I Remember
It was one of our bad days, Katniss.
Winter was near and I was seventeen, you were fifteen. Remember that sickness that plagued District 12 that year? Well, the sickness had seemed to have gotten to the animals, too. My snares had only caught a skinny little rabbit, and we weren't able to hunt any animals with your bow and arrow because they had all either died or were dying in some quiet place that we couldn't reach.
We had one of our rare, full-blown fights.
"We only have one rabbit," I said quietly, looking down at the small white thing hanging from my belt. You nodded.
"You take it," you said, looking up at me with those perfect gray eyes, "You caught it."
"So? We're supposed to be a team, we should split it," I replied, detaching the rabbit from my belt and handing it to you. You pushed it towards me.
"Gale, you have four mouths to feed. I only have two. I-I have some money, I can probably afford a little something from the bakery," you pulled two silver coins from your pocket, the ones you had been saving to get Prim a birthday present. Since Greasy Sae had caught the sickness, we couldn't even go to the Hob and buy some of her cheap food.
"Are you crazy? You've been saving that money for ages! Keep half the rabbit and the money, we'll figure out something tomorrow," I handed you the rabbit again. Being as stubborn as you were, you pushed it towards me.
"I told you to take it, Gale. Just take it," you said, fire burning in your eyes.
"Keep half," I said firmly, giving you the rabbit. You gave it back. This went on for a while, me giving you the rabbit and then you shoving it back at me, until we both got pretty heated and the rabbit fell to the ground with a sickening thud.
Immediately, a wild, wounded dog came out from the woods, and it had probably been watching us the whole time, waiting for an opening to take the rabbit. The dog immediately snatched it up and ran away with it, and we were both so startled that neither of us had moved until it was too late.
"You idiot!" you screamed at me, "Now neither of us has food! You should've taken the stupid rabbit!"
"I told you take it Katniss!" I yelled right back "If you weren't as stubborn as you are we both would've had at least half a rabbit!"
"It was your rabbit!" you screamed right in my face, jabbing my stomach with your finger.
"We're a team!" I yelled down at you, "Teams work together and split stuff!"
"Shut up, Gale! Shut up! You should've taken that rabbit home and you know it!" Both of us were burning with rage and both of us were yelling our throats hoarse. It had been a while since we'd both been able to let go of all of the steam that had built up inside of us, and we were secretly relieved to get that screaming out of our systems.
Do you remember what happened next, Katniss?
You started mumbling and muttering about what a stupid person you are, and how Prim would go to bed hungry tonight. You sank to the ground and wrapped your arms around your knees. I sank to the ground with you and wrapped an arm around you.
"Hey," I said, "You're not a bad person or anything, okay? We'll make it up to our families tomorrow somehow."
"How do you know it's going to be okay?" you asked. "You always make it seem like we'll make it through no matter what. I don't need your false optimism right now, Gale."
"Katniss, we'll think of something. What's your problem? I don't need your stupid pessimism right now," I said.
"Then promise me something, Gale," you said, your voice suddenly small and feeble with the winter wind blowing around us. "Promise me our families will never starve."
"I promise, Katniss."
Another thought suddenly occurred to you. "Promise me you'll never volunteer to go into the Games with me if I'm ever reaped, and vice versa."
"I promise," I said. Katniss, I didn't know how much that promise would haunt me, how much I would regret making that deal with you.
"On your life?"
"On my life."
"On your family's life?"
"On my family's life," I said firmly, wrapping both arms around you at that point. We sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Hey, Catnip?" I asked. "Promise me you'll never leave me. Ever, for anything." I don't know where I got the idea, but sitting there in the woods, I knew I would never be the same if you left me.
You sounded confused when you replied, "I swear on my life that I'll never leave you, Gale."
With all of our promises made, we were both able to relax slightly, dreading the moment when we would have to go back home and face our starving families.
Do you remember that day, Katniss?
You never did keep that promise, Catnip.
Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated :D