AN: Hello! And thank you for choosing to read my story! Please read this if you don't want to be confused! This is just like The Hunger Games, but with a twist. What if Katniss loved Peeta back before the Games? I wrote this based off this question, but the more I wrote, the more OOC she seemed. So I changed her up a bit, but not too much. I changed her hair color, name, and just a bit of her personality, though you can barely notice it. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy! :) Also, thank you so much to my friends that have been supporting me!
DISCLAIMER:And of course, I own NOTHING of this amazing story, all of it's ownership is held by the wonderful Suzanne Collins
I slowly stretched my limbs. They ached from my tense state, curled hopelessly into a ball trying to keep the cold of the night away. I reached my arm towards the other side of the bed, seeking my little sister's warmth. Instead I found nothing but the cold rough sheets.
I opened my eyes slowly, grimacing at the too bright sunlight. I found my sister Prim, curled up next to my mother. She was cocooned in between her arms, looking as if she was seeking protection. Of course, she was. It was reaping day.
I got up and re-braided my almost brown blonde hair and put on my hunting clothes. I pulled my soft leather boots on that formed to my feet. I walked over to their bed, careful not to wake them, and kissed Prim's forehead. Her face was so peaceful when she slept, as beautiful as the flower she was named for. My mother's face also looked relaxed and beautiful. It was still a bit worn down and beaten, but a lot less as it was in the day.
I put on my hunting jacket and game bag. On the kitchen table, wrapped in basil leaves to keep away rats and bugs, was a small goat cheese. Prim's gift to me for reaping day. I grabbed the cheese and put it in my game bag.
As I was walking out the door, I heard a hiss. I looked over to see Buttercup, Prim's mangy, mustard colored cat. I had never really liked him, but Prim cried and begged so much, I had to let him stay. I was OK when it came to cats, but at the time he was just another mouth to feed. He's been sour towards me ever since he got here; I guess he remembers the time I tried to drown him. He was a real pitiful sight though, and I didn't think he would make it the first week.
The walk to the woods wasn't far. I lived in the part of the Seam where you were a few minutes from the Meadow. Past that was an electrified fence, but since we were lucky enough to have two or three hours of electricity in the afternoon it was usually never electrified. Still, I stopped and listened for the charged hum that meant it was on. It was dead as always, so I slipped through the small hole at the bottom of the fence. It had been there for as long as I could remember. My father had shown it to me when I was little, and then eventually got me to go under. Everything after that was just him teaching me to hunt, before he was blown up in a mine.
I grabbed my bow and a sheath of arrows in the hollow of a tree. My father had made a handful of them but never sold them. It was better that way though, if he was caught selling them he would've been publicly executed for provoking a rebellion. After he died I hid them in a few places around the woods in waterproof covers. I couldn't let them get damaged in any way; these were what decided life or death.
I felt the muscles in my face relax the further I walked. The thought of Gale made me quicken my pace. He always said I only smile in the woods. He had been my hunting partner since I was a scrawny twelve-year-old. Ever since I was about five, I learned how to mask my emotions. Before that I would always blurt out things about Panem or the Capitol that was anything but flattering. It scared my mother to death, so I eventually learned to put on a mask and keep my mouth shut. I mean, I couldn't have Prim repeating what I said, and punishment was not an option. The whipping would be harsh, especially if it was due to provoking a rebellion. They wouldn't have punished me since I was so young, but if I still said those kinds of things now, they wouldn't think twice about it.
But in the woods, I could say whatever I wanted. I still don't say anything as outright as I did when I was younger, but I wasn't reluctant to actually have a real conversation with someone. And usually that person was Gale.
He was the one that would scream and rant about the Capitol while in the woods, though. It scared off game, but it was better he do it there than back in 12, so I let him do it.
I climbed the hill to our meeting place, a space between two rocks fitted on a ledge overlooking a valley. It concealed us but let us see almost everything. When I got there, Gale turned to me and smiled, "Hey, Clay."
I rolled my eyes. The first time we met I was so scared and scrawny compared to him. He scared me with his size, so I said my name in a barely audible whisper. He thought I said Clay, and I corrected him, saying it was Bay, but one day I had gotten myself stuck ankle deep in clay after days of heavy rain. It took him hours to find me, and the nickname stuck ever since.
"Hey Gale," I replied, seating myself next to him.
"Look what I caught," he held up an arrow with a loaf of bread stuck on the end.
I laughed and grabbed it from him. I pulled out the arrow and sniffed where the puncture was. I sighed; it was real bakery bread, and not the stale, dense loaves we made from tesserae grain.
"How much was it?"
"Just a squirrel," he said, grabbing the bread and splitting it in half.
We feasted on the bread with melted goat cheese on it and ripe blueberries. The day was beautiful despite the events that were going to take place. The sky was a pale blue through the gathering grey clouds, the birds chirped all around us, and the fish glittered in the few rays of sunlight. I knew the clouds would turn into a storm sometime today, but it would be after the reaping and would also increase the chances of a good harvesting when we picked the strawberries.
We fished and gathered greens the rest of the time in the woods. We ended up with eight fish and a gallon of strawberries. We traded half of the fish for things like string and salt in the Hob. We then walked to the mayor's mansion. He had a passion for strawberries, so this was always the first place we went to trade when we had strawberries. We knocked on the back door and Madge answered. She was the mayor's daughter and in my year in school. I guess you could say we were friends; she would always sit by me at lunch. And although we never talked, it was nice having company.
