Chapter One
"Peeta we need more bread! Hurry it up!" my mother screeches at me. I sigh.
"I know, mother. I am coming." I grab the five loaves of bread out of the oven and place them on the counter and quickly load the next loaves in. My hands are burned and sting vigouresly but I continue to move. "Orders up!" I hollar.
After about ten more rounds of this, I am finished with my shift. I toss the apron, now dirty and burned, on the ground and wash my hands, feeling no relief of pain. "Peeta, get ready! It's almost time for the Reaping! We all know that if you get picked that we'll have to try and find another worker. Peeta, pray you won't get picked." My mother says. She hates me so much that all she cares about is that the bakery is making money. I am a slave. That is all I am.
I don't reply and run upstairs to my room, pulling on my nicest clothes and brushing my blonde hair out from my eyes. I sigh, staring at my reflection. Twenty times my name was entered for the Reaping. Twenty times. My brother, the oldest, Matthew comes up and knocks on the door.
"Hey," I say casually, although not really paying attention.
"Hey, Peeta. Look, I just wanted to let you know how much I love you. Nomatter what happens today, just remember that I'll always be here if you need anything." he says. I nod, trying to seem like I don't care.
"I never can understand what my father sees in my mother. Katniss's mother, I can understand but not...not her." I sigh. He pats me on the back.
"I know. You really care about Katniss don't you?" Matthew asks.
"I've always cared about her since the first time I saw her. Her beautiful eyes. Her sparking smile. Her long gorgeous black hair. I do." Katniss. I can never go ten minutes with out thinking about her. Although, I've never had the courage to talk to her. She probably doesn't even know that I exist. I sigh, trying to remember the last time I saw her. Her hair was in a long braid down her back and she was carrying a bow and arrows as well as a wild turkey and a rabbit. Next to her, I'm guessing her boyfriend, Gale Hawthorne, carrying two others. I gave them the money for them and that's about it.
"You need to talk to her, bro." Matthew says, breaking my thoughts.
"I know but really, why would she want to go out with me? I mean, I'm no prize that a girl would want." I say, sadly.
"You got that right." My mother mutters at the door. I turn to her and stare at her.
"Need anything?" I ask, irritation in my voice.
"I need you to bake ten more loaves of bread with out feeding it to the Seam brats. Can you handle that?"
"I've got it." Matthew says. Mother rolls her eyes and walks out. "And for the record, Peeta. You would be surprised."
"Look, I can do that if you want. It's no big deal." I say.
"No, I'm fine. I'll do this if you promise me that you'll try to talk to her. At least try. If she doesn't like you, then that's her loss but I am almost certain that she will." he insists. I let out a long sigh. My issue is what if she doesn't like me? What if she doesn't even like me as a friend?
"Okay, I promise." I say. Matthew smiles and jogs downstairs. I lay on my mattress for about ten or fifteen minutes until I leave for the Reaping.
I make my way through the crowd and stand in my age group as usual. People exchange nervous glances and fake smiles. Really, I don't blame anyone. The mayor goes on and on about how we were wrong to defy the Capitol. About how we should've never doubted their superioty but really, I don't believe any of it. I look around and then find her.
Those eyes, glisten momentarily into mine. Her face creates a small and fake smile but she turns back to the mayor. I continue to watch her. Her hands mingling with her braid, her foot tapping eagerly. Katniss. I reluctantly look away when Effie gets the girl's reaping ball. "Ladies first!" She squeals. Her hand twirls and twists around until she pulls out a slip of paper. "Primrose Everdeen." she says. Everdeen? No, that can't be Katniss's sister can it?
It is. Primrose steps up, the back of her shirt tucked out, her eyes lifeless and skin pale. She looks like a ghost. That's when Katniss stops her. "No Prim!" She calls out. "I volunteer! I volunteer to tribute!"
"I thought that was your sister! Can't let her have all of the glory now can we?" Effie calls. Katniss takes a deep breath and slowly aproaches the stage.
