Peeta's Story

Chapter One

      It was my first day of elementary school. I was walking up to the drab, colorless building when I saw her. She had a faded, red dress that flowed to her knees. She was holding the few books she owned in one hand, and holding her mother's hand in the other. The most striking thing about her was her hair. She had two long braids that twisted and turned down her back, almost to her waist. I watched as her mother bent down to kiss her cheek. One of the teachers came and took her hand and walked her inside.

   "Go get her, son," said my father, who was walking me to school. He saw me looking at her.

   "What? Why?" I asked, slightly confused. 

   "Because I couldn't get her mother. She ran off with a coal miner."

   "Why would she do that when she could have you, a baker?" 

   "Because whenever he sang, even the birds would stop to listen."

   He quickly caught her eye as she was turning to say goodbye to her mother. My eyes flitted away. I said goodbye to my father, and went to class. Throughout the day, I watched her. She never really paid any attention except in music class. The teacher asked anyone if they knew the valley song, and her hand shot up. The teacher stood her up on a stool and she sang a portion of the song. One of the windows were cracked and the birds stopped to listen to her song. It was soft and sweet, almost as if a bird itself was singing. When it was over, everyone clapped, even the teacher, who was hard to please. She sat her back down, and just like that, she zoned out again. It was like she was waiting for that very moment, and when it was over, she didn't seem to care about the rest of the world.  

   When the day was over, all the kids waited to be picked up or were waiting for their siblings. Katniss [I figured out her name] was waiting for her mother and her two year old sister, Primrose. She was the sweetest little girl anyone could ever meet. As soon as Katniss got hold of her hand, she glanced up and saw that I was staring at her. I was standing with a group of other boys my age, waiting for my parents. My eyes flickered away, to stare at some far-off object. Her whole figure was naturally beautiful. Despite the fact that she was underfed, like most of District 12, she was, well, gorgeous in my eyes. She was petite and agile, and very quiet. Her dark brown hair was her prime feature. She almost always has it in some sort of braid. For me, it was love at first sight.