Chapter 4

White Rose

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games!

I took my hands away from my face. Peeta was gone. I was hoping he'd come back to me, but I knew he wouldn't. Everything was going wrong today. Peeta thinks that I don't love him, Gale just confessed his love to me, and they're both waiting for an answer on which one of them I love. Right now, it's impossible to choose.

I stand up and look around the forest. I let out a big sigh and wipe the rest of the tears from my face. It was almost seven o'clock and my mother and Prim are probably awake by now. I bet Prim would like to hear everything that's happened this morning. I always tell her everything. As I walk out of the forest, I can hear the mockingjays sing from the trees. The song is so beautiful and relaxing that it almost makes me forget about all my sadness and worries. For a moment, I could care less about what had just happened.

I walk out of the forest and onto the road. There's no sign of Peeta or Gale. I start running towards my house. I don't want my mother to worry about where I am. I stop for a second to look at Peeta's bakery.

I gasped. This can't be happening, I thought. Peeta stumbled out of the bakery door, and collapsed on the ground.

Anger rushed through me. What happened? Is he alright? I have to help. I started running towards him as fast as I could. I bet his parents did this. He's always telling me all of the things they do to him. I felt so bad. He shouldn't let them treat him the way they do.

Finally, I reached him. I knelt down next to him. "Peeta...Peeta!" I started shaking his shoulders. He wasn't answering me. I shouted even louder this time. "Peeta!"

He still wasn't answering me. I checked to see if he was breathing. He wasn't. I knew that there was one thing that I could do to try to save him...mouth to mouth. My mother had to use it on her patients sometimes and I would watch her, so I think I know how to do it. I looked around one more time just to make sure Gale wasn't near us watching me. No one was there. I took in a deep breath and leaned down towards Peeta's lips. I was only inches away...

"What happened?" His eyes suddenly flickered open and he woke up. His voice was so quiet. He looked around and then put his hand to his cheek. It was covered in blood. He moaned in pain. The side of his face had a huge gash and it was dripping blood down the side of his neck.

I quickly sat up. "P—Peeta! You're alive!" I yelled.

He groaned again.

"Sorry," I said more quietly this time. My loud voice must have been throbbing in his head.

"It's okay. Where am I?" He asked.

"We're right outside your bakery. I—I don't know what happened though. Everything's going to be alright, okay? So don't worry," I wasn't sure if this was true or not, but I had to comfort him. I could tell he was badly hurt.

"How did you find me here?"

"Well, when I came out of the woods, I looked at your bakery. I saw you collapse out the door, so I came over to see what was happening. I bet your parents did this to you." I looked away from him. I couldn't even imagine what they did.

"No, they couldn't have. They went out this morning," He said.

"Really? Then who could have done this?" I was still shocked by what had happened. It all seems too unreal.

"I don't know. I just wish I didn't pass out though, maybe then I would remember who did it." He looked sad.

"It's not your fault. You couldn't help it." Why was he putting all the blame on himself?

He tried to sit up. "Is anyone else hurt?"

"Hold on, you're not going anywhere," I said as I gently sat him back down. Does he not realize how serious his injuries are? He has a big gash in the side of his cheek, and a black eye. He could very easily get an infection.

"Why not?"

"Have you looked at yourself lately? You're a mess." I smiled.

"Oh, I guess you're right," he admitted. He smiled back.

"Yeah, I know I'm right. Now we need to get to my house and get you taken care of." I put his arm around my shoulder and lifted him up carefully.

"Thanks Kat—" He cut himself off and looked at the bakery door.

"What's the matter?" It looked like he was staring off into space.

He walked over to the door and bent down to pick something up. He took a deep breath and slowly turned around. "Katniss...I think I know what happened."

"What?" I asked. "Tell me," He was acting so strange.

He looked down at his hands and then slowly opened them.

I gasped. To my surprise, he was holding a white rose.