ʙᴀᴋᴇʀ ʙᴏʏ

ʙᴀᴋᴇʀ ~ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ

Hey. That voice sounded so... soothing. Why?

Athena quickly noticed she hadn't responded and cleared her throat, moving her dark hair out of her way. "Oh sorry, hi..." The boy moved his hair out of his face a smiled slightly as he went around the counter to shake her hand.

His hands were... soft... he probably didn't work in those twisted toxic coal mines.

"What can I do for you?" he said warmly,

Athena thought that it might be how she was dressed and how clean she looked. She didn't have coal dust on her hands or dirt on her face.

"Oh, I was just looking around. Do you make these yourself?" Athena turned to admire the cakes in the window display.

One cake had a polka dot design, each black circle had a flower in it. It must have taken hours of hard work.

"Yes, I decorate and my parents usually bake them." Athena smiled at him, there was something about him that made her feel like she could laugh all day long. She pointed at the polka-dot one, "Do you mind if I take that one?"

The boy kindly took it out and packaged it nicely, putting a red ribbon on it.

"So where are you from?" The blonde boy asked. "District Three, originally. My father's a Technology District Manager."

"That sounds nice, If I could visit any District it would be District Three. I'm kinda interested in how technology and all that stuff works."

Athena kept looking around, still amazed at how cool and cozy this bakery seemed. "What's your name?"

"Athena Linux." She couldn't help but blush as he replied in that soft low voice.

"That's a beautiful name".

How could he do that? He sounded like an angel.

"I'm Peeta, Peeta Mellark" he cleared his throat, obviously noticing her red rosy cheeks. She heard him pressing loud clicking buttons for a while until meeting her gaze again. "Alright, your total is... $46.99".

Athena took out her small dark green pouch and passed him $120.

"Oh you gave me too much-" This boy was too humble. He clearly hadn't seen that much money spent on one cake.

"I insist," Athena said sharply. "Please and keep the change."

Peeta looked at her, still holding out the money in his hand before putting it in the cash register. "Thank you," he whispered.

Athena picked up the box and turned around but saw a commercial mixer, it looked dusty and broken, as the front and rear cover was lying next to it. Before Peeta knew it she put the box down and got out the tools she always carried. Athena was a great technician but an even better engineer.

Peeta peered over her shoulder before backing away to let her do her thing, perhaps he knew to let her be from decorating his cakes. After she fixed it she turned around to see him standing around in awe.

"How-?" Peeta's face of confusion suddenly turned into a grin.

"You're full of surprises, Athena Linux."

Peeta opened his mouth to say one more thing but then Athena heard a woman shouting his name, and the voice got closer. "Peeta! I swear-" The woman quickly seeing Athena changed her angry composure almost instantly as if she never yelled at him. "Hello dear, I'm quite sorry, I hope my son helped you alright?"

This was his mother? Athena thought but picked up her box. She understood, her father was hard on her two at times. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be on my way. Good night."

She noticed Peeta wanted to walk out after her but she was gone.

-

"Where have you been?! Madge got home hours ago!" Athena's father roared as she came in. "Young lady- I told you to keep your explorations short, especially in The Poor Districts!"

Athena groaned as she put the box on the dining room table. "Yeah, yeah," she muttered bitterly.

Rexx sighed, putting his hand on his forehead like he had a headache. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I don't know, maybe stop yelling at me every time I talk to you," Athena said sarcastically, clenching her teeth together.

"Tone, Athena. I told you to stop being so smart with me. You know the rules and you know why I set them. If you can't follow them I shall leave you in the Capitol until you marry a respectable gentleman."

Athena almost barfed. Her?! Marry?! As if.

"Oh don't give me that face, I will not have my daughter be alone. You don't have any friends and you barely talk to anyone- don't deny it. I understand that you think that you can make a life out of fixing and being locked away in your room but dear, wouldn't you want some people in your life?"

Athena rolled her eyes and scoffed, going upstairs as she heard her father yelling after her.

Rexx always found a way to sneak that lecture into their conversations.

Athena wasn't lonely. Her mind was always thinking of new ideas on how to fix things, always reciting a book verse or poem. Surely that was enough to say that she wasn't lonely?

Athena dug in her pockets to find a nail, along with being an engineer she was also a great inventor.

Was there anything she couldn't do?

She got into her pajamas and opened the desk drawer, taking out nails, rubber bands, and other small things that would be handy in making something. She didn't know what to make. She hadn't, for the last year.

Athena sighed as she turned off the light a lay in bed, thinking and hoping to dream about that boy.

Peeta Mellark.