Author's Note
Heres another chater for you! Hope you are enjoying it so far as its only early days for this fanfic!
Reviews are greatly appreciated so i can know if you guys are liking it or not.
Disclaimer - I own none of the characters in this story, they belong to Suzanna Collins.
Peeta's P.O.V
Today was my first day at District 12 High School. I moved to District 12 over the summer holidays from District 11. My father decided we were going to move here to start another new bakery store. We already have two, one back in District 11 and one in District 4, run by my uncle, all in the 'Mellark Bakery' family franchise. Mellark, that's our family name. Im Peeta Mellark, the second eldest of the Mellark sons at sixteen years old. I have two brothers, Rye who is eighteen and getting ready to join District 12's military academy and there's Adrian, who is starting District 12 Middle School today. I say starting but i dont mean starting the school at the first year, year 6, as he is already fourteen, like me he is joining the school into a higher year group, him in year 7, me in year 10.
My day started the same way it has for the last couple of months since we moved here. I wake up at six o'clock and head downstairs into the bakery below. There isnt anypoint getting dressed right now as my clothes will probably end up getting dirty anyway. So i just head down in my pajamas, a plain white tshirt and i slide on a pair of shorts so im not just in my boxers. As i come down the last couple of stairs i can smell dough emitting from the kitchens, signalling to me that my father is already up and working. I step in the large kitchen, pick up my white apron from the kitchen surface and slide it over my head, double knotting the strings at the back.
"Morning dad" I call out to my father who is in the storeroom.
"Morning son, sleep well?" He says re-emerging from the room with a sack of flour rested on his shoulder.
"Could've been better. Im still getting used to my new room. Its so different," I replied whilst walking over to the three gigantic ovens we have here. I switch them on and turn them up to heat up before we put the bread in. I start mixing ingrediants into a large bowl to make some more dough, ready for my father to mould into pieces of delicous artwork.
"I know its hard moving but we'll settle in after a while. As soon as you make some friends at school it will be just the same as it was back in 11. You'll see. You never know, you might even find that you like it more." He says smiling at me, taking the bowl of dough from me
"Now go back upstairs and get ready for school. You dont want to be tired for your first day." I remove my apron, flinging it back on the counter and climb back up the creaky stairs and head to the bathroom for a shower. Once i've finished showering i quickly slip on some clothes and run around my room picking up my scattered school books, throwing them into my rucksack. Im going to have to take every single one with me today seeing as though i dont actually know what lessons i have yet and i dont really fancy getting told off on the first day. Oh and i must not forget my gym kit.
I throw my two bags into the boot of my truck and then get in myself. I put the key in the ignision and the truck comes alive with a low rumble. Granted, this is no Mercedes, but its mine. I payed for it myself from the money id earnt working full time in the bakery over the entire summer holidays. I slowly pull out of the drive and drive in the direction of the school. Its not a very long drive from where i live in the middle of the town. As i drive by i see a load of people walking towards the school, laughing and chatting. Their obviously friends and obviously, i dont know them. I park in the car park outside the school and turn off the engine. I take a deep breath and step outside and retrieve my bags from the boot. I lock my truck and head off. I walk through the tall front gates of the school and head over to the reception to find out what i should be doing. The only reason i can reasonably remember where the reception is, is because they gave me a school tour just before they closed for the summer. At least i dont look like a complete lost fool. I step inside the sports hall and walk over to the woman sitting at a desk behind a glass window. I assume this is the receptionist.
"What can i do for you this morning?" She asks without even glancing up at me.
"Hi, my name is Peeta Mellark. Im new here and was wandering what i need to do?"
"Peeta Mellark... Oh yes, here is your timetable for the year, your locker number and its code so you can use it. Also here is a printed map of the school so you can find your classrooms stated on your timetable."
"Thank you." Is all i say as i pick up all the pieces of paper in my spare hand. Im glad she didnt say anything else, her voice was already driving me crazy. It had such a flat, boring, expressionless tone to it. As i turn around to head to the East building somebody bumps into my shoulder. I quickly look up from my papers to find a girl glaring at me. She has long brown hair that falls in curls past her shoulders, accusing hazel eyes and she wore such a scowl that it felt as if i looked at her directly for too long it would actually burn me.
"What do you think youre doing?!" she nearlly yells at me
"I...I, I'm sorry, i didnt realise you were behind me.." I stutter back at her completely stunned at her attack on me.
"Well then you need to learn to keep your eyes up and look where the hell youre going, dont you?!"
"I...I..." I didnt get the chance to finish that pathetic sentence as the receptionist had come out and was leading the girl off somewhere. Well that was a brilliant start to the day... That wasnt even my fault! Id simply turned around on the spot and she cam barging into me. Ah well, things can only get better right? And true to my word, they did.
