Hi guys! My new fanfiction is Hunger Games from Peeta's POV. I hope you will like it. I'm not entirely sure this will be good, so please review to let me know if it is worth continuing. Thanks a lot for reading :)

Chapter 1 – Reaping Day

It's warm summer morning in the end of June. Today I'm free from my work in bakery so I'm sitting under an apple tree in our backyard and drawing. In a normal world, children and teenagers would be happy that the summer holidays are coming. Not here. We're not living in a normal world. In our world the end of school before summer means fear. Fear that you have a chance to be reaped as a tribute for Hunger Games. If they pull out your name, you have to go into an arena and fight for your life with another 23 tributes. Only one can be the victor. There is a lot of kids between 12 and 18 here, so there is only a slight chance they will pull out my name, but it is still there. Some kids have to sign their names more times to get some extra food for their families. I'm lucky I don't have to do this. I have two older brothers Rye and Bannock. Bannock is the eldest. He is 19, so he's out of the Hunger Games. He's a lot like my mother, cold and calculating, almost never sharing his feelings or worries. Ray is year and a half older than me. And he's exact opposite of Bannock. He's friendly, funny, popular between friends and he likes girls a lot (and they like him). He sneaks cupcakes for them, but I don't like how often he changes girls. He has his bad habits though. One of the worst is how he likes to share his experiences with me. He speaks about everything. Including his time with girls. I spent many morning shifts with him, listening how he slept with that girl yesterday or how the other one kisses so good. So in the end I have a very good knowledge about which girl in our district is a good kisser and which one is not. But even though I like Ray much more then Ban. I am 16 years old now. I'm quite talkative too (we inherited that from our dad I guess), but I don't share such a deep things as Ray with everyone. I like frosting the cakes most in the bakery. I'm kind of an artist, I like drawing and sketching. I don't have as many girls as Ray (even though I think that I could if I wanted to). In fact I love just one girl. That's all about me for now. And if you're wondering, yes, we're named after bread types, my parents have a good sense of humor. My family runs a bakery and we're one of the wealthier families in 12. Even though we usually can't eat most of the things we bake. Only the left overs. But that is still better than starving. Most families from Seam would happily live a week from our leftovers from one day. One stale bread would be enough to feed one Seam family for a day or more. This thought leads my mind to her.

You ask me who is she? Well definitely the best and most beautiful girl in this world. I met her first when I was just five years old. My father pointed her out during our first school day. Then she sang in music assembly and her voice was so beautiful and close to angel, that it was like she was casting a magic on me and I had a crush on her since then. She's a girl from poor Seam family. She has a little sister Prim and kind parents. Her father was a hunter and used to trade squirrels with my father. I used to see him coming almost every morning with game to trade for bread. One day when I was seven years old and I started to help in the bakery, he came and she was with him. For the first time hunting. Since then she came with him every morning. After a several months one day they knocked on the door and it was not her father who traded this time. He was standing behind her and she clutched a dead squirrel in her hand. Proud of her first clear shot squirrel, trading it with my father. He gave them two loaves of bread that day. She looked so proud of her job it made me smile. I used to spy on her at school or whenever I met her. She used to be happy, smiling and she liked to sing a lot. I loved to listen to her singing. Even when it was in secret. During all those years, I got used to sketch a lot and I learned how to draw. I liked it very much, it was something which calmed me down always. I used to do it at home, in my free time or at school, when I was bored. She was my subject very often. I used to study her features during classes, the looks in her eyes, her smile. When I liked her appearance in some moment, I kept it in my mind and drew it later. Thanks to her, I created this habit of sitting on roof of the bakery and watching the district. Even when I didn't have the morning shift, I used to wake up early. Before dawn often. And so I climbed out of my window and sat on our roof. I could see all the town center, school, meadow and Seam too. And one morning, I saw her. Coming out of her house in the seam and quietly going to the fence. She stopped for a moment in front of the fence, probably to assure there's no electricity, and then she climbed out through it. And since that time, I climbed out on the roof every free morning and I watched her going to the forest. Even though I have never talked to her, I knew her very well thanks to all of this stalking. I knew that the one thing she loved on this world was her family, especially her little sister Prim. She seemed happy and content. But that was about to change soon.

