The Hunger Games (Peeta's Point of View)

Chapter One

            The celebrations. We're all supposed to celebrate that we've been spared a fate worse than death, but the families whose children have been chosen don't. Just seeing the locked houses makes me feel guilty for celebrating, so I usually bake some food and decorate cakes for the lucky ones. Once I even gave some cakes to the unfortunate families. Never again. When they opened the door it felt like all their despair wafted out and enveloped me. And the look on the mother's face.., It was a lethal mix of misery, anger, hatred and jealousy. Her hands were clenched into fists as if they were ready to drag me in there with them and swap me with her child. At least she thanked me for the food. The other family didn't even open the door. For all intents and purposes they could have been dead.

             Usually we only get to eat the stale leftovers; we can't afford to have our freshly-baked goods at mealtimes. Stale bread is hollow succour to us after the good food of the celebrations, though. Everyone can afford to eat fresh produce at the celebrations after the reaping. The Peacekeepers expect it of us.

            "Sure," I reply. "Just let me get changed." I go back to my room to do just that. I put on a shirt- similar design to my nightshirt, but thicker and black- and my trousers. I slide my boots out from under my bed- a tiny gap, just big enough to hold my boots if I store them lengthways, my bag and a water canteen. I grab all of this and return to the kitchen, after finger-combing my hair. I can take more care over my appearance later, before the reaping. Even though I won't be picked.

            I walk into someone as I leave. He's got tan skin and even darker hair, and is dressed in a jacket and trousers. I know who it is. It's Gale, Katniss' friend. Katniss Everdeen's. I smile an apology at Gale and he grimaces back. A shared uneasiness for the day ahead.

            I draw back to let him into the shop.

            "What have you got, then?" My tone is warm; Gale has been providing us with fresh meat almost as long as Katniss has been hunting and he's always welcome to trade here.

            Gale holds up a red squirrel. Squirrel. Father and I both love squirrel.

            "I don't expect much for it," he said, "but it's all I could catch this early in the morning. I don't suppose you have anything stale, do you?"

            My eyes are full of pity. It must be hard, living how Gale does. Having to venture out into the forest and hunt and sell- illegally- every day, just to feed your family. Still, there's no chance of him getting caught by Peacekeepers, either in the forest or at the Hob. Peacekeepers need to eat, too.

            I can't let Gale have stale food today, even if he offers just a skinny squirrel in return. He works hard at hunting- the size of his prey isn't necessarily proportionate to the size of his efforts. I don't hunt myself but I know it must take a lot of time: to learn to make snares; to learn to use a bow; to learn to analyse the animals' behaviour. And today's the reaping. It wouldn't be fair, especially if Gale's name got picked and he couldn't provide for his family anymore.

            "Wait just a second." I  drop my basket of  bread and hurry back into the kitchen. I don't think Gale will steal from the basket, but if he does it will only be stale goods. I spy a fine loaf of bread, still steaming, still hot. I wrap a scrap of clean cloth around it so it won't burn Gale's hands, then head back. I proffer the loaf. I see Gale's eyes change from dark to light with the astonishment shining in them. The squirrel still dangles from his hand. Normally an offering like that would nowhere near warrant a loaf like mine, even if he traded in the Hob. I see him down there often, buying and selling. He gets good deals, but that's because he's a regular, not that he's particularly charismatic. He isn't. Gale, in my opinion, has the charisma of one of Greasy Sae's soups. Maybe he's different around Katniss. I don't know- but, to be fair, he more than makes up for it in hunting abilities.