~ 7 Months Later ~

Katniss's P.O.V.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

I slam my hand onto my alarm clock. I lay in bed for a few more minutes. I almost got back to sleep again. But my family, on cue, knock on my door.

"Katniss! Come on! Get up! I have to go to school!" Prim hollers.

"I'm coming! Give me a second!" I holler back.

I sigh and hide my face into my pillow. I am debating on whether or not I should have my friend, Clove, send me all the class lessons. She is taking the class on Botany too as a science. I am doing it for my future career. I am going to be taking Botany and majoring in it to be a Forester Technician. I wanted to be more like my father was. He taught me all about plants when I was younger before he died. We have a plant book that he made. He hunted a lot with me and I needed to be taught about how to know what I could gather. I just want to have my father live on and make him proud. And I only have a few days left until I graduate. So I might as well enjoy the fun of High School.

I snuggle deeper into a t-shirt Peeta left at my house. It still smells like him. Makes me wish he was here. Today, after classes, Peeta and I are getting tattoos - A small plane on his hand and mountain bear (yes, it quite literally is a bear with a mountain and trees on its back) for Peeta, an arrow on my forearm. I may or may not be continuing to get more as time goes on in life. Just simple ones. To remember important things. Next week Peeta leaves for Georgia. He goes away to his school and I return to mine. But before that we are heading on a road trip down the East Coast. We want to stop in each state and spend time there.

"Come on Katniss! Hurry up!" Prim says loudly and hits my door.

"I'm coming!" I yell, frustrated.

I throw the covers off of my bed and get up. I turn on my bedroom light. I go to my closet and open the doors. I move through all of my clothes. I look through my whole closet. I pick something to just throw on. Since Prim is riding my ass of late since she is about to go to High school. She wants her last days to be good. I throw on my mustard yellow sweatshirt, some PINK leggings, and a black skirt. I braid my hair in a crown. I put on my boots and then grab my phone.

I clean my glasses with my sleeve pocket and then put them back on. I grab my backpack and then leave my room. I pass Prim in the bathroom and she's doing her hair and make-up.

"Finally! Let's go, I need coffee! And Starbucks is having a great discount on their Caramel Macchiato." Prim says.

"Okay, Okay. Then let's go." I say. "And quit giving me lip, Prim."

"Sorry, Katniss. I just.. Want to enjoy the last times I have in Jr. High with my friends. They aren't going with me next year." She says.

"It's okay, Little Duck. But, hey. You'll make loads of new friends. I did when I was in high school. I have a ton. And we are about to graduate and go to college. But I'm going to make new ones there too." I say. "Come on. Let's go to Starbucks."

~

Peeta is at the door when we arrive at Starbucks.

"Hey, didn't know I'd be seeing you here!" I look at Prim and she giggles, then shrugs.

"Thought I'd surprise you." Peeta winks at Prim who looks alert now.

"I'll go get coffee," Prim says as she backs into the shop. "Remember, you are in public!" She gets in line by the counter.

"Got it, Prim." I say and roll my eyes.

Peeta and I find a half booth half table to sit in.

"Excited for the trip and the tattoos, Kat?" He asks and takes my hand.

"Trip, yes. Tattoos....not so much. I mean I want them, it just is gonna hurt real bad." I say.

"I'll be sure to hold your hand then. And give you a Tylenol too." He says and kisses my hand.

"I'm going to need a whole bottle then." I say.

He laughs a little. So do I. I start to lean in to give him a kiss.

"One Black Coffee with a Caramel shot and no sugar, One Caremel Blondie, and One Caramel Macchiato." Prim says.

We hurriedly lean away from one another. I try to cover my blush. Prim is known for interupting my love with my boyfriend. Which is something I won't have to deal with for the whole next week. It'll just be us, and no one will interrupt us when we want to be together.

~ Time Skip ~

It has been a few months in college without Peeta. He calls all the time, facetimes when he can. I miss him a lot, but he is coming next week when I have a break. He said he has a surprise for me although I haven't the foggiest idea of what it could be. Of course, Prim has a few.

"Maybe he got you a cat?"

"OH! He found you a nice car!"

"What if he proposes?"

I'm not quite sure. He should arrive on Thursday.

