Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All rights and characters belong to Suzanne Collins

Peeta's POV:

I walk up about 7 flights of stairs just to make it to the halfway point. Still seven more flights of stairs to go. Huh. I lug my suit case and back pack up the stairs. Carrying all the worldly possessions I own, best not to bang it up too much. Level 10, level 11...level 14, I read as I stop to catch a breather. God this building old. No elevator or anything, and the stairs creak so much I feel like I'm gonna fall through some of the them. But the building has character. It's kind of old, but it's rustic. I like the feeling ot it as I walk down the hallway. But then again, anything's better than my old home.

I take out a slip of paper from my pocket and read it for the door number. Apt. #74. I knock, and nobody answers. Knock again, still nothing. By the third time I'm pounding on the door!

"Hello?! Anybody home?" I call out. The door swings open and I see a tallish guy with some messy brown hair and sort of olive skin.

"Oh sorry! I didn't hear you," he says. I look and see he has some earphones around his neck. The music's so loud even I can hear it, so of course he couldn't hear me. He is wearing a green faded t-shirt and some jeans with a few rips in them.

"Oh uh...yeah. My name's Peeta, Peeta Mellark. Um my dad told me that you were the person to come to..." I say, reading the slip of paper.

"Oh right! Sorry dude I forgot. Yeah my dad and yours go way back. Hey it's nice to meet you. uh. come on in. Sorry the place is a bit messy." He says, looking around. Yeah. He's right. To the right I see the kitchen, or what I think is the kitchen. Dirty dishes, some leftover pizza from like...three days ago. I look to the other side. A couch, a TV, and beyond that I see two bedrooms and a bathroom. Not bad, but the kitchen needs work. Not to mention, there are dirty clothes pretty much all around. OK, so not the best place, but any place is better than home.

"So tell me about yourself Peeta. My dad told me you'd be coming, but why is it that you're here, may I ask," he asks, leaning on the couch.

"Oh well, family life back at home is a little rough, and it's just not the best place to be," I say, not wanting to elaborate more. I start walking to my room but Gale stops me.

"Hey, what's that on your arm?" he asks, looking at a black blue mark on my arm. I cover it up and tell him it's nothing to worry about. He gives me a skeptical look but lets go.

Then he leads me to my bedroom. It's pretty simple. A bed in the center, a dresser at the front, and a nightstand with a lamp, perfect for reading.

"Cool, but I better get going, I've got a job down at the local bakery shop round the corner," I tell him. He nods. I put my stuff down, and take some of my cooking supplies out.

"Oh so you're a cook then," He says.

"yeah, I used to work at my dad's bakery," I answer.

"Well then, I better clean up the kitchen," he remarks. Yeah that'd be a great idea I think. no moldy pizza please. I put the cooking stuff in my back pack and head out.

"Oh wait, before you leave, here's the spare key!" he says tossing me the key.

"thanks!" I call as a I run out the door, already late for my new job.

I turn around and make one step before bumping into somebody.

"Sorry, my fault," I say. The girl was carrying a basket of laundry, but it spilled once I so rudely collided with her.

"Hey watch it," she says, spinning around to face me. Whoa, I think. I didn't expect to see a beautiful girl. My worry floats away. I just look at her. I'm shocked out of it once she starts yelling at me. "Hey can you watch where you're going next time? Jeez."

"Uhh..sorry," is all I can manage. Wow I must seem stupid to her. I lean down to help pick up some of her clothes, and come across a ripped up shirt. "Ummm..." I say, sort of picking it up, but she snatches it out of my hand.

"Hey, mind your own business," she growls. Whoa, ok time to leave.

"Sorry, I'm new here. I gotta go, what's your name?" I can't help but ask, even though I'm already five minutes late, according to my watch.

"Katniss, Katniss Everdeen, what's yours," she asks, though she looks uninterested.

"My name's Peeta, Peeta Mellark," I say, looking into her eyes. Wow she has some pretty amazing eyes. Bluish with some gray. Amazing. And her braid. But I stop daydreaming and run down the stairs.

