Gale had just left upon Katniss telling him Peeta was the one she loved.
I couldn't believe the things I had just been told. Katniss chose HIM over me? Out of anger I had left, not sure what to do next. I'd been given the opportunity to leave and work at district 2 in the military, but had turned the offer down, thinking Katniss would admit her love for me and ditch bread boy. My eyes were heavy without sleep. I loved her too much, if I didn't leave now, I could hurt her. The few things I had left, I grabbed and walked toward her house. My hand about to knock on the door one last time, stopped abruptly. Footsteps were on the side of the house, coming to her front door. Mellark came forward, and almost caught me. I didn't want him seeing me here or knowing I even thought about Katniss. My legs began moving faster and faster until I reached Haymitch's door and burst in.
"WHAT THE H-!" Haymitch looked up from the couch, his lips redirecting away from Effies. I knew he was petrified I had seen this. Bleach couldn't even get this out of my mind. "It's not what it looks like" He slurred quit quickly, not sounding as drunk as usual. Effie stood and began heading toward the door. "Woah, you cannot get out that easily!" I chuckled for the first time since Katniss and I went hunting. Effie pursed her lips and nodded, directing her eye contact to Haymitch. "What do you want?" Haymitch would probably be embarassed by this for the rest of his life. "I want to go to District 2." Both of them looked taken aback. "Wha-what?" Effie stuttered. "I want to go to District 2." I repeated slower to both them as if they were children. Haymitch laughed "You're the one who turned the job down in the first place." I nodded "Yes, I did do that. But that was before I knew Kat- " My fake cough helped recover my sentence quickly. "Cats were being cooked and sold in the hob." Effie made a face I had never seen before, probably one of disgust, while Haymitch looked amused by this. "You can't handle a little cat meat, huh?What about all those squirrels you ate? And eating a cat scares you?" He snorted. "Shut it fish face. Now can you get me there or not?" They both looked back at each other and nodded. "I suppose that is a fine reason to leave here, I could even use a little time away from district 12 myself." Typical Effie, I thought. "Off we go then!" She smiled and clapped her hands while Haymitch's jaw just dropped open.
The trains were actually quite roomy and the ride was pretty smooth. I tried stuffing my face with everything, but I particularly liked some kind of lamb stew they served us for lunch. I'm pretty sure the rooms were all occupied, but it seemed nobody dared to cross my path, other than a few servants, but they never talked, just nods and smiles were thrown at me as replies. Effie wasn't much company either, since she was always trying to find what was new in style after the rebellion. Only a day or two until I reached District 2, I figured since we'd been on the train for about three days. Dinner was being served, when a servant girl caught my eye. It wasn't because she was pretty or different than any other maids, she just looked... familiar. She saw my stare and held the glare. "Thanks" She looked kind of happy, but I pointed toward the plates she had just set. "For the food." Her face looked kind of disappointed for a moment, but she just nodded after a few seconds. I watched her fiery red hair as she walked back into the kitchen. I wondered why she didn't talk. Back in school girls would jump in front of a train just to walk down the hall next to me. Then I noticed none of the servants talked. I've heard of them but I couldn't remember the name. She had just walked out with a terrified face and a red mark on her cheek. "Avox." I whispered.
Chapter 2
We had just arrived in District 2 and I already missed my hometown. This is your home. I don't think I can ever accept that thought. A few giggles were behind me as I headed toward the old peacekeepers headquarters. My facial expression was hard and rough, until a hand touched my shoulder and it lightened. My fist was about to come up, as a reaction, until a small scream came from the short blonde behind me. I jumped back and bent down a little to see who my near victim was. "Madge!" She nodded and jumped into my arms. I smelled her hair, expecting the slight smell of strawberries. I was wrong, she smelled nasty. I guess she noticed me scrunch my nose and she took out a small bottle filled with a sweet scent and drowned herself in it. It was like trying to cover poison with roses.
Madge and I had hung out for the past few days I was here, I really liked her, but her high voice got annoying after 8 hours of talking. She admitted to missing District 12, but couldn't stand on the same grounds her father had died in. We just understood each other. She never would go hunting with me, because it made her feel like Katniss, and she couldn't stand old Catnip. I think that rubbed off on me. More negative remarks came up about her, more blaming of deaths, and more gossip of her secrets. I had betrayed Katniss into great depths. I knew I could never go back to her. Especially after my plan of killing Prim. She started the rebellion. I thought Katniss would finally give up and need me as a shoulder to cry on, if the thing she loved most was gone, but it was more of a motivational thing. She risked so many life, what's one matter, I thought. I never admit this to anyone, and never will.
I never really had to work here. All I did was design weapons for if there ever was a new uprising. Newspapers would come to my office everyday, and as Madge headed off to begin harvesting for her job, she would take them. But this morning it lay still on my desk. I guess it wouldn't hurt to catch up on everything. Nothing interesting was ever in there, but on the front cover stood Mellark and Katniss, his hand over her growing belly. A baby. I could see Madge jogging down here, fast as she could. "GALE! I need the pa-" I just pulled her in and kissed her, trying to use other emotions to cover my current ones. She stepped back and smiled, then looked in my hand, the paper still grasped. A slap to the face was all I got in return. No thank you at all.