FIRE IS CATCHING FORUM : May / June Competition:

Entry 1: dewdrops and crowns

It's funny I don't even like strawberries, On our own. opposites attract keep your eyes open,

He takes my hand and clenches it firmly. A twinkle in his eye and a confident smile on his face, it was reassuring in a strange way.

"You ready Madge?"

Honestly, I'm nervous and scared and so not ready. I sure didn't feel fine... But I can lie, I've lied all my life and no one's noticed the difference, one more little white lie wouldn't' hurt.

"Yes I am,"

He gives me a secretive smile as if saying I know you're not fine but I won't mention it. I take a deep breath and squeeze his hand one final time before we climb under the fence and I have a mad urge to giggle at my small piece of rebellion.

. . .

It's funny I don't even like strawberries. Slightly weird as the usually Undersea trait was a fetish for strawberries; but I was different. In more ways than one, unlike the majority of my family I wasn't outgoing, or popular or beautiful or even ambitious. I wasn't particularly clever I was just plain old Madge who was going to die doing nothing special. With no mark on the world.

That was the first time I spoke to Gale, when I brought the strawberries. My dad had always been puzzled over why I would buy the red fruits and then leave them for him, and my mother if she was feeling up to it. Truth was I had a crush on Gale, a silly school girl crush. He was good looking, slightly older and cool, what girl wouldn't fall for him? I never expected us to be together really, I mean most of the time he seemed to think I was a spoilt brat who didn't think about anyone else. It put me off him a bit, so narrow minded. But he would look in my eyes sometimes and I'd have to stop my heart from doing something pathetic like fluttering.

Then things changed and Katniss left with my gold bird on her chest, a new face and a boyfriend for the camera.

Gale was heartbroken

. . .

It should feel strange to be in this place he must now associate with Katniss, it's his and hers. The woods where they were free, that's all he would say. It should feel wrong taking her place. For some reason it didn't, he loves the woods not just Katniss alone and being here makes him happy, I know. He's happy, I'm happy.

I watch as he makes intricate snares and traps that he tries to explain but I just don't keep up, he seems excited and full of adrenalin. I don't mind though, I sit lazily against a tree trunk and focus on Gale the rest of the world blurring away. He looks good in the woods I decide; his muscles are tight and ready for action there's a smile which isn't serious for once, there's a change in everything about him. I like it.

I suddenly realise someone's saying my name.

"Hmmm," Comes my drowsy reply.

He laughs before grabbing my waist and swooping me into the bushes. Raising a finger to his lips signalling for silence, I nod and lean against his shoulder to wait and smile when I feel an arm around me.

. . .

Life was dull without Katniss. I would see her on the TV and I knew I really shouldn't but I would sometimes feel jealous. I was alone again and no one would remember me, maybe my dad and my mum on her good days. Who else really? Would Katniss even remember me? Would Gale remember me? No I was the strawberry girl with the pretty dresses; I wanted to be more than that. Katniss was the girl on fire, she was gorgeous, a star crossed lover, probably most girls role model by now. And she had even made Gale fall in love with her without knowing. My thoughts were so bitter and twisted. I shouldn't feel jealous but nobody's perfect.

I remember the day Gale first sat with me; he nodded and then took a seat at the end of my table. We never talked. We seemed to speak without words, awkward glances and smiles. But that might have just been my imagination. My days started to look up and I felt gratitude towards him, I wasn't as invisible as I thought. Madge Undersea stood out enough for Gale to sit on the same table as her, and I was even grateful enough to redevelop my crush which perhaps had never gone away completely. After all I still brought the strawberries.

It was one day after school I knew he truly was going to be a friend.

It seems we've been here forever, stuck in the moment, nothing would ever come to the bait. I almost feel guilty for killing the animals, but I would easily eat them. Being witness to their death shouldn't affect me that much, right? That's what Gale has reasoned and he makes a lot of sense. Maybe I didn't want to feel responsible for the end of another being's survival.

I'm becoming fidgety, twisting my jacket sleeve again and again and playing with my fingers. I reached out to a leaf to start tearing it into strips but some sixth sense from Gale knew what I was going to do, I got a nudge and a look. I pout in reply. But Gale's too distracted with a rabbit sniffing near the trap. I could feel an eye roll coming on, boys with their toys.

"Hey blondey,"

It was those idiots again; they'd been annoying me recently. Following me home and calling things they thought were clever, sniggering at my expense, sometimes even throwing pebbles at my head. They'd made the same assumption as Gale that I didn't care for anyone but myself and I took my wealth for granted. They pretended they actually knew me and could hurt me, and the main problem was that they could. It hurt to know people disliked me, seemed to hate me. I wanted to be invisible again.

