Hey guys! Wow... I haven't written a fanfiction in forever. I kinda abandoned the Dayna Marshe one... just no good ideas I guess. But here I am with a new fanfiction starring our two favorite characters: Katniss and Peeta! I realize most of you here are from my instagram ( thehungergames99) but if you aren't, feel free to check it out. This is a really short chapter since y'all pressured me into uploading this tonight LOL. Also, Peeta's fathers name Severin is a name I got from someone else, yet I don't remember at the moment.
Well anyway... on to the story. (:
I wake up with the view of the beautiful sunrise outside my window. On another day, I may have painted the view outside my window before heading to work my shift at the bakery.
Today however i don't want to waste a minute of time with my family since I could be shipped off to the Capitol this afternoon.
The chances of me being chosen during the reaping is slim since my name is only in the bowl five times. I was one of the lucky ones, I never had to take out tesserae.
The perks of living on stale bread, I guess.
I slowly make my way out of bed and trudge down the stairs into the bakery.
My father, Severin, is already in the back room kneading dough.
"Hey dad," I yawn as I walk over next to him to grab ingredients to make another loaf of bread.
"Good morning, Peet," my dad replies looking at me with concern in his eyes.
I know he is worried about today.
I'm about to ask my dad where the yeast is when I hear my brother Rye slowly making his way down the stairs.
'With his loud footfalls he would make a horrible hunter,' I think as he walks into the kitchen and yawns obnoxiously.
I smirk at his disheveled hair and sleepy expression and can't help but feel jealous.
Since Rye is two years older than me, he is now eighteen and this is his last reaping.
After today he won't have to worry anymore. One less person for me to worry for.
We all work in relative silence to make what is needed for later today.
We won't open until four, which is after the reaping so families can buy baked goods for their children who survive another year.
Working in silence is common during the morning shift, we aren't a very talkative bunch. Yet today there is an unspoken anxiety in the room and we all know what it is about.
At about eight o' clock, someone is knocking on the back door. I start beaming and tell my dad I will answer it.
He smiles and nods, knowing who it is.
I walk through the kitchen and open the door and see my girlfriend standing there with a giant game bag over her shoulder.
Katniss looks up at me and smiles her beautiful smile before pulling her face to mine in a sweet kiss.
She pulls back and grins at me and I know my face is reflecting hers.
"Hey beautiful," I say softly.
"Hardly," she replies looking at her blood-stained clothes.
"You always look beautiful, Kat." I smile.
"You aren't bad yourself, Mellark. But anyway, I've got four squirrels today. You willing to trade?"
"Sure," I say before slipping inside to grab three loafs of bread. I return outside to see Katniss looking at the bread with wide eyes.
"Peeta, I only have four squirrels, they aren't worth this much." she has her signature frown on her face.
"Keep it Katniss." I state firmly.
"But-"
My lips are on hers before she can finish the sentence.
I pull away from her face slightly and say, "keep it."
She sighs in defeat and turns to walk away.
"See you later, Kat."
She turns around with sad eyes and waves before catching up with her hunting partner, Gale who is probably selling strawberries to the mayor.
When Katniss and I first started dating a year ago, I was worried about Gale and her.
Yes, I was jealous.
Katniss however assured me several times that nothing ever went happened between them and never will. Besides, he is stuck on Madge Undersee anyway.
The morning is otherwise uneventful and before I know it it is 1:30 and we are walking the small distance to town square.
The buildings are decorated to try and hide the drab gray colors that coat our district. They fail horribly.
A stage is set up in front of town hall and two of the three seats on stage are taken by the mayor, Mr. Undersee and our district escort, the bubbly Effie Trinket. She is dressed in a rediculous green skirt with a pink top. Flowers and ruffles are everywhere on her clothes. Her hair which could only be a wig , is bright pink and has a large white flower in it to match. Ugh, capitol people.
She is looking at the vacant seat next to her irritably. Haymitch Abernathy, the only living victor from district 12 is missing. As usual. He is always drunk and there is no doubt that is where he is now.
At two exactly, Effie walks up to the microphone and repeats her usual banter about how it is making your district "proud" to be in the games.
I finally pay attention when she says, "As usual, Ladies first!"
Her chipper voice and annyoing Capitol accent is getting to me.
Her hand moves slowly across the bowl for suspense but all I can think about is Katniss and her twenty slips of paper in that bowl.
Effie finally selects a slip and holds it in the air. She takes her time opening the paper as well and the pregnant pause is broken when she says two words: "Delly Cartwright."
I frown and my stomach twists into knots. Delly is the tailors daughter and a close childhood friend of mine. She wouldn't hurt a fly.
I am relieved that Katniss or her sister Prim wasn't chosen, I couldn't bare it to see either one in the games with a chance of them never coming back to me. I could never lose Katniss, I love her.
Delly steps up on the stage with the tears evident flowing down her splotchy face and I can't help but feel my eyes start to water before I bat at them lightly. No crying, Mellark.
Effie looks at Delly with a 'what the hell is wrong with you' look. I am getting more irritated by the minute, I just want to see Katniss. The escort then strides up to the boy's bowl afterwards and takes her time on choosing this name as well.
She holds the slip out in the air and opens it. I am thinking about my plans with Katniss tonight as she reads the name.
"Peeta Mellark!"
God. Dammit.