Ok! let me being by saying how incredibly sorry I am for taking this long (!) to update. I honestly feel completely terrible about it and I would completely understand if you all hated me. :(
After taking forever to update, I at least owe you guys an explanation. (Or you can skip this incredibly long author's note and just go down to the story, your choice(: ) Well so pretty much this past summer was as chaotic as summers can get. There was drama with friends and family, big parties, lots of love and all in all, a pretty kickass summer. So I only had about a month to see my boyfriend before I flew back home so I honestly wanted to be with him as much as possible and not "waste" time on the computer at my house. When I got back to the States, my life was just as crazy with school and family and service hours. Now that I've been back in school for about a month, I'm kinda getting a routine and I have small amounts of times here and there to write.
I can't promise when the next chapter will be up (hopefully it won't take me 3 months ._. ) but I'll try to have it up in about a week (there's a three day weekend so hopefully I can get some writing in) If not I apologize my dear readers (if I still have any :S )
ANYWAYSS
enough with this pitiful excuses, on with the chapter! :D
Peeta
I feel betrayed. Betrayed, sad, and relieved..? Relieved, I guess, that I won't have to worry about making Madge happy anymore, I was certainly doing a horrible job. Enough for her to cheat on me and go with Gale.. I shake those thoughts out of my head and open the window, letting the first rays of dawn in. I breathe in the cold morning air and let it clear my head. I usually didn't wake up so early on a Sunday but since I was suppose to go with Madge later I decided I would get all my work done earlier. I scoff. Wasted effort.
"Peeta! The bakery isn't going to open itself!" My mother yells at me from the hallway. I groan and quickly change, taking the picture of Madge from my wallet and replacing it with a family photo. I think again and take that picture out too, changing it with one of just me and my dad when I was small, when he was still healthy. I sigh and decide that this will not be the best day. I'm almost out the door when my mother comes seemingly out of nowhere and smacks me on the back of my head. I flinch but otherwise ignore her, slamming the door behind me and running the four blocks to the bakery.
When I'm finally there, I go into autopilot mode. Get apron. Turn on oven. Knead dough. Make bread. I find it's easier to just go about like this; it keeps me from thinking too much. Around ten o'clock I hear the little bell signaling a customer come in and assume it's my mother. To my great surprise I see a little girl, maybe 10 or 12, standing shyly behind the counter. She looks strangely familiar but I can't put my finger on it.
"What can I get you?" I ask her kindly.
"Um.. how much is that cake?" she responds with a timid voice, pointing to a small cake decorate with icing flowers.
"30 dollars," I say bringing it to the counter. Her face grows paler than it already is and she fumbles with the money that she has taken out of her pocket.
"Oh, but I just remembered that there's a special today 'cause it's Sunday, so it's only 20 bucks." I'm lying, of course, but there is something about this girl that just… I don't know.
"Oh okay," she whispers and hands me the money. 20 dollars even.
"So is it a special occasion? Do you want me to ice a name onto it?"
"You can do that?" She asks, the awe unfeigned in her voice. I just nod and smile.
"Okay, well can you put 'Happy Birthday Mom'?"
"Yeah, sure. No problem." I bring the icing out onto the counter so she can see me and I can sense her fascinated eyes watching as the letters are formed.
"So is your dad waiting outside?" I ask idly but as soon as I see the look on her face, I wish I hadn't. She lowers her gaze and the sparkle in her eyes is gone.
"No, he's not. He died a couple years ago in a mining accident up north." I've heard those words before.. my mind thinks unwillingly.
"I'm sorry for your loss," I tell her genuinely and when she looks up at me I finally know who I see in this girl. Katniss. Of course! She has a little sister.. what's her name? Rose? Prune? Prim!
"I'm Peeta, by the way," I say, going around the counter to give her the boxed cake.
"Prim," she says shyly. Yep.
"So, Prim, do you have a favorite kind of cookie?" She looks at me with suspicion.
"Yeah, double chocolate…" I smile at her and go around to the back again, getting 3 freshly-made double chocolate cookies and putting them in a bag. Then I get another bag and place 2 cheesebuns in it, Katniss' favorite since the 1st grade. I hand all three bags to Prim and she shakes her head vigorously.
"No, I can't take all of this. I barely even had enough for the cake." I shake my head and give them to her.
"Don't worry about it, Prim. It's fine. And can you please give Katniss the cheesebuns?" As soon as I say it I'm aware that I sounded a little weird, saying her sister's name and all.
"How do you know my sister's name?" She says, again with suspicion.
"I've gone to school with her since I was five. I met your dad a handful of times too; he was an extraordinary man, Prim." I say sincerely. Tears start to cloud her eyes and I immediately regret opening my mouth.
"I'm sorry-"
"No, Peeta, it's okay. It's just… not a lot of people tell me about my dad. Nobody knew him too well 'cause he was always working, just Mom and Katniss. But Mom is… Mom. And Katniss doesn't say much," she smiles. "It's nice to meet someone who will talk about him, for a change."
"I know you don't know me very well, Prim, but if you ever want to talk or get free cookies, you know where to find me." I smile at her and she smiles back, the glint returning to her eyes.
"Bye, Peeta," she says and walks out the door. Just then my mother comes in, mad as hell.
"That little street rat better have paid for all that shit she's carrying!"
"She's not a street rat mom! And she did so calm down!"
"Don't tell me to calm down, I am your mother!" With that she smacks me across the face and walks back into the kitchen.
"Fuck this," I whisper, putting my apron on the hook.
"Leaving!" I yell as I exit into the street and breathe in the fresh air. I don't feel like going home and I'm sure as hell not staying at the bakery so I just begin to walk. I walk through half of town and end up at the high school. I make my way to the field, hearing a lot of screaming, and see that a soccer game is going on. Perfect, that means all my favorite people will be here I think sarcastically. I see Cato, Finnick, and … Gale running around the field and I make out Madge and Glimmer in the stands. Then I notice Johanna, on this side of the bleachers, looking mad as hell and going straight for Madge. Oh shit… I run for her and drag her away from the stands.
"What the fuck!?" She yells, causing half the people there to stare at us.
"Shut up Johanna!" She looks at me.
"What the fuck? Baker boy? I don't know you like this, let go of me!" Despite her reluctance I don't let go until I have successfully dragged her to the parking lot (all these years of wrestling have really helped). I finally let go.
"What the hell is you problem!?"
"I saw you going for Madge and I couldn't let you do that"
"Why?" She says, not even bothering to deny it.
"'Cause it's not worth it Johanna. Either of them," I add. She breathes heavily and just stares at me, her hands in fists.
"I'm sorry," I mumble and turn to leave. Then she does something that surprises me. She hugs me.
She's pretty short so she gets on her tip-toes and wraps her arms around me. I don't try to mask my surprise. She finally let's go.
"You. me. We need to talk. My house is a mess, so yours?" She says more than asks.
"Mine's worse. Trust me." I say, letting out a shaky breath. She nods and pulls a sharpie out of her back pocket. She writes an address on my arm: 203 Jail St. I look at her quizzically.
"I know it sounds intimidating but it's not really. Just a café on the other side of town." She frowns then shakes her head.
"Meet me there around 8, baker boy." With that she walks off and leaves me to my own confused thoughts.
I have a date with Johanna Mason.
What the hell?