After her rebirth
Chapter 35

Katniss hit up the library to cram, sticking around till after six. She finally ditched her books, stood up, stretched, and got ready to bounce. But just as she stepped out of the school gate, Juniper popped up outta nowhere, dragging her to a dessert shop on campus.

With a cheeky grin, Juniper handed Katniss a cute little cake.

"This one's for you. Way prettier than Clara's," Juniper said. Katniss was stunned, holding the cake, her eyes wide with surprise and gratitude. "Thanks, Juniper," Katniss said.

Juniper laughed, "Whatever Clara's got, you should have too, Katniss!"

Katniss stared at the cake, tears welling up in her eyes.

She took a deep breath and said seriously, "Juniper, you gotta crush it. You have to beat Clara in this speech contest!"

Juniper rolled her eyes. Even with all the feels, Katniss was still nagging her to study.

What Juniper didn't know was that Katniss was thinking way beyond just this contest. If Juniper beat Clara, she'd get to go abroad as an exchange student. Juniper would have no regrets, taking a different path from her past life. When Katniss got home, the place was empty. She plopped the cake on the table and decided to whip up a fancy dinner for Wesley and the crew. Just as she stepped into the kitchen, she heard the door creak. She turned around and saw Anna.

"Cooking?" Anna asked, peeking in. Katniss smiled and nodded.

Anna looked at her and asked, "Katniss, got a boyfriend?"

Katniss replied, "Nah, I'm still young, not thinking about it yet." Anna waved it off, saying, "If you wait till your twenties, it'll be too late. Guys like young girls. What's the point of all this studying? You still gotta get married and have kids. Find someone early."

Anna added, "If you don't have a boyfriend, I can hook you up with someone." Katniss smiled and kept chopping, saying coolly, "Anna, don't you know? The girl next door hooked up with a guy in his forties who's already married. She's a side chick. We Manners don't do that kinda shady stuff."

Anna's face twisted, and she left in a huff. Katniss sighed, enjoying the rare peace.

But when Katniss brought out the dishes, she noticed the little cake was gone. She thought for a sec, then heard a key turning in the door. Wesley, Daphne, and Anna were back. Daphne said, "Katniss is so on top of things, dinner's already ready."

Katniss smiled, "Dig in, guys." She realized she'd never cooked for Wesley's family before and felt a bit guilty.

Wesley praised her as he walked over, and Katniss smiled, presenting each dish with pride.

Katniss's eyes sparkled with love and care, every detail showing off her cooking skills and affection for her family.

Wesley listened, silently amazed at how the once naive Katniss had grown up, not just mentally but also in her cooking game.

After naming a couple of dishes, Katniss noticed Anna was quiet in the back and casually asked, "Grandma Anna, did you see the cake on the table when you got back?"

"Oh, that cake? The neighbor's kid loves sweets, and I thought you didn't want it, so I gave it to him," Anna explained awkwardly.

"Oh, no worries. I thought I misplaced it," Katniss smiled slightly, acting like it was no big deal.

Wesley and Daphne shot glances at Anna but didn't say anything, though their looks made Anna feel the heat.

Anna thought, 'What's Katniss getting at? It's just a cake. If it's gone, someone in the house must've eaten it. Is it worth making a scene? This Katniss, after a few years, has gotten pretty crafty.' To break the tension, Daphne quickly praised Katniss's cooking.

Even though Anna didn't say anything, she was eating faster than anyone else, like she was afraid she'd miss out.

"Katniss's cooking is so good, we're lucky to have her," Wesley said proudly. "Someone even asked her to make medicinal meals because she's that good."

Katniss smiled, soaking in the compliment.

Being appreciated felt awesome. If it were her parents, they'd probably just sneer and say what she did was too basic to be worth praising.

Anna suddenly asked, "Katniss, do you make money from making medicinal meals for people?"

Since Katniss could make money, she should chip in for the family and buy stuff for the elders!

Knowing how Anna was, Daphne quickly cut in, "Mom, Katniss is still in college. It's good enough she has a job. How much can she really make?"

Katniss smiled faintly, "Not much, just helping a friend, about ten bucks each time."

She based the price on her part-time gig at the coffee shop. A full-time server's monthly pay was around seven to eight hundred bucks, and her part-time job at the coffee shop brought in close to three hundred bucks a month. Anna's eyes lit up at the mention of three hundred bucks, "That's quite a bit. It's not safe for a young girl to carry so much money."

"Thanks for the concern. I'll be careful," Katniss smiled, feeling a bit wary.

After that, Katniss put down her utensils and started clearing the empty bowls and plates to take to the kitchen.

Daphne quickly followed, whispering, "Let me handle this, Katniss. You go chill in your room."

Wesley also came in, saying, "Don't mind what Anna said. She's getting old and confused. It's not easy for a young girl like you to earn some money. Save it for yourself. A girl should have some cash on hand."