It was a cold January day, we were 11 and we were just at school, having our history class. I was just drawing her, when a loud ring made us all jump. It was not an ordinary school bell. No this was much worse. It was an alarm bell which usually announces accident in the mines. Katniss was the first one to jump up and run out of the class. I run after her, but the only thing I could see was how she took Prim's hand and they run away with scared faces. It's not usual for town kids to care about this very much, but I did went to the mines to see it. To see if her dad is involved in this accident. I secretly peeked at the place. It seemed that there was an explosion. I came there just to see Katniss and Prim to come to their mum, sitting on the ground and crying. Prim started to cry uncontrollably and Katniss was just staring at them in shock for a while. Then she hugged them both and I saw how silent tears traced down her cheeks. My heart ached when I saw her like that. I wanted to hug her, to comfort her, to help her somehow, but instead I run off. Coward!

A week later, there was a ceremony for the families of the dead miners and we were supposed to supply some pastries in there. My dad was going to get it there and I volunteered to help him. It was terribly tragic. There were so many Seam kids without fathers and I wondered who would take care about them... Who would feed them? We were just witnessing their grief with my dad. I felt so hopeless. I wanted to help her somehow. But even after all that terrible things, she was so brave for an eleven year old girl. As the oldest child she was the one who came up for the medal they got to remember their father. There were no tears on her face and she was looking so calm. If my dad would die like that I would cry like a little kid.

But since then, they were getting only worse. As they had no father to earn money or get food, they were getting thinner every month. Both Katniss and Prim. The happiness had gone away from their faces and Katniss was not singing any more. Never. She always wore a cold mask on her face, not willing to show her true feelings to anyone, but I could see them in her eyes. I don't know how they got through the winter, but in the end, they were on the edge of starving. I was already making a plan how to sneak out bread for her, when that day came. That day when we finally met alone.

I was helping my mother in the bakery. She went out with some garbage and I heard her screaming at someone. I was wondering what happened so I looked out. And I saw her... Katniss was just running further away from my mother, while she was screaming something about Seam brats. When my mum came back in through the window I saw that Katniss is still there. In a heap under our apple tree, probably too weak to move. I don't know why I did it, but I just did when it came to my mind. When I was getting two loaves of bread out of the oven, I slipped them down into the flames. On purpose. Just for a second so it would not be absolutely damaged. It was enough for my mother though. She hit me with a big steering spoon, right into my face. My vision got black for a moment and I had to hold onto a table so I would not fall down. It hurt but I guess it's worth it if it saves Katniss and her family. She told me to give the bread to pigs.

So I went out. Immediately I felt her eyes on me. I went down the porch towards the pigs, pretending to feed them. I tore a few burned chunks and threw them into the pig pen. Then I carefully peered back if my mother isn't looking. Then I tossed the bread towards Katniss. She gave me a long unbelieving look and I turned around and went back towards the house. When I looked back on porch I saw her standing up, holding the bread and running away. Next day at school, I could see that she's much better. And Prim is too. They looked more normal and Prim was even laughing. When I watched Katniss how she waited for Prim in front of the school, she looked at me unexpectedly. I looked down immediately and I felt a blush coming to my face. Damn me! Why do I always do that when she looks at me? When I dared to look at her again, she was picking a dandelion. Then her face lit up with a warm smile, which I haven't seen for so long. When Prim arrived seconds later, she said something happily to her and they both run off laughing, holding their hands. I don't know why she smiled or what were they doing, but I felt better for her. Since then, they looked better and occasionally you could see a smile on Katniss's face too.