A guy out the crowd spoke out; he seemed to be a leader slightly bigger than the rest with average Seam looks, there was a commanding air about him. He spoke in a high pitched, mocking voice "Look I'm Madge I sit at home with my fancy jewellery, and my creepy mother and rich father looking down on the lowly people of district 12."

I could feel a lump in the back of my throat I couldn't seem to shake it off, no matter how much I told myself I didn't care what they thought it hurt.

"Hey blondey why don't you come with us, if you can handle being with us dirty Seam for more than a few minutes. What about you even give us that necklace you've got? Give it to someone who needs it!"

They all laughed like he's just said something amazingly hilarious, and I felt even worse. This necklace had been in my family for generations, like hell I was letting some randomer have it.

"Just leave me alone," My voice had sounded a lot stronger in my head, now I sounded even more pathetic than they probably already thought. Great going Madge.

"Ooh trying to stand up to us now, I'm so scared. You think your so clever girly well we'll show you-"

A voice interrupted them "Leave her alone boys," A tall figure stood in front of me, mostly blocked from my view by the sun but when I shifted a saw it was Gale. Gale of all people had come around like a knight in shining armour to rescue the damsel in distress. But I wasn't too bothered about the what, why or who because at least those guys looked nervous enough to start backing away.

They filtered away grunting and muttering under their breath, the leader giving me a glare. But they didn't complain, Gale was older and had more respect than them.

"Do I have to start walking you home to make sure you're okay?"

It was nice he cared but I felt a stab at my pride.

"I can handle it!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Sure you can,"

I decided to change the subject. "Why are you even here?"

His face clouded and he looked troubled. "I think you're the only one I can talk to, it's about Katniss."

I nodded, thinking about why he would want to talk about Katniss now. I thought of what had been happening in the games and then it occurred to me, Gale was jealous.

"Madge, come with me," He looked so lost I felt a rise of pity for him. His best friend could die any day and appeared to be in love with another guy. Talking to him couldn't hurt. It couldn't be too long though, my father would worry. So I nodded and tried not to blush when he took my hand and lead me to a meadow. And we talked.

And the next day he walked me home.

And the next day.

And the day after…

. . .

I don't watch as he skins the animal and cuts it up, I don't think throwing up on a date is too attractive. But when it's cooked I eat anyway. And I have to admit it tastes good. Then out of his bag pack of equipment he pulls out a blanket with a smile and ties it to a tree in a series of complicated knots. As he moves away see a hammock.

I laugh and try to haul myself onto it, it swings precariously and I clutch onto Gale.

"Madge let me get on it first."

I nod, although someone in the back of my mind my cynical self is assessing whether it will collapse from mine and Gale's weight. With seeming ease he lifts himself up and lies out, legs crossed and his arms cushioning his head.

"My turn!"

I dive onto Gale with a squeak as it swings from side to side. I wrap my arms around his neck to give me a hold and I get a your such an idiot look from Gale. Yeah I've named most of his looks. I find a space to plop myself into but we're mostly a tangle of limbs. Nice and comfortable.

"So Madge have you ever watched the clouds go by?"

. . .

Then he kissed me, it was unexpected and rather rough. We'd been talking when all of sudden I was against a tree and his lips were on mine and my brain nearly exploded. He was fiery when he kissed, passionate and burning, I was overcome with a longing to be close. He was an incredible kisser, not that I had too much experience.

We didn't talk much about feelings; we could talk about anything for forever and just as equally sit in silence. But being honest with how we felt; now that was different. I knew we had to talk eventually, we couldn't just carry on with the occasionally make out session. He was a good kisser, it was nice but I'd rather not be a friend with benefits. And sometimes I even wondered if he was really seeing me when we kissed. He gave away little clues, a whisper of a name not mine, the change in how he acted.

It hurt that he saw Katniss' face instead of mine.

And I had had enough of being hurt.

"Gale what do you think about me? What am I to you?"

He had looked at me as if trying to decide, give me a label. I felt more and more desperate as the minutes crept on.

"A friend."

That's all he could give me. A friend. Did he go round kissing all his friends?

"Just a friend." I replied, short and sharp. He didn't meet my eyes.

"Yes."

