This is my first attempt at a Fan fiction also at writing a story I use to write poetry until my muse disappeared when I found out my love of my life (boyfriend) had cheated on me with my best friend. To me The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins started off as a romantic novel, but then it spun into something that I wouldn't wish onto my worst enemy I love the books, but so much suffering is makes my heart heavy. Katniss suffered enough before the book started and she was already a great character to be diminished by so much death, pain, and sorrow. So by writing this I want to give her what she deserves and so much more. I wanted to write this story for all the what ifs that we let pass by in our lives day by day that bring us changes and change our way of seeing life, the way we react to it, and ultimately the way we are as human beings.
THE HUNGER GAMES AND ALL THE CHARACTERS FROM THE HUNGER GAMES BELONG TO SUZANNE COLLINS THANK YOU FOR THEM.
What If…
Chpt. 1
I'm sulking under a tree behind the Mellark Bakery after rummaging through trash bins for food to find nothing. Mrs. Mellark had just been screaming at me for going through her trash can, I could see pain in her blue eyes when she said there was nothing there. I can clearly see my hope slipping through my hands. When I look up I see Peeta Mellark looking at me and then looking back at his family bakery when he runs towards me to hand me two burnt loaves of whole grain bread. "Katniss you need to get up, go home, and rest before you get anymore sick, this rain is freezing here I'll help you up" says Peeta. The last thing I see is how beautiful his blue eyes are when my whole world goes dark.
I wake up but I'm not trashing like usual, it must have been a light nightmare nothing like the ones of my father being blown to bits in the mines. When I get up I'm in my bed, yep it was a nightmare I undo my braid and find that my hair is slightly wet and I'm wearing night clothes even though it is not too late in the evening. When I walk into the kitchen I find those same blue eyes that I saw in my nightmare earlier looking at me with worry laced into them. "Katniss dear how are you feeling?" my mother asks. I feel confused why is Peeta Mellark in my living room looking at me with so much worry in his eyes? My question must register in my face because Peeta begins to explain to me what happen. "Katniss I was handing you some bread and telling you to go home because you could get sick when you fainted. My mother came out and told me to bring you to your house and to stay until you woke". Why would Mrs. Mellark ask her son to do that, she isn't the nicest person I'm so confused. "I just want to know that you're ok and I'll be on my way" Peeta says. "I'm fine Peeta you can leave now". He reluctantly gets up and goes out the door. "Katniss you really need to learn how to be nicer to people not everyone is out to get you" Prim tells me. "Little duck you know people aren't my thing I'm more of an animal person" Prim giggles. "Katniss in a way Primrose is right, what Peeta did for you not many do in our district you could've at least thanked him." My mother states, and she is oh so right. So I owe the boy with bread double for caring me all the way home from the merchant part of District 12 to the Seam where I live.
My mother hasn't had much luck finding sick people to cure right now and to make matters worse she doesn't have the plants to cure the ones she does find. I was trying to sell Prims' baby clothes to be able to buy food a couple hours before Peeta found me under the tree. He saved me, but most importantly he saved my family. I get up to leave my mother and sister after guiltily eating the bread that Peeta gave me to go to my bed to sleep but Prim stops me saying "We should do something for their family for helping us". I continue my way to my bed.
"Katniss get up we have to get ready for school" Prim says. I get up, change, brush my teeth, and braid my hair as usual. We walk hand in hand from the Seam to our school. "Katniss have you thought of a way we can repay the Mellark's act of kindness towards us" Prim says. "Little duck we don't even have money to feed our family and you want me to repay their kindness?" I ask her "Katniss it doesn't have to be money it can be something you hunt, or something to cure, anything really as long as there is a thank you in there." The day is a blur I cannot for the life of me stop thinking of those blue eyes that tell me so much without their owner saying a single word or how to repay for their kindness. I'm outside of school waiting for Prim to get out when I see him staring at me, but as soon as he sees me looking at him he looks down. I try not to show my disappointment in not being able to see those beautiful eyes when Prim tugs at my hand. "You ok Katniss?" she says. "I'm fine little duck". That's when she hands me a dandelion a smile begins to form on my lips and I have a great idea on how to repay and see those blue eyes that belong to the boy with bread.
Prim goes to the meadow with my mother and they begin to gather all the dandelions and greens they can, while I go to the woods and shoot four squirrels I hope it is enough. We return home and begin a dandelion salad and make a squirrel stew. When we finish we begin our trek to the Merchant part of the district. We walk into the bakery and I see Mr. Mellark in the front. "Hello Katniss, Primrose, Mrs. Everdeen how may I help you ladies?" Mr. Mellark ask. "Sir we are here to give out thanks for your help." I say he looks at me confused when Mrs. Mellark comes to the front. "Ma'am thank you for your help the other day" I tell her. "No need to thank me, if there's someone to thank its Peeta" she says. "Honey, do you care to explain to me what this is about?" he asks. "Katniss was here the other day she needed bread, but couldn't afford it mysteriously some burnt loaves appeared I gave them to her and was leaving when she was getting ill from the rain, she fainted so Peeta had to take her home." She says. Why is she lying to him I highly doubt he'll get mad he is the nice one after all. This family confuses me so much.
"Hi" Peeta says. "Nice of you to join us Peeta" Mrs. Mellark says I see her give him a warning look then turn to her husband. "Ladies I'm so sorry I seem to have forgotten my manners please come in have dinner with my family." Mr. Mellark beams. "Katniss always forgets her manners" Prim whispers to me and I blush. We sit in the table with the Prim to my right, my mother to my left, and Peeta in front of me how convenient. We eat out dinner with light conversation and I sneak a peek a Peeta whenever the conversation isn't directed to us. Peeta and his brothers Rye and Bran walk us home after dinner I walk a little behind when Peeta stops to wait for me. "Thank you for the dinner best I ever had beats eating stale bread" he says to me. "No Peeta, thank you for the bread and for taking me home". I say we have stopped walking and our families haven't notices since they are so entertained with their conversation. "Katniss you didn't have to do that your friendship would've been enough, I would do it all over again without thinking," he says while placing a strand of hair behind my ear and I blush. We begin to walk again this time we stay silent.