As I was reading The Hunger Games I fell in love with Peeta. He was one of my all time favorite characters. When I finished the book, I began wondering what he was thinking during the entire Hunger Games ordeal. I searched for fan-fictions but none really fit entirely with my idea of Peeta's character. So I began a writing exercise where I delved into my limited-creativity and came up with "Peeta's Version". This story is mostly my imagination gone wild and was written for self indulgent reasons, but I hope you enjoy.
What do you do when your sentenced to death? By the one you love? Because the way I see it, that's the only possibility.
"Peeta! What are you doing still sleeping?" My eyelids flutter open. I get up and throw on some jeans and an old t-shirt, speckled with holes from when the sparks flew out of the oven. I know my mother is already impatiently waiting for me down in the kitchen; a lot of people will be buying bread today. It is reaping day. Families will be flocking in here to buy loafs of bread for their celebratory dinner. Except for two—Two families who will have lost their children, maybe for good. I wallop down the stairs rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Out the window the sun is just rising over the horizon. I make my way to the kitchen, two voices waft from the open door. I pause, not wanting to interrupt. I chance a peek and see my father standing there with a boy; tall, straight black hair, olive skin, the look of the Seam. Then he looks at me and our eyes meet, they're gray, and that's when I recognize him; Gale Hawthorne. He's a senior at my school but that's not how I know him. I recognize him because he's always with her. I've been in love with Katniss Everdeen ever since I was five years old. She barely even knows I exist though. That's because she's always with him. Katniss and Gale are well known hunters from the Seam and often come here together to trade with my father. Even now Gale passes my father a squirrel in exchange for bread. I see my dad shake his hand and wish him luck. Luck, isn't that the word for a day like today.
The day goes by in a blur. I'm mostly preoccupied, thinking about the Capital and their barbaric games. I kneed the doe, I put the doe in a pan, I bake the doe. Just like every other day, except it's not. Before I know it, the bell rings as the last customer walks out the door and my father closes up shop.
"We should get ready." He tells me and I nod. It's mandatory to attend the reaping. Unless you're knocking on death's door then you had better show up. Peace Keepers will be making their rounds to ensure everyone is there, if not you will be imprisoned. I put on a light green, button down and light khaki pants. I wait for my two brothers to finish with the bathroom before I go into brush my wavy, blonde hair; it never wants to cooperate. Heavens forbid we don't look nice when called to our death. When we're finally ready, we head toward the town square as a family, this could be our last time together. No. I mustn't think like that. My name's only in the bowl 4 times. Compared to someone like Gale or, I hated to think of her name, Katniss, who had to sign up for tessrae. Their names would be in a lot more then mine. We reach the square and I'm herded toward the 16 year olds. That's when I see her. Katniss looks beautiful, she's wearing a frilly, deep blue dress and her dark hair is up in an elaborate braid. Only a few people separate us. The square suddenly goes quiet as the Mayor steps up to the microphone and begins with the history of Panem. It's the same drill every year, first the mayor drones on about Panem's history then lists past year's victors; it's a short list with only two people. One of which is now lumbering across the stage. Haymitch Abernathy. Middle aged, tubby and obviously drunk. He takes his seat next to scary Effie Trinket. This causes quite a commotion but the crowd quickly dies down and bubbly, revolting Effie Trinket takes her place at the microphone, her bubblegum pink wig slightly askew.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" she gushes. The words make me want to puke. All the capitol puppets treat the Hunger Games like something to be celebrated. After Effie's usual scripted speech it's time for the reaping.
"Ladies first!" Effie puts her hand in big glass bowl and fishes around for a slip of paper. Making a big show of it, Effie walks back to the microphone and flourishes the paper.
"Primrose Everdeen!" she shouts. There's a commotion and I look over to see that Katniss has fainted. The tiny girl who's name was just called makes her way to the stage. Then it dawns on me just in time to see Katniss come to and run toward the girl, that must be her sister.
"Prim!" I hear her call. Then she shouts two words, two words that might as well be a death sentence…
"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" There's an even larger commotion in the crowd and Effie Trinket begins to speak but I don't hear any of it. My world has just come crashing down around me. My hopes, my dreams, my future goes up in flames, just like the bread. The bread that I burned on purpose to give to her, the bread I received a beating for. The one girl I was sure I loved was now sentenced to die. I was practically on my knees when something remarkable happens. There is silence. Absolute silence. Then something even more remarkable happens, as if on an invisible signal first one then the entire crowd perform the symbol of district twelve and each and every person in the crowd touches their three middle fingers on their left hand to their lips before holding them out toward Katniss. For as long as I live I don't think I will ever witness something as defiant as this, and my heart fills with pride at knowing this girl. This girl who has united all of district twelve. Suddenly the silence is broken as Haymitch comes strolling across the stage and congratulates Katniss.
"Look at her. Look at this one! Haymitch throws his arm around Katniss and I see her cringe. "I like her! Lots of… Spunk!" then he begins shouting at the camera "More than you! More than you!" that's when he takes a dive right off the stage. A stretcher comes to take Haymitch away and I'm back lost in my thoughts. Katniss, the girl I love has just volunteered to die, and while I'm completely horrified I'm also awestruck at the amount of courage that takes. I wonder if my brother's would do that for me? I don't need to think very hard about that question though…
"Peeta Mellarck!" My name. My name had been reaped. I'm in complete shock, unable to move. Then someone shakes my shoulder and I realize I have to make my way toward the stage.