Chapter 1 – It all changes.

3 years. That's how long Gale and I had been going out, to the day. I remember when he asked me. We'd always been friends, our fathers worked in the mines together and even though Gale was a two years older than me we became best friends. Gale was a bit of a heartthrob, he had girls of all ages gushing over him, yet he'd never gone further than kissing with most of them. He had a short fling with our mutual friend Johanna, but that ended as quickly as it had started. I'd assumed the affection he directed towards me was purely innocent; people often mistook us for brother and sister due to our similar tan skin, grey eyes and dark hair. I'd assumed he saw me as nothing but another addition to his huge family. But that day, 3 years ago something changed.

We were in the woods hunting, our usual past time (much to the disdain of my mother who wanted me to be more girly and feminine like my younger sister Prim). We were tracking a doe that had wandered from the herd; we knew its pelt would be valuable if we sold it to the right collector, not to mention the great deal of meat that would aid Gale's family to no end. As we followed the deer slowly, making great effort to take small, quiet steps like our fathers had taught us we heard the snapping of twigs in the distance. We froze, as did the doe. Gale and I shared a silent look. If we allowed it to calm down we could still catch it. As soon as the deer no longer sensed a threat it went back to grazing, Gale gave me a nod. I readied my bow, holding it the way my father had taught me so long ago. I inhaled, pulled back the string. As I exhaled I prepared to release the arrow, but then another twig cracked behind the doe.

Before I had a chance to put down my bow a loud bang erupted from the trees behind the deer. I felt a sharp pain seer the side of my arm, in shock I released the arrow sending it careering into a near tree. I feel back against the damp forest floor, dazed, confused and in pain. The doe had darted immediately as the loud sound broke the air, and as my ears stopped ringing I could faintly hear the sound of a person running back through the forest. Gale was at my side immediately.

"Katniss! Oh god, Katniss are you okay?!"

Gale knelt beside me, clearly flustered and concerned. He didn't know where to put his hands, so settled on peeling my bow from my stiff fingers.

"I'm okay…" I said, barely above a whisper. I was shocked, everything had happened so quickly. I decided to sit up, carefully as to not lean on my injured arm. Gale hovered over me, grabbing my wounded arm in his firm grip to help me up. I was finally upright, with my legs comically straight in front of me from where I had been knocked over. My head was still spinning from the fall and the loud bang, but I was okay. Gale looked questionably at my face, his own masked with concern. I gave him a weak smile, but his brow was still furrowed and his jaw undeniably tense. He grabbed my arm again to look at my wound. It was a small, red scrape that stretched across the width of my arm, the surrounding fabric had also been ripped away leaving a gaping hole in my sleeve. It was obvious to me then that this was a bullet wound, which was later confirmed when Gale found the bent metal slug in a nearby tree on our way back home. Overall I was fine, it was nothing more than a shallow scrape, my old shirt however, (bought from a second hand store years ago that even with years of growth still drowned my figure), was beyond repair. There was no way to patch up the massive hole in the sleeve.

"Well I think this shirt has finally kicked the bucket, took it long enough." I said jokingly. Gale had always teased me about it, calling it my comfort blanket. I thought he'd find some amusement in its destruction but he still had that tense look upon his face. I understood his concern but I was fine, it was nothing but a scratch. I attempted to quell his concerns:

"Gale, look I'm okay. There's no need to look so tense I'm fi-" I was cut off my Gale's lips upon mine. I froze, unsure of what to do. At 15, and being more aggressive and less put together than other girls my age I had never kissed anybody, no one had ever shown an interest in the girl who knew how to wield a bow and arrow and didn't know the first thing about make up. I knew Gale had done this before, he'd kissed numerous girls at dances and on dates, often telling me the horror stories of girls who thought suction to rival a hoover equated to a great kiss. I'd never done this before, and now here I was, being kissed by my best friend. As his lips moved against mine I realised I liked the feel of his soft, but firm lips caressing mine. Tentatively I began to move mine against his, his reaction was fantastic. I heard a soft growl emanate from his throat that sent a jolt through my whole body, he moved his hand up to my head, grabbing a lump of my hair and pulling my towards him, making his lips press against mine even harder. I had no idea where to put my hands, so I settled for gripping the forest floor, out of pleasure and dread. It felt good, but Gale was my best friend. What did this mean?

I tried hard to match his pace and fervour but it was obvious I was inexperienced, but Gale didn't seem to mind. He gripped my hair harder, kissing me more passionately, tracing his tongue against my bottom lip, asking for permission. I slowly opened my lips and immediately felt his tongue on mine, caressing and stroking it. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. I decided to move one of my hands to grasp on to the front of his shirt. This was getting too intense. Gale seemed to sense my trepidation and slowed his kisses, leaving one last, gentle kiss on my lips before he pulled away. As he did I removed my hand from his shirt, while his face lit up in a slow smile I'd never seen before.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He said, tucking a stray hair from my braid behind my ear.

He stared intensely at my face, hoping to make eye contact, but I felt too nervous. I didn't know how to deal with everything that has happened in such a short amount of time. Nearly getting shot, getting my first kiss, but being kissed by my best friend who I though saw me as no more than his little sister; that was the most confusing. He could sense that I was trying hard to not look at him. He sighed, and grabbed the end of my braid, flicking in between his fingers.

"I know this seems mighty confusing to you right now Catnip…", he started, his use of my nickname made me look up. His gaze was still averted to my braid so I took the chance to look at him. His cheeks were slightly blushed and his lips were slightly glossy from our kisses. I stared at them, marvelling at how two small pieces of flesh could have felt so good against my own. He seemed to notice that I was staring as his lips formed into that cocky half smile of his that infuriated me. I averted my eyes, feeling my cheeks flush from embarrassment.

"…but I've always liked you. I could've hung round with guys my age but I never did, because there was something special about you. I always thought I was so protective and caring towards you because I saw you as my little sister, but lately I realised there was more to it than that." He sighed, and released my braid. He crossed his legs and ruffled his hair, which I knew meant that he was nervous.

"I never could go out with any of those girls I've fooled around with. I liked Johanna yeah, but now I realise that I was just looking for you in her. You're both strong and independent and don't take my sass, but she's not you. No-one could ever be". He sighed again, this time taking my hands in his. I looked up to his face, his gaze just as intense.

"I never really wanted to admit to it, because like I said, you're like my sister. But I want more than that Katniss. The idea of just losing you then, if that god damn bullet had gone just a few inches to the left…" He clenched my hands hard, his jaw twitching in anger.

"…I can't lose you Katniss. I love you, I guess I always have."

He loosened his grip and looked to my face, his eyes bore into my own. I was utterly speechless. But a small part of me knew I cared for him too, so I said it.

"Me too."

And so, there we were, celebrating our third anniversary in a quaint little restaurant called "Sae's" in the good part of town. The owner 'Greasy Sae', (a nickname due to her past as a legendary fry cook), had reserved us a table especially. The café Sae worked in for years, before she saved enough money to open her dream restaurant, was like a second home to me and Gale growing up, even more so when our fathers were both killed in a freak car accident just days after my 12th birthday.

Sae, with her rough talk but gentle exterior meant she was a great comfort after my dad died. I still had my godfather, Haymitch, my dad's friend from college, but with his incessant drinking and harsh manner he was hopeless when it came to my 'trivial problems'. My mother just delved further into her nursing work on my father's death, and even now it was rare for me to see her for more than an hour at a time.

Sae became a sort of stand in parent. After our father's deaths me and Gale would spend hours in the café she worked, reluctant to go home and face the tortured faces of our families. Sae had always chatted to us, thrown us a smile through the kitchen window, and often gave us more fries than the set portion, but as the news of our fathers' deaths spread across town Sae took on a new role. In her breaks she asked us about our day, badgered us about our school work, but most importantly talked to us about our problems. When I hit puberty and various embarrassing changes started happening to me my mother attempted to help, but years of medical training meant that her advice was often unintentionally patronising and clinical. Sae on the other hand was a bit more helpful:

"Now girl, you're gonna freak out, and that's normal. You're gonna start sprouting boobs and a butt and every month you're gonna pray to God, asking why the hell he made you have a womb, but it's gonna be alright. You're gonna get self-conscious, hair is gonna grow in some weird places and guys are gonna start looking at you differently, but you're still you. No matter how big your melons get, you're still good ol' Katniss Everdeen, puberty will change you a bit but it's all gonna be okay. Don't forget that. I will say though Katniss, if a guy does get a bit frisky and decides to see cop a feel of your newly developed melons, no matter if you're 15 or 50, bring 'em here and I'll show them where they can stick it."

