Since the Beginning

Peeta Mellarrrrrrk

A/N: Hey guys! New book! basically, these are stories of Katniss and Peeta's childhood, leading up to my other book, "Girl on Fire." Basically, it all starts when they are both five year old. Hope you enjoy!
••
••

Chapter 1

~Katniss POV~

It's hot. Too hot to do anything except for walk around town aimlessly. Mom's at home taking care of baby Prim and daddy's at work. So there is absolutely, positively no one on earth to play with. Sure there are kids in District 12 my age, but none that I would want to play with. Like that gross nose picker, Cato something. Bleh. So I walk on my short legs around town, waiting for an idea to come to me. I walk down the street, passing the "Mellark Bakery." What a wierd name.

"Mellllllllark." I say, trying to make sense of it. "Mellarrrrrrrk." I try again. I shake my head. Nope. Makes no sense whatsoever. I hear grunts from behind the bakery and stop walking. Should I go investigate? Of course I should! So I jog over and turn the corner so I'm behind the bakery. A tallish, blonde boy stands there, pulling at a humungous bag of flour, trying to pick it up. This boy doesn't look like a nose picker. His nose is scrunched up in concentration as he actually heaves the bag up against his chest with a grunt. "Whoa!!" I yell, obviously surprising him.

"What the-!" he exclaims, losing his balance and falling over on his back. I gasp.

"No!" I yelp, running over and dropping to the ground next to him. I try pulling the bag off of him, but it's way too heavy. "Come on, come on, come on," I growl and he pushes it off. He looks at me. His eyes are a very pretty blue. Almost like the ocean. He grins and I grin back.

"Hiya!" he says cheerfully, like he wasn't just smooshed by flour.

"Hi!" I point at the flour. "Cool flour." He laughs.

"Thanks! I own this bakery." He says smugly. My eyes grow wide.

"Really!?"

"Well, my family does. I'm Peeta!"

"I'm Katniss, I live up on the hill." I say happily.

"Coool." I grin.

"So. I'm kinda bored and lonely. Wanna play with me?" his eyes light up.

"Yeah! I just gotta go tell my mom. Come on!"

"Okay!" he hop up and he starts pulling at the bag again. "Why do you need to take this in? You can get it later." I pick up the other side to help him.

"My mom just doesn't like it when I don't do things right." He says, still cheerfully as he opens the backdoor and we heave the sack inside in the air conditioning. "Mommy, I got the flour and a GIRL!" I giggle and we lie the flour in the middle of the bakery.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU-" she screams then walks in, seeing me. She reminds me of a toad. She's blonde, like him, but she all lumpy in the tummy area and she waddles around. Her eyes are blue also, but more like a murky blue and not pretty at all.

"A girl!" I hear another voice behind me and we turn around. A boy, around ten hops over to us. "Well well well, Peetie's got a girlfriend finally." We grin broadly.

"Yeah! She's a girl and she's my friend!" he says happily. The boy snorts.

"Wait 2 to 3 years and you'll understand."

"Hi, tall blonde boy, I'm Katniss Everdeen and I live on the hill!" I exclaim.

"Hi, Katniss Everdeen, I'm Rye Mellark and I live upstairs." He says, smiling. I point at Peeta.