Chapter 1
"Peeta!" I hear the familiar voice scream. I start running. I reach the dark haired, silvered eyed girl just as the sword is pulled out of her stomach.
"Katniss," I whisper.
I grab the large boy who holds the sword and kill him with my hands. I turn now, to Katniss, all the color in her olive skin is gone. I kneel before her, and pull her toward me. I search for any signs of life, but find none. "No," I whisper. "I lost her."
My eyes snap open. It was a bad dream. I rub my eyelids. I've loved the girl in that dream since I was five. One the first day of school, she sang a song for the class, and I knew I was in love. When we were eleven, just after her father died in a mine accident, I gave her some bread, because she was starving. Then, almost a year ago, we were both chosen to compete in a fight to the death called The Hunger Games.
We both won, although, we weren't aloud to. We were going to eat a poisonous berry called nightlock, because only one of us could win. I thought we were in love. On the train back to District Twelve, where we live, Katniss told me she didn't really care for me, and it was just a survival strategy for the Games. A way to get sponsors. That day I told myself I wouldn't play the game Katniss was playing.
I stand up and take a shower. Because I won the Games, I got to move into a house in the Victor's Village. The section of District Twelve was just for it's victors. But there are only three living victors form District Twelve. Me, Katniss, and our mentor, Haymitch, who won the second Quarter Qwell, a special Hunger Games that happens every twenty five years.
I dry myself off and get dressed. Then, I go into the kitchen to bake some bread. My parents own a bakery in town, before the Games, I worked there and so, I know how to make all the recipes. Maybe, I'll go into town today, to visit my family. If my mother isn't around.
My mother has always been cruel to my brothers and I. But, I was her least favorite. Even after I won the Games, and became one of the richest people in District Twelve, she didn't treat me the way a mother should.
Once I'm done baking, I put my coat on and walk into town. I walk to the back door of the bakery and look to my side. There stands a tree, the same tree Katniss sat under years ago. The day I gave her the bread. But any memory I have of Katniss upsets me, because of what she did in the Games.
I open the back door and enter the place I used to spend most of my time in. I smell bread and other goods as soon as I open the door.
"Son," I hear my Dad's voice. "What are you doing here today?"
I frown. "Why? Do you not want me here?"
My Dad laughs. "Or course I want you here, son, I just didn't think you'd come today. With the Victory Tour starting and all," he says.
The Victory Tour. I've completely forgotten about it. Starting today, we will be taken on a tour through Panem. To visit each district. We'll probably have to pretend to be in love again. Not that it was ever fake for me.
I sigh. "I forgot the tour started today, Dad. And it doesn't start until later. We could visit, if you'd like." I say.
I look up to meet my father's eyes. "I'd like that," he says. We go upstairs to my old bedroom.
"So, how's your leg doing?" my dad asks, after sitting on my old bed. My leg, it was injured in The Hunger Games by a boy from District Two. Katniss risked her life to get medicine to heal it. But then a muttation bit my leg, and when I won the Games the doctors decided it would be better for me if they took it off. I now have a metal leg in it's place. It took some getting used to, but it's starting to get easier to walk.
"It's find Dad. I'm still getting used to it, though." I say.
"That's good, what about... that girl?" he asks.
I close my eyes. "She's doing good. I wouldn't be happy with any one else."
I never told my family her feelings for me were fake. They know my feelings are real. And my brothers, Rye and Graham would never let me forget about it. But I don't want to forget.
"Do you want to come over for dinner, the night you get back form the Victory Tour?" he asks.
I smile, I will need something to distract myself with when the Tours over. "All right." I say. My dad smiles. "I've got to go, I need to check on Haymitch."
"All right. Goodbye son." he says.
I walk to the door. "Bye. I'll see you," I say and walk back to the Victor's Village.
I take the bread from my house, and walk to Haymitch's house. Once I get there, I can hear Haymitch talking to someone. I open the door.
"Look, if you wanted to be babied, you should have asked Peeta." says Katniss, who is perched on the windowsill. I wince, I don't want to be near Katniss, but maybe I should speak with her before we have to go back to being the 'star-crossed lovers from District Twelve'.
"Asked me what?" I ask and set the loaf of bread on the table. I hold my hand out to Haymitch, so he'll give me his knife, I notice he's all wet.
"Asked you to wake me up without giving me pneumonia," says Haymitch as he hands me his knife. I smile. Katniss must have woke him up by throwing water on him, or something.
I clean Haymitch's knife the best I can, and slice the loaf of bread. I look at Katniss. She looks healthy, and well fed, unlike how she looked most of his life. "Would you like a piece?" I ask her.
"No, I ate at the Hob," says Katniss in that same voice she's used for me since all the cameras went back to the Capitol. "But thank you." she adds in the same tone. I wish she'd talk to be like back in the arena.
"You're welcome," I say.
"Brr. You two have a lot of warming up to do before showtime." says Haymitch.
Katniss rolls her eyes. "Take a bath, Haymitch." says Katniss as she swings her legs out the window and drops to the ground.
"I just did," says Haymitch.
I laugh and head back home to paint Katniss in the windowsill.