The Boy from District 12
Author: Vasira Snow
Plot: Katniss is the daughter of Snow, has grown up in the Capitol her entire life. She's watched the games - enjoyed them, in fact - for years, along with one of the gamemaker's sons, Gale. Then one reaping, she sees a boy that she couldn't possibly have known - no, of course not. Yet why does he seem so familiar?
Peeta Mellark is not a star of the interviews - he seems quiet, but sure of himself. He is from District 12, yet there's something about him that she wants to see win.
Through the games, Katniss fights to sponsor him, with the disapproval of her father, her distant mother, even her dearest friends. Even Peeta' mentor, the drunk and violent Haymitch, barely allows her help.
Please Read and Review. This plot was actually the idea of Fantastical-Mundane over on Tumblr, I asked her to come up with an AU plot line, this is what she came up with. I decided to accept the challenge of writing this story, so please let me know if you think I'm doing this AU story any justice. =)
Chapter 1: Before the Reapings
Katniss sat on her window seat, leaning against the wall, staring out the window. It was the most exciting time of the year, the reapings were about to take place, in less than 24 hours the games would have this year's tributes. Some might think the games were horrible, so barbaric, but they were actually quite exciting, especially to those who lived in the Capitol.
"Hey Catnip." said a voice, and Katniss grinned as she turned around to look at her best friend, Gale. He currently wore blue hair, wore yellow contacts, black leather pants, and a black fitted t-shirt. That was probably the one thing that Katniss didn't understand about her city. Every day everyone changed their appearances, as if looking how they normally looked was a horrible thing. She tried not to change too much of her appearance, just enough of it (and not nearly as often as everyone else in the capitol) to keep everyone else off her back.
"Gale. I thought you had to discuss how you would dress up your tribute this year?" Katniss questioned her friend. Gale shrugged.
"Your father and Seneca assigned me District 12, like there's much to discuss." Gale replied. Katniss shook her head.
"Come on, we have to keep the games exciting, why can't we have more exciting costumes this year?" she asked. Gale laughed.
"Coming from you? Miss I like the way I look? When was the last time you changed your appearance?" he asked. Katniss kept her hair long, her natural colour was brown, as was Gale's, and instead of dying it all one colour, she would change only her bangs, or streak it another colour, currently the colour was pink, it was fading out and you could see her roots. She didn't change her eyes, and she refused to wear any outrageous clothing.
"Fine.. I'll make an appointment tomorrow before the reaping to change my hair." she said, sighing.
"My beautiful daughter, you know, you'd be much more beautiful if you changed more than just your hair." came the voice of her father, President Snow. Katniss and Gale looked up.
"Everyone want's to be so different, they want to be the next fashionista, but because I just want to be normal, I'm the weird one?" Katniss countered, as she noticed Gale make a face, she knew why. She had grown used to the smell and could no longer smell it, but her father smelt of blood and roses, it was a very unpleasant smell. Katniss guessed it was mostly the blood mixture in the smell, but since she had grown used to it over the years, there was really no way of knowing. However, her father was either oblivious to Gale's face, or assumed it was towards Katniss' comment.
"My dear, how will you ever land yourself a boyfriend if you think like that?" he asked. Katniss rolled her eyes.
"I don't need a boyfriend, I don't want one." she said, she decided against saying she had never found a male in the Capitol enticing, interesting or handsome. How could one find someone who changed their appearance on a daily basis handsome? Gale frowned.
President Snow grinned, "That's what a father dreams of hearing." he said.
"I want you and your sister sitting up there with me tomorrow, so you better get on your hair today, not tomorrow, we can't miss any of the reapings... have your sister accompany you as you go look for a new outfit too, I don't want you to wear anything you own." he said, then he turned around and sauntered out of her room. Katniss rolled her eyes.
"Care to join me at the salon?" she questioned Gale, with a fake smile on her face. Gale grinned.