-Thursday-

His plane is 5 minutes late. That's not a big deal really, but I've been anxiously awaiting his arrival since 11:00. He should have been here at 3:15. Finally, his flight arrives at its gate and the people filter out, greeting family and friends or heading to the various coffee shops down the hall. Near the end, Peeta's blonde hair comes bobbing out the doors right before they close.

"Peeta!" I run towards him and leap into his open arms. "I'm so glad you're here!"

He just smiles and lifts me off the ground, spinning a few times before setting me back on my feet. "Dinner? Tonight?" he asks, looking in my eyes. I nod, holding his arm to steady myself.

"Of course!" He smiled again and picked up his bag, which I just noticed had fallen over beside him, its contents spilling everywhere. "Sorry!" I leaned down to pick up his things and noticed a box.

I went to pick it up, but he grabbed it instead, saying "That's where that was!" He slid the box into his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Lets go, The car is out front!"

-at Katniss's house, getting ready for dinner-

"Primm!" Prim dragged me into her room. I told her about dinner as soon as I got home, after dropping Peeta at his hotel.

He could have stayed here, I had told him as much, but he insisted on the hotel. He "didn't want to intrude on our day to day activities". I gave up trying to get him to come.

"Sit," Prim instructed, pointing to a stool in front of her mirror. I do, and she immediately starts fussing around with my hair, putting it up, twisting it and braiding it until she finally curls it and leaves it be. Then she moves onto my makeup, light orange eyeshadow and shiny lip gloss.

"Prim, I have to go!" I get up and look in my closet.

"No, no, no, no. I have the perfect outfit for you!" She pulls a simple black dress from the closet and runs down the stairs, shoving the hanger into my hands saying, "Put this on!"

I do, and a moment later she comes back up with my father's leather jacket, brown heeled boots and a plaid scarf. "Do I really need all this?" I ask and she nods.

"Accessorize!" I put on the boots and she wraps the scarf around my neck. "Jacket," she pulls it over my shoulders and fluffs my hair. "Ok, you're ready. Go!"

I hurry out the door and sit on the doorstep. Peeta pulls up and gets out to open the door for me. When I sit down, he smiles at me, shakes his head, and hurries around the car to his seat. He starts the car awkwardly, almost like he had forgotten how to, but turns away from the curb without a word.

"Is everything ok?" I put my hand on his, which was resting on the gear shift. His arm tensed and I pulled away. "I'm sorry. Did I do anything wrong? Do you not want to do dinner tonight? Because we can reschedule-"

"Katniss." there was a slight quiver in his voice. "You did nothing wrong, don't apologize, please. I still want to have dinner, if you do."

I smile slightly, taking a deep breath. "I would love to."

-at the table, in the restaurant-

"I'll have the amatriciana, thank you." I hand my menu to the waiter and look over at Peeta.

"Can I get a small deep-dish cheese pizza? Thank you." He smiles at the waiter and hands him the menu. He looks down and fiddles with something in his lap.

"So... How has school been?" Peeta looks up and smiles at me.

"It's been good. Miss you a lot though, makes me want to move back here." he grabs my hand from across the table and squeezes it. "I don't ever want to leave you." The food arrives and he lets go of my hand.

After we eat and the plates are cleared away, Peeta stands up. I look up at him, and then I'm looking down, because he's on one knee. He sighs, then starts talking "Katniss Elise Everdeen, I want to be with you forever. Forever and beyond. I want to be with you through every up and every down in your life, and I hope you will be there for mine. I can't live without you. Katniss, will you marry me?"

I gasp. I can't tell if I'm crying, why should he even have to ask? "Yes, yes a thousand times yes. I love you, Peeta Mellark."

He smiles widely at me with tears of happiness in his eyes. He stands up and takes me into his arms. I grab his face and give him a kiss.

'I wouldn't mind this at all...' I think.

HEY GUYS!! Been a while for this book?! Still there? Hope so! I do have some bad news! My amazing partner, 

the_geek_guy

Can no longer work with me! I will miss you so much, Jasper!!! I hope you may return someday! But anyways, if there is anyone out there who wants to take over with me, PLZ PLZ PLZ!!! I love to work in partners! Plz, just pm me, or comment! And also, leave a vote and comment too, if ya like! Lots of love! ^~^❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

-Zeffie