Katniss and Peeta Mellark:There are Far Worse Games to Play

Chapter 4

After we leave, we walk hand in hand to the square and go to the newly rebuild Mellark's Bakery. When Peeta was stable enough, he rebuilt his family's bakery with the help of Haymitch. He was good help when he was sober but most of it Peeta rebuilt himself because we couldn't have Haymitch falling off roofs and breaking something. Every day Peeta checks on the store, as if, if he didn't it wouldn't be there anymore. It's still there when we arrive so we keep on walking, back home. When we get home Peeta starts getting a picnic together. He must be planning something. I go up behind him and wrap my arms around him and he freezes rigid, like a board. I immediately know that something's wrong. "Peeta?", I ask. He starts shaking so I back away, back into the living room. I hear something smash and I know immediately that Peeta is having an episode, a result of the hijacking in the Capitol. It's a good thing that I backed away because I can hear Peeta talking to himself. "Your a mutt!", he screams at me. I look into his eyes and I see not the bright blue eyes that I woke up to this morning but cold white eyes. I run to the only place that I can think of. Which happens to be Haymitch's house, because its closest. "Haymitch, Peeta's having an episode", I call through the house. Suddenly I hear a crashing sound and I see him stumble towards me. "Stay here for a little while until he calms himself down then, sweetheart", he says. He doesn't seem as drunk as he usually is but the slight slur that comes with every word tells me that he was hung over earlier today. I sit down at his dining room table while he stumbles around, trying to make coffee, I'm guessing. He passes me a mug full of coffee while he sits down and slops his everywhere. "So how'd it start this time", Haymitch asks. "I was hugging him and he went stiff as a board then he started shaking and screaming at me", I say, "then I ran here". Haymitch looks at me and gives me a sympathetic look. "It's not your fault. Just remember that. Ok Katniss?", Haymitch asks.

***

When he calms down, he'll go back to his normal self and then he'll apologize as usual. Don't give up on him again Katniss". I look at Haymitch with tears in my eyes, remembering last time when I thought that he was incurable but he eventually came back to me. "I'm going home Haymitch", I tell him. "Ok. Be careful Sweetheart", he says as I close the door behind myself. I walk slowly back to my house and when I arrive there, I see the door wide open. I remember shutting it when I left but then after a quick search of my house, I realize that it must have been Peeta that left it open. He's not here so I go straight to the bakery and I find that he's not there either so now I'm starting to worry. I decide to just go hunting for a bit to clear my mind. Maybe he'll have returned by the time I get back. But I don't even get to the woods before I find Peeta.