Katniss laughed as Morse once again missed hitting a huge target with the arrow.
"He's trying, that's all that matters," Gale said, defending Morse and his complete lack of hand-eye coordination. Even Peeta could learn to shoot, he wasn't as good as her or Gale, but he'd be able to hold his own.
In the three months since she had started training Peeta he had gotten much better. He wouldn't tell her why he wanted to learn; she knew it wasn't to hunt game. But she did as he asked, now they had a whole little class after Gale found out a few weeks ago. Not only was Morse learning to shoot so was Rory, Vick and Prim. The funny thing was Prim was picking it up better than Morse, Rory made the joke that Posey could probably learn faster than Morse. Gale had glared at his little brother.
Gale and Morse were the worst kept secret in the district. Everyone played along though and acted like they didn't know. They all were going to let the two tell them. Katniss didn't know how it started but she thought it probably did while Peeta was in the Games. A shoulder to lean on and all that.
Since Peeta and she started training, she and Gale had drifted apart as she and Peeta grew closer. Her mom kept asking if there was something going on between them. She didn't think like that, she was only fourteen and there was death or starvation around every corner, she didn't have time for feelings. It was hard enough to make sure her mother was eating and having enough food for the three of them. Peeta wasn't like he used to be either. He used to be gentle and fun, now he was quiet and raw. Gale said that he hears Peeta screaming in his sleep every night. Most of the time Peeta just gets up after that and sits at the kitchen table writing. Gale didn't know what he was writing but he said that he wrote page after page all night. He has dozens of notebooks locked in his chest in his room.
She knows about them because weeks ago Peeta made her swear that if anything happened to him that she would get them and burn them. He said that the Capital could never read what was in them. It made her curious about what information filled those books pages. Gale said it was probably just mad ramblings, no one comes out of the games sane. Katniss thought it was more than that, but she kept quiet about it.
Katniss grabbed her bow and handed it to Prim. "Here, show them how it's done."
Prim was so little holding Katniss's bow, but she had to learn sometime. Prim had so many years ahead of her with the Reaping. She wasn't old enough yet but the one after next would be her first one. Katniss couldn't let her be ignorant on how to defend herself or hunt. Peeta had given her the idea. He was so adamant that as many kids as possible, Seam and Town needed to learn how to fight. It was weird because he used to be so passive, but she couldn't see any harm making some of the districts kids not sitting targets for the Careers.
The arrow whizzed by Peeta's left ear, grazing it. All of them gasped except for Peeta, he didn't even flinch.
"Next time aim for the eye, easiest way to get to the brain."
"PEETA!" Katniss hissed as Prim started to cry.
"Was it something I said?"
Katniss moved in front of him and pointed at him, her index finger digging into his chest.
"I get you've been through something we can't even dream of but that doesn't give you the right to take it out on a little girl."
"What are you talking about?"
"Saying something like that to Prim because you were too stupid and stood too close to the target."
"Huh? I was being serious; it is the easiest way to kill someone. You can shoot the heart, but you run the risk of not puncturing, especially with how small she is. As long as her aim is good, you can take out another with a shot to the eye. Even if it doesn't kill them, they're not coming after you for a while."
"What? You didn't even hurt anyone in your games. Didn't you only see a few deaths in person? How would you know all this?"
"I've watched all the games that have been kept in video. I know every one of the tributes names, when they died, how they died and what could they have done to live."
"Why?"
Peeta just shook his head and turned to walk away. "I've got to get home."
She went to go after him but a hand on her elbow stopped her. "Let him go Catnip, he's too far gone, alright. He'll start drinking just like Haymitch did any day now," Gale said, pulling her back to the group.
After that she helped Vick understand not to point an arrow at someone unless you plan to shoot.
"He's not talking to Haymitch," Rory said after Gale went to help Vick.
"What? Why? They're both Victors, and they live near each other."
Rory shrugged. "I don't know but they had a bad fight. They were in Haymitch's garden, but I could still hear it, everyone could. They were yelling at each other and Haymitch said he didn't care if Peeta got himself killed but he wouldn't let anyone else go down with him."
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"I don't know but Peeta is going to the Capital soon, so maybe when he gets back him and Haymitch won't yell so much."
"Why is he going to the Capital? It's not even time for the Victory Tour for the girl from District 9 yet."
"I don't know, it's just what he told Haymitch."
A few days later, Peeta was working on his newest notebook. He would have to get a new chest at this rate.
There was a knock on his door.
"Yes?" he asked, not moving from his desk.
"I was wondering if you were hungry?" Mrs. Hawthorne asked, poking her head into his room.
"No but thank you."
"You really need to eat, you're a growing boy."
Peeta snorted. Her own children spent years not sure where their next meal was coming from, and she was worried about him. "I'm fine."
"I know I'm not your mother, but you need to have something to eat."
"She wouldn't care. I appreciate your care, but I really can't eat. I'm leaving tomorrow and will be gone for a while. I just need to do this. I've done your employment paperwork, Haymitch showed me. This way you can stay and live here as live-in help with your family and the Capital or Peacekeepers can't do anything about it."
