When I wake up the other side of the bed is warm. My fingers stretch out seeking Prim's warmth but instead finding fingers entwining with mine. I open my eyes and see Gale's staring back at me. I stare at Gale and he stares back until finally, I take in our surroundings. It's green. My second home, we are in the woods. Mother would be worried, of course she would. It's the day of the reaping. It's still dark so I think she'll still be asleep.
"Why didn't you take me home?" I asked Gale separating our hands so I can prop myself up.
"You looked so peaceful and I didn't want to wake you" Gale said innocently. He started to pull the grass out from the ground where he sat, his eyes dropped to the floor and I sensed he was nervous.
I knew he was thinking about the reaping but I don't like talking about it so I just gathered my things and stood up. As I got up his eyes followed me and I held out my hand to help him up. He shook his head so I let my hand fall back to my side.
"I should really get home; Prim's probably not coping well," I say turning and walking away.
"Course she isn't coping, it's the day of the reaping"
I cringed at the sound of the word and stop in my tracks. Gale steps close beside me and takes my hand in his, "Sorry, but not talking about it doesn't stop it from happening" Gale told me as we began to walk back through the woods to our homes.
"I know" I go on to tell him, "It's just it's Prim's first year, she's only 12!" my eyes began to water. I don't usually get upset about things this easily, it's just Prim… I don't want to lose her. "She's just a kid Gale," I lift my head and expect to see Gale looking down to me but instead he was looking off back into the woods. "I'm never gonna have kids"
"I probably would... if I didn't live here"
"But you do," I say irritated.
"Forget it," he snaps back, pulling his hand out of mine. We don't hold hands often, mainly just to stick together on the way home, but I knew I'd struck nerve.
"Well… I'll be off" I say scuffing the bottom of my boots on the sand like mud beneath my feet. "I need to get ready…"
Gale turns back to face me and nods. We walk back mostly in silence with the occasional sound escaping out lips, not actual words to each other, but to our selves they make sense. We slide under the the fence, Gale goes first and conitues to walk without waiting for me to get up off my belly.
It's time for me and Gale to go our separate ways back to our houses; we didn't connect in conversation, it was more of a mumble and a nod. I get home and see Prim curled up in my Mother's bed, Mother and Prim's cheeks are pressed together. I stare at Prim's fresh face only to be disturbed by the world's most ugly creature: Buttercup. Buttercup is my sister's 'cat' (if you can even call it that). He hates me. He must remember me trying to drown him in a bucket...
I pull my game bag off my shoulder and take out the contents. I didn't catch much but I don't think anyone will be in the mood to each on a day like this. On the day of the reaping.