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

Chapter 9

Going home was nothing but ordinary. His brothers started without him, which meant Peeta was left to walk the roads of the Seam alone.

But walking alone isn't too bad. In his head thoughts are rolling around, jumbled up and leaving him wondering about many things. Like, will his parents--no wait--his father acknowledge him for his win? Did he even find out? Probably not. Sometimes he even questions life itself. Weather if anything will change with Panem. Will the games ever end? Or will children's keep dying every year for as long as people shall live? Somebody will step up, but who will it be? All he knows is that whatever happens, he doesn't want to be involved with with the Capitol. But how can he know for sure, why the future holds is a mystery.

By the time he reaches the bakery, it has just started to rain. Droplets of water pour down from the dark sky that clouds have just began to cover. Like usual, district 12 was grey, just as most citizens eyes seemed to be. Except Peeta's. His are blue, crystal blue in fact. His father once told him that he inherited them from his grandmother, who was known to be the most polite and positive women. Even when living in such a place like District 12. Unfortunately, she died before Peeta had been born, but that was usual that most people end up starving to death, then just dying of old age.

Opening the door to the bakery, Peeta takes a deep breath and slowly enters, careful not to create noise. Sadly, that doesn't work because guarantee the damaged old door makes a creek so loud that even their neighbors can probably hear it. Everybody stops and looks at him the minute he steps into the bakery.

"Peeta your home! just in time before the rain gets bad." the baker says, breaking the silence that the rest of his family members started.
"Yeah, just in time...." Peeta walks in and goes past his brothers, then into his room.

From the small window in the bedroom, he watches as the rain gets harder. Now it's not flowing gentle rain, its loud, harsh rain that hits the ground looking like it is made to be a punishment. Maybe it is. Who knows what the capitol is capable of.

Just then, the projector in their kitchen turns on and president Snow appears on their grey wall. Peeta runs out of his room and faces the screen curious to what the Capitol has to say.

"What do you think he needs to tell everyone?" One of his brothers ask,

"Probably something about the games . . ."

"Maybe something happened to one of the Districts,"

"Lets hope it's nothing serious," their father says calmly.

President Snow is sitting on a tall gold and silver chair, with elegant fabrics that only people in the Capitol can afford to have. He is wearing a white suit with a small white rose sitting in a front pocket. So, his usual attire.

"Citizens of Panem," he starts, "being as it's only a few weeks away from the 74th Hunger Games, please listen attentively. We have a new gamekeeper, Seneca Crane." A man with slick black hair, combed back to perfection appears. His plain facial expression shows, along with the weird Capitol style beard pattern that he wears.

President Snow continues, "Please prepare for the games as usual, Peacekeepers will be coming to each district to ensure that everything is in order, in preperation for the hunger games. Thank you and proceed to your normal routine." Just then, he's gone and their family is left looking at a grey wall once again.

"So it begins," their father sighs

Peeta's mother walks out of the room, swearing under her breath. While Peeta and his brothers are frozen, thinking about how only two out of three of them will be attending the reaping this year. His oldest brother just made it, and will forever be working in the bakery, safe from the terror that the games bring. But Peeta, on the other hand, has a few more years to go, including this year. Turning 16 in a few weeks, he wil need to hope that he will never need to meet Seneca Crane, or even go anywhere near the Capitol.

"Peeta!!" he hears his father yell from the other side of the house, He comes into the kitchen and hands him a plate of frosting and baking materials, "here, start frosting those cakes,"

Peeta nods and walks into the bakery kitchen, ready to start the job that has been his for years. His father says that he has some artistic talent that reflects on the cakes. So he's been the only one who does this.

The frosting is bland, but sweet enough and easy to work with. His evening is full of this, cake by cake until his mother yells at him to go to sleep. Not once, did anyone mention his win at school, not once did they acknowledge him being the second best in the school-- after his brother.

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Sleep finds him, eventually, but something wakes him up. Heart beats faster, and he nervously looks around the room. Yup-- both brothers are still there, and are slowly starting to wake up.

"What's wrong? What happened?" One asks Peeta.

"I heard something . . . it was a scream."