Two months later, I was surprised one morning. I had the morning shift in the bakery with my dad, it was Saturday and around seven someone knocked on the door. It is not usual for people to come to us by the back door. When dad opened them, to my shock she was standing there. She had her usual mask on her face, but her eyes betrayed her. She was scared. But even though she had enough courage to pull out a dead squirrel, look at my dad and suggest a trade to him. He was obviously shocked that an eleven year old came to trade dead squirrels with him. For a while he looked at her in awe. Then he smiled at her and accepted her offer. He gave her a big loaf of bread in exchange for the squirrel. For a slight moment, I saw a thankful smile on her face.

And that's how she started to live. Or more survive and keep her family alive. She came almost every morning, even before school. After some time I saw her going to Hob too, which scared me because it's not a safe place for a young girl. After even more time, she started to appear with a boy. He's two years older than we are, he's tall, strong and handsome and he is her best friend and hunting partner. I hope they are not more. Well now we're sixteen and during all that time of watching her, drawing her and wishing for her to be my friend, I have never had enough courage to talk to her. I'm tragic. I know that.
Usually I don't have any problems with speaking to people. Only Katniss makes my mouth dry and my knees tremble. Sometimes I see her eyes soft, while she's daydreaming at school and in that moment I would like to know what world is she in. But other times when she is angry, her eyes could kill. I must admit I'm a little afraid of her. She's intimidating for most of the boys at school. I have no problems to chat and joke with other girls, I have no problems to speak in front of many people, but when she looks at me, my face does that stupid blush thing and I have to look down. I don't know why, I just have to. I was trying so many times. So many times I have decided to talk to her, even walked towards her, but in the last moment I changed direction and went away. I'm pathetic I know. I guess I need something to kick me together with her so I would break the barrier between us.

In my head I quietly count, how many times her name will be in the glass ball today. She signed for food supplies every year, so in the end… Twenty. That's the final number. Shivers go down my back when I think about her being reaped. That would be the worst thing ever. My father's voice almost makes me jump.

"What are you doing here so early?" he asks quietly.

"Can't sleep." He sits next to me.

"You'll be fine. As every year." he says comfortably and puts his arm around me. Well it's not exactly me I'm concerned about. I look down at my drawing to hide my sadness.

"Ahh I see." dad says when he looks at my drawing of her. For a while he's silent. He has seen my drawings before. Actually he's the only one in our family who knows the truth about my feelings to her.

"How many times is her name in there?" he asks barely audible.

"Twenty" I whisper and there is desperation in my voice. The worst thing is that I can't protect her from this. I have no power in this. I can't even volunteer for her if she's reaped. My dad sights and pets me on my back.

"Let's hope the odds will be in her favor too." he says sadly. "You can't do anything about it anyway. You can just wait and see what happens." he stands up and goes back to the bakery. I know he's right, but that is the worst thing on reaping day. Waiting until 2 p.m.

Finally I walk slowly to the square with Rye. He's 17 and has his name in the ball 6 times. I have 5. But Katniss still have almost twice more than we both together. When I'm in an area made for 16 years, I look for her secretly. After few minutes I find her in the crowd. She is beautiful. She has a sky blue dress and her hair is braided into elegant knot. She just looks so beautiful. I snap out of my thoughts when the clock starts to ring and announce 2 p.m. We hear the usual speech from the major and excited speech from Effie Trinket. I hate her. Everyone here does. Because she's the one reaping us and she makes fun of it.

"Ladies first" she exclaims and sinks her hand into the ball with girls names.

"Please don't be Katniss. Please don't be Katniss" I repeat in my head constantly like it would help something. Effie comes back to the microphone, opens the little paper and after a terrible second of dead silence she reads.

"Primrose Everdeen!"
"Thank God it's not Katniss." I hear in my head first. But then... "Wait! What?! Primrose Everdeen?! Prim!" That is almost as terrible as Katniss. This is her first year and she gets reaped? No that can't be happening. Not sweet little Prim. Then I hear her scream in painful voice.

