The sirens grow louder with every step I take. I know it's no use in running, with my leg and all, but that doesn't stop me from pressing forward until my lungs are filled with fire. I can see the fence and my friends running on the other side of it. I hear their voices telling me to stop, I don't listen. Ten more strides and I'll be on the other side with them. Harder and faster until I'm tumbling forward and falling on my face, I take a second to look back. The police car has stopped and the two officers are now on foot chasing me. I get up, ignoring the pain in my leg, and reach the fence. I just have to climb over the fence and I'll be able to get away, I'm so close. I swing bad leg over the top of the fence first but I have trouble finding my footing. I slip back and hands are on me, yanking me towards the ground roughly. I try to push them off me, but they shove me harder, throwing me to the ground, my face grinding into the dirt below.
Handcuffs are on me before they pat me down and lift me up until I can find my footing.
"Not smart to run, Peeta. You run and we charge you with resisting arrest, you should know that by now."
I recognize his voice, it's Cray; the old bastard Deputy Chief that's been on my case since he's be promoted. He tries to be a bad ass and throw his weight around but really he's a teddy bear. It's Chief of Police Thread that is a real ball buster.
"Come on now, Cray, where's the run in that. Got to keep you guys in shape, ain't that right Templesmith?" I grin at the slightly overweight partner who is breathing a bit harder than I am.
"Oh Peeta," is all he says before Cray shoves me in the back of the police cruiser.
I've been to the police station enough times to know all the workers by name. Darius, the newbie, is someone I actually consider a friend, or as close as a friend would get in the position we're in. He makes sure I get the good holding cell that is for single use and not the shared cell that has the town's drunks sleeping it out.
I'm allowed one phone call, to my parents to bail me out, but I hold off. Instead I ask for a pillow and a blanket and something to eat and get settled for the night. Here is way better than home anyways.
XxX
"I'm beginning to think that you get in trouble just to see me, Mr. Mellark," Judge Snow; an aging man with hair to match his name.
"You caught me. Can't get enough of that beautiful face," I joke sarcastically.
Snow rolls his beady eyes and gives a huff, "Mr. Mellark, you were caught trespassing on private property then proceeded to resist arrest by attempting to flee with you and your friends," he reads off of a paper in front of him without bothering to look up at me.
"I didn't know it was private property," I shrug my shoulders.
Snow finally looks up at me while taking off his thin wired glasses. "You're meaning to tell me you and your friends didn't see the gigantic sign that you drew graffiti all over before climbing over the fence?"
"I didn't read the fine print," I say sarcastically.
"Anyhow, since you refuse to give up the names of your delinquent friends, you have to suffer the consequences by yourself. How to you plead Mr. Mellark?"
"Guilty I guess."
"I should really throw you into jail this time, but I'm sentencing you to five hundred hours of community service and house arrest starting the day of your service until the end of the summer. You'll go to work then come home immediately and once a week you'll report to your probation officer where you'll be drug tested randomly. Any questions?"
"What's the community service?"
"It seems that I am feeling generous today, Mr. Mellark. I'll give you a week to decide what you wish to do, and your probation officer will make the proper arrangements. Anything else?"
"Nope," I say as I pop the 'p'.
"Very well. I sincerely hope this is the last time we see each other, but I doubt it," Judge snow smacks the gavel as a signal to dismiss us.
I look back at my where my parents were supposed to be sitting but the pew is unsurprisingly empty of all people. I wouldn't have it any other way, who needs family, right?
XxX
"At least the judge was nice enough to let you pick your own community service," Finnick says while keeping his eyes on the baseball game playing on the television. "You can come lifeguard with me."
"Yeah I'm sure they'd allow me to do my community service with one of the delinquents that go away."
"But they don't know that I was one of those delinquents, right Peet?" He looks at me with sudden concern.
"Like I'd eat you out. Now if Cato got caught that would be a different story," I joke to lighten the mood.
Finnick gives me the heart breaker smile before turning back to the game. Part of me is pissed that I'm taking the blame all on my own and it wasn't even my idea. But then again survival of the fittest and I'm the weakest link thanks to the bum leg I've been sporting since I was a kid.
Once the game is over, Finnick and I decide to grab something to eat before my unknown community service kicks in and I'm forced to a summer of work and no play.
The wait is long at Greasy Sae's but we don't even think about going anywhere else because Haymitch is the bartender tonight and he's notorious for serving alcohol to the underage youth. Sae's pretty much the biggest hole in the wall with mismatched chairs and rickety tables. Her food is mouthwatering though so even with the run down decor; you can still find the mayor eating here from time to time with his daughter.
By chance, I take a glance at the bulletin board with pictures of missing animals as well as people, an assortment of business cards, and something that catches my eye. A flyer for a summer camp that District 12 national forest. Underneath the list of activities, in bold are the words Help Wanted.
"Hey Finn, what do you know about the summer camp over at the national forest?" I ask in a nonchalant manner.
"It's a sleep away camp. Annie volunteered as a lifeguard there last year to spruce up her resume. Why?"
"Doesn't Katniss Everdeen volunteer? I mean she works at the park as it is."
"Oh God, man. Let it go, you're never going to get Katniss Everdeen to notice you. And if God forbid she ever does she sure as hell won't be touching your tainted record dick. She's a good girl, Peet. Don't corrupt her."
"Annie's a good girl," I protest. "And I don't want Katniss to touch my dick."
"Annie's got a wild side to her that only comes out behind closed doors, if you know what I mean. And yeah you do, you want Katniss all over that," Finnick laughs as he points between my legs. "You've been obsessed over her since grade school, how could you not?"
"I'm not obsessed," I grumble.
Finnick doesn't fight me on it because we both know that he's right. It doesn't stop me from secretly snatching the flyer off of the cork board and shoving it deep into the back pocket of my jeans.
XxX
"Oh Peeta, that's a wonderful idea!" My probation officer, Effie Trinket, claps her hands together at my idea of working at the summer camp for my community service.
I'm not sure how Effie got into the justice system, more specifically how she got to be a correctional officer. Certainly a fashion magazine editor would suit her better as she's always talking about the latest trends that her line of work forbids her to take part in. Sorry Effie, no lilac hair or zebra print. That still doesn't stop her from bleaching her hair into a bright blonde that's almost the color of watered down piss. And her nails are still painted a bright neon pink and she's got on ridiculously oversized hoop earrings dangling from both ears. Plus she's a complete idiot.
Not that I'm complaining though. I'm lucky that I was assigned to Effie because she's a walk in Sunshine Park with bunny rabbits and unicorns compared to some of the other parole officers that she shares an office building with. Plus Effie doesn't treat me like a criminal; she just treats me as Peeta, which I don't get a lot.
"Let me just give the director a call and we can see if we can set something up," Effie tells me as she dials a number into the phone.
Her voice goes an octave higher whenever Effie is on the phone and she giggles a little too much for the conversation she's having to seem sincere. She talks about me to whoever is on the phone, telling them that I'm a little 'misguided' and need something to keep me busy for the summer, and that I'd be happy to be anywhere they have an opening. Effie hangs up the phone with a bright smile.
"You're good to go," Effie smiles. "You're really going to have a fabulous summer. Now make sure you have one of the camp counselor sign your sheet every day for conformation that you actually showed up, but I know you will."
I stop listening after she hands me a sheet of paper that is supposed to get signed. I'm amazed that anyone actually agreed to me working at a summer camp for my community service. I can't believe that I'll be spending an entire summer with Katniss Everdeen. Now I just have to work up the courage to actually talk to her.