Chapter Text
“Wanna play Truth or Dare?” I ask.
It’s just me and Peeta now; my mother and Prim went to bed as soon as Big Hero 6 was over. Our sleeping bags are already set up on the floor of my living room, but I don’t want to go to sleep just yet.
“Sure,” Peeta says. “There’s probably a Truth or Dare app I could download on my phone.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket and I scoot closer to him on the couch so I can read over his shoulder.
“Yeah, there are a few options. Wanna go with the top-rated one?” I nod my head and he presses the download button, typing in his password to confirm.
As it downloads, we get settled on the floor. We sit facing each other on top of our sleeping bags and I place the half empty bowl of popcorn between us.
“Ok. So do you want to go first or should I?” I ask. I’m a little nervous now that it’s happening, but it’s just a game. It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything.
“I can go first,” he says. He hands me his phone and I look at the screen. There are two options to press: a blue TRUTH button and a red DARE button.
“Ok, Peeta. Truth or dare?” I raise my eyebrows at him and grab a handful of popcorn.
“Truth,” he says. I press the TRUTH button and chew thoughtfully as it loads the question.
“Have you ever kissed a guy or a girl?” I read out.
Peeta coughs. “Um, no. I’ve never kissed anybody.” I’m surprised at his answer. I know we’re only thirteen, but I thought that maybe he had kissed Delly Cartwright, or anyone really…
“Me neither,” I admit. I’m relieved that he’s never kissed anyone, but it doesn’t matter. It’s not like he’s ever going to kiss me anyway. One day he will kiss someone, and I’ll have to be okay with it. I’m his friend.
“Ok, your turn,” he says and I pass him his phone. “Truth or dare?”
“Dare,” I say. I shove more popcorn in my mouth to distract myself from the thought of other people kissing Peeta.
“Describe someone in the group in less than ten words.”
“Are you sure that’s a dare? That sounds more like a truth,” I say around my mouthful of popcorn. He shows me his phone screen, which clearly displays the word “DARE” at the top.
I swallow hard and feel my face warming. I drop my eyes to the popcorn bowl. “Ok, well…You’re strong and smart and handsome. There. That’s less than ten words.” I look up at Peeta and see he’s blushing too.
“You think I’m handsome?” He’s grinning so broadly it looks like it hurts.
“Yes. Now pass me the phone, it’s your turn.” He hands it to me, and I’m glad I can look at the phone now and not his stupid grin. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“Again?” I roll my eyes. “Ok, who is your best friend?”
“Oh that’s easy. You,” Peeta says. He holds out his hand for the phone and I pass it to him.
“Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
“Trade shirts with the person to your left…” he trails off. “That one’s kind of weird. We don’t have to…” I look down at our shirts. Peeta’s wearing a black tee shirt that says “Trust me I’m a jedi” and I have on an over-sized green cotton tee. My shirt would probably fit him…
“No. It’s ok. I want to,” I say.
“Ok,” he takes his shirt off hurriedly and hands it to me. “You can change in the bathroom…I mean, if you want.”
“Ok, yeah. Thanks,” I take his shirt from him and head to the small bathroom right next to the living room to change. His shirt is warm and it smells like cinnamon and dill and Peeta. I look in the mirror and seeing myself in Peeta’s shirt fills me with butterflies.
It’s just a game, I say to myself as I head back into the living room. This isn’t a big deal. I get settled in my spot on the floor across from Peeta and pass him my shirt wordlessly. It’s just a game. He puts it on quickly and I’m relieved to find that it fits him. The green shirt makes his blue eyes look even bluer and I reach for his phone, which lies next to the popcorn bowl, eager to return to the game.
“Truth or dare?” I say. Before he can answer, I add, “You always pick truth. Come on, do a dare.”
“Ok,” he laughs. “I pick dare.”
“Ok.” I click on DARE and my heart speeds up as I read out, “Choose a player to kiss.”
“Katniss…”
“I can get you a different dare if you want…” I say slowly.
“Is that what you want?” Peeta asks.
“I—um… It’s your turn. It’s whatever you want,” I say.
“Ok, Katniss. Then…yeah, let’s do it,” he says. He moves the popcorn bowl to the side and scoots closer to me until our knees touch. His hand goes to my cheek and I suddenly feel like running away, but I don’t. Why did I agree to this?
We lean towards each other and pause when we’re barely an inch apart. We hover there for a moment, breathing each other in, hesitant to take that final step. Then I lean forward just a bit more, and we’re kissing. Our lips are slippery with butter and half-covered in salt, and my neck hurts from stretching forward so far, but it’s perfect.
And then it’s over. Peeta smiles at me and I smile back automatically, my eyes darting around the room. I see the time on the clock on the wall and realize how late it is.
“Um…it’s getting kinda late. Do you think we should go to sleep?” I say.
Peeta looks at the time too and nods. “Yeah…Let’s go to sleep.” We brush our teeth in the bathroom side-by-side, both of us looking at each other and then looking quickly away.
“Katniss?” Peeta whispers when we’re settled in our sleeping bags with the lights off.
“Yeah?”
“I’m really glad you were my first kiss.”
“Me too.”
I’m still wearing Peeta’s shirt at breakfast with my mother and Prim the next morning. Peeta had to leave early to help his dad at the bakery, and he said I could keep it.
“Katniss,” my mother says as she stares at me over her pancakes. “I think you and Peeta are getting too old for sleepovers.”