Hunger Games: the Boy with the Bread

Chapter 4

Peeta Mellark! I repeat to myself.

No this can't be happening. Everyone turns their heads toward me. My brother grabs my hand. I look back at him. "Now, come on up," Effie says.

I'm shaky. Trying to walk but I feel like I'm going to pass out. I can feel my heart racing. I can barely comprehend what is happening. I can feel my throat getting dry as I make my way up to the stage. I spot Delly as I'm waking up. She was crying hysterically. Someone grabs her and takes her away. I take deep breaths as I climb the steps. When I'm on the stage that's when I can see my parents. My mother's face is pale. Charlie holding her hand.

Finally when I take my place on stage I see Katniss that's when I get myself back together. She is staring deep in my eyes. Almost like she knows me.

Effie Trinket asked for a volunteer, but no one took my place. My brother Charlie is too old for Reaping. And my younger brother Rye wont take my place. Why would he.

"Happy Hunger Games and my the odds be ever in your favor!" Effie says.

I would say no. The odds are not in my favor. My name was in there six times. Very unlikely. But I have to go into the games with Katniss. It couldn't get worse.

The mayor starts reading the long Treaty of Treason, but I don't bother to listen. All I can think about is Katniss. Why her. Why do I have to go to the games with her? Why does it matter though. Katniss and I are not friends. No we were not. I try convincing myself. I don't have to kill her, someone else will. I won't kill her. I can't. Then all I can think about is the bread. How I was willing to take a beating for her to feed her. Then I realize, I will do anything to protect. That I'm not coming home, Katniss is. Because I know there's no way I'm letting her die in there.

The bread. I still think to myself. One day, it was afternoon. The rain was falling hard. It was cold outside. I was trying to get the bread done cause the Capitol was waiting for it. The relay on us for food. It was hectic, my mom was screaming at me. I was stressed out. When I look out the window and see a girl. I knew I recognized her. But it was hard to tell by the rain.

Now the more I think about it the more the memories come flushing in.

I was standing behind my mothers back looking over her shoulders. It was Katniss. As my mother was screaming at her. Like she does best. I panicked and thought she was going to die. I told her to stop but she pushed me back inside. Making me fall on the floor. Soon I ran to the back of the bakery. Turned the oven all the way up. My mother comes back inside smelling the burnt piece of bread. As I look out the window I can see Katniss making her way behind the pen that held our pigs. And she leaned against an apple tree. I grabbed the burnt piece of bread. Knowing my mom would make me feed it to the pigs. It worked out perfectly. If Katniss didn't go back to the pigs, I would have had to walk out to her and hand her the bread. That would have got my mother more mad. As my mother screams at me. I walk outside. But she followed. She slapped me across the face with a metal bar leaving a red weal that stood out on my cheek. My mother screams, "feed it to the pigs, you stupid creature! Why not? No one decent will buy burnt bread." I could feel my heart racing. My mother was still watching me so I took little pieces of the bread and started feeding it to the pigs. As the bakery bell rang she went back inside. That's when I looked back making sure she wasn't watching. I quickly toss Katniss the loaf of bread. The second it hit the floor I ran back into the bakery closing the door slightly behind me. And that was the first time I meant her. The girl in my dreams.

The next day I wanted to stop and say hi to Katniss. Just to check in with her. Making sure she was okay. But I was scared. I was scared I was going to be seen with a seam girl. That day in school my face was in pain. My checks had swelled up and my eyes had blackened. That's when I passed her. In the halls. I didn't acknowledge her. If anyone found out I gave her the bread and told my mother I would be dead. She walked past me. Her head down low. Scared to meet my eyes. In the school yard, I saw Katniss again. My eyes staring at her. I couldn't help myself. She was beautiful. Our eyes meant for a second. I felt my cheeks flushing bright red as I turned around. My friends noticed I was blushing. Then they started mocking me. Kept teasing me saying I have a crush on a seam girl. I would tell them I didn't and to stop, but they didn't listen, they kept going.

"Give up already dude. She is too good for you anyways. You don't stand a chance with her. She will run off with a coal miner instead just like her mother. Maybe that Gale dude," they smirked.

I screamed at them to stop but telling them just pushed them to keep going.

"Aww Peeta Mellark is getting mad." he said, pushing me against the wall.  "No one loves you. Not even your own family. Your just a stupid little bakery's boy."

I screamed at them to get off me and they did. That's when I looked at Katniss. As I watched her pick up a dandelion. I smiled as she walked away with the dandelion in her hand. But then my so-called friends punched me right in the stomach.

We went on and on screaming at each other. Then Delly came along, breaking us up as I still tried to fight back in her arms. She was screaming at us to stop. Then she grabbed me and we walked home.

I never bothered talking to Katniss cause she will probably hate. Everyone hates me. But till this day those words hunt me, "No one loves you. Not even your own family. Your just a stupid little bakery's boy." Every night that's all I can think about. Cause their right. How could anyone ever love me.

But the girl who keeps her head down low and never shows her eyes. That's the girl I have a huge crush on. It's impossible to get her off my mind. Every time I hear her voice I swarm with butterflies.

Everything my friends said is true how I don't stand a chance with Katniss.  I understand I don't. And that's fine. Katniss is my only light. And she will always be my only light.

I have never forgotten the moment Katniss Everdeen gave me butterflies inside. The moment she picked up that dandelion and put a smile on my face.

While standing on stage, it hit me. How much I really love her.