winter chills [nettie]

"Is it ready yet?"

Nettle grazed her thin finger along the edge of her book and stared exasperated at the door that led into the store's petite kitchen. She had sent Korey, her shiftless co-worker, into that room to heat them up a bowl of soup half an hour ago, and the kid still hadn't shown his face. If it took any longer she vowed to take his life. The huntress sat crossed legged atop a wooden stool, her spine straight and her head slightly bent toward the book. She wore a dark green, long sleeved shirt that had a hole at each end, which Nettle fit her slender thumbs through. By the front door her light, forest green jacket hung on a hook next to Korey's own jacket that was lined with gray fur. Korey was better off than Nettle was and lived much closer to town, but when it came to brains and not wealth, Nettle took the cake. I want my damn soup.

"Here, here, here," Korey mumbled as he pushed through the wooden door. In his hands was a large bowl of onion and lettuce soup. The smell slowly warmed Nettle's heart and relaxed the slightly toned muscles in her body. She relaxed her shoulders, closed her book and pushed it aside to make room for the bowl. "Did you remember the spoons?" Korey sighed. "Did I remember the spoons?" he scoffed, "Of course I remembered them, geeze." Nettled watched Korey as he reached into his jean pockets and retrieved two silver spoons. "Wouldn't be the first time you forgot the spoons," Nettle joked her eyes wide with amusement. "Shut up and eat your soup."

Nettle grabbed her spoon from Korey's extended hand and dipped the utensil into the steamy broth. She figured it couldn't be hot since Korey had taken so long to make it, so she brought the spoon to her pouted lips, opened her mouth and swallowed. "Korey!!" Nettled cried out in frustration. "This soup's on fire. What the heck did you do to it?" "Whaaat?" Korey whined, "I just finished heating it a minute ago." Nettle raised her finger and readied herself for a reprimanding, but before she could part her lips to speak, Korey dug a finger into each ear. Nettle released her breath through her teeth, then leaned over the counter and swatted Korey's ginger head. She jumped off of the stool, threw on her jacket and lifted the bowl carefully, making sure not to burn her hands like she did her tongue.

The wind nipped at Nettle's long hair and twisted it above her head like a tornado once she stepped outside of the paper shop. Her chestnut eyes scanned the square for the cleanest pile of snow she could use to cool the potage with. Her gaze fell on a rather unscathed mound, but beside it stood a guy about her age. He seemed familiar, however, for Nettle that was always an understatement. She sloshed forward in her sable boots and bent down at her tight waist beside the teen as he zipped his jacket. She managed to balance the bowl in one hand and scoop up a handful of snow in the other. A silence passed between the two until Nettle brought herself back up to her full height of five foot five. She gave him a rather shy smile before the snow went plop in the bowl. Guess I got a few seconds before it cools, she thought. Taking her wet hand she patted it dry against her slender thigh that was covered in a light blue jean, then she used her chilled fingers to tuck a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"Hiya."


OOC: I'm glad you did. I pay attention to that weather too lol Hope you like the post.

Nettle smiled at the irony of it all. Usually, she was the one at a loss for words. People knew her as shy Nettle and often overlooked her during debates or discussions at school, but it never bothered Nettle; she had learned to ignore her ostracism. Although he seemed just as shy, Nettle could tell that his silence probably stemmed from being around the opposite sex. It was kind of nice running into people like that, because it meant that there wasn't much of a threat between them. They could be courteous to one another as opposed to standoffish, like a lot of the District 7 kids at school. So, even though the silence persisted after Nettle had broken it, she kept her mouth shut and patiently waited for him to reply.

When he did, Nettle grinned in response to his dorky smile and muffled hello. Then, he ran his hand through his brown, windswept hair, a typical action that meant, "I don't know what to say next." The huntress figured it was a good time for an introduction, but as she parted her lips to speak the boy asked about the weather. "Yes," she smiled lifting the bowl closer to her chest. The steam from the broth rose in small white, clouds that caressed and warmed the brunette's freckled cheeks. "I heard," she added quickly to fill the quiet, "that it's only going to get worse. Maybe we'll have a blizzard." That could be fun. Except, for the shoveling.