"Hello Bay," she said when she opened the door.
"Hi Madge."
We gave her the strawberries and she paid us.
"Thanks," she said.
I nodded.
"Nice pin," Gale said. I looked at what he was talking about. It was a pin with a small bird. It was made with real gold, and enough to feed a family for months. It was fitted on her beige dress. She also had her hair done up in a matching bow.
"Well, if I'm going to the Capitol I want to look pretty, don't I," she replied.
"You're not going to the Capitol," he snapped. "What do you have, five entries? I had six entries my first year."
"Gale," I snapped.
He looked at me, "Well, it's true."
I sighed. "See you at the reapings Madge."
"You, too. Good luck Bay."
We walked back to the Seam. Gale was fuming, and I knew why. He was upset at the system. The less fortunate always had more entries that the more fortunate. I didn't like it either, but it was just the way it was.
As we were walking, I felt like somebody was watching me. I looked behind me and saw Peeta Mellark, the youngest of the baker's sons, watching me. His eyes quickly flitted away. He picked up the bags of flour and walked the other way. I looked ahead of me. That was…strange. Peeta Mellark was staring at me. It had happened before, but I never blushed this much about it. It was so strange for me to do things like that. I was never one to blush, never. But I knew the reason why it was happening. I was in love with him. I shivered at the word. It was a concept that I tried to stay away from. I've never wanted to get married or have kids, but I couldn't help it. It had just….happened.
"What's up with you?"
I looked up to see Gale, looking at me weird.
"Ever heard of a sun burn?" I said harshly.
I immediately regretted it, but I figured it was payback for what he had said to Madge.
We got to the Seam and split the rest of the food up. We each got two fish, a quart of strawberries, some greens, and a bit of money.
When I got home, mother had a tub of hot water for me. I thanked her for it, even though it was hard. After my dad had died, she went into a deep depression, not doing anything but stare into the distance for hours. Sometimes she would stir, but only to seem confused and just lay back down. No amount of pleading from Prim would make her stir. After that, I had to take over as caretaker. She eventually came back to us, slowly but surely. But our relationship was never the same. I've held a grudge against her for leaving us in our worst state. I would never accept things from her.
I washed the grit from my fingernails and washed myself, getting rid of the dirt and sweat. I even washed my hair. When I got out, my mom gave me one of her dresses from her apothecary days to wear.
"Are you sure," I asked
"Of course," she replied. She helped me put it on. It was a light blue dress with a collar. It was soft and comfortable, and had shoes to match.
"Let's do your hair, too."
I was reluctant but agreed. She braided my hair then put it in an intricate little bun.
"You look beautiful," Prim said from behind me.
I turned to Prim "Not as beautiful as you," I replied. She was wearing my first reaping outfit, a blouse and skirt. It didn't fit her as well, and the back of the blouse was untucked. "But let's tuck that tail in little duck," I said, kneeling down and tucking the back of the blouse into the skirt.
She shook her butt and gave a, "Quack!"
I laughed a laugh only she could draw out of me.
We walked to the town center. That's where the reaping was held. It was mandatory to attend; Peacekeepers would go around house to house making sure everyone had gone, and unless you were on death's bed, you were punished. It was also a good way for the Capitol to get a census. We checked in and I led Prim to the roped off area for twelve-year-olds then walked to the area for the sixteen-year-olds. We grimly nodded to each other. There was an eerie atmosphere. But there were cameras perched on the market's rooftops like buzzards and two kids were about to be given death sentences, so it didn't surprise me.
The stage holds three chairs, a podium, and two large glass bowls. One for the boys, the other for the girls. Only two of the three seats are filled, one by Madge's father, Mayor Undersee, and the other by Effie Trinket, the District 12 escort. The third is supposed to be filled by Haymitch Abernathy, the only living District 12 victor. There have only been two victors of District 12 in the history of the Games.
When the clock strikes two, the mayor steps up to the podium. He tells about the history of Panem. How in a place once known as North America, Panem rose up from the ashes of war and natural disasters. It was a shining Capitol with 13 districts. But then the Dark Days came, a time where the districts rebelled against the Capitol. The Capitol won the war, District 13 was destroyed, and in penance for the uprising, the Hunger Games was created. Each district gave up one male and female tribute to participate in a fight to the death on national television. The victor's district would then be showered in money and food and the victor would have endless money for the rest of their lives.
After that he read the Treaty of Treason, and lists the names of the District 12 victors. Almost on cue, Haymitch appears on stage, drunk and hollering something unintelligible. We applaud, but he looks confused and tries to give Effie a big hug. She manages to push him off, but slightly shifting her pink curled wig in the process. I sigh; District 12 is definitely the laughingstock of Panem now.
The mayor quickly introduces Effie Trinket, trying to divert the attention away from Haymitch.
She trots up to the podium and happily gives her signature, "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"
She rolls up one of her brightly colored sleeves and announces, "Ladies first!"
She trots over to one of the glass bowls, digs deep into the bowl, and then trots back over to the microphone.
The name she says knocks the breath out of me. I feel nothing anymore, and watch my life flash before my eyes. I even think I fall, only to be caught by one of the boys from the Seam.
It's Primrose Trayvark.
Gasp! Haha, I bet you guys saw that coming though! I will be uploading a new chapter every Monday and Friday, or for some people it will be your Tuesday and Saturday. Please review and I'm open for any kind of helpful criticism! Thank you! :)
~Writer'sRain
