Hello fellow fan-people! This is my second story and I am taking a big step, Peeta's perspective. I can only hope I will do my favorite character of all time justice, please give me any and all feedback on that subject. I will warn you now, there are going to be time gaps, they time frame I have in mind for this story will have two maybe if it really gets going three games, and I can't write that many. So there will be chunks of the boring stuff you all know left out. I am going to write the meat of my rendition on this story and hope you enjoy. I was inspired by the fanfiction "Saving the Boy" by Embracing-Immensity. It is wonderful and I have read it several times, one of the first ones I read and it really stayed with me. I flipped the roles in "Saving the Boy" and added my own spin to it, and changed the time frames. I will stop rambling now and just get to the story. I hope you enjoy and please comment below!

NOTE: I AM LEAVING GALE OUT OF MY STORY, I HAVE TOO MUCH DRAMA ALREADY PLANNED. GALE NEVER HAPPENED

I own nothing the characters belong to the goddess which is Suzanne Collins.

Chapter 1- The Interview

I try to keep my eyes open as Effie explains the importance of good posture to me for over an hour. We've been through posture, tone of voice, and how to walk on and off the stage. Effie is nice enough, but I am really not into this kind of stuff and its really hard to stay awake and remember it all. My fellow tribute Ness was up all night crying, I knocked on her door to see if I could help. She asked me to play cards with her all night, I haven't had sleep in over 34 hours. Just as I'm about to nod off completely, she tells me we have a lunch break. I run straight to my room for a nap.

An hour later I hear a soft knock on the head board, and look up to see Ness.

"Hello Ness," I say as I yawn and stretch out,

"Hi Peeta, it's your turn with Haymitch and he is getting another drink to take with him so I would hurry up." I like Ness, she is kind and really good natured. She lived across the street from me, in the florists shop. My brother is actually engaged to her older sister. I thank her and rush to brush my teeth and meet up with Haymitch. I join him in his room and it reeks of alcohol and the contents of his stomach. He gives me a glare as I hesitate at his door, debating wether I really want to go in, and motions for me to sit in the chair opposite him.

"This is how this is going to work. I am going to ask you questions and your going to answer them. If I don't like the answer I will change it. After we will think of an angle for you. Got it?" I nod quickly. "Good," he finishes before he takes a big gulp of his drink. He asks a few basic questions then he asks the question I don't want to answer. "Do you have a girlfriend?" I tell him no I don't, but he gives me an odd look like he knows. Like he knows I have feelings for Katniss.

"She isn't your girlfriend, but who is she?" he says in a softer voice then he has used with me since I've met him. I take a deep breath and clear my head.

"Her name is Katniss. Katniss Everdeen. I go to school with her and have had a crush on her since I first saw her. She is strong and determined. I just don't want to say anything about her because I don't want her involved."
He just sits there looking at me and thinking, then like a spark in the back of his mind his eyes light up and he sets his drink down.

"I've got it." He almost shouts. We then go about planning and plotting on how we are going to get me out of the games. There are a few moments I think I surprise him on the fact that I'm not just a boy who can decorate cakes.

Portia has dressed me in a sleek black tux that has a fire design going up the arm and legs. They are still playing off of our costumes at the tribute parade. I was the boy on fire, and apparently people took notice of me. I watch Ness' interview in which she talks about her older sister and how she really wants to go back to see her get married. I really hope she does see her sister get married, but it's my brother getting married too and I want to get back too. I hate these games even more than I used to. The host of the interviews Caesar Flickerman introduces me and the crowd goes wild, which I am really surprised at. I try to hide my shock as I walk onto the stage showing 'confidence and elegance' as Effie put it. I shake his hand and we take a seat, I try to remember the plan before we start.

"So Peeta how are you finding the Capitol? And don't say with a map," he says. I laugh lightly at his joke and try to continue to banter.

"Well, the showers here are different."

"Our showers? How so?"

"Tell me Caesar, do I smell like roses to you?" I lean close to him as if to tell him to smell, he does and asks the same of me. We all have a good laugh and joke for a minute more when we both know the time has come for him to ask this question. Haymitch told me he caught Caesar in the hallway and told him to ask it. "So Peeta, you must have a girl back home."

"No, there's no one," I'm not supposed to blush but it just kind of happens when I think of her. Caesar smiles at me and continues to prod.

"Oh come now, a handsome lad like you must have some girl," I think for a moment then know what I have to say.

"Well, there is this one girl, I've had a crush on forever. But I bet she didn't realize who I was until I went into the games."

"Tell you what, you win this thing and you go back to her. She'll have to take you. Why don't you tell her right now?" He laughs and the crowd applauds in agreement.

"Well, she would never think it would be her. The only thing that she would know would be the bread, the burnt bread." Caesar lets it go seeing as I won't give her name, but according to Haymitch the seed is set. A bug in the back of the people's minds as to who my mystery girl is. I told him I didn't think it would work, but I have to trust him. And I just hope Katniss doesn't take it the wrong way.