"No Katniss don't!" Prim cries.
"Let go Prim! Let go!" she says shaking the young girl off of her leg. Gale comes up and lifts Prim up and carries her like an infant. Katniss's mother is in tears but I can tell she is trying not to make a big scene. I stand there, frozen. Motionless. I catch a look from my brother, sadness in his eyes.
"Now the gentlemen!" Effie mixes the boy's slips around and pulls one out. "Peeta Mellark." My heart stops. I swear, I think that I died for a split second. My hands can not move from my sides, my feet are glued to the pavement. Effie repeats my name and I walk up to the stage slowly.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Effie's voice echoes off of each wall and I give Katniss a reassuring squeeze on her hand as I shake it.
We are both walked to the Justice Building and my mother is first to visit. "Look, I'm sorry." I murmur though I'm not sure what for.
"Yeah. Just don't give up. We can't afford to hire another employee." she says.
"You don't think that I can win do you? You think that I'll lose! Just say it! Admit that I won't win!" I order harshly.
"No I don't. You'll be dead within seconds. She's a surviver that one. She will probably be the one to kill you. Most likely will be." she says. I throw a pillow on the ground and fight back anger.
"Go." I mutter. I get no goodbye or good luck. She just gets up and leaves. That's when my father walks in and embraces me.
"Don't lose hope, son. You can do this. If there ever comes a time when..when you think that it's totally and completely worthless, pray for a miracle." I feel like a little kid again but don't care.
"Thanks Dad. I love you." I murmur.
"I love you too." he replies. That's when he leaves. My brother comes in next and takes a seat next to me.
It's a while before he says, "How much do you love this Katniss Everdeen?" he asks.
"With all of my heart." I answer honestly.
"Do whatever you can to keep her alive. Protect her, always know where she is. Don't let her out of your sight. Promise me that if you truly love her, you will show it. Don't hide your emotions with her or with the Capitol. Make love your battle strategy." He says. I nod and do not hide my sadness.
"I will." I say. He nods and embraces me.
"I love you, Peeta. Good luck." He walks out and I lay on the couch until the Peacemakers lead me to the train. I climb aboard and plop down on a seat nearest to the door. In a few hours, Effie calls us to dinner in the dining room. I take bites, slowly considering how great the food is and I notice Katniss is doing the same. That's when our mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, comes to the table, drunk and totally and completely wasted.
"Good choice." I say, working up my courage to talk to Katniss. She turns slightly.
"Hmm?" she asks. Peeta Mellark, you total, complete, fully known,
"The soup. Good choice."
"Oh yeah, it's wonderful." Genious! You actually talked to her! I smile, feeling a little more relaxed. "So Haymitch, do you have any tips on the Hunger Games?" she asks sweetly.
"Stay alive." he mumbles laughing. Anger brews inside me.
"That's very funny." I say. "Only not to us." Then I take the wine glass and throw it on the floor, breaking it to pieces. He punches me in the face and then Katniss throws a knife, the blade landing just near to his fingers.
"Wow, looks like I have some fighters over here!" he hollars. "Tell you what, you do what I say, then I'll stay sober enough to help you guys out."
"That depends on what you'd tell us to do." Katniss says.
"Listen to whatever they tell you to do at the Capitol. Don't argue just do it. Got that sweetheart?" he says. She rolls her eyes and yawns.
"I'm going to bed. Goodnight." she says. I am thanking the Lord at the moment that my room is next to hers.
"Night Katniss." I say as she closes the door.
"Goodnight Peeta. See you tomorrow." when the door closes I can't help but smile. I did it! I talked to her! I open the door and slip into a pair of pajamas. I go into my bed and think about the chariots tomorrow. I wonder what we'll be dressed up as this year. Coal or fire or something related to that. Well, I guess we'll find out. For now, I just am happy that Katniss and I actually said something to eachother. It was like two things but still. My brother would be patting me on the back right now if only he were here.
I close my eyes and fall into a nice and gentle sleep.