The Boy In Love // THG Peeta's POV

The Ghost

"May Everdeen? Katniss' mother?" I asked. "You were in love with her?"

"Am," he corrected automatically, like he'd done it countless times before. Then, as if realizing what he had admitted, he attempted to patch up the situation. "I mean... I don't know. Every day the situation between us worsens. When Peter passed away, I could have helped. But I didn't. When we were kids, May and I were thick as thieves. But when she rejected my affections for Peter, I vanished from her life. Next thing I knew, Maysilee was reaped, and May didn't want me to comfort her, even though I was the only other person who really knew Maysilee," my father spoke angrily, clearly still bitter over the salty wounds of heartbreak. "My parents started sending me on blind dates, and three years later I was engaged to Dolores Umbridge. I don't even remember that happening."

He fell into silence again, perhaps pondering the enigma that was my mother. She used to be kind, I knew that much from stories, but I had never seen a shred of evidence. What I did have, however, were countless bruises and scars, internal and external, as proof of her "tough love."

"I don't know what is going on with you and Katniss, Peeta. I can't even begin to imagine. All I know is that the look on your face when she was picked, when you lost her, was my exact expression the day May broke my heart."

I waited then, for the grandiose speech to fall from my father's lips, one that spoke of how love would always prevail. Instead, I received a far different warning.

"Don't fall in love Peeta. That is the only advice I can give you. Forget Katniss and anything between you as fast as possible."

I blinked, shocked at the grave tone of my father's words.

"What?"

"I mean it. May Singer ruined my life. And yet I can't get her out of my mind. She betrayed me, and I her, but she refuses to relinquish her chokehold on my heart. And my heart is suffocating because of it. Run away Peeta. Run far away from love, from loss, from anything to do with Katniss," he paused and spat the next word like it was poison. "Everdeen."

"But-," I stammered.

"I wish you only the best in life son. And the brightest path leads far from that girl. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go settle my final debt, and see if that damned ghost will let go of my heart."

With that, my father stood and kissed me on the forehead. He looked me in the eyes longer than necessary, and a saw my own heartbreak reflected in them. Only, my heartbreak was fresh, while his had been left to fester. And instead of saving Ms. Everdeen when he had the chance, when she lost everything, he left her to die. Since then, her ghost had plagued him, never allowing a moments rest. So he broke.

My father stalked out of the room to the sound of crinkling paper. Were those cookies in his pocket? I replayed his words in my mind. A final debt. Ah, so they were for Katniss. I smiled at the thought. I made most of the cookies in our bakery. So in a sense, they were from me.

I pulled my knees up to my chest, and rested my head on them, facing the oak door. As I watched it close behind my father, my thoughts turned to her. I wondered if she would come to say goodbye.

Unlike my family, she knows what Katniss means to me. She knows that this must be our final goodbye. I don't know how long I sat in perfect stillness and silence, but it felt like an eternity before the door opened. I wondered why I ever doubted her to begin with. She poked her head into the room; her pale blue eyes misted with unfallen tears.

"Tessa," I breathed, my voice but a relieved whisper. She came. I was not alone.

She only nodded wistfully in response, clearly not ready for words. So I merely opened my arms, and she joined me on the floor, falling readily into my embrace as she had countless times before.

*****

What!? Another girl? *Dramatic sound effect* Muahahahaha plot complications. I know a lot of people don't like OCs, but she's not even going in the ring so I think it will be ok. If you lot protest, I'll get rid of her, but give her a chance. So, why an early chapter? Well, I reached 130 reads! Which I understand may not be much in the long run, but I never thought I'd even get 1 read, so I'm over the moon. Anywho, tell me what you think of this chapter! Do you think that Peeta's dad shouldn't be so bitter? Any predictions? How does Peeta know Tessa? Or, more importantly, how does Peeta feel about Tessa? Vote or comment!

-Siren Song

P.S. Peter is Katniss' dad. I made up his name because I couldn't find it, but if you know it please tell me.