The Land of Blood and Honey (The Hunger Games Peeta's P.O.V)

Chapter 1

Part 1: The Tributes

Chapter 1

When I wake up, I am greeted to the sound of knocking at my door. I know it's my father. I hear mumbling, but I'm still too asleep to understand what my father is saying. I pull the sheets over my face, as I'm consumed by the feeling of laziness. I want to sleep in. After all it is the day of the reaping.

Soon the thought of the reaping sends my stomach into a nervous twist. I start my way out of bed. The smell of warm fresh bread fills the room. I prop myself up off my back and sit on my bed. I can already hear the rest of my family beginning their morning activities. I stumble across my room looking for something to wear. It is then, when my mother without warning walks into my room. I'm in my underwear but I still say "Thanks, I could've been naked" in a playful tone. She wastes no time, she walks across my room picks up one of my school books and hits me across my arm, hard enough to bruise it. "Watch your tone young man! Get dressed!" she orders, and then storms out of the room.

I never got the feeling my mother loved me. I can't say that I love her, but I don't hate her. I always felt that my father and I had a good bond. Even though my dad isn't much of a people's person, I know he always looks out for my best interest.

I decide to get dressed, but not for the reaping. Not yet. I put on a shirt, some pants, and slip on my shoes. I walk down stairs to the bakery and put an apron around my waist so I don't get too dirty. As I begin to decorate a cake, Katniss Everdeen crosses my mind. I don't know her as well as I wish I did, but I've had a crush on her for as long as I can remember. I pull out three different color frostings.

I commence to frost the cake in an elaborate manner before I get lost in my thoughts again, thinking about Katniss. I think about how sometimes her and Prim come to the Bakery to admire some of the cakes, most of which I designed. But I doubt she knows that. I doubt that she even knows I exist. A few days ago I followed her around the seam. Then I realized she spends most of her time in the woods hunting. I clench my teeth in jealousy at the thought of her and Gale. I don't hate Gale I am mainly jealous that throughout the years he has grown closer to Katniss then I probably ever will.

Snapping back to reality, I realize my cake is complete, I put it under in the display counter, pull out a couple loafs of bread from the oven my father had put in earlier, and head up stairs to bath. I race to the bathroom and quickly strip off my clothes and step into to the small tub. The water isn't heated but I don't mind. When I am finished I go into my room and assess my options for what to wear to the reaping. Were supposed to be dressed nice, or as nice as you can afford to, noticing most of my shirts are dirty and torn I start thinking of an alternative.

I decide to go to my father's room, when I'm at the door I knock on it in a respectable manner, "come in Peeta!" he says almost certain of my presence, as I walk in I see my father is changing for the reaping as well, I find it odd the reaping isn't until two. Could it be that he's actually nervous for once, and is showing a sign of affection saying I care about you Peeta? Or is he just being Proactive avoiding the need to shower and change later on today? I don't know, and to be honest my father will always be a mystery to me.

"What is it that you need Peeta?" he asks stiffly "I was wondering If I could borrow something to wear this afternoon, my shirt is pretty torn up" I explain. Almost immediately after I tell him, he attempts to emotionlessly turn to face his closet, but I catch a smile on his face. I can tell he's happy that for once I'm taking interest on my appearance and how I present myself to the public.

He pulls out a dress shirt, like the ones you wear with a suit. It is probably one of the nicest shirts I've seen here in district twelve, all I wonder is how in the world did my father come to own this shirt? "Take it, it's all yours" he says trying to smile, even though I'm quite puzzled about the situation I except it without hesitation and say "thank you! I'll take good care of it" he smiles once again, and I can tell by the frail smile he's excusing me.