Forever I am with You ||Everlark||

Chapter 10: Peeta

Peeta POV

I've been on a mission to get some stuff from the market in Downtown District 12 for a week now. That's around the same time I last saw Katniss. I've tried the classic throwing pebbles at her window, but she never responds. I could swear she's avoiding me, but why would she? Does she have a reason to? What did I do wrong?

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Katniss POV

I've successfully stayed away from Peeta for a week now. It's not because I don't like him, don't love him, but for his own protection and reputation. He's a celebrity, and can't be seen with a nobody like me, I want him to do well. It's been so hard, but I think it's for the best. Maybe years from now when I no longer live with Leanna, I can freely talk to him without watching for any of Leanna's crew, who make sure I'm properly making her look good.

I'm so done with Leanna, but there isn't thing I can do about it. I want to go do something though. It's too depressing staring at the wall in my room.

"Prim!" I yell out, from the top of the stairs.

"What?" she replies, sounding annoyed.

She doesn't know what Leanna does to me, and if I can control anything, she never will. She's too innocent, even at thirteen. She can be feisty, and she's always fun, but far too sweet to know the horrors of the world. I've never told her, and have no intentions to.

"I'm going to get ice cream downtown!" That's her favorite, which will surely lure her into coming, and avoid me going by myself.

"Coming!" she calls back, as I hear the shuffle of feet from downstairs.

Prim bounds up the stairs like a rabbit. "Let me get ready!"

"I'm leaving in ten, with or without my duck." I smirk at her.

"Stop calling me that Kitty-Kat!" she laughs.

"Oh no you didn't!" I tease, waving one finger at her, even though a week later laughing still hurts my ribs.

I turn to my room and somewhat gently slam shut the door. I grab a green tie-dye sweatshirt and cropped black yoga pants, as well as a pair of neon tennis shoes. It's just casual, I won't be seeing anyone, unless we run into one of Prim's friends, and I don't really care what I look like anymore. I shove my iPhone into the waistband of my pants, brush through my silky hair, pull it into a messy bun, and head for my door. Five minutes, record time.

I jog down the stairs, humming lightly. I'm incredibly sad about leaving Peeta, but I keep telling myself it's for the best. Even though now I've taken to crying myself to sleep every night, wishing the boy from next door could hear my cries and hold me. But I keep my window shut and locked now. On the bright side, there hasn't been a Leanna incident in a week.

Prim comes down, looking beautiful as always, she can pull off any look. We pretty much match today, with her sweatpants long, and her in simply a long-sleeved shirt, PINK. Even though we have a different color scheme, it's virtually the same look.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Yup."

We move out of the kitchen to the roundabout driveway, avoiding eye contact with the creepy rearing horse statue  in the front yard. My car unlocks with a small beep, to which I hop in.

<In the Car>

I turn on the radio, Panem's D101.12 which has always been a little staticky downtown, but I don't care, I love it here. The southern part of District 12 is nowhere near as nice as my neighborhood, but it's so much more homey, and everyone knows Prim and I here. They love us not for who Leanna made my image to be.