"I could use a new hair dye." he said, Katniss rolled her eyes.
"Alright, let's go find Prim, since apparently I need to buy a hideous outfit for the reapings." she said. Although Gale changed his hair colour and eye colour almost daily, he wore less outrageous outfits than the others in the Capitol, he kept hoping Katniss would notice him because of the fact, but she seemed to only praise him for not being as 'Capitol-esque' as the others they lived with.
It didn't take long for them to find Prim and then make it to the salon.
"Katniss!" cried Venia. She often acted like they were the best of friends, despite only seeing Katniss a few times a year. Katniss plastered on the most sincere smile she could muster, and kissed Venia's cheeks.
"Venia." Katniss replied, with the same enthusiasm.
"What can we do for you today?" Venia asked.
"Well, my father really wanted me to get my hair done for the reapings." Katniss explained. Venia grinned.
"Oh perfect, come on in... I'll give Octavia my next client." Venia said. Katniss nodded, and let herself be dragged to the back of the salon, Prim close behind. Gale had been pulled away by Lyra the moment they had walked in. Lyra was the owner of the Salon, a huge flirt, and had just so happened to be Gale's hairstylist.
"What colour would you like to use this time?" Venia asked, as she threw an apron over Katniss and began to work at getting the pink out of her hair. Katniss glanced over at the chair next to her, and grinned as Gale met her eye.
"How about a fiery colour? fire orange, fire red... and hell let's go all out with it this time." Katniss said, and she smirked as Gale rolled his eyes.
"All out? Seriously, you're going to let me do your entire head?" Venia asked, staring at Katniss. Katniss shot her a small smile.
"Yes... you know, I have been feeling a little bored with my hair lately.." she said.
"Can we do a new cut?" Venia asked, as she continued to work on the pink, obviously excited about the change in her 'friend'. Katniss shrugged.
"Let's dye the hair first, then we'll see about a possible cut." she replied, not wanting to damper her stylists spirits, plus she wasn't entirely sure she'd like having her whole head such a bright colour, and even though the last thing she wanted to do was cut her hair, she might be willing to do so once it's coloured. Venia let out a squeal, and then immediately quieted down to work on Katniss' hair.
Venia had decided to use a fiery red, instead of a more orange colour, on Katniss' hair, and it turned out to be less bright than she thought it would be, it seemed a bit more of a dull red than a bright red, so Katniss had only agree'd to a small trim. She actually thought the colour looked great with her somewhat pale skin. Prim had gotten her hair dyed green and cut into a fun bob, while Gale had decided to go with a fiery orange colour himself.
Katniss wasn't really that oblivious, she knew Gale wanted more than a friendship from her, but she honestly didn't even want to think about being romantic with anyone. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she just didn't care too. She didn't want to get married. So she had decided to play oblivious, well, continue to play oblivious really, as it had taken her some years before she realized what Gale wanted, even though others had seen it almost right away.
"I wonder what the tribute's this year will be like." Prim gossiped excitedly by her sister's side, as the three headed towards one of the shops their father frequented. Their mother never left the house, yet the girls never seemed to see her. Katniss wasn't even sure her father saw their mother on a daily basis himself.
"I think you're just hoping for a cute boy to swoon over until he dies heroically." Katniss teased her sister. Prim blushed. Gale smirked.
"And you aren't?" Gale asked Katniss. She shook her head.
"Why would I want to develop a crush or swoon over someone who is likely to die?" she asked.
"Well you don't seem to want anyone here in the Capitol." Gale muttered, as he frowned. Katniss shrugged.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see who this year's tributes will be, follow them through the games, so who wins and why, see who dies and how. It's so amazing... but why must I swoon over someone just because I'm a girl?" she asked.
"Katniss, it's about having fun." Prim said. Katniss smiled at her sister.
"I know that, but just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I have guys on my mind. I still have school to worry about, figuring out what I want to do afterwards to think about.. boys just don't fit into my world right now." she said