"I really thank you for letting us live here," she said, Peeta could tell she was genuinely thankful.
"It's my fault your house was burned down."
"It's sad that you really believe that. I'll leave a plate for you in the fridge." She left, leaving him thinking about what she meant about believing it was his fault. It was his fault; it was all his fault. His parents were dead because of him, and so was his oldest brother. If Gale had been asleep in bed there was a good chance all the Hawthorne's and Ivo would have died.
Katniss was surprised to see Peeta back three days later. He looked happy, really happy. It was like the old Peeta had taken back his life.
"Hi," she said as he sat beside her.
She was taking a break from cleaning the house. Her mother was in one of her moods and wouldn't get out of bed. So that left Katniss taking care of the house and Prim. Right now, she was sitting outside of the Hob, having some of Greasy Sae's stew.
"Hi," Peeta said cheerily, he pulled out a sandwich and handed her half. She wasn't going to take it, but it had been so long since he smiled, she didn't want him to stop.
"What's got you in such a good mood?"
"Past victors don't have to go to the Capital for the Capital's newest victor's party. That means I don't have to go, and my exclusive deal runs out then."
"What exclusive deal?"
He waved her off. "It's nothing important. I was wondering would you like to go on a picnic with me in the meadow tomorrow?"
"What? A picnic, why?"
His smile dropped some but not completely. "I don't know, I was just thinking it would be nice. It's going to start getting colder soon, it was stupid, sorry."
"No. It sounds really nice. I'd like to go."
Peeta's smile was back. "Really?"
"Sure, let's invite Prim and the others."
There was a pause from Peeta before he answered. "That sounds great."
The picnic became something even bigger than Katniss ever thought, she was just going to invite her friends and family, but one person told another. Now there were blankets, tablecloths and sheets with food all laid out. There were people from the Hob, Town and the Seam. The little kids were running around and playing. There was food everywhere, people brought what they could and Peeta and Mrs. Hawthorne brought the rest. Katniss wondered what it would be like to have days like this all the time. There were a few Peacekeepers around, eating and laughing with some of the Hob venders. They still didn't have a replacement for Cray and the Peacekeepers in the meadow with them weren't the ones that set the fires.
Peeta had been pretty quiet so far and she wondered why. He invited her to the picnic and now he wasn't even speaking to her more than a few words here and there. Besides that, it was a nice day. One she hoped to remember because good days were always followed by bad ones.
It was time for the games again and Peeta could feel the pit in his stomach again. This would be his second year being a mentor so at least he knew what to expect. It didn't make it any easier though. They would still be taking two kids to their deaths.
Peeta also found out that Haymitch had given Darius, a peacekeeper, money to keep Ivo safe. That nothing would happen to his son or anyone else in the district while they were gone.
Now he was fifteen and was so different from what he was like when his name was drawn. There was very little of himself left of the original him, he was pretty much a patchwork doll, put together by bits and pieces he could save of himself and when he couldn't, pieces of what he could find.
Effie was on stage again, going on about what a privilege it would be for whatever kids are picked to be tributes. With each year it was getting closer to when Ivo's name would be added. Peeta knew that if the Capital wanted Ivo to be in the games there was nothing Effie could do to save him.
The girl tribute was a plain girl with ashy blonde hair and brown eyes. She was small, really small about the size of a twelve-year-old, but she was seventeen. She looked sick, her hands shook, and her legs were bowed. She wouldn't last long, this Peeta knew. But he would try to help her, at least with what he could.
"Now for our boy tribute." Effie stuck her hand into the bowl and moved her hand around like she was stirring. Something didn't feel right about her today. She usually looked at him or spoke to him when she arrived, but she had been ignoring him. It didn't make sense until she pulled out a name and read it aloud. "Morse Mellark."
Peeta's eyes instantly sought out his brother. Morse was standing with the older boys; it was his second to last year. Peeta had no idea who's name was on that slip of paper but knew it wasn't Morse. This was Snow, he knew that.
Morse looked like he had been hit with a bat. He wasn't even moving. A peacekeeper made his way to him before Morse started to move. As much as Gale and Katniss tried to train them, Morse never caught on. He wasn't good at shooting, foraging or even climb. He was strong but that was all, he didn't have Clay's stout body. Morse was tall and wiry. Peeta was stronger than Morse, always had been. Morse was going to die, and he would really be all alone.
"I Volunteer!" a voice shouted.
Gale stepped forward, pushing Morse back to where the other boys were standing. Peeta saw Morse shake his head and grab Gale. But with a big shove, Gale pushed Morse back into the group and ran up to the stage. Peeta's eyes sought out Katniss, the girl didn't cry, she would never allow herself to show weakness in front of anyone, but he could see the complete devastation on her face.
"Now he could win," Haymitch hissed in Peeta's ear. Haymitch was right, if there was a boy in the district that could win on just skills it would be Gale. He would have to because if Peeta knew nothing at all, he knew Snow wouldn't allow another kill-less winner. This was going to be the most violent games in a long time.