I didn't mean to upload this chapter so late but I've been busy. I'll get the next chapter, their initial meeting, up before Christmas. Thank you to all who've favorited, followed, and reviewed. I'll consider it a real test if I can keep it going once the story officially starts. Thanks again.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just working with the idea.
He didn't even want to see his father. It had been a cool decade since the last time they had laid eyes on each other. Peeta never thought that he would hate someone so badly, but his father was the only occupant on that list. He suddenly became overjoyed with the thought of the school still charging him for his stay there. Yes, the school was still charging Sr. Mellark the money for Peeta's stay even though he was no longer in attendance; it was Peeta's idea after all. He told them to keep charging him and if it was ever discovered or taken to legal matters, Peeta would vouch for the doctors. He would say that he was there, studying, recovering from alcoholism, he didn't care as long as his father got what was coming to him.
His grandmother had talked him into this mess. Peeta was to attend this gala as his homecoming. As far as everyone knew, the youngest Mellark, was away, partying, living off his youth in the best way possible. No one knew the truth of how he had been sent to some Bellevue wannabe and Peeta had told his grandmother that if one person pissed him off in there, he would go off and tell everyone how his father had earned that father-of-the-year award everyone seemed to think he deserved. Calm down, I'll be there, she told him and that's all he needed.
When he walked through the doors of the gala, everyone looked at him as if they'd seen a ghost. Am I not fitting in already? Apparently, these people could tell he was an outsider because they were all looking at him strangely. Peeta had thought that he had prepared himself for this; he had been doing it almost his entire life. Suave smiles, quick nods, chin up, shoulders straight; that's what etiquette class was for right? He had been there so long that the school had also taught him how a young gentleman should behave. He hated that class with all he was.
"You're the youngest Mellark…" A man extends his hand out to Peeta, which he takes and shakes firmly. He didn't get a chance to ask before the man continued. "The similarity is uncanny!"
So he looked like his father, Great, he mumbles. The man is approached by several others who graciously shake Peeta's hand and introduce themselves to him. They all begin to talk about business endeavors and Peeta can't help but nod along. For the first time in the real world, he actually understood what people were saying to him. When he started college, he didn't know what he wanted to major in, but he met a business professor who liked to rant about the subject. Strangely, Peeta understood and couldn't help but indulge the man to get more out of him. He liked business. He understood it. Apparently, it ran in the family.
His mission in life, became to take his father's company right from under him. Then Peeta thought, if his father was as smart as he was in business, he'd never allow that to happen. So then he thought, maybe he'd wait his father out; eventually, he'd retire and who better to take over then his very own son. But that would take too long and Peeta wasn't looking to make his father happy. His final option, invest and build up his own empire, one to rival his father's.
Peeta had already started. Fortunately, his father was still funding him and it was his money that he was using to invest, so no risk. It was going well so far, but he was new to this game. He knew the basics, the rules, and the laws, but investments wasn't really his strongest class in college. That's what networking was for anyway. Several of his college buddies were better at it then him and they were more than happy to help not only a Mellark, but a friend.
Peeta finishes explaining some complex business analogy to the group. The men look at him seriously, shaking their heads appreciatively. One of them pats his back almost like he was proud of him. Peeta smirks at the man. "If you ever need any money, well, I feel safe with my money in your hands." The other men agree with him as they all begin talk more and laugh some more. Peeta's honestly too engrossed with their conversation to realize that a young woman has joined their group. The men momentarily stop their talking to welcome her. She's more interested in Peeta and she makes it obvious by hooking his arm and standing on her toes to ask him for a dance. He smiles politely before excusing himself from the group.
Peeta hides his apathy well as he follows the woman to the dance floor. He looks towards the front door. Where was his grandmother anyway?
Peeta took the lead, grabbing the young woman's hand as she placed the other on his shoulder. His other hand went to her waist. She giggled as he touched her and they began to sway to the slow song playing. Peeta was thankful that she didn't want to talk because he really wasn't up for it. She giggled some more while he spun her around and back into him. She was really enjoying his attention and Peeta only prayed that someone would save him from this.
