Peeta looked down at the small piece of torn paper grasped in his tired hands. It bore an address, written in the messy scribble of someone who had been in a hurry. He smiled when he remembered Katniss scribbling down her address on the torn off corn of his bus ticket after telling him that she didn't mind if he wrote to her. That was over a week ago. He had arrived in California after a very long and uncomfortable bus ride and promptly was thrust into the further discomfort that was army boot camp. So far, he had hated ever minute. It was grueling to train under the California sun. His skin had become burnt and he had more blisters on his feet than he could ever remember having. The training officers were tough and strict with a particular penchant for screaming.
The only solace Peeta had were his fellow recruits. He had formed an easy friendship with a few other men from his barrack. Thresh was a hulking southern black man did not talk much but when he did, everyone stopped to listen. Finnick was a handsome and lively young man from New York who kept everyone laughing despite the miserable conditions. Thom was a kind young man from a town only a few hours south of Peeta's hometown. When they weren't training, Peeta had befriended these men and it was the only thing making the experience tolerable. That and thoughts of Katniss.
He knew it was ridiculous to think this much about a girl he had only met a week ago and had only talked to for a few hours. He barely even knew her and yet she captivated his thoughts. He remembered the soft smiles that she gave so rarely and the way her long, thick braid waved side to side as she walked through the café delivering food. He remembered how kind she had been to take time out of her day just to listen to him talk about his worries for a few hours. He had never met someone quite like her. She was beautiful though she had no idea. She was kind beneath her prickly exterior. He was captivated and could not believe his luck that she had agreed to let him write to her. Motivated by her pity or not, he intended to take full advantage of her offer. He picked up his pen and paper and got to work.
Katniss walked up the path toward her little home after another long and mind-numbingly boring shift at the diner. It seemed that the only interesting thing to happen in this sleepy little town was old man Haymitch showing up drunk in the diner for pancakes for the third time this week. Before she entered the house, she opened the mailbox and removed a small stack of mail. The top 3 were bills but below that was an envelope from California. She did not recognize the handwriting. She ripped it open right then and there. To her surprise, it was a little from the sweet young soldier who had entered the diner just a week ago. She had thought of him more than she would like to admit since their chance encounter. His soft blue eyes and easy smile filled her mind at random times. The fact that he was off to war broke her heart- he had seemed like such a kind young man. The kind of boy she would even consider dating. She plopped down on the step to read the letter from the boy she barely knew.
Dear Katniss,
It is an exceedingly warm California day and I can't help but yearn for the cool ocean breezes that wash over you when sitting on the pier. I want to thank you again for agreeing to let me write to you. I will not lie- I have been looking forward to a moment to sit down and write this letter though now that I sit here, pen to paper, I am struggling to find the words. Boot camp has been an experience- it is hard but it is manageable. I have made friends with several men in my barrack so at least we can laugh through the experience when the officers are not looking. I still do not like the idea of war but I am a bit out of luck on that matter now. I will just have to work to be the best soldier I can be so I can make it home. After all, I have a cake to bake. I was thinking vanilla with a buttercream frosting but then I realized I don't even know your favorite flavor cake. If you want to write that back to me I can start planning. There is so much I do not know about you but I find myself thinking of you and hoping the diner isn't driving you too crazy. I know it's not what you want to be doing but it could be worse; at least it provides some entertainment and sometimes a new penpal will walk through the door and ask for a cup of soup… though if you start writing letters to every soldier that walks through the door I may get a little jealous. I will admit that you are the prettiest girl who has ever taken notice of me… I hope you do not mind me saying that but it is the truth. I think of you often and how thankful I am that you took some moments to make my last day before boot camp just a little brighter. I best be off to the mess hall for dinner but I did include an article I clipped from a newspaper out here about a forest full of giant trees… it seemed like something you might be interested in. I wish I could tell you all of this sitting on that pier but a letter will suffice. I hope your family is well and I hope you especially are well. If you find some time and wish to do so, I would be honored to receive a letter from you. But if not, I am truly just content and happy to know there is someone at home reading my words and thinking of me when they open the mailbox.
Sincerely,
Private Peeta Mellark
Katniss smiled at the letter. There was something about this soldier that caused her to do that more than most people. She pushed herself back up and headed inside the house, already planning her response in her head.
So the letters came from an army camp
In California then Vietnam
And he told her of his heart
It might be love and all of the things he was so scared of
As time passed, letters came and went. Peeta wrote almost every week from California while he was in boot camp. His letters always contained a hopeful note despite where he was headed. He kept sending her articles about the forests and flora of California… Katniss was absolutely dying to go see the places she was reading about. She loved that someone finally understood and seemed to support her dreams of studying the natural world. The more letters she received and the more she learned about this sweet, brave boy, the more attached she became. She found herself watching the news closer to see what was happening in Vietnam; hoping the war would end before he ever crossed the ocean. She had never felt this much concern for anyone outside of her own family and she wasn't sure what to make of it. She had never been one for communication but she looked forward to his constant letters and found herself enjoying the process of writing back to someone who truly seemed to listen to her as more than just a 16 year old poor waitress.
Peeta knew he was falling in love. With every letter, he grew more attached to the pretty girl he remembers with a red bow in her braid. He knew he was a romantic but even he would never have thought he would fall in love for the first time over letter while he was in boot camp. He tried not to think about what he was training for; instead he just focused on training and improving. He was a remarkably good solider- he listened and did as he was told. He was strong and smart and was able to stay cool under pressure. The other men in the group respected him and they had a great repour. If he had to go to war, he was glad it was with these guys. The guy sometimes asked him if he had a girl at home since he was always writing letters. When he said no with a deep blush, no one believed hom for a second and they drilled him constantly for information. But Peeta didn't consider Katniss to be "his girl"- she was just the girl who was nice enough to read the letters of a lonely soldier and respond back. Though he wished he could call her his girl desperately.
When boot camp was nearing it's end, Peeta got word that they would have a few day long break to travel home and say goodbye to their families. He went ahead and booked a bus home, knowing it was a two-day trip there and back and that only left him two days at home but it was worth it. He wanted to see his father and brothers and to do some baking in the family kitchen. He also was looking forward to surprising a certain dark-haired beauty with a chocolate cake, which she had told him in a letter was her favorite.
