Mentor - Peeta Mellark

Chapter 1 - The woods

Alexia's POV

I wake up in my house at the victor's village. I lived here alone, my mom didn't like it here so when I turned 16 she moved back to our old house with my siblings.

Today is the reaping for the 74th Hunger Games. I don't really worry about it, I'm a victor, I can't get reaped again and my siblings are quite safe to. When I won the 72th Hunger Games I also won a life of luxury. So we have enough food and their names aren't that much in the bowl.

It's still soon and I don't have to hurry. But I promised my brother Gale to go hunting with him and Katniss. Well, with hunting I mean watching him hunt. After I killed that boy I swore I would never ever touch a weapon again. I just pick some berries while he's is hunting.

I once asked Gale to stop hunting because we already had enough food . But he didn't want to, he says he does it for Katniss. Me and Katniss became best friends when I returned from the games. Before the Games I was the girl who could cheer everyone up with one smile in their direction. But the nightmares from the Games have haunted me and I became much quieter.

I think that's why we are such good friends now. She's not that talkative either so we have this mutual understanding and a respect for silence.

I throw on a pair of black leggings and a simple red shirt. I put on a pair of short leather boots and a brown leather jacket. When I walk out the door I hear Haymitch snoring. Haymitch is in a permanently drunk state, but he better sobers up before we have to leave for the capitol. This is the first year I will be joining him to help mentor the tributes from our district.

When I reach the fence my brother is already waiting for me. "Hey Lexy," he smiles at me. "Hey big brother, where's Katniss?" I ask him whilst I smile back. He chuckles, "What I'm not good enough for you?" I raise my eyebrow, "Of course you are Gale but you told me she was coming." He nodded and he gives me a little push to the fence, "Common Lex, she's somewhere in the woods we'll find her."

We don't talk when we're walking in the woods. Gale probably doesn't want to scare the animals away. But I just love to think while I'm walking trough the woods, it makes me relaxed.

After we walked a while we see Katniss. She's aiming at a deer when my brother calls her, "What are you gonna do with that when you kill it?" The deer runs away at the sound of his voice and Katniss' arrow misses it. We start laughing and we high five. Katniss lets out a frustrated huff, "Damn you Gale and Alexia! It's not funny!" I start smirking which causes Gale to laugh even harder.

"What are you gonna do with a 100 pound deer, Catnip? It's reaping day, this place is crawling with peacekeapers" I state cocky. "I was gonna sell it to peacekeepers," she answers me with an annoyed tone. "Of course you were ," I say unconvinced, "I'm going to collect some berries, see you guys in half an hour." I'm not really going to collect berries. But I know Gale has a crush on Katniss and I want to give them some space.

I take a seat on a big boulder in the sun and close my eyes for a while. I start listening to the sounds of the nature around me when I hear a hovercraft. I heave a deep sigh, this means Effie has arrived so I probably should go back to welcome her. Oh well, I'm going to see her more than I want to in the upcoming days. An hour or two won't make that much of a difference.

I stand up and walk to the meadow where Gale and Katniss are talking to each other. I plop down between them and put my arms around their shoulders. "What are you talking about?" I ask in a cheerful tone. Gale raises his eyebrow, "Why are you so cheerful? It's reaping day, that's just wrong." My smile vanishes and I get serious, "If I stop smiling, I will break Gale, I have seen more than you have so you shouldn't be the one to say something about how I'm acting."

Katniss and Gale look at me with a shocked face. Then I started laughing," Calm down guys I'm just messing with you." I wasn't really, but it's not the time  to start picking fights with my brother and Katniss. They look relieved and Gale lays down in the grass. When Katniss does the same I take it as my cue to leave. " Well since it's reaping and all I should really go back," I said. I gave Gale a quick hug and winked at Katniss. Then I jumped up and started running back to the fence and the Victors' village.

Awesome, it's reaping day and I have to mentor two kids who will probably die, I don't think it can get any worse than this. But then I remember I still have to wake up Haymitch and make sure his appearance is decent for the cameras. I crack my knuckles and start walking towards Haymitch's house. I blink my eyes and take a deep breath before I knock on the door.