The boy with the bread: The back story to Peeta Mellark

Part 1: Chapter 1

I do not own these characters...from The Hunger Games written by: Suzanne Collins in 2008

Part 1: BEFORE THE GAMES
The Hunger Games: book 1
----------
Chapter 1

It was one of those days. Where the sky is grey, the air is muggy, and everyone is miserable. Especially his mother. Here in District 12, it's not the happiest place to live. Men, at the age of 18, after their last year in the reaping, have to work in the mines. Although, his father owned the bakery. Which made him the bakers son and his mother the bakers wife. His mother is especially miserable, not just today, but everyday. She always seems to be mad at him. At the family. At life. Sometimes, he wakes up extra early to get a head start on that days bread stash. And no doubt, every time at least one loaf gets burnt, then that's when she gets mad. They give it to the pigs outside, or if he could sneak it, to someone in need. That's the difference between him and his mother. He is kind. Loving. Gentle, exactly like his father. She's not, but he knows that somewhere in her heart, that there is kindness and love, because that's what he knows about everybody. That they have a kind spot in them, but sometimes darkness can escape. Where someone as caring and thoughtful as his father can even do the cruelest thing.

He can't imagine it, he cannot even think about what it would be like to be reaped and sent into the hunger games where that inner darkness is forced out because of how scared it makes you feel. The closer and closer that time comes, the more scared and worried he becomes. The more sleepless nights he has, thinking about what would happen is one of his brothers got reaped, or even worse. Him. There is, perhaps, some light to his days. A light so strong that he's been staring at it, thinking about it for as long as he can remember. The only thing is, it's impossible to grasp. It's too far away to take hold of. Its been forever that his heart feels this way, but how could he stop it? The heart holds unspeakable feelings that are impossible to let go of sometimes. He just wishes that just one time, she would notice him. That he would catch her eyes, looking into his, even just for a second. There's so much to her that he doesn't know, but somehow he feels like he couldn't get any closer. Sometimes he thinks it's possible, but then he has to remind himself who he is: Peeta Mellark, the bakers son, and who she is: Katniss Everdeen, the one whom he watches go home every night, and doesn't even know he exists.

"Ahh, son, I see you've started today's batch." says the baker

"Yes," Peeta responds, holding out a fresh loaf, "I hope mother will be pleased."

"Well the weather outside doesn't look too good, so let's hope for the best." he responds

All at once, Peeta's brothers run into the kitchen with energy that they will soon lose to a busy day of baking.

"Good morning father!" one of them say, "Peeta." he just nods in his direction.

"Look who's trying to get on the nice list with mom today," the other one says to Peeta, making fun. He always does this, perhaps because Peeta is the youngest of them all, and that's just what siblings do.

"Oh no ..." Peeta sighs, looking down at the burnt bread, "The first of many, I guess."

"That's alright son, we will keep it from your mother so we don't cause a fuss." Peeta's father says with his kind voice.

"Keep what from your mother!" The bakers wife yells, while walking into the kitchen.

"Um, nothing don't worry--"

"Did you burn another loaf, Peeta! I thought we've been through this! Now what are we going to do, short a loaf ... you should'nt even be a baker. Go sweep the floor, you got it all dusty from the flour. Go on now!" His mother yells. Peeta realizes that today is going to be as miserable as it looks outside.

"Oh come on honey, it was just one loaf, we'll feed it to the pigs or trade it for little. It wasn't his fault."

"Oh yes it was! If he started the batch, then he needs to finish it. Properly. and from what I see, he's a lousy baker." She says, slapping peeta across the back of his head.

"I'm sorry." Peeta mumbles.

"I'm what?" his mom demands to him,

"I'm sorry!" Peeta yells back, hoping he wasn't too loud and aggressive that she would get even more upset.

"Good," she says, "now go feed it to the pig, discusting old thing doesn't even deserve it ..."

Peeta walks out the door, like he was told to do. Man, it was a bad day, already he got a slap across the head, burnt a loaf, and it's only 8am. Another half an hour until school started, and he could keep day dreaming of the only thing that made him happy.

While his brothers ran out the bakery door to race to school, Peeta just slowly walked out and strolled through the dirty roads, thinking deep thoughts about his life: My name is Peeta Mellark. I am 15 years old, well, almost 16 actually. I am the bakers son, and one day, I'll just be the baker. I have a huge crush on Katniss Everdeen, someone who doesn't know who I am. My life might actually turn out good for once, but then I think hard and realize, nope, never will happen.

Class started. Students rush and everyone takes their seat. Peeta notices that Katniss isn't in class. He can't help but wonder why, maybe she was just running late on time. Or did something even more serious happen? With her sister, or mother? Perhaps she just lost track of time in the woods. Peeta never saw her hunt in person, but he knows that his father buys her squrriels. The ones that she hits right in the eye everytime.

"Okay class, good morning to you all," the teacher says, interupting his thoughts. "So lets begin, today we--" The door to the class opens and in came Katniss. She looked tired, upset, like she was in a bad mood, like Peetas mother, just not as bad.

"Oh hello, Ms. Everdeen, glad you decided to come." the teacher says.

"I apologize for being late, it won't happen again," she says, while taking her seat.

"Well that's alright, but you need to shape up, this wasn't the first time you did this, but hopefully it will be the last." She turned to the board and started writing something. Some of the classmates were still lookimg at her, and so was Peeta.

She starts to gather her things and everything falls on the floor around her desk. Even though Peeta is a few desks away, he gets up and bends down to help her, since clearly no one else would. Once she cleaned up her books she sits back down, without even glancing at him. Soon enough the teacher starts to talk about something that has to do with history, but all he could think about was her.

At the end of the day, Peeta notices Katniss walking home. He wants to join her, they do take the same route home, except the last left turn that she takes a right. Sometimes she turns into the woods all on her own, or end up waiting for Gale to join her walk home. The tall, handsome boy that's a few years older then them, but her hunting partner and the only one she spends time with. Peeta thought about walking with them one time, but Gale is so bold, skilled, and just looks like someone who you would want to take care of you. Something Peeta thinks he's not. Gale looks like a born leader, someone who's confidence always stays high. This made him feel small and embarassed because all he could do is bake bread and frost cakes. Gale had many friends and girls that would constatly try to talk to him. Peeta had friends too, just he didn't feel as popular. The one thing he noticed was that Gale and Katniss never sat together at lunch. Probably because they didn't have it at the same time.

The rest of his walk was lonley, his brothers were most likey already home, trying to get dibs on the less burnt bread for dinner. Peeta would probably end up with a bad peice, but what does it matter? His mother would've given it to him anyway.