Chapter 2: In which we learn abit more about Peeta Mellark

"Harder Peeta, yeah right there!"

Peeta looked at the blonde girl squealing and writhing beneath him as he thrust into her and wondered when he had started to find her so irritating. Her high-pitched voice was giving him a headache and her huge breasts which had felt so good before now looked definitely fake as they bounced around on her chest.

He didn't care that she wasn't going to come, he'd had enough. He pumped his hips twice and then emptied himself into the condom, before pulling out of her. Her shocked face gazed up at him, her eyes wide as though she couldn't believe what he'd just done.

He quickly removed the condom and tied it before pulling his jeans back up and fastening them. His head was swimming and he needed his nicotine fix now. With shaking hands, he pulled a cigarette out of his back pocket and lit up, smiling to himself as he took the first puff.

"What the fuck Peeta?!"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, trying to rid himself of his headache.

"If you don't like it Glimmer, you know where the door is," he replied, motioning with his head towards the door of his truck. She exhaled angrily, tugged her clothes back on and told him to go fuck himself before sliding out of the truck.


Peeta stayed in the back of his truck in the parking lot chain-smoking his way through his pack of 20 for as long as he could. When he reached the end of his last cigarette, he dropped the extinguished stub onto the floor of his truck and shifted it into gear. Glancing at the clock, he realised how late it was and he silently cursed himself for not going home sooner. He knew that his mum would be furious by the time he got home and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of her barbed tongue tonight. He just thanked God that he was physically larger than her so at least she couldn't hit him anymore

He hated his mother and for good reason. She took every opportunity that she could to criticise him - his baking, his artwork, his schoolwork - and he couldn't recall a single compliment she had given him. She doted on his two older brothers and treated him like the dirt beneath her feet. He knew why, it was because he was the son that should have been a daughter. When his mother had gotten pregnant with him, there had been complications and the doctor had warned that this would be her last pregnancy. This was her last chance to have a daughter and instead she got Peeta. She detested him for it.

When he was younger, he had regularly tried to seek her approval but as the years passed and more bones were broken and the bruises flourished on his pale skin, he stopped caring about what she thought and instead started to resent her. It didn't matter anyway because he knew, without a doubt, that he was his dad' favourite son. Well it hadn't mattered until his dad had up and left in the middle of the night last summer with no note or reason as to why he had left.

Peeta gripped the steering wheel tighter and shook his head to dispel the thoughts of his father. He didn't want to think about him anymore. He had made his choice when he walked out of Peeta's life and left him with his witch of a mother. He was just a distant memory now.


"Yo! Peet! Over here!"

The loud shout came from the other end of the canteen and as Peeta looked up, he saw his best friend Finnick Odair waving his arm so enthusiastically in the air he almost knocked over a girl walking past behind him. Peeta chuckled to himself and made a beeline towards the table that Finnick was sat at along with Johanna, Thom and Delly. He plonked his tray down next to Finn and slid into the chair before picking up his baloney sandwich and starting to eat.

"So anyway then Clove slapped Cashmere in the face and called her a slut for sleeping with Gloss!"

Peeta tried to tune into what Delly was talking about but realised he had no idea.

"What's this?" he questioned before realising he didn't actually care.

"Just some boring gossip that Delly finds interesting and the rest of us find as dull as dishwater," Johanna replied with a wink towards Delly.

Delly huffed and begin to stab at her salad with her fork, she speared a piece of chicken and ate it before replying, "Well you won't want to know the gossip I have about the new girl then I guess."

"No actually, I'd rather you told us all about her and bored us all to tears," Johanna drawled sarcastically. Delly rolled her eyes, used to Johanna's antics, before telling them anyway.

"Her name's Annie Cresta, she's in my history class, she's from North Carolina, she likes to swim and she's.."

"Beautiful." The whispered word came from Finn and they all turned to look at him in astonishment but he didn't acknowledge any of them. His eyes were gazing off into the distance set on someone across the canteen. The four of them scoured the room with their eyes to see what had captivated him.

"Oh there she is, sitting over there with Rue and Katniss!" Delly beamed at them and sent them a quick wave which Annie returned with a small smile. "Wait, Finn, is that who you were staring at?"

Finnick nodded his head eagerly, "I think I'm in love Dells," he said wistfully, his gaze still firmly set upon Annie. Johanna turned back around and snorted.

"Give me a break Finn, you've been 'in love' with every girl in this damn school."

"Except for your lovely self Johanna," he retorted cheekily before his voice turned serious,"I need to get to know her though, this is for real. Help me?"

She sighed and looked at the rest of the table for help - Delly shrugged her shoulders, Thom was too busy eating and Peeta just sent her a wry smile before returning his attention to his sandwich. He was used to Finnick acting like this over a girl, the novelty would wear off in a few days.

"Fine, tell you what, I'll invite her to my pool party this weekend, there will be lots of booze and you'll be half-naked, how can she resist ey?"

Finnick leaned over the table and wrapped his arms around Johanna, half-pulling her out of her chair. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you one, big time!"


At the end of the day, Johanna was waiting for a ride home whilst Peeta was shoving some books into his locker when Finnick sauntered over and made a puppy dog face at Johanna. "Did you ask her yet?" he pestered.

"Jeez Finn, get a grip, yes I asked her after lunch. Annie, Rue and Katniss will all be attending my party on Friday."

Peeta's movement faltered as he registered what Johanna said.

"What?" he asked.

She looked up at him with a confused expression on her face.

"What do you mean, what?"

"Did you just say Katniss Everdeen was coming to your party? Why the fuck did you invite her Jo? You know how much she hates me!"

"Well excuse me Blondie! There was no way I could invite Rue and Annie and not invite her! Plus she might bring Tall, Dark and Handsome with her," Johanna licked her lips.

"I'm pretty sure her and Gale are together," Peeta snapped, running his hand through his hair in frustration. He had been looking forward to this party for weeks and now it had been ruined.

"Damn it," Johanna grumbled, "Ohwell she's still coming, now stop being a baby and suck it up Mellark. You can be civil to her for one fucking night."

The thing was, Peeta thought to himself as he lay on his bed later that night, he didn't think he could.


This was abit of a filler chapter. I just wanted to give you some of the reasonings as to why Peeta is such an asshole. He's not like the Peeta in the books on the surface, he's angrier and meaner but I promise you he has a heart of gold underneath. Next up is the party, alot more Peeta/Katniss action and possibly some cheeky smut. Stay tuned! x