My mother slams the door shut and mumbles something about Seam scum digging through our trash barrels. It's a common occurrence, starving people often look for scraps of delicious treats in our barrels. As I walk by the window I take a peek outside to see if the person is still there.

My heart drops at the sight of her. Katniss Everdeen. The girl I've loved ever since I saw her that first day of kindergarten. I never told anyone of course, no, my mother would beat me if she found out I like a girl from the Seam. I've watched her all throughout school, but I've never had the courage to talk to her. Besides, I always stayed with the town kids. But her gentleness to her sister and the way she used to sing in music assembly, have made me realize through all those layers of hardship that comes with Seam life, she really is a wonderful person.

Now she's bone thin and clearly starving. I heard her father recently died in a mining accident, and I so desperately wanted to comfort her. Her family is obviously not doing well, by the state she's in. I wonder if she's taking care of her and her sister all alone. it certainly doesn't look like she's getting much help.

She sits against the old apple tree, her limbs crumbled into a ball, soaked to the bone with the icy rain. She looks so weak that she might never get up again. Suddenly I know what I need to do. I need to finally reach out to her, to help her in any way I can. I can't just sit here while the only girl I've ever loved, and probably will ever love, starves.

I walk over to the oven, which has just started beeping, signaling it's time to take the loaves of bread out.

"Peeta!" my mother yells. "Take the bread out and let it cool before you put it on the counter."

I shove the mitts on my hands, take a deep breath for what I must do next, and reach into the sweltering oven. When my mother walks into the kitchen, I purposely drop the loaves into the fire so they get burned. She sees what I did, and then all I feel is great pain as a spatula collides with my cheek.

She yells a lot of insulting things at me, but I don't really hear her through my pain. But then I remember I did that for a reason, knowing I would get beaten, so Katniss could have the bread.

"Feed it to the pig, you stupid creature! Why not? No one decent will buy burned bread!"

I pickup the loaves and open the door. Katniss is still there, looking up at the noise. I close the door behind me, trying to ignore the chilling rain, and tear small chunks off to feed to the pig. Then I glance over my shoulder to make sure my mother's not watching, but she's gone to the front to help a customer. I throw one loaf to her, then the other. I quickly turn away so she won't see my face go red, and desperately hope she has the sense to grab them and run. I walk back inside, grateful to be out of the freezing rain.

I look out the window as I pass it and see Katniss has already fled the scene with the bread. A small smile plays on my lips, but not big enough to hurt my cheek. Hopefully that bread will help her stay living, stay growing, stay doing the things that make me love her.