I never did panic after that. I was still extremely self-conscious and hid myself away in second-hand baggy clothes I bought from the local thrift store but I knew I'd be okay in the end. Sae said so. And I was, I eventually grew out of the second clothes and wore more 'normal' things. I never really followed the fashion trends that most of the girls in my school followed religiously. Vogue and ELLE were their bibles; mine was my father's foraging manual.

So as soon as Sae heard that our third year anniversary was coming up she insisted we come to her restaurant, free of charge, to celebrate that, and the fact that the next day I was finally moving to university.

Gale on the whole supported my decision to go to university. Capitol University was only an hour drive away, and his work at his family's garage business meant that he was free to visit me, within reason. I was to study Literature with modules in European and American literature. My mother had hoped I'd go into nursing with her but literature was where my heart lay. My sister Prim on the other hand was adamant on becoming a nurse like my mother, so my mother soon came to support my decision. I was not as compassionate and caring as my mother and sister, I was more guarded and kept to myself and the few friends I had. I think my mother eventually realised that I was never going to be nurse material.

"So my little love birds, what'll it be?" It was Sae, asking for our dinner order. It was odd seeing her outside of the kitchen. "Sae's" was extremely popular, everybody in town knew and loved Sae so it was no surprise that every night the restaurant was bursting at the seams with locals. "Sae's" had also started to gain notoriety with the business men that travelled through our town to reach the nearby city. All in all, Sae was much too busy to be waiting on us.

"Sae, what're you doing out here? I thought you were head chef, not a waitress. Though I'm sure that little black number would look stunning on you" Gale said, his lips turning up into a cheeky grin.

Sae swatted at him with her apron.

"Now quit the sass lover boy, I'm out here because you two are like my own and I wanted to make sure that your first ever anniversary here goes without a hitch. Now shut it and gimme your order." Sae was never known for her tact, it was probably for the best that she worked in the kitchen.

"Alright alright. I'll have your famous beef wellington, you know how I like it" Gale flashed another coy smile and a wink at Sae as he gave over his menu. Gale was infamously flirtatious. We'd had a few terse words over how he was inappropriate at times, (like the time he flirted with my best friend Madge to get her to change the date of our girl's night out because he wanted to take me to a car show, or when he was overly complimentary over my friend Annie's appearance at our end of year dance), but overall I was fine with it. He rarely ever crossed a line, and I was okay with that.

"What about you m'darling?" Sae asked. I quickly scanned the menu but I already knew what I was having.

"The lamb stew please Sae" I gave her a warm smile as I passed my menu over. I'd had the same meal almost every time I had visited "Sae's", and beforehand when she served it up at the café. It was my one comfort, and something I'd miss when I left tomorrow.

"Well that's no surprise. I'll be back as soon as possible. You are my guests of honour my lovelies, anything you want, just holler!" and with that Sae retreated back to the kitchen. I could hear her faintly barking out orders to the staff, one being my best friend Madge. Unlike Annie and I Madge didn't want to go to university. She wanted to become a chef, and currently she was sous chef to Sae. She hoped to one day open her own restaurant in the city, but for now she had to work under the wing of Sae, something she relished and regretted at the same time. Sae was loving, but also a brute in the kitchen.

"So, what time are you leaving tomorrow again?" Gales asked, fiddling with the label of the beer bottle he was holding.

"10, my mum wanted to see me off and that's the only time she could do." I replied. I took a swig of the wine Sae had given me. I wasn't a huge fan of alcohol, but Sae always seemed to find one that I liked.

"It should be funny, I don't think Haymitch been up before 12 in his life". My godfather Haymitch was meant to be taking me. He had a large car and owing to my mother's nagging had been made to promise to take me there.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see that. The old man is grumpy enough, I can't wait to see him sober and in daylight. Do you think he'll burn up like some weird alkie vampire?" Gale always made fun of Haymitch's drinking problems. We'd had enough terse conversations about it. Yet he still insisted on being a massive dick.

