The fresh scent of bread assaulted my nostrils, an almost empty bag of game hung loosely in one hand and a sad looking squirrel in the other. I knew it wasn't enough. The baker shook his head and handed off the loaf for "Take it, please." Only a squirrel, there was a strange sense of solidarity in District 12 on these days. The baker's son glared out at me from the oven room. I suppose he was angry that his hard work fetched such a poor price. I suppose there was a chance this would be the last bread he would bake. He must have been Katniss' age, but being a baker's son he'd never go hungry. Never need tessarae, never put his name in 42 times. I stowed the bread uncomfortably and rushed off to meet Catnip. Eyes burned a hole in my back.

The woods, the one place the Capitol couldn't control me. I could forget about the Games and the Reaping this afternoon for even a minute and just be Gale. I screamed into the air and a flock of birds took flight. My eyes pricked as one of the noises was moving towards me. I notched an arrow and turned to bear at the possible threat. Katniss' tinkling laughter met me instead. "Going to kill me with my own bow?"

I relaxed and lowered my weapon. "I bought it fair and square and you know it."

"Mmm, that deer was good, paid for Prim's goat… Maybe it was worth it, barely." My snort of disbelief cut her off before she could haggle anything else off of me.

Katniss showed off the cheese she had brought and I brought out my new loaf. "It's real bread too, only cost me a squirrel." We passed the next hour just slowly eating our expensive treat. At the last slice Katniss hesitated then cut it into four smaller slices.

The pained expression on her face and upturned nose told me she was about to imitate the high and nasally accent of the Capitol. Why'd she have to go and break this escape? "Thumbs and finger out so out this season, only the pinkies may touch food." She tried three times to get the goat-cheese smeared bread to her mouth using only the tips of her pinkies. The third time it dropped and smeared across her face. After devouring the rest of the bread like a wild animal she wiped away the cheese and shot a look of utter superiority "And may the odds."

I couldn't help but finish, despite the knots in my stomach, "Be ever in your favor." She looked so pleased with herself, I couldn't let her down. The Games made me sick to my stomach. It was disgusting, and now Rory was in 2 times. He couldn't bear to hear Rory begging to take tessarae. I would never let him. "We could stop it you know." Katniss' eyes lit around to see if we are alone, she knew where this was going. "If we all stopped watching, they wouldn't have their Games, and they have to have them don't they…"

Katniss grabbed my arm and I leaned into the touch, until she pulled away just as suddenly. "We can't talk like that, today of all days."