A friend. You can call many people a friend, someone who you sit next to in class. Someone who you sometimes talk to. Someone you like and don't mind being with. I was just a friend. I wasn't even a close friend. Maybe he was just using me after all. Someone to share all his doubt with and then chuck away when he's finished with the sea of pain and find someone prettier and more popular, if Katniss got back I'd definitely be in the trashcan.

"I see,"

My voice was cold and haughty, and I stood up walking off without looking back. My eyes were blinded by tears but I refused to let them fall.

"Madge!" He called out, but I couldn't turn back my pride was hurt enough.

"Stupid Gale," I muttered, kicking leaves and twigs. "Like I need him anyway, I don't need some guy who just kisses any old 'friend'."

. . .

"A flower!"

"A bird."

"A hedgehog!"

"A bird."

"A bow!"

"And that one looks like a bird." He points.

"For Snow's sake Gale you have such a creative mind."

"Well that one looks like a rabbit," He points to another cloud that didn't look like a rabbit.

"No it really doesn't"

He shakes his head. "You have to use your imagination."

I sigh and bury my head into the side of Gale, knowing I'd be asleep soon as my lids became heavy. He's warm and he smells so comfortingly of the earth.

"Madge?"

"Wake me up in a bit." I mutter as my mind slips into a haze.

. . .

He tried knocking on my door and following me around when he now wasn't working at the mines. I just ignored my new stalker. Him following me around just made it hurt more, why didn't he see? Why didn't he just give up?

It was raining as I walked along, I was all too aware of a certain dark haired boy behind me. Soon the rain got heavier and heavier, and the only form of protection seemed to be stopping under a tree. So I did just that. Unfortunately Gale did too. We stood awkwardly in silence and I tried to pretend I was happy he didn't say anything and that my life was going on without him, but that would be lying. Still I pretend so much the truth starts to blend with the lies, so the line is hard to distinguish. I've almost convinced myself that Gale hasn't ripped my heart in two.

"Madge."

I started to walk away when I felt his hands on my wrist, strong and demanding he pulled me towards him.

"Listen, Katniss means a lot to me Madge, but so do you,"

That's all I was ever going to be, second place. I didn't want to be second place. I tried to slip away and he didn't seem so bent on stopping me as before, his grip relaxed. He seemed to be giving me a choice.

"Madge I love you."

I stopped where I was.

. . .

I feel someone lips on my forehead and a slight shake on my shoulder, my eyelids flutter open. The first thing I notice is sky is going dark and clouds are gathering overhead.

"Woah how long did I sleep?"

He smirks "I didn't want to wake you up; you know you make these cute little snores whilst you sleep."

I try to bat him with my arm but he moves out the way, to my annoyance. I'm forced to make the effort of getting out the hammock and chasing down the guy I'd fallen madly in love with. He blends in easily with the woods; he seems to know every nook and cranny whilst I blunder around no idea where he could be hiding. Someone jumps me from behind and I squeak in surprise.

"Gale don't-"

I'm interrupted by a kiss and I don't bother complaining. In true cliché fashion it begins to rain and I pull away. Pointing to the sky in response to his confused expression, he laughs.

"Don't be afraid of the rain Madge."

He always had a way of getting my competitive side out that bristled at any remark. "I'm not afraid it's just I'd rather not get my clothes wet."

He gives me a crooked smile

"What?" I ask "Have I got something on my nose?"

"No you're just very beautiful, and I wondered if Madge Undersea you'd do the honour of dancing with me?"

I spluttered out my response, he's really gone wild in this place "But there's no music!"

He shrugs like that not important and wraps his arms around my waist so I reach up to his neck. I know how to dance; mostly everyone does in district 12. He takes a few steps and I follow swaying slightly whilst we do it. Most of the time I nearly step on his toes or slide in the mud but Gale changes step or catches me at the last minute, and soon we're twirling and looping and spinning to the imaginary music. Laughing at the craziness of it. We're dancing in the rain.

That was the happiest time of my life. Summed up in that one moment dancing even though we should be hiding away.

. . .

When Katniss came back, I was happy of course, in fact I was ecstatic. But there was always a nag at the back of my mind, what would happen to us? It had been getting harder for us to meet up anyway as Gale had his job but he didn't seem to want to make the effort ever since Katniss came back. He seemed so conflicted.

One day I even saw them kiss, of all the times and places I could have been I was there when he put his lips on hers. I don't care how surprised she looked when it happened, I didn't hear the words he said to her. All I felt was the tidal wave of emotion, I felt so betrayed, so used. And I ran just like I always do. I'd been so stupid.

He said he loved me but it was probably just a lie. Who wants the invisible girl when you can have a play with fire?

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