Gale was my best friend. As much as I would like to say that he still is to be honest I can't. The Capitol took that from me as well. He was my best-friend and I miss him dearly.
When my dad died and my mom fell into depression, he was my one and only confidante. He was the only person I could trust and the only person who I let in except Prim. He was the older brother that I always wanted but never got. He was my best friend.
He helped me feed my broken family and raise Prim. He became the father-figure that cruelty stole from her. He was the closest thing to a Knight-In-Shining-Armour in my life. We both grew up and I started to see him in a different light. After all he was a handsome boy. He became more, but first-and-foremost he was my best friend.
My values and ideals prevented me from ever expressing my feelings to him, so I hid behind the mask of Katniss Everdeen. Anyways he saw me only as a best friend.
He talked about kids and running away together and I got the feeling that my emotions weren't as unrequited as I had presumed, but I was scared of admitting that, even to myself, so I gave him my standard replies and told myself that he was only my best friend.
And then Prim got reaped and I volunteered for her, and when his words were cut off while saying "Katniss, remember I—"my suspicions were confirmed. I slowly started accepting my feelings for him. He was my best friend and more, and I would have to come back to him no matter what the cost.
Then I started interacting with Peeta Mellark, my fellow tribute and the boy who had been the first ray of sunshine in my starving and depressed world. Somehow, I forgot about a certain More-Than-Best-Friend. We became friends as well as the Star-Crossed lovers of District 12. We acted and fought and loved and by a miracle became the victors of the 74th hunger games. Somehow I realized that Peeta Mellark did not co-exist well with my best friend.
He didn't understand me anymore, he thought I lived in the lap of luxury that the horror was over, and he didn't see that now I lived in the lap of horror itself. He was bitter and angry and hateful, maybe it was because, I had seen a happier and calmer and more loving boy and had a comparison point now, but I knew that deep-down Gale was a good guy and loved me a lot. After all he was my best friend. Right?
As Peeta and I grew closer Gale withdrew from me more and more. There was no ease anymore and the openness and intimacy were long dead. Peeta actually understood me, he knew what I was going through, because he was going through the same thing, and yet he managed to be so sunny and cheer me up as wel . And then President Snow announced the Quarter Quell, and Gale became the least of my worries. To keep Peeta alive was my dying wish and vice-versa. The kisses came naturally now and nothing was scripted anymore. My heart realized that Peeta was my best friend now.
But gale still used to be my best friend and I miss him.