"Prim! Prim!" I see her running towards her little sister and standing in front of her protectively. And in the last second I'm scared to death because I know what is she going to do.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as a tribute!" she cries in a desperate voice.

In that moment Prim starts to scream she locks her arms around Katniss and rejects to let her go. But then Gale comes, scoops her up and drags her away, back to her mother. But she's still kicking and screaming. It is so tragic, that it almost makes me cry. When he takes her he whispers something to Katniss. She goes up the stage, her face again controlled in emotionless mask. But again her eyes betray her. I see that fear in there. When Effie asks for applause no one does so. Everyone is deadly silent. Instead they press three fingers to their lips and give her a quiet salute. It is a powerful sign of unity and grief for someone. Katniss seems surprised, but I'm not. Everyone knows her here, many people trade with her and most of the people like her and some even admire her.

Right now, I lost all my hope and I feel like my life starts to fall apart. I'm losing her. She was not reaped, but I'm still losing her. I have neither spoke to her nor tell her about my feelings for her and I'm losing her. I have only one chance to tell her. I have to come and say goodbye to her. I'm starting to plan it when Effie Trinket's voice jerks me again.

"And now for the boys." she says all enthusiastic. Is it possible that I forgot that a boy has to be reaped too? I'm too busy with thoughts about Katniss and I realize the world around me only when she reads the name.

"Peeta Mellark." Was that my name? Is this really happening? Am I going to hunger games with Katniss? No, my life has fallen apart just in one second. When I look at the "bright" side, I guess I will have more opportunities to talk to her after all.

In the moment she reads my name I'm still looking at Katniss so I realize her reaction. For a quick moment her expression changes into terrified. But then she's back in her emotionless way. All eyes are on me now and people around me take a step back like I have some terrible disease. Slowly I walk towards the stage, when I realize that Katniss is staring at me. With fear and pity in her eyes. I got on the stage and I don't even know what is happening I'm just feeling numb. Like I'm witnessing to life of someone else.

"Come on you two, shake hands." Effie says and I turn to face Katniss.

For the first time in my life I have the strength to look directly into her eyes. They are beautifully grey. But now full of fear and desperation. I take her bony hand and give it a firm shake. Even though in my mind I would like to hug her now and tell her that I'm gonna protect her. For some reason her eyes seems terrified now as she looks into mine. I would like to know why. In another moment she looks down and lets go of my hand.

I'm sitting in a luxury room. My hands are shaking and I still don't want to accept what just happened. I'm going to Huger Games. With Katniss Everdeen. I have been scared I would be reaped, I have been scared that she would be reaped. But, oh man, I have never imagined this scenario. I take deep breaths to calm down when the door open and my family comes in. Except my mother they all look terribly sad. Dad comes to sit next to me. He's not saying anything. He just puts his hand on my knee and sights.

"I guess the odds are absolutely not in my favor this year." I say trying to sound lightly. Dad looks at me with a tragic smile. Only he knows how bad this is for me. My mother comes to me and I'm curious, what she has to say to me. Nothing good I guess.

"Well maybe District Twelve will finally have a winner." she says coldly. Did she really said that? That's so not her...

"She's a survivor, that one." she adds. Yeah that's my mother.

"Goodbye Peeta." she says coldly and goes towards the door.

Ban comes to me, he even hugs me lightly a mumbles a goodbye to me. Then he goes to mother with his head down. When Rye comes to me, I see tears quietly going down his face. He hugs me in a bear-hug for a long time.

"Don't give up Bro. You're strong, you can come back." he encourages me and smiles weakly when he releases me. I smile weakly back and just nod slightly. My dad asks for them to leave us alone and so they do. He looks me in the eyes.

"Peeta, I know what you're planning." he says sadly and tears start to escape his eyes quietly too. I don't even try to stop mine. It is just impossible in this moment.

"I know you truly love her and I know you will do anything to protect her." he continues sadly "and I think that's right son. You will show all the Panem that there are better things worth fighting for than life." his voice cracks in the end.

