As Radiant As The Sun

Chapter 1

I groan as I roll up my thin blanket, and shove it in my brown leather messenger bag that I pretty much live off of. I store bread in there, the stale stuff the bakers throw out, and animals I have shot, along with my work clothes and essentials. 

I bathe in the lake, and use a small comb in my hair. I run down the hill and into the meadow crashing through the tall grass, and running into town. I work at a sit- down burger joint called the hob, Run by an old friend, Sae Cummings and her husband Jeff, but everyone calls her Greasy Sae, because she runs the burger joint with the good burgers. The rich, greasy ones with real meat. The hob is pretty old, Just like Greasy Sae and Jeff, but that just means the burgers are classic. They are delicious. I get two free ones every week, and They're pretty much all I'm living off of right now anyways. I run in through the double doors with The Hob painted onto the door with Sae's steady hand. "Sae? I'm here!" I shout just to go through the door to the kitchen, and find her getting ready for the day. 

"Katniss! Right on time, Dear! We open in ten minutes, so why don't you get your work clothes and an apron on, and meet me out front? You'll be waiting tables today, and Its going to be pretty busy, because High school has today off for teacher prep today, and you know those are always our days with bigger crowds." I nod, trying to take in all the information thats being thrown at me, grab my bag, and go change. The staff bathrooms are small, because there usually isn't more than one person there at a time. The Hob is a very small restaurant. only about ten people work here. 6 of them part time, which makes our staff very limited, but we're all hard workers. I change into my grey shirt that says The Hob on it, and black sweats with my white apron and visor that also says The Hob on it. I meet Sae in the front of the restaurant like I said I would. She's  wiping down tables, even though they really don't need to be wiped.  

"Oh, Hello Katniss, you with be managing the odd tables today, and Ashley will be doing even tables." Just Then, Ashely walks in and apologizes for being late, and runs off too change.

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At about 1:00, Haymitch walks in, who's an old family friend. He sits down at table seven.

"Hi Haymitch! How have you been?

"Oh, hey Katniss. I've been alright. What about you?"

"I'm alive." I say. Because its true. I'm alive, but barely.

"Katniss, I've been thinking about your little situation. About how you come here everyday instead of going to school." I nod. "You may or may not know this, but I am a principal at the high school just outside the seam." 

I see where he's going with this.

"I'm going to give you a scholarship. You start next Monday at Mining High. See you at 8:00 in one week." He hands me a 20 dollar bill and smirks. "Keep it. You obviously need it." He gets up, and walks out without another word. Well it doesn't seem like I have a choice, so I guess I'm going to school again. What a strange man...

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Greasy Sae hands me a 10 dollar bill and gives me a hug. "Bye dear! Have a good night!" I smile and wave. I have $30, and I need some food. I stop by the farmers market and get some fresh strawberries and some snap peas. I thank the man, and head back down the street. 

"What else do I want?" It's around five now, and I haven't eaten since Saturday. Today's Monday. I continue walking down the street, Until I stop because the smell is to overwhelming. I have $20 dollars left, so I can for sure buy something that will fill me up besides strawberries. I look up and see an old building with a sign on it that says Mellark Bakery. I smile and walk in. It's fairly busy. I wait in line, behind a woman with white hair and extravagant clothes.