"See you later!" I say as I run down the steps. I look back, seeing her scowl. Hmm...what's up with her? I guess I'll just ask Gale once I'm done with work.

I run into the bakery huffing and puffing. Only 10 minutes late, I'm sure I'll be fired. I walk in cautiously and am greeted by a sort of thin man with a scraggly beard.

"Hey, boy, you Peeta?" he asks, slurring his words. I gulp.

"Yes sir, and you must be Haymitch, my father's told me about you, supposed to be the best there is," I say, really laying on the flattery. I reach out my hand to shake his. He grabs my hand but instead of shaking it he pulls me in.

"Don't come to work late again unless you want to be fired." He says. I can smell the whiskey and rum in his breathe. Ugh it really stinks. I shrink away.

"Yes sire, won't happen again, I promise." I say. He smiles.

"You know Peter, I like the spark in you, you're a fighter aren't you," He says, standing up.

"Yes sir, and it's Peeta," I say.

"Don't correct me, and I want you to start by icing those cakes," he orders, pointing to three cakes. They're huge, like massive wedding cakes. But I've done some wedding cakes in my life, nothing I can't handle. I turn away from him and set to work. I can tell he's eyeing me, scrutinizing me. I'll be glad once my shift is done.

Around four hours and three wedding cakes later I'm finished with my shift.

"Not bad kid," says Haymitch. He gives me a grin and gives me my first pay, saying those cakes were done pretty good. He walks back to his office and tells me I can leave. I look back to him to make sure I can really go. Then I look out the window. It's a nice night. I look up in the sky and notice the full moon. That's cool. At my home I hardly ever saw the moon. No mom wouldn't let us look. We were usually holed up in our rooms that didn't have a window. Great home I had back there. I shudder. I don't ever want to go back.

I hurry and get my stuff. I get out the door and turn around to shut it. I walk back to the apartment. I'm going up the many many flights of stairs when a person comes barreling into me.

"Hey! Watch wher you're going!" I tell the person. The person looks back, with a worried expression. I see their eyes, and I think they're from that girl I met earlier. I can't remember her name, but I'm sure it'll come back to me. I make my way back up to my floor, which is the 14th. And I'm just about ready to keel over. Jeez, I think. One thing's for sure. I'll definitely get a good workout from those steps.

I walk back into my apartment to find Gale sitting on the couch, eating a slice of pizza. I look over and see the kitchen is cleaned and the clothes are no longer scattered around.

"Hey Gale, thanks for cleaning the place up," I tell him.

"No problem," he says. He gestures the box of pizza over to me and I gladly take a slice. Suddenly I remember the girl's name. I'm still chewing but once I stop I'll ask.

"Hey Gale, you know a girl named Katniss, Katniss Everdeen?" I ask. He looks at me, kind of suspiciously actually. I figure I better explain myself. "I just met her in the hall earlier today, while heading to the bakery. She seems kinda...edgy I guess."

"Yeah, she's a weird girl. She lives right next to us actually. Since today is your first day, I'll spare you the weird details I notice about her. But sometimes I hear banging coming from her apartment. As in like literally gun shot loud. But I just plug in my music and drown it out. But she's weird, I'll tell you that. Yeah I'd be kinda cautious when being around her." he says. Hm, I think about this but all I know is just want to see this strange girl again.

End of Chapter 1

Yeah so I went with this because for awhile I'd been wanting to make a fan fic about the hunger games but I didn't know how. But then I heard about alternate universes and I was like yeah let's try this shit. So I am trying this out. Hopefully this will turn out a pretty good story. Also, thanks to you guys for liking my Percy and Annabeth fan fic. I'm glad you guys enjoy it. I've been getting some awesome suggestions from you guys about how to continue the story, and I will be sure to include some. But anyway, please give me some feedback and what not on this story and I know it's only ch. 1 but next ch. I will include more Katniss x Peeta (sorry to all those Gale lovers) Also, comment review etc. and no hate please. Have a Happy New Year!