I was watching her through the small window. She was curled up to a ball. A wet ball right next to where the pigs were. By time-to-time she would lift her head up and I would catch her staring at me, although I was pretty sure I was well hidden. Maybe she was trying to figure out whether my mother would come outside again or not, because the next moment she's up and running towards our garbage bins. She started searching furiously and she didn't even give a damn she was almost surrounded by trash.

I sniffed the air and caught the smell of the freshly baked bread coming from the other room.

"Someone, get the bread", my mother screamed while I saw her walking menacingly towards the front door of our shop.

Oh my God, I knew how this would end up like. I would see a lot of hungry kids from the Seam looking through our garbage every other day. My mother run out in the pouring rain holding her molder up in the air, waving it right and left. I could laugh at the ridiculous scene unraveling in front of me, if it wasn't for Katniss.

"Peeta, could you please take care of the bread, son?", my father's voice was coming from the cellar.

"Yes, dad. I'm on it." I yelled back so he'd be able to hear me. I was walking to the oven when it hit me. I thought of all the possible punishments I could get from that but I didn't care. I could save her this time, whatever the cost.

I smiled at myself thinking about the upcoming event. I was actually thrilled and I was sure I looked stupid with a similar smile plastered on me face. By the time I got to the oven, I was able to smell the burning dough. I'd learned to distinguish even the slightest smell whilst I was growing up working in there. I opened the oven door and pulled out the trays with the overdone breads on them. My smile grew even bigger in my face – if that was possible! I placed them on the table and quickly got the breads in small baskets to take them out for selling. I stroked the burnt food before picking the bowls up – one in each hand.

I watched as my mother approached me, soaked to the bone, patiently waiting for what I knew would follow.

"You stupid boy! You know how much that will cost us? But you don't care, you ungrateful, little - " she screamed in my face while she was waving her molder in the air again. It was my father that stopped her hand from coming down my face. But I wouldn't care less if she'd slapped me. She'd done it a million times in the past over meaningless stuff and I was used to it by now.

"Mariah, stop it. He's a kid for God's sake. Let it go". That was my father, trying to bring her to her senses as always. She huffed and growled but then gave up and handed him the molder. He patted her back and gave me one quick smile. I almost missed him nodding his head towards the front door. Of course he knew my intentions. I was always extra careful with the baking time, so there should be a reason for this time. I smiled at him as I picked two of the burnt loaves and ran out the door. I looked around the yard to see her and my heart sank when I didn't. But soon after I decided to walk back inside, I heard a splashing sound coming from the sty. I walked towards there not letting myself hope big. But there she was, even searching in the food bucket that was indented for the pigs.

I sat there watching her madly searching for anything edible. A moment later she suddenly cocked her head and locked her eyes on mine. In the blink of an eye she'd turned on her heel and fled away.

I have had enough though. I just wanted to give her some bread, not chase her around the yard while it was raining cats and dogs. I looked at her for a last time and tossed her the bread. I watched it fall on the ground. She only looked back when she heard the breads splashing into a puddle of water. She ran back and picked them up. She glanced at me for one last time before she went away - for good this time. She just disappeared behind our fence.

I hadn't planned the whole event the way it turned out. I was supposed to be the prince charming offering her food and help. But the only thing I did was toss the bread into the water, which probably ruined it as well. She would never thank me for that.