"Can I steal her from you," someone asked and Peeta was more than grateful to oblige. He nodded his head to the man after he quickly brought the woman's hand up to his lips and kissed it politely making her giggle. He gave the woman a quick nod before walking away from the couple.
As he walked over to some wall he could lean against, he paused mid step. A man a bit shorter than him, blonde with blue eyes that matched his was mingling with a group. He said something and the group laughed. Peeta could only stare in their direction. Not that there weren't other blonde, blue-eyed people in the room, but that man was undeniably his father. His appearance was truly uncanny and even from where Peeta was standing the man oozed charm which was something Peeta seemed to do even involuntarily. Dear old dad was only a few feet away and Peeta's jaw clenched. He had the right mind to stomp his way over and yell a hundred obscenities; give the man a piece of his mind and find out the answers to so many questions that had caused his built up resentment.
But the thought was all in his mind and that's where it would stay. He could picture himself doing it, but lacked the courage. Could he really go up to the man who had basically locked him up for half his life? He didn't want to. He feared the worst and he had promised his grandmother he would behave. "Son,"he could never call him that because a father doesn't do what he had done. "Son," more forceful this time. Someone shakes his shoulder and Peeta looks down at the man. "Your phone?" He points to where the sound is coming from. Peeta shakes out of it and quickly digs into his pocket. He had just gotten it, another gift from his grandmother. No one had the number, so Peeta wondered who it could possibly.
"Thank you." Peeta tells the man before walking out of the event to pick up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello? Is this Peeta Mellark?"
"It is."
"Hello, this is Dr. Carter from Memorial Center Hospital," Peeta's eyes go wide. What the hell could a doctor want with him. "I'm calling because you are the number one contact for Lucinda Mellark…" The doctor keeps talking but Peeta has long dropped his phone. He shoves his ticket into the valet's chest, scaring the crap out him as Peeta roars his haste to him. He basically yanks the valet out of the car and speeds off towards the hospital.
"Where is she?!" He yells at the attendant. She doesn't immediately respond making Peeta yell his question louder. Security makes its way over to them, restraining Peeta from his anger. He easily manages to push them off of him forcing them to call back up. It takes five cops to hold him back until he finally falls to his knees. "Is she dead?! Just tell me so that I can go lie in ditch?!" Tears fall from his eyes and it's probably the only thing that saves him from being arrested. Peeta calms down enough to explain who he's looking for and the doctor who called him attends to him.
The doctor explains that she's been living with a terminal illness for the past few years. Peeta blinks in confusion. Why hadn't she told him? The doctor explains further that she's at the end and the seizure she had tonight put her in need of life support. As per her wishes, she doesn't want to be left on life support.
"Did you do it already?!" Peeta yells, holding back more tears.
"No. I just found out about her request. She talked about you every time she was here and I wanted to see if you wanted to see her one last time before we-"
"I do." Peeta stands from his seat and follows the doctor to where his grandmother is. "Can I have a minute?" The doctor nods before he backs out of the room.
His heart beat was so fast as he looked at his grandmother. She had tubes attached to her mouth, more stemming from her shirt and her arm. Peeta swallows heavily before he pulls a seat and sits next to her. He grabs her hand tightly and bows his head, unable to hold back the tears anymore.
"Why?! Why do you all leave me?!" He rests his head against her arm as he cries harder. "What do I do without you?! I can't do this alone!" Peeta looks up at his grandmother and couldn't stand to see her like that. He understood why she wouldn't want to live this way. He brings his hand up to the life support machine, contemplating being the one who would end it for her. His hand freezes and he starts to shake in the realization that he was a coward. He turns his head from her and swallows all the feelings. He stands and bends over her to kiss her cheek one last time. "I love you."
There was a nurse waiting by the door when he finally exits. She takes a step to go into the room when Peeta grabs her arm. "It won't hurt, will it?" He asks her. She places a reassuring hand on the one gripped around her arm and shakes her head. He nods before releasing her.
"I'm so sorry." The doctor tries.
