The corpse of the past

Chapter 17: An unbeating heart

Chapter 17

-Peeta-

It's been two weeks since Katniss told me she loves me. And I seriously couldn't be happier than I am right now. Katniss makes me this happy.

I'm sitting in the sofa. Waiting for Katniss. I'm going to take her out on a dinner. She's in the shower.

My hair is still wet from my own shower a half an hour ago. I've been at the rebuilding of the bakery. Paylor put som people on the work and Haymitch is in charge of it, well and Effie too, crazy, I know, but they really wanted to, and I'm too happy right now, so I want them to be happy as well. But Haymitch drinks too much, so sometimes I'm there and watch everything. Like today. I really long for the bakery to be done. I really want to open it again.

The phone starts to ring.

"Katniss Everdeen's house, Peeta Mellark speaking", I answer.

"Peeta? Is maybe Katniss there?" I hear a voice I never heard before. "It's Felice, she told you about me?"

Oh so this Felice and Katniss are friends? At first, I gotta admit that I thought Katniss made up Felice, just to have something to talk about at the hospital. But she apparently didn't.

"Oh Felice hey, yeah she did, she talks a lot about you", I say. "But no, she's not here, she's in the shower".

"She talks about me?" Felice asks. "Katniss is so kind, she's been here at the hospital almost everyday, to talk to my dad and stuff".

So that's where Katniss is going?! Hm I wondered where she went. But I didn't want to ask. I don't want to be this pushy and annoying boyfriend.

Boyfriend? That's wired to think about. Me as a boyfriend. And to Katniss Everdeen. I smile at the thought. It's weird but wonderful.

"Oh", I say.

"Yeah, I was going to ask her something, but if she's not here right now, it's going to be too late", Felice says.

Felice doesn't sound like other people. She really talks to me like I'm a normal person, and it's really nice for a change. I get why Katniss likesthis Felice. It's hard not to.

"But maybe I can help, or tell her what you wanted?" I ask nicely.

"Well ... Yeah, but I don't wanna bother you, I didn't even want to call and bother Katniss, but she made me promise to do so", Felice says, and it really sounds like she feels like she's a burden to call.

"No really, it's okay, just tell me", I say.

"Well, I don't know if Katniss told you, but my father is dying and a week ago he was about to die, but Katniss told him about you and her, and somehow he got so happy that he managed to stay alive", Felice says. Wow. Really. Can that information prolong life? "But now the doctors says it's hopeless, he maybe has half an hour left and Katniss said that's she wanted to be here, she also told my father that you would, I don't know why she did that".

Felice is crying. I mean how can't she? Her father has half an hour left to live.

"I will, I'll get her and we'll be there, I promise", I say.

"Thank you so much Peeta", she says.

"Of course", I say and we hang up.

I hear a door slam.

"Katniss!" I call as I run up the stairs.

I'm about to run into her room, the door is slightly open, but she shouts:

"No don't, not yet!"

The thought of her being naked hits me, and suddenly I almost forget the reason to why I ran up here in the first place.