Nettle took a quick glance at her soup, noticed that the snow had completely melted, and concluded that it was ready for her mouth. She raised her dark eyes to the boy and remembered that they hadn't even shared their names. Gripping the bowl tightly she extended her right hand and said, "I'm Nettle." Then, without thought she added, "Would you like some soup? Or hot chocolate?"

The icy wind clawed at the huntress's extended hand while she waited for the handsome boy's response. His hair, although obviously shorter than hers, danced just as freely in the frosty breeze and its sandy color complemented his tanned skin quite nicely. He probably gets a lot of attention at school, Nettle thought as she curled her numb toes inside of her ebony boots. Anyone with good looks got by pretty well in this District, or any District really. Like Ally Willics. Nettle grinned at the thought of the ditsy blond, and bit her tongue in order to silence the giggle that threatened to climb up and out of her throat. Eying the boy Nettle secretly deduced that he and Ally were friends, even though she understood that she was taking a bullshit guess at that, still it was fun sometimes to think in such a manner. It kept the fact that her fingers were freezing off of her mind.

The brunette was finally relieved once the boy nodded his head and replied. She exhaled a soft sigh then realized that his hand was headed toward his back pocket. Men only kept one thing in that compartment. He had understood her all wrong. "Oh, no you don't have..." Nettle began until she was stopped short by his clumsy speech. Suddenly, something warm gripped her fingers and when Nettle looked down she saw that he had at last taken her slender hand in his. When Nettle glanced up she was met by his smile and the combination of the warmth and the gesture fogged up her overactive mind. Aww shit, she thought and smiled back, what did he just say? He spoke again with an answer to her query.

"Jesse," she repeated slowly, her eyes bright with mirth, before sliding her hand out of his snug grasp, "it's nice to meet you." Tucking her frozen hand beneath the bowl the huntress tossed her head back in the direction of the paper store and said, "Come inside and I'll get you something warm to eat." Turning on her heels she started to trudge toward the shop, but then stopped and twisted her waist around slightly until she was staring at him again. "And you wont need your wallet," she tittered then turned back around before calling over her shoulder, "this one's on me, Jesse."

The warmth hit Nettle like a brick wall as she stepped foot inside of the cozy shop. Adjusting her dark eyes to light, the brunette noticed that her pal, Korey, hadn't moved an inch since she left him. "You really are a slug," she teased as she wiped her boots against the worn mat. Korey flashed her a bright smile then turned his attention back to the whorls on the wooden counter. Nettle moved quickly to make space for Jesse as he entered the room. She had the bowl settled on the counter by the time he had hung up his jacket. Following his lead she placed her coat on the hook next to his then pulled up a stool beside him. It wasn't until her arm brushed against his that she noticed he was wearing a gray t-shit. "Sorry," she apologized as she released her grip from the stool. "The floor is uneven in some places."

Excusing herself Nettle disappeared into the kitchen to retrieve a couple of bowls, spoons, and to warm up a small, iron pot filled with milk. Before leaving she made sure there was enough chocolate powder for the three of them for their hot chocolates. Luckily, there was. Balancing the equipment in her hands Nettle pushed past the door and was disappointed to see that Korey was still sitting in the exact same spot. So hospitable, she thought before she bumped her hip against his stool. With narrowed eyes she tilted her head in Jesse's direction and like a well trained pup Korey lifted his seat and placed it opposite of Nettle's. "Here you go boys," she smiled as she passed out the bowls and spoons. Lifting the larger bowl that contained the broth she poured at least two spoonfuls into everyone's bowl and once they were settled she took her own and planted her bottom on her stool.

"Dig in."