The Two S's:

I make my regular trip to sell fresh strawberries to the Mayor. Although, I'm not really there for the profit, or to greet the mayor. I am there for the beautiful blonde who has recently become quite close to me. Not many without the same fire as myself, can stand to be around me. But Madge is different. Her sensitive, sweet and caring personality has shone with a brightness that my furious, raging self could not possibly contain. Madge's kindness has snuck up inside of me, reaching into my core where the ignited spark consisting of my fury and hatred, is being held. She has the power to do something that Katniss could never do. Katniss further ignites the spark inside of me that is just waiting for the chance to have another fiery being reach out and light the whole world ablaze. But Madge makes the fire die down. It no longer screams with the same intensity that it has in the woods with Katniss' fire latched on to it. Now, it is cool and calm, as if it has been extinguished.

Madge is the fire extinguisher. The only way that my torturous fire filled with hatred can be put out. So I make annual visits to see her, so that when I see that fiery girl on the screen kissing that boy who must have the same effect on Katniss as Madge does on me, I don't feel the burn of the flame as intensely as I would if I had been dealing with this by myself.

It isn't the same without Katniss here to help – less food, more to carry and less time to get everything done. The game bag is slung over my shoulder and I can feel it dig deeper into my right shoulder every time I take a step. I take a moment to reposition it, but find another pair of hands helping me. I whirl around to see who is being so kind.

It's Madge. She must have seen me struggling outside and come to help me.

"It's alright, I can take it," she says with a friendly smile.

I smile back and breathe in deeply, as if an enormous fiery weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and hefted onto someone else's. I let her take the bag and walk her to her front porch. It looks like nobody is home, which isn't unusual for the Mayor or his wife. The house just seems so empty.

"Aren't you lonely? I mean – being here all by yourself," I ask curiously, somewhat hoping for an invitation inside. I love being with this girl that has an effect that no one else could ever have on me. She also has delicacies that us living in the Seam would never be fortunate enough to have.

"I would enjoy to have some company, but I don't have too many friends," Madge replies.

"Well, I could make it less lonely, if you would like. Plus, I thought we had become rather good friends, " I say, although it feels completely wrong.

Being with Madge may put out the blaze, but it leaves something else in its place. Something that I never expected to feel because I never knew how wrong it could seem to be close to a person other than the one you love.

Ever since Katniss has left, I have been craving human closeness. Madge is in a way, like a settlement. I settle for her because I cannot have what I really want. Although I am no longer sure that Katniss is what I really want. Maybe two beings with the same fire and mindset, could do absolutely terrible things. Things that I, myself could never dream of doing, because inflicting pain upon human beings has never been an option to me. And it most certainly has never been an option to Katniss, until the day of the reaping.

Madge tosses the game bag aside and pulls me inside, shutting the world out. Exactly what I was hoping for, some alone time with a girl that truly makes me happy. Something that every person of Panem that I have ever known, could never do. I was never a very content child, I contained a fury that could never quite help to portray me as innocent.

We go up to Madge's room, where we normally hang out together. She takes a seat at her immaculate piano and begins to play my favourite tune. I take a seat beside her on the narrow bench, and wrap my arm around her waist. I sing along as she plays and we end up on the floor laughing at my scratchy, deep, painful voice. Her sweet laughter trills through the air and a feeling of warmth and completeness runs through me. I turn my head to look at her perfect, porcelain face. She is like those glass dolls that I see in some shop windows. So perfect and beautiful, but so fragile and breakable.

I kiss her gently on the lips and her glass cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink. She leans in the next time and the kiss is more intense than before. Her cheeks are now burning bright red like the middle of a flame. I now see that Madge is on fire too, but in a kinder, much more intense than my kindled flame could ever be. Suddenly, we are on our feet, still kissing, but standing.

I kiss her with a passion that I have never kissed a girl with before. This is what I imagined it would be like kissing Katniss. But she has someone else occupying her lips at the moment, so I can too. I pull Madge up around my waist and she wraps her legs tightly around me.

I unbutton her blouse and toss it aside, planting gentle kisses down her neck, her chest and all the way to her pant line. She rips off my shirt and fumbles with the button on my pants. I remove her pants and bra, and all that is left are her panties. She pulls off my underwear and I rip hers off with my teeth. We fall into a mountain of silk and I slide myself in. She opens her hips wider and we move not as two individuals, but as one together.

I feel this sensation in my chest like what I'm doing is wrong. But what Katniss is doing is wrong too. She isn't even sure she likes that Mellark kid, let alone loves him. In all honesty, it makes me somewhat envy him. If Katniss could be here, I bet she would be jealous. The idea of Katniss being jealous of me makes me smirk and Madge stares up at me wonderingly. But she doesn't question, she just genuinely smiles back.

I just shake my head and we roll over through the silk. Exhausted and still thinking of Katniss, I am not yet satisfied. We lay in silence for a few moments, until Madge breaks it. "She's going to make it out, you know." For my pride's sake, I really hope she doesn't. How could I ever marry Katniss after she told some kid she just met that he doesn't have much competition anywhere? Or after she kissed him a thousand times. Or after I just had sex with her close friend. Well, maybe I won't marry Katniss. Maybe Madge is right for me anyway, and Katniss will end up with Peeta just like every damn person in the Capitol wants.

I just shrug my shoulders in reply. I roll out of her bed and begin to pick up my clothing garments off of the floor. I am about to put on my underwear when Madge puts a gentle hand on my back to stop me.

"No, wait. Don't go! I thought you were going to keep me company."

I sigh, "I need to get food to Katniss' mother and sister, and back home to my own family."

I dress quickly and grab my things at the front door. I hand Madge the strawberries and she pays me fair and square. I slip the money into my pocket and then Madge puts her hand in my pocket as well. I hear clinking and I know what she has done. She is a very generous girl for someone that everyone perceives as a snob because she is wealthy. Or maybe it was just me who assumed she was snobby.

I tell her that I will see her again soon, and she hugs me tightly.

"I think I might love you," she whispers against my chest.

I offer her a kiss, which makes me want another. Madge has that effect on people. She leaves you with the sensation that you need to see her again.

It's like a hunger deep down, and it is something that I have never experienced before.

"Goodbye, Madge," I say quietly as I leave, shutting the door tightly behind me.

I drop off some game and other food to Prim and her mother, making my way to my own home. My family waits eagerly for my arrival.

"Sorry I took so long, I got into a conversation about the beautiful strawberries with the Mayor's daughter," I answer their questioning and somewhat relieved faces. And also had sex with her, I think to myself.

Sex and strawberries. That's exactly what happened. The two S's. Maybe something like that will happen next time as well, as long as I remember the strawberries.

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