"Just don't let them change you Peet." he finishes sadly "if you are gonna die, die with honor and for a good reason. Love is the best reason to give up your life for." he finishes and he takes a sharp breathe in.

"Thanks dad" I choke out, fighting with my own tears "Thanks for everything you did for me in my life." I finish and finally we hug. For a long minute we hug without a word until the peacekeeper comes and orders my dad out. We give each other one last smile and he's away. Just like that. My next visitor is Delly. Her face is red from crying, she hugs me for long and I have to promise her I will try to come back. But she doesn't believe me. Because she's my only friend who knows about my feelings for Katniss.

"You're going to sacrifice for her aren't you?" she says with fear in her voice. I just shrug and she hugs me again.

"Take this. You can use it as your token if you want." and she hands me a bracelet made of leather. We made it when we were small. Peacekeepers take her out and the bracelet in my hand is the only reminder of my lost home.

We are transported to the train station full of people and mainly reporters. We board the train, wave goodbye and Effie finally takes us into our rooms. She leaves us in our rooms and informs us that we should be in the dining room in an hour. I'm sitting on my bed, not knowing what should I do. I remember this morning, when I was sitting outside and drawing her. Worrying about her name being twenty times in the ball. And it was her sister with just one paper who got reaped. This morning seems so far away... I guess I can't do anything else then deal with this. How? I have no idea.

After half an hour of sitting in my room, I give up and go out. I walk through the train and explore the different cars and everything in there. Finally I arrive into the dining car. There is a table and few chairs. I sit down and wait until Effie comes in five minutes. We have a little talk until Katniss shows up. I secretly explore her face. She seems sad, but I'm sure she was not crying though, because her eyes are not red or swollen. She really is the bravest person I have ever met. We start the dinner without Haymitch. There is so many courses and meals, that I lost track of count. Meat, vegetables, fruit, bread and in the end chocolate cake. Everything is delicious and since this seems to be the last days in my life, I don't hesitate to eat everything that comes to me. In the end I regret this because my stomach is like on water. Effie makes some terrible note about last year's tributes eating with their hands and how impolite it was. I remember, they were from Seam and probably haven't eaten so much food in all year. I feel sick from her comment and a smirk creeps up on my face as I see Katniss, who starts eating with her hands after Effie's comment. On purpose. I feel a little sick in the end, but I hope it will be okay. Katniss seems a little green too. She wasn't hesitating with eating either. But to be honest she needs to gain weight more than I do.

Haymitch makes and amazing spectacle for us, coming for dinner when it is already gone, vomiting all over the carpet and as the final piece he falls right into his vomit. Together we get him back to his room with Katniss. I offer to deal with him. It was the first time I spoke to her and I'm proud I did not stammer or blush. She seems thankful. Even though I can't miss her exploring look. She looks at me cautiously and I would like to know why.

In the morning, I enter the dining car, while Haymitch and Effie are already there. Haymitch looks very tired and Effie seems irritated. I sit down and immediately get a huge plate of everything you could imagine for breakfast. There are eggs, bacon, vegetable, fruit, pancakes, waffles and much more. There is also a cup of sweet smelling something which catches my attention. I smell it and it reminds me of chocolate we put on some cakes in the bakery. I taste it and it is so sweet and velvet, that it makes me smile. I drink the first cup in a minute and I get another immediately. I found out that the combination of rolls and hot chocolate is perfect, especially when you dip the roll in the chocolate. Delicious. At least something is good at this one way trip. In that time, Katniss shows up with sleepy eyes and sits down numbly. She explores her plate, scrunches her nose over the coffee and curiously smells the hot chocolate.

"They call it hot chocolate." I say with a slight smile "It's good."

"I have never had chocolate." she says quietly. It seems sad to me, that she has never tasted something as good as chocolate.

"Then go on and taste it." I encourage her. She slowly takes a little sip.

