Erm well your breakfast is ready." She adds.

"Ok I will be out in a moment." I say and she smiles at me and closes the door behind her. I hear her stop in at Prim's room and I get dressed. I love my mother but I do not like her so much at the moment. She has only very recently started looking after myself and my little sister Prim again, not that I need looking after, I have more than proven that the last few years. I had to start looking after my little sister and myself since I was twelve, just after my father died. My mother went into a deep depression and basically checked out. She was still there, still in the house but for all the good she did she could have been on the other side of the world. I was left, after days or weeks of pleading with her and when out food ran out, to feed and raise my Prim. It was hard, I struggled to get food for us enough to get us by, and I only managed thanks to the help of my best friend Gale. He helped me hunt and with the knowledge my dad had given me before he died and the book he made giving me details on edible plants we managed to scrape by. I owed him.

Once I was dressed and washed I walked down the small hallway and towards the kitchen where I could hear Prim and mum chatting, they are discussing the new term.

"I can't wait to learn more in science." Prim says.

"Well if you want to be a doctor you will need to pay attention to what your teacher says." Mum says and I enter and they both turn to look at me. Looking at the two of them next to each other is like looking at the same person, they are so similar in every way. They look almost the exact same, with their blonde hair and blue eyes the only difference in their features is that Prim has got a dusting of pale freckles on her nose. They act the same and enjoy the same things and I will find them regularly snuggled on the sofa on a Sunday reading one of mum's medical books from when she used to be a nurse. Prim is so like her she wants' to follow in her footsteps and have a medical job but she is desperate to be a doctor. Ever since mum snapped out of her depression Prim has been making mum quiz her on the body and medical procedures. Prim is so much more forgiving than I am she is so sweet and mums disappearance, in her mind, has been forgotten. I smile at Prim as I enter.

"Morning Katniss, oh you don't look like you have slept at all!" She says with a little giggle.

"Thanks," I grumble and frown at her I flick my plait back over my shoulder and take up a few slices of toast. "It is hard to get sleep around here with you snoring the house down." I say and Prim sticks her tongue out as I throw my backpack over my shoulder.

"You should sit and eat that…" Mum says.

"I don't really have time." I interrupt cutting her off. "See you later." I say leaning down and kissing Prim's forehead. She scowls up at me knowing I was being unnecessarily harsh. I sigh and smile at mum who gives me a tentative smile back and I look back at Prim. Is that better? I ask with my eyes and she smiles. I grin and open the door and shut it carefully behind me knowing the glass is a little loose in the frame. I step out from under the porch and breathe in deeply. It is going to be a hot day, strange for September. I glance at our little shed where mum insists I keep all my hunting equipment and groan as I walk past knowing today would be a great day to go hunting. I push the thought of skipping school away and begin my slow walk to school. I do not live far from school I just like to be able to take my time and eat my breakfast in piece and quiet before the other students get there. As I approach the school grounds I note I am the first person there not even the teachers are there yet, there is not one car in the car park. I take a seat under my favorite big oak tree and start on my now cold toast, just the way I like it.

A good ten minutes late the first of the teachers start to arrive and pass me with miserable faces nodding at me as they pass. I give them all a smile that shows to them that I would rather not be here as well. Mr Abernathy the head and my math teacher just looks at me and shakes his head.

"You not got better things to do than come into school thirty minutes early everyday?" He asks as he passes and I shake my head.

"Not really." I say and he rolls his eyes.

"That's just a tiny bit sad don't you think sweetheart?" He says and walks off leaving me staring after him my mouth open with shock. I hear him chuckle, Mr Abernathy is well known for his straight to the point no bull shitting comments and he is never afraid to tell you what he thinks. I like him for that but when the insults are aimed at you it is kind of hard not to get insulted. Students are filling the car park and school grounds and I stare moodily at the ground still reeling from Mr A's comments. I look around when I hear laughter and take in the people who surround me. There is a large group of people all smiling and joking and I recognize them as the "popular" kids, the jocks and pretty girls who date the jocks. They all look ecstatic to be back at school, unlike the rest of us, being that their lives seem to revolve around the social events and statuses school provide, because lets be honest outside of school in the big bad world they are just faceless kids like everyone else in this school. I roll my eyes as the girls squeal at each other and hug for the fourth time; I shake my head and continue to look back around. I sense someone looking at me and I turn back to the large group and I spot a guy staring. His bright blue eyes dart away quickly when I lock eyes with him, he blushes slightly at being caught staring at me. He is sat on a bench amongst the group. I frown at him not recognizing him for a moment and when it finally clicks my eyes widen and my mouth pops open for the second time this morning. I turn away as he turns to look at me again and I feel myself blush. It is Peeta Mellark. I glance back at him and stare at him, he is laughing and smiling, he looks very… different!