My first lesson was gym and we were playing Tennis. The sun was out and shining but it was nothing compared to the harsh rays of District 11. We had all grouped together outside. I sat down on the grass next to a dark haired boy called Marvel and turned my attention to the teacher. Well i tried anyway. As i was turning my head towards her another girl caught my attention. She has long dark hair that she had tied up in a beautifully designed plait, beautiful grey eyes which reminded me of a full moon shining in the sky on a starless night, like the many i had seen back home. She wasnt skinny in the way most girls strived to be, like two girls that are in front of her. She has a much more healthy look about her. How a girl should really look. Lastly her lips draw my attention. They are natural and full. No lipgloss or lipstick. They captivate me. I later discovered that ther name is Katniss. I barely register the teacher saying something before those lips are being torn away from my eyesight as she stands up. My eyes follow her as she walks with a blonde haired girl over to a pile of tennis rackets. Thats the girl that bumped into me this morning! I guess theyre friends. That doesnt help me. If i ever managed to talk to Katniss i have no doubt in my mind that this blonde haired girl will be feeding her a load of lies about me. I look back at Katniss to find her eyes fixed on me. I freeze not knowing what to do. I notice her eyes flickering over my face and i put on my best smile for her. She blinks as if awakening from some kind of trance and quickly looks away from me and to the floor instead. Damn it, i made her feel uncomfortable! I should have just said hi or something. I sigh to myself as she walks away from me. I cant keep my eyes off of her for the entire two lessons.
I next see Katniss straight after gym in cookery class. I must be blessed! This is what im best at, cooking and baking. I may even be good enough for Katniss to notice me. We are making bread today apparently. Really? We couldnt be giving something a little bit harder? This is instinct to me. I make my way over to the store cupboard instantly to find my ingrediants. I start rumaging round when i realise im the only person who has moved. The teacher has stopped halfway through reading out a list of ingrediants to the rest of the class and is now looking at me with a weird look on her face. I feel my cheeks burn slightly as i realise everyone elses eyes have found me, inlcuding Katniss's.
"Oh. sorry. Im a baker, i kinda know exactly what im doing." I explain.
"Really? Ill be expecting great things from you today then Mellark. Carry on." and with that she continues telling the class what they neeed to do and the sea of eyes turn away from me aswell. I turn back to the cupboard and collect everything im going to need and turn back around to head for my station. Thats when i notice there was still one pair of eyes looking at me. A grey pair. Katniss was watching me. I smile at her already expecting her to look anywhere but at me instantly. She does look away but not before a shy smile is aimed at me. I feel my heart swell and i am inspired to what i am going to do this lesson.
I start mixing the ingrediants to form the dough, just as i had done this morning at the bakery. Once this is done i divide the dough into three seperate, equal piles and weigh them to make sure they are exactly the same. I then take each pile in turn and roll them into three long thin strands. I line them up in a vertical row and pinch the tops of them together so that they are all joined at the top. I then start weaving the three stands together in a pattern and pinch the botton of the strands aswell so it will all hold together. Once ive finished i place it on a baking tray and slide it in the pre-heated oven to bake. As i wait for the timer to go off i take the chance to examine the rest of my class. The smell of burning drifts over to me and i immediately see that its coming from a large blonde haired boy's station. He opens his oven and a cloud of smoke emerges which makes him have a cough attack as he tries to wave it away with a teatowel. He crouches down and reamerges with a tray of what looks like a really large piece of coal. I guess baking bread is a lot harder for other people. I supress a laugh. There are others in the class that look like they are at least half decent at cooking. I allow my eyes to rest upon katniss once again. She is cutting dough into smaller individual shapes while laughing at the other girl at her station who has managed to get flour all over herslelf. Id give anything to be able to have a chance at making her laugh like that, she looks like she is glowing. My timer loudly rings, pulling my attention away from her. I switch the oven off, put some oven mitts over my hands and open the oven door. No cloud of smoke meets me, only the delicate smell of warm bread. I slide the tray out of the oven and place it on the cooling rack on my station. Its perfect. The dough has risen and turned a beautiful light brown like caramel. Im removing my mitts as the teacher comes swooping down on me, finall having someone successfully cook some bread.
"Oh my! This is wonderful!" She exclaims whislt examining my work. "It looks exactly like a braid."
"Yes, thats because its a braided bread." I reply, chancing a glance up at Katniss as realisation dawns on her face. The smile is back. The soft, shy smile that makes my heart melt like butter.
Im now on my way home and reflecting on my day. My cookery teacher had asked me if she could keep the braided bread to show to the other teachers. I actually wanted to give it to Katniss as a point of conversation but i said she could. I could make plenty more of them need be. As soon as i parked in the drive i hurried up to my room. I was pretty exhausted after my first day. It must just be the shock of having a whole day of learning after so much time off. The last thing that crosses my mind before i drift off into sleep was a pair of moons, sparkling looking into my eyes...