"Mmmmm" she hums and doesn't hesitate to drink half of the cup at once. When she finishes it, she digs through her breakfast and I must say that for such a tiny person she eats a lot and very quickly. I'm not surprised though, she isn't used to have so much food. I'm still dipping pieces of roll in my chocolate and eat them slowly, when she finally finishes her plate and leans back. She examines us for a while, staying at Haymitch's face in the end.

"So you're supposed to give us advice." she says with a suspicion in her voice. I can't blame her. I can't imagine what kind of advice could he give us.

"Here's some advice. Stay alive," says Haymitch, and then bursts out laughing. That comment makes me angry but I try to hide it. I look at Katniss exactly in time to see her looking at me. Her look seems angry too.

"That's very funny." I say in my quiet anger and do a quick move to lash the liquor out of his hands. It falls on the ground. "Only not to us." I add piercing him with angry look. Katniss seems surprised with my reaction.

Well I guess I have crossed some line because in the next second I feel a sharp pain in my jaw and I fall down from the chair. He punched me. From the ground I see how he extends his hand towards the liquor, but Katniss stops his movement by diving a knife right between his hand and the bottle. She's angry too.

"Well, what's this?" says Haymitch looking at us. "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?"

I want to put some ice on my jaw, but he stops me.

"No," says Haymitch, stopping me. "Let the bruise show. The audience will think you've mixed it up with another tribute before you've even made it to the arena."

"That's against the rules," I protest.

"Only if they catch you. That bruise will say you fought, you weren't caught, even better," says Haymitch. Then he turns to Katniss. "Can you hit anything with that knife besides a table?"

She throws the knife with all her force and it dives deeply into the wood. She is a lethal opponent, that's for sure.

"Stand over here. Both of you," says Haymitch, nodding to the middle of the room. We obey and he circles us, prodding us, checking our muscles, examining our faces. "Well, you're not entirely hopeless. Seem fit. And once the stylists get hold of you, you'll be attractive enough."

"All right, I'll make a deal with you. You don't interfere with my drinking, and I'll stay sober enough to help you," says Haymitch. "But you have to do exactly what I say." Well it's not some sort of amazing deal, but it's good enough for now.

"Fine," I say, still a little irritated by him.

"So help us," Katniss says. "When we get to the arena, what's the best strategy at the Cornucopia for someone…"

"One thing at a time. In a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the station. You'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is, don't resist," says Haymitch.

"But —" she begins to protest.

"No buts. Don't resist," says Haymitch strictly.

We slowly arrive to Capitol and both me and Katniss sit by the window and we look out to see it.

It's magnificent. Seeing it alive is so much different than on TV. If I wouldn't be going to die, I guess I would draw this scene... Tall towers growing high towards the sky, shiny cars, colorful paths and absolutely crazy people. It is all so different from the grey routine of 12. There is a huge number of people and they eagerly start to cheer when they recognize we're tributes. I wave enthusiastically and give them my biggest smiles. If we're going to be in hunger games, we need to be popular and I know how to do that I guess. Then we ride through a tunnel. By the corner of my eyes I see that Katniss is not well, she is pale and it seems she can't breathe well, her eyes are scared too. What's wrong with her?! But as soon as we ride out of the tunnel, she breaths out and looks better again. But as she sees the crowds of people on the train station she takes a few steps back from the window. She looks disgusted. I wave and smile and when I turn to see her I see anger in her eyes, which are looking at me.

"Who knows? One of them may be rich." I shrug. She studies me for a long time with a weird look on her face. Like if she was deciding something. In ten minutes we're out of the train, transported into the remake center, where we are handled into prep teams hands, who are gonna change us into new people. We're escorted to the remake center by cars and we are divided in there with Katniss. Before Haymitch goes away I catch his arm.

„Could you come to see me before the opening ceremony starts?" I ask urgently. „I would like to discuss something with you. Without Katniss." I imply. He observes me carefully and he promises to stop by.