He looks totally different form the last time I seem him he looks like he has got taller and he has definitely gotten more muscular over the summer. He looks over again and this time I am caught staring but he smiles at me. This startles me for some reason and I jump up, stumbling as I do and climb the hill to the school building. From the corner of my eye I see him pushing one of his friends, Cato if I am not mistaken, and I rush off into the building and to my first class of the day. The first class of the day is math, my least favorite subject and a depressing start to the term. I take a seat in the back of the class nearest the window, so at least I can have a nice view as I pretend to learn. I pull out my pen and paper and start to doodle in the margin and jump completely scoring through the nightlock berries I was practicing drawing for my hunting book. I looked down at the attempt and to be honest it didn't look anything like them anyway I was going to have to keep practicing. The classroom starts to fill quickly and I stare out of the window wising more than anything that I was out in the woods with Gale, yesterday had been a wash out the rain never stopped and we hardly made any progress through the woods never mind caught anything. Now today it is sunny and hot mocking me as I sit in the stuffy classroom.

"Is this seat taken?" Someone asks making me jump I turn in my seat and blink rapidly as I lock eyes with Peeta's. I shake my head dumbly and Peeta smiles making me look away his smile dazzling me, like looking directly at the sun. He pulls out the chair and I move my things over to my side, I glance around the class and note all the empty tables and I frown at him as he sits down. Why'd he sit here? He smiles at me again and as if he was reading my unspoken thought he answers.

"It's a nice view from here." He says and I turn and look out of the window towards the woods in the distance.

"It is." I say shortly turning back to him but he is not looking outside but directly at me. I can't help but blush at the way he is looking at me. He chuckles I look away and frown at the table. I see his hand come up and I face him again.

"I'm Peeta." He says offering me his hand, I continue to frown but take his hand I am shocked to find it quite rough and calloused, not what I was expecting at all from him I was expecting baby soft hands of someone who hasn't done a hard days work in their lives.

"I know." I say letting go of his hand and his face breaks into that dazzling smile again, he looks pleased like my knowing who he is a great thing. "We have been in school together since we were six." I continue.

"Five," he says.

"What?" I say frowning deeper.

"We have been in school together since we were five, not six." He says correcting me with a small smile I shrug. "You're Katniss," he goes on and I nod, " you have a little sister called Prim?" I stare at him and nod again, "You like to hunt and you sell to my dad who owns the…"

"Bakery," I say and he nods, that explains the rough hands, he works there, he gives me that pleased smile again. "How do you know about…"

"The hunting, your sister?" He asks smiling and I nod again. "I am pretty observant you know. Also my dad knows your mum and he kind of told me about you." He chuckles and rubs the back of his neck looking a little embarrassed I can't help but smile. I hear giggling and I scan the room to see what people are laughing about and I freeze when I realize that people are looking in my direction. I glare at them and some of them turn around.

"Seems like Mellark likes the cave woman type." Glimmer one of Peeta's group says in a carrying voice. I blink stupidly and look back at Peeta who is red in the face he looks angry and I turn away and look back down at the table just as the second bell rings.

"I am sorry about that some people are so…" He begins but I turn to him quickly scowling at him and he stops and stares at me his mouth open.

"Why are you talking to me?" I snap at him his mouth closes and he just stares at me for a moment and as he opens his mouth to answer the teacher walks into the room and I look away and face the front of the class. I see him frown from the corner of my eyes.

"Alright everyone shut up." Mr. A says slamming his book down on the desk I realize I am breathing heavily I never realized I was quite so wound up.

"Hung over again sir?" Cato, another of Peeta's friends calls out and Mr. A scoffs.

"I wish boy, that might make this whole day slightly more bearable." He jokes and the class laughs. I look down as I notice a note being shoved towards me I snatch it up with a huff and open it up.

I talked to you because I wanted too, no need to bite my head off!

He wrote. I let out a small laugh and try to disguise it as a cough. I see Peeta smile in the corner of my eye and snatch up my pen and quickly scribble a reply.

Sorry.

I hand him it and he chuckles and rips a new page out and I roll my eyes. He starts scribbling away and I try to concentrate on what Mr. A is saying about how important our senior year is when Peeta passed me the note.

You're forgeiven. Sorry I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to talk to you is all.

I frown at the not and reply.

You didn't upset me. Why?

Why what?

Why do you want to talk to me? We don't even know each other; we have hardly talked since we were FIVE!

Peeta chuckles at the end of the note and scribbles away.

I know we don't really know each other but there is no harm in making new friends is there?

Why, why now?

I don't know I guess you used to scare me you can be pretty intimidating.

I am not!

You are, I have seen the damage you do to those poor squirrels! Very intimidating!

I giggle at that and I stop myself, I don't giggle.

You never answered why you wanted to talk to me.

Peeta frowns at the paper and he doesn't answer straight away. Finally after chewing on the top of his pen for a moment he starts writing and he passes me it quickly. He looks down at it like he wanted to snatch it back and he finally trys to take it back and I grab it quickly. He looks at me pleadingly and I frown at him and he looks away his face red. I read his response and I stare down at it confused.

I find you interesting.