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I had been helping my mom garden in our backyard for the majority of the morning. It was a beautiful day out, maybe 75 degrees or so if I had to guess.
"Can someone go pick up breakfast?"
My eyes looked up to see my father dressed in his work clothes. He was a coal miner since he had turned 16 and he loved every minute of it. My mom hated it because of the dangerous conditions, but he had been making enough of a living wage for all of us to be happy, enough. My brother, Gage, was two years older than me and was planning to walk in my father's footsteps.
Gage had a secret. He wanted to be a peacekeeper, but he would never tell my parents that. The only reason I had found out was because I found a crumpled pamphlet in his room when I was snooping one day and I had swore up and down I wouldn't tell a soul. It confused me on how he wanted to work for the Capitol after the terror they continued to reign down on us, but Gage had a mindset that he could "change" the Capitol's narrative and be a "fair and just" peacekeeper.
"Why can't Gage grab breakfast?" I asked, staring up at my father.
"Gage went down to the square to grab some firewood." my dad responded.
I knew that meant I had to be the one to grab breakfast. My mom had no intention of leaving the daffodils she had been planting.
I stood up and dusted the dirt off my hands onto the blue apron I had thrown on. I had on a navy blue dress with white flowers circled around.
"Anything you want specifically?" I asked, as I set the apron down on one of the chairs in our backyard.
"I'd love some toast. Your mom made some strawberry jam yesterday and we're out of bread."
"I'll go down to the bakery." I responded, as I headed back into our home. There was coins left out on the counter which I figured was for me.
I had been to the bakery a few times. My parents typically bought bread from the square when 12 was having a farmers market, but when they missed the farmers market...the bakery was the place to go.
As I set out on the path, it only took me five minutes to get there. I could smell the delicious scent of bread and pastries wafting through the air as I walked up the cobblestone steps and inside. There was one person in front of me ordering at the counter.
Once it was my turn, I approached the counter and was caught off-guard by the blonde boy with brown eyes who stared back at me. All the times I had come before, I hadn't seen him present. He had sweat falling down his face with a few specks of flour on his face. His white apron looked like he had been getting busy all morning, baking.
"Hi, what can I get you?" he asked, as a warm smile was given to me.
Butterflies. That was what I instantly felt as he smiled over at me.
"Hi, could I just get a loaf of the sour dough?" I asked.
The blonde boy nodded at me with another smile as I watched him walk to the back. I waited in the front for about two minutes until he came back out with a loaf of bread that was wrapped in plastic.
"Is this all you'd like?" he asked, as I watched his demeanor change once a taller man, who I assumed was his father came out from the back and checked in on what he was doing.
I nodded at him.
"Five coins." he responded, keeping his eyes locked on the register as his father stayed by his side, until he finally decided to go in the back again.
I reached in my pocket and handed over the appropriate amount as he handed me the loaf of bread.
His sweet smile returned as I took the bread from his hands.
"I'm Peeta." he responded, as his eyes lit up with what looked like hope.
"Capri." I responded, as his hand reached over the counter for a handshake.
"It's nice to meet you. I don't think I've seen you before." he admitted. "I would've remembered, I think." Peeta blushed as I couldn't help but let out a giggle at his comment.
Of course I had seen attractive guys in district 12 before, but they never had the same initial warm presence that Peeta did.
"I don't think I've seen you before either. But, it's nice to...meet you." I responded with shyness as his brown hues kept on mine.
"You too, Capri." he said, before his father came back out and asked him to come help bake more bread.
He nodded at his father's request and quickly turned to me. A sweet smile was given as I waved and walked back out into the warm air.