"Save it." Peeta says calmly.
"She wanted me to give you this when…" The doctor's unable to finish as he hands Peeta the box and walks away.
In a daze, Peeta makes his way to his car. He slams the door shut as he stares at the box his grandmother left for him. He slowly opens it and is surprised to find a watch. He pulls it out and searches through the box for anything, a note, a farewell, but there's nothing. He puts the box down so that he can eye the watch curiously. He didn't understand what it meant and why his grandmother had thought it an appropriate gift for her death. As opposed to any other, he thought. He turns the watch in his hand to unclasp it when it catches his eye; an engraving on the backside. He flips the light on in the car before getting a good look at it; Peeta, be strong. Love Nama. He tilts his head towards the ceiling and swallows painfully. He puts the watch on before the tears escape him. He slams his fists against the upholstery of the door and the steering wheel. He clutches the wheel painfully tight before his grief sets in.
He rests his forehead on the wheel as he tires out. "How?!" He screams into the silence. But it didn't matter. He had no one and nothing. He turns the key in the ignition and speeds away. Where he's going, he doesn't know. He just knows that he has to get away from everything.
He drives for two hours, going no where. He pulls over to the side of the street when he sees a crowd gathering in front of an establishment. He looks over and notices the bright neon Bar sign. He turns the car off and gets out. As he makes his way across the street, he wonders if they'll let him drink; he was still a few months shy of his twenty-first birthday, but he really needed it. The only time he had ever done it was when Finn told him to. He remembers that when he did, he momentarily forgot about everything. Everything in his mind was wavy, almost like nothing was real. He felt nauseous afterward and he didn't want to do it again; he figured tonight was an exception.
"What's the strongest thing you have?" Peeta asks in a deep voice. As the bartender looks at him, it was clear that Peeta has had a long night. He finishes cleaning the glass in his hand before he walks over to him.
"You got money?" Is what he asks. All Peeta does is flash him the countless hundreds in his wallet before pulling one out.
"What will this get me? To start?" The man takes it and pours him shots of something.
"Just let me know when you want a refill." He says before he walks away.
When he got there it was night. By the time he walked out, the sun was shining. Stumbling out into the street, he regretted nothing. He'd spent the majority of his money buying everyone drinks; he was the favorite at the bar that night. The world was literally spinning and he was smiling like a goofball. He wasn't really drunk but his inexperience didn't do him well when it came to holding his liquor. He gave an exaggerated bow to his onlookers and laughed heartedly as he made his way to his car. The bartenders had switched shifts and the new one assumed that the previous one had taken his keys. He pulls the keys out of his pocket and hits the button, but it doesn't open. He brings the fob up to his eye and stares at it like it doesn't make any sense.
"Open." He pushes again. "Open." Nothing. "Open!" He yells before he throws the keys at the window. He stumbles off the curve, walking back over to the bench he saw on the other side of the street. He falls onto it and sighs complacently before falling into a deep sleep.
"Hey!" Someone shouts. "Hey!" They shake Peeta awake. He looks up at him with a slight headache, but still drunk. "Bus is here!" The person tells him as he stands and gets ready to get on. Peeta stands too and sways drunkenly. He does the same thing the man who had woke him does. The bus stops in front of them and they make their way up the stairs. He tries following the man further onto the bus, but the bus driver stops him.
"Bus pass!" He shouts at him making Peeta clutch his head painfully. He slowly reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out his wallet. He looks through it, opening his eyes wide trying to focus.
"I only have this many!" He stupidly says, flashing the driver three one hundred dollar bills. The man snatches them and gestures for Peeta to sit. Thankfully, the bus is empty so Peeta drops onto one of the seats and lays down falling asleep again.
A particularly big bump momentarily wakes him up. He blinks a few times and painfully cringes from his hangover. He remembered Finn had told him sleeping it off would help. Well, that was what he was going to do. His head hit the seat as he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep again. At least once in his life, he'd feel nothing; no regret, hate, sadness, longing. A dreamless sleep on a bus headed no where would be the closest thing to peace Peeta would ever experience.
