Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games

I was just five. How could I be thinking I already liked girls? I was only five. I was still supposed to enjoy eating mud and grass. I didn't even know anything about girls. My brothers all said they were gross and had a raccoon disease.

But the girl in the red and white dress that Papa pointed out sure looked pretty. Maybe one day I would like to marry her, like Papa had wanted to marry Mama.

Would the other kids think I was weird if I told them that? I bet so.

"Peeta! Come play!" shouted a voice which broke me out of my daydream. "We need you to make out teams even!" hollered Kylo, who's pa owned the District 12 livery.

I looked to see who's chase team I would be on. Her's. "Coming!" I yelled back.

Not once in the entire thirteen minutes did she notice me. Oh-well. I have plenty of time to get to know her.

On an after thought I came to the conclusion that I was definitely a weird child.


"Ma, look! There's a girl outside. One of the ones who lost her pa a few weeks ago," I told my Ma and tugged on her sleeve and pointed out the window. There stood Katniss Everdeen out in the freezing weather, crippled against our fence. Judging strictly by the way she looked, I would've bet she was nearly starved.

Suddenly I noticed Ma charging off.

Uh-oh. My ma had never been the kindest of souls, and I really didn't want Katniss to get hurt. Ma hit real hard.

"Ma, wait!" I cried. "Ma, please leave her alone!"

Then Ma turned and whacked me upside the head, and I saw my vision go fuzzy for a moment. Thankfully though, it wasn't where it would leave a visible mark.

"That girl has no right to be on our property unless she comes to buy food!" Ma raged. "I will tell her to get lost if I please, and you, Peeta, will mind your own business and return to the kitchen to watch the bread. Don't you dare let it burn either. Then we'll have to throw it out, and you with it."

"Yes. Ma," I replied sullenly. I wished there was something I could do to help. A way I could befriend Katniss, who still barely knew me as anything other than the baker's son, and who I still thought very pretty.

Wait! I can burn the bread on purpose! It might mean a few extra whacks from Ma, but I don't care. If she's truly hungry, what are a few black spots?

A few minutes later I was second guessing myself as my eyes watered from the blow my ma had just dealt me to the face for the blackened bread.

"… say you know what you're doing, but you are never responsible! How do you expect to grow up? Those two loaves took three hours to rise! That's three hours I don't get back! Take this bread out to the hogs! They're looking a little skimpy anyway. Can you manage that, you dolt? Go!" bringing Ma's screech to an end.

Quickly, I gathered the two charred loaves and wandered out to the pen where the pigs were kept. Slowly, I glanced over to where Katniss was. Hunger gazed back at me.

Just I case Ma was watching, I cautiously and slowly tore a small end of the crispy crust into the hog pen. As the crust landed, I took another peek at Katniss, who was still watching me with an eagle eye. Then in one swift movement, I lobbed the bread to the ground at her feet. When I saw the appreciation in her eyes, I hurriedly made sure the second loaf's trail followed the first's.

I watched Katniss slide the bread under her skirt, and with a final look of thanks cast in my direction, she hustled away.

I sighed and turned to go back in side to finish helping Ma. Maybe now I could finally be Katniss' hero.

I had decided a long time ago that when it came to her, I was very weird indeed.


So maybe my gift to her hadn't been enough. Six years had passed, and Katniss Everdeen still didn't know much about me. Peeta. The bakery boy. That was all I would bet she knew about me. I registered next to nothing in her mind, I was sure.

On the other hand, I felt I knew so much about her. That she could shoot a squirrel through the eyes with an arrow and kill it, every single time. That she was the primary provider for her family's food income. That she sometimes ran with a hooligan guy I didn't know.

Did she fancy him? Were all my chances finally gone? What was so special about this guy anyway? He wasn't from the higher classes for sure. I'd know him then.

But I was still fairly certain that she saw me around. First there was school, and every child in District 12 goes to the same school, so of course everyone saw everyone. Then there was the Hob, where Pa and I would go to get more flour and such. For bakers, the district sure didn't provide us enough. And the whole school had been present at the wrestling match I was in last year.

I still have trouble believing I won.

But today was the Reaping. And I have to trust fate to keep me safe today. That is one thing I really. Really wish I didn't have to do. Fate doesn't seem to like me, you see.


AN: Sooo, whadaya think? Just in case you are wondering, the story IS written from Peeta's point of veiw, but I am a girl. I am one of those 'weird' children. Future chapter lengths may vary.