Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Chapter 1: The Reaping
The air was humid and it was messing with Peeta's prosthetic. It was going to be his third year as a mentor; he had won the Seventy First Hunger Games. It has been hell ever since. He had been doing Snow's bidding and played along to being the perfect little victor. Making the Capitol citizens happy and he was looked down upon in District Twelve.
They saw him as a player and a killer. Sure he was considered those; he was a lot like Finnick Odair. A year after he won he was sent to the Capitol and had his first client. Only his father would talk to him; his mother and brothers had started ignoring him when pictures were shown of him and Capitol women. His father was the only one besides the other mentor of District Twelve that knew what he was actually forced to do in the Capitol.
His life as a mentor so far has not been as successful. He and his mentor Haymitch have not been able to bring any other kids back to their parents. Only in a wooden box. He got looks on the street from parents whose children they were not able to save as if it was him who had plunged the knife into their child's chest.
The warm summer breeze ruffled through his hair and he sat still in his seat beside Haymitch. His eyes searched the crowd for her, the one that he loved. In secret of course; if anyone were to learn of this it would become hell for her and she would hate him for it and that was the last thing he wanted.
Blue eyes met gray and he held her gaze for a full second before looking away. Peeta then glanced away and stared at his feet. He tried to discretely shift his prosthetic so that it didn't cause major attention and cause anyone to hate him more than they already did. When his prosthetic falls back into place he glances at Haymitch to see him scanning the population of District Twelve.
Mayor Undersee nodded to Peeta before he started explaining about the games. Peeta had had a feeling that Mayor Undersee had known about what he does in the Capitol; the man would have an idea of the ingoing and outgoing trains to the District. Mayor Undersee read the Treaty of the Treason and then listed the victors of District Twelve. Three total and only two were alive.
Effie steps up and has a smile that is stretching her face. Haymitch mutters something that sounds like "too damn happy." And Peeta has to agree with him. He has only been home from the Capitol for a little more than a month and he rarely slept. Nightmares were with him constantly, whether from his games, his tributes games and his clients in the Capitol. He had started having flashbacks the previous year. As if nightmares weren't enough he would see horrific visions during the day, it would be triggered by something that caused him fear. If he got a flashback he would freeze and not see or hear anything around him. And they had been happening more and more often. He just hoped that he won't scare this year's tributes as he had last year.
"Ladies first," Effie says peppy and loudly into the microphone. Haymitch recoils from the loud sound, still hung over and Peeta smirks at him.
"Primrose Everdeen." She says and Peeta can feel his heart plummet. Not her little sister and he knows that she cares about her younger sister more than anything. He watches as the twelve year old girl slowly walks through the girls in her section; the girls making a path. Almost afraid to touch her as if she was infected with a deadly disease. Peeta felt as if the cold grip on his heart only grew tighter.
"Prim, Prim!" He can hear Katniss yelled. And with the hoarse sound in her voice he feels even worse that when the boy from one had cut his leg. He sits stoically and watches as the agony plays out. Peeta had learned how to put up a perfect mask and to make others think the opposite than what he was feeling.
"I volun-, I volunteer as tribute." Katniss yells which freezes Prim in her place. Peeta can feel the cold hand that has a steel grip on his heart throw it to the ground. He has to mentor the girl he loves. At least he doesn't have appointments during the games. Peeta keeps his face blank as Katniss walks to the stage; she stands beside Effie and states her name. Peeta blanks out as he feels a flashback coming.
"Shit," He murmured under his breath and could feel his body go rigid.
He saw image of his mother standing above him holding various weapons and threatening to use them. Then she morphed into the girl from district six that it had been down to him and her in the games. The girl came at him and started to viciously slash at him with her knife. It felt as if someone was cutting him at any spot of available skin and it was torturous. Peeta could vaguely hear his name being called and he wanted to go to it.
Peeta could finally open his eyes and saw Haymitch watching worriedly by his side. He slumped into his seat and leaned against it; he felt drained. He always felt exhausted after a flashback.
"You alright boy?" Haymitch asks and Peeta just nods. He clears his throat before looking around them.
"What did I miss?" Peeta asks as he looks back over the crowd; few eyes were glued to him. He didn't think that he made much of a scene.
"Effie just called the name of the boy." Haymitch says and Peeta nods. He looks up to see Effie looking back at them. The camera was focused on whoever was chosen as the male tribute and not on the mentors, escort or the other tribute.
"Are you okay, Peeta? Did it happen again?" Effie asks quickly before the camera was up to her. When Peeta looked up he saw Katniss looking back at him in confusion.
"Fine now and yeah it was another one." Peeta says rubbing the back of his neck. Effie turned her attention back to the tribute. Peeta felt like the cold hand had grabbed his heart again and had squeezed it again when he saw who it was. What he hated was that he felt some hope.
It was Gale Hawthorne.
He walked to the stage stoically and Peeta knew that this year would be severely different than other years.
Mayor Undersee talked more about the Hunger Games; but Peeta zoned out. He had thought that Katniss and Gale had been a couple; everyone had seen the two be together a lot. This was one of the many reasons why Peeta knew that he had no chance with her.
The Mayor finished up speaking and Effie wished everyone a Happy Hunger Games. Peeta knew that this year's games would probably not end on a happy note. He stood from his chair as soon as the tributes were ahead of him. Haymitch staggered along beside him as they followed the tributes into the Justice Building.
"It's gonna be one hell of a year, boy" Haymitch says and slaps Peeta on the back. All Peeta could do was nod to agree with Haymitch.
A/N: I know I shouldn't be starting a new story; but this idea snuck up on me. The song is How to Save a Life by the Fray. Please favorite follow and review if you want me to continue and let me know if you want Gale to live or not.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.