Not Real.

Chapter 1

Katniss clenches my hand tightly, her nails digging into my skin. I loosen my grip as the cameras train on the cheering crowds of district 12. Katniss turns her head to look at me, but I keep my gaze locked on my parents, a fake smile plastered on my face. 

I can sense Katniss's desperation for me to look at her, but I ignore it completely. She lied to me. She never loved me, for her our love was a survival method, fo her our love was an act.

I catch a glimpse of Gale amongst the swaying jumble of people. He's got Prim balancing percariously on his shoulders, smiling up at Katniss. I feel a wave of jealousy flush through my body as realisation hits me.

Katniss loves Gale.

All I was, was a piece in her game.

I shake my head lightly, locking my eyes back on my mother. She looks older now, her hair seems greyer as a few strands escape her hat, her eyes seem deeper set in her head, wrinkles lacing her brow and forhead, her back arching as she leans against my father.

My father.

He's beaming up at me, unklike my mother, his eyes glazed over with tears. I find myself smiling properly for the first time in ages, Katniss picks up on this and smiles at me.

As soon as the camera crews have gone and the people of district twelve go about their lives I pull away from Katniss.

 "Peeta." Katniss says weakly. I walk away. Gale appears in front of me, he gives me and apporving nod before rushing over to Katniss. I roll my eyes and head out to find my family. 

The air's cold and crisp but the familiar scent of old coal hangs heavily in the air, but somehow I find it comforting. I catch site of my brothers huddled against my parents as they await to be escorted to our new home in Victor's Village. No words are said but we embrace.

My mother watches me cautiously from the corner of her eye.

I grin to myself.

She knows what I'm capable of. I was with the careers. She can't touch me anymore. 

Several Peacekeepers escort us silently to our new home.

We pull up in Victors Village, which seems deserted and cold. The Peace Keepers lead us up to one of the enormous houses. I catch a glimpse of Katniss and her family. Our eyes meet, but I evert my gaze quickly, and instead examine the house.

I glare up at it unworthily.

It's more than we need, more than we could ever want. I'm handed a key and I find myself unlocking a huge door.

It's not long before we're all settled in, Dad cooking, mum cleaning, Rye reading and Blake talking. I head to my new room. I lay down on my new silken bed, trying not to think of Katniss or the games when the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" I yell, grogily walking down stairs. I haul open the door.

"Peeta!"  Before I have a chance to respond I'm practically flattened by Rhea. She buries her face in my shoulder,her soft hair tickling my nose, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

"Hey." I smile, tears gathering in my eyes. I thought I'd never see her again.

"You're alive!" She chokes, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, belive it or not!" I grin back at her. She's changed alot since I last saw her on te reaping day. Her hair of course is longer, more wavy and dissheveled than ususal, her eyes seem greener and dilated, her lips fuller and eyelashes longer. Everything about her has changed, even her figure.

She smiles again. "I missed you." She admits. "I didn't think you'd..." she trails off.

I embrace her once more. "Neither did I."

Dad appears in the hallway. He nods at Rhea. "Supper's up, Peeta. Do you want to join us Rhea?"

Rhea nods, her cheek flushing softly.

I've known Rhea for years, she knew Delly, although she can't stand her, they get along generally. She's the same age as me, though she wasn't in the same class. She's the only person who really knew about my feelings for Katniss. The only person I ever trusted. Her mother was from the Seam, she was some sort of lover for her father, and that's how she was born, and the reason her father is no longer as rich as the other town people. She hasn't told anyone else this. You wouldn't be able to tell at first though. She blends in well, but not matter how much smiling she does, you can tell deep down she's alot more tiwisted. No matter how much she insists she's dieting, you can tell she actually doesn;t eat as much as the others. No matter how much she covers her bruises and claims she got them beating me up, you know it's really because her father beats her.

But she still finds time for me.

Rhea joins us at the table and sits next to me. Without looking up I can tell they're all staring at me apart from her.

"Did you see Delly?" Rhea asks, breaking the silence.

I shake my head.

"She was really excited to see you." She says rolling her eyes. "She was squealing and yanking my arm as we walked thorugh town, it was awful!" 

I smile. "I'll have to visit her tomorrow."

"Put it off for as long as possible!" She grins. 

Rye clears his throat awkwardly and we all glare at him. Once again silence falls. Rhea gets the converstaion going again.

"Mrs Mellark, my Dad was wondering whether you had any more of those recipies?" She asks.

My mother nods, her eyes still fixed on me.

"Peeta," She begins slolwy. "Stay away from Miss Everdeen. You can't mingle with that Seam whore." She spits.

Rhea tenses beside me.

I stare at my mother, unable to form words.

Rhea clears her throat after a few moments of silence. "School won't be the same without you, Peeta."

I smile at her, greatfully. "Who's going to stand up for you now?"

She glares at me. "No," she insists, "I was thinking more along the lines of 'who am I going to poke fun at?'"

I laugh lightly. Rye grins at us.

He's liked Rhea since forever. I have to admitt she's a very pretty girl, but she's most definietly not interested in anyone at all.

My mother glares at us, but my father is smiling at us.

Evening falls quickly and before long I find myself cuddling on the sofa by the fire with Rhea. I know I shouldn't be, but I feel so lonely and I'm craving human touch. I feel a pang of guilt at the thought of Katniss, but it's suddenly drowned out at the thought of her in Gale's arms. 

Rhea picks up on my tension and raises her head from my chest and looks up at me.

"She was faking it wasn't she?" She asks queitly, although there's no one else in the room.

I nod slowly, turning away from her. "Peeta." She says softly. "I'm so sorry."

Before I can stop myself I begin to cry infront of her. Rhea smiles sadly and wraps her arms around me whispering comforting words into my ear. Eventually I run out of energy and she guides me to my room.

"Stay with me?" I ask drowsily. Rhea gazes at me nervously before nodding. She slides in next to me and I wrap my arms around her, clinging on tightly to fend off any nightmares.

And, do you know what?

That night, I don't have one nightmare.