sunshine ➳ everlark oneshot

oneshot

Katniss Everdeen is the sunshine. She's just as radiant as the sun.

She's helped numerous people, given up her time to help those in need, even though she's in need herself. Her family has been devastatingly poor for a while.

I remember when I tossed her that burnt bread into the freezing rain that afternoon. After all, I was only ten, and couldn't bake a load of bread to save my life, but I tried my best. I did it to not let her starve. She'd given every last bit of food to her tiny sister, Primrose.
And she looked as if she was withering away before my very eyes. I had to do something or I would never forgive myself.

Almost every day, she would trudge by with her little brown satchel and stare at the baked goods through our bakery window. And she would lick her lips, yearning for a piece of bread. Then she would simply drag herself home, just to do the same thing the next day.

In a heartbeat, I would've gone out there and given her a whole cake with pretty decorations iced all over it, but my mother would never allow it.

She'd always spit, "We are not going to throw our money at that Seam 'charity'. If we have jobs, they can get them too!" And then she'd smack me right across my face.

I hated my mother so much. I never admitted it to anyone but my brothers, who hated her too, of course. She was an evil witch.

"But mama-"

"No buts!" She shouted, shoving me into the pouring rain. It was raining with so much force the raindrops hurt my body. "Go feed those scrawny pigs, you disgusting urchin!"

Sometimes I would even walk through the Seam, without my mother knowing, of course. I would get horrified, and I used to think, "How do these people stay alive?"

But they did. Barely. And I couldn't believe how they pulled through.

I've never seen such a selfless individual like Katniss Everdeen. She's had to fight a tough, long battle throughout her life, against her own mother, of all people.

Back in elementary school, she would come every day. She had a perfect attendance record for her entire school career until second grade, when she didn't show up. And we knew that's when her father died in the mines.

They displayed the coal mining accident on video that morning, and everyone knew that her dad had passed. Everyone knew Mr. Everdeen and thought of him as a nice, caring person. Except for Mom, of course. She hated everyone, even my father. They never spoke very much at all after they had me.

It's the final day of ninth grade today. She doesn't have a boyfriend, and I'm determined to confess my feelings.

But she barely knows me. It's like I'm invisible to her. We never talk that much, only a small 'hello' once in a while. She probably calls me "bread boy" or something weird like that.

Katniss always crosses to the meadow beside her house after school. I've gone a couple of times to hear her sing. She's a beautiful singer, and she's been that way ever since she was young.
"Katniss?"

"Who are you?" She peers up to me through the blinding rays of sun. "Oh, your Peeta. The baker's son. Right."

"Yeah, I uh... I am," I nod awkwardly, gazing deeper into the grassy meadow. The wildflowers were beautiful, and I reached out to touch one of the purple ones. I plop myself down onto the ground, brushing my hands on my pants.

"B-But," she stutters, looking at my tailored tan pants, "Those will get dirty. And they have to cost a fortune."

"I don't care that much," I shrug nonchalantly, even though I know I'm going to get a beating if I have mud all over my clothes when I come into the house later.

"Exactly," she mutters, casting her eyes onto her skinny legs. "You are rich."

"That's not what I'm here to talk about. I hope you know that," I shake my head. Is that what she thinks? I mean, my family isn't rich, but we're not poor either.

"Well, of course not," she frowns, "I'm sorry."

"You're fine," I dismiss it, "No problem."

"Well, what are you here to talk about, anyway?" She asks me, playing with the end of her sloppy dark braid, which is actually quite pretty in my eyes.

I suddenly can't speak. "Um, I uh... You see...."

"Spit it out, Mellark," she chuckles innocently, smirking at me and waiting for an answer.

"I like you," I sigh, "A lot."

"Wait," she narrows her eyes. "Is this a joke? I bet it is. I had the exact thing happen to me last year!"

"What? No!" I shout desperately as she rises swiftly from the grass. "Wait!"

She starts running away, but I eventually reach her, despite her exceptional track skills.

I push her into the ground, falling myself, and hover over her. "This isn't a prank. I'm serious, Katniss."

"But why would a smart, wealthy, and cute-" she gasps, clamping a hand over her mouth. I smirk victoriously. She likes me!

"Oh," I grin like a fool, "Go on."

"Of all the people in this place, why me?"

"Because you're the sunshine," I whisper happily, kissing her cheek. "And you can make me happy, Katniss."
•~•~•~•

My life is gone. It's broken. My girlfriend has just volunteered for the Hunger Games to save her little sister.

Before I realize it, my name has been called. "Peeta Mellark."

I hear a choked sob and immediately recognize them as Katniss's cries.

It looks like I'm going to have to fight for her life and mine.

•~•~•~•
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