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[madeuptoerase]

It's been two days, and she's thought of little else. As far as Carla Jean is concerned, that's only to be expected, of course, anything else seemingly impossible, or at least far beyond her capabilities, but that doesn't make the truth of it, weighing persistently on her mind, any less easier to stomach. To find out that she's been here before,

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[notapiece]

Snapping back down to reality at the question, Peeta blinked rapidly. He had been drifting off, thinking about a lot of things none of which were really related to what he had been working on. He stopped tapping the end of his pencil against the table, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed and definitely confused.

"Who me?" he asked as he gave a quick look around to confirm that was she was in fact talking to him. It was easy to conclude that she was given that he had been staring in her direction and he was the closest one there. "Oh sorry. I was just thinking, I didn't mean to bother you."

[madeuptoerase]

"No," Carla Jean says, quick but not apologetic. He hasn't done anything but stand there, and out of sorts though she might be, she isn't about to take that out on a stranger, not really. Lips pressed into a thin line, she glances at the paper again, then sets it on the table, shaking her head. "You didn't bother me, I just didn't realize anyone was watchin'. Guess I was just thinkin', too."

[notapiece]

Scratching the back of his head, Peeta nodded understandingly. It was the sort of thing that happened. One minute you were lost in your thoughts and the next minute you were very aware of what was around you. It wasn't necessarily the easiest thing in the world to explain away.

"Hope you were thinking about something good." Or at least better than what was troubling him. Gesturing with the end of his pencil he nodded towards the paper that she was reading. "Good news even. Maybe?"

[madeuptoerase]

Carla Jean lets out an exhale of a laugh, dry if not quite bitter. She isn't in the habit of keeping a lot of things bottled up, but it isn't as if he could know better. He's a perfect stranger, after all, and not one who recognized her right off like Sean did. So many people haven't that she wouldn't expect anyone to; around here, she's pretty sure that many years ago is a long time, anyway. "No," she says with a slight shake of her head, lips pressed together into a slight frown. "Lord, what I wouldn't give for some good news right about now. No, I think it's more like the opposite."