"Gale, shut up". He chuckled and gave me a wink. I pretended not to notice. I didn't want my last night at home to end in an argument. Luckily our food arrived.

"Dinner is served my lovelies!" Sae placed the food in front of us; the savoury wafts of my stew engulfed me. I breathed it in. Oh I was going to miss this. Sae hovered at our table. I knew what she wanted. I grabbed the nearest spoon; luckily Sae wasn't one of those restaurateurs who insisted on having 5 forks on your table. Sae kept things simple, and that's why I liked her. I scooped up some of the stew, it was thick and shiny and smelt divine, I didn't hesitate putting it in my mouth. I chewed slowly, savouring the strong flavours and textures. As I swallowed my face split into a large smile, I looked at Sae and gave her a thumbs up.

"It's perfect, as always" She grinned at me, satisfied that I was content. She strode back to the kitchen, repeating that if we wanted anything just to ask.

Gale and I ate contently, we were never one for big conversations, but that suited us fine. Soon Sae was back and took our dessert orders; we decided to share a sundae, for old time's sake.

We left "Sae's" around 10, the dinner rush had died down but the restaurant was still quite full. As we grabbed out coats Sae came storming towards us, a great pile of Tupperware containers in her arms.

"Now don't think you ain't leaving here without a little something Missy!" She pulled me into a one armed hug and squeezed me as much as she could. As she released me she chucked the containers into my arms.

"There's about two weeks' worth of servings of your lamb stew there. I couldn't let you go without." She pulled me into another hug, this one more careful as to not knock the mountain of containers balancing precariously in my arms.

"Don't you go forgetting about us, you hear? And you better come and visit or so help me God I will steal your boy-toy's bike and come and visit you myself" she then let me go, placing a final kiss on the top of my head. I could see her eyes tearing up.

"I promise Sae. I'll see you soon. And thank you for the stew. It means a lot". With that Gale and I left. Mercifully Gale took half of the containers. At least I wouldn't starve.

We walked silently back to my home, the stew containers preventing us from engaging in much else. As we entered my kitchen we placed the stews down on the counter. Gale quickly pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on the top of my head.

"Tonight was great Katniss…" I nodded in response, burying my head into his shirt. He smelt of pine and body wash; his comforting smell was something I was going to miss.

"I'm sorry I can't see you off tomorrow…" some important meetings had been scheduled with various companies in the city who wanted to strike a deal with "Hawthrone's Garage" for MOT's, repairs and the like on their company cars. Gale the most charismatic and charming of his family, I had insisted he go. Besides, he could visit me anytime.

"It's okay..." I murmured into his chest, "…you can come visit me this weekend or something when I've settled in". He kissed the top of my head and I felt him smile.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Before he left we shared a few chaste kisses, I told him I didn't want him to feel like he was saying goodbye. I was only an hour away and he had his bike, it wasn't like I was gone forever.

When he left I retreated to my room quietly. My mother was covering a night shift, but Prim was most definitely asleep. I changed into the pyjamas I had left unpacked this morning. My room was littered with various boxes full of clothes, books and keepsakes. My room looked oddly empty even with the invasion of cardboard boxes. I crawled into bed and turned off my light. I stared at the ceiling for a while realising that this would be the last time I would stay in this bed, and this house for months. I was scared, but oddly happy for all the new change I was to experience. I turned onto my side and shut my eyes, sleeping for the last time as just "Katniss Everdeen". From tomorrow I would be "Katniss Everdeen, undergraduate at Capitol University, studying for a degree and making a start on her future".

As of tomorrow, everything was going to change.

Disclaimer: I love the Hunger Games series and would like to add that it belongs to Suzanne Collins, not me, I just love the characters :)
Soo, this is my first fanfic, I'm very open to reviews so please tell me where to improve or what you might like to see. I would like to add that I'm from the UK so my university experience is different from that of other countries, and I'll also probably add in some British things like money, sayings etc. out of habit. Don't review me negatively for this, if there is some context that you don't get just message me or say in a review and I'll clear it up.

Anyway, bye for now :)

ohheyimgeorgia x