Posy's POV-

It was going to be our last week in District 13. I was finally going home. Where I was born and raised. Back to where I had so many good and bad memories. Ma was excited to be going home. Gale, from what I can tell, is excited but depressed at the same time. Probably for the same reason he was partially depressed before. Katniss Everdeen. Rory was extatic to be going home with Prim, who would now be living with us in a home that Gale was given for his act of bravery in the rebellion. Vick was just anxious about the whole thing. I couldn't tell if it was good or bad, but I can't wait to board the hovercraft and have Vick stop jumping every time we mention Saturday.

It was all going to be over soon. When we got back, Gale would be back to working in the mines and going hunting. Rory, Vick, and I would go to school. Ma would do laundry for the merchants and probably find other jobs as well. Don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy barely starving to death, but it was how I was raised. It was part of me. It's normal, along with everything we all do. I'm gonna go home and go back to being part of our struggling family. Or so I thought.

Friday Night-

Tonight was the last night. I was practically jumping up and down with anticipation of seeing District 12 for the first time since the bombing. Ma sent us all to bed early tonight saying since we have to get up really early in order to make our flight. I sat on my cot up against the back wall. Our cots were all in one room. Ma was in the middle, with Rory and Vick on her right side and Gale and I on the left. I was still finishing up a few things and Rory and Vick were already sound asleep, so I curled up into a ball and waited for Gale to join us.

I didn't except to wait very long as usual, but it seemed to take a little longer than normal for Gale to finish doing the dishes. After half an hour of waiting, the door opened a little and Gale slipped into our small room. I could tell he was stressed by the way he stood and the way he walked towards me.

"Pos? Why are you still up?" he asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"No reason. Just thought I'd wait for you." I told him. He sat on his cot and turned to face me.

"Are you excited?" he asked kind of glumly. I nodded.

"You?" I asked. I saw some type of emotion that looked like sadness on his face in the dark room.

"Look, Posy, about home. I just want you to know that, "he sighed and his voice caught for a moment "...I not going with you." he finished quietly. I stared at him as if he had grown two heads. What did he mean he isn't coming with us? Of course he is. He lives in District 12 with the rest of us.

"W-what?" I stuttered sort of confused, "Yes you are. You live in District 12."

"I'm moving. To District 2. I have a house and job lined up. All of it is done and ready. I leave in two days." he told me. Was he doing what I think he was doing? Was he walking out on us?

"But- Who is gonna hunt and who is going to help with Algebra 1?" I asked. There were so many things Gale did for our family. He was like our foundation. He smiled a small smile that I returned with a glare.

"Katniss will bring you food and Rory or Vick can help you. I will send Ma some money so she isn't wringing her fingers to the bone everyday. You don't have a use for me anymore." he told me. I did have a use for him besides Algebra homework. Who is going to scare all of the bad dreams away? Who is going to make sure I don't forget my lunch? Who is going to come get me from school and glare at every boy who is my age or younger? Who is going to watch after me when I am sick? Who is going to be my hero?

I couldn't speak anymore. All of this is coming onto me to strong. I gave him a look of disapproval and let down, before I moved to the corner of the wall farthest away from him and laid up against it; not looking at him.

"'Night." I muttered angrliy before I felt my eyes get heavier and heavier with each passing second. I felt a feeling erupt through me that I have never felt this strong before. Hate. Before I shut my eyes I was able to mutter one last thing. And I hope he heard it.

"Gale. I hate you." I told him harshly before I passed out into sleep.

The whole night nightmares kept me awake. Nightmares of Gale. Memories of him leaving me when I needed him the most. Some weren't even memories of my own. In the dreams I always seemed to be in pain or dying or absolutley heart broken.

When I wake up in the morning for good, Rory and Vick are both up and moving. Gale, however, was sitting in the same position as last night, except he had his head in his hands. I got up and gathered a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I got dressed quietly and Gale didn't even look up or say anything once. I looked at him for a minute, but he didn't apparently notice. I shook my head and walked out the door into the main room, leaving Gale by himself.

Ma, Rory, and Vick all looked at me like I was going to start crying with every move I made, but I ignored it. I decided I would help Ma clean while the three boys would load stuff in the car to take to the landing dock. Ma set me on scrubbing floors. Maybe I could take out my emotions of hatred and sadness there. I grabbed a bucket and filled and grabbed a sponge. Igot on my hands and knees and dipped a sponge into the soapy mixture and started rubbing and scrubbing the floor. I put my back into it and everything came up easily, but that didnt make me stop scrubbing the life out of it. Ma didn't talk once, probably so that I could have my peace of being left alone. I think she is just as upset as me is not more that Gale is leaving, but she's trying not to let it show. I did the whole floor and rinsed the bucket, just in time before the boys came back to get us.

Gale helped Ma into the car and tried to help me, but I avoided him the best I could and got in by myself. I could tell Gale was disappointed, but at this point I didn't care. Maybe I would've been a lot more happy for him if I had a few more days notice, or if he actually listened to his own advice he gave me over the years. We all drove in silence the whole way. Luckily for me I was smashed in between the wall and Vick, so I was far away from Gale. I didn't look at him once. I just looked off into space. Maybe there was still a chance that he would get on the hovercraft with us.

The car stopped at the Landing platform and we all hopped out of the car. This was it. I was going home, but without one of my brothers that I knew of. The one who took care of me and protected me. My hero. We walked towards the hovercraft and we stopped to say goodbye about 30 yards away. Gale hugged Ma tightly and have her a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll send money when I get paid. Keep the house. I'm not gonna use it so, keep it for yourself and the rest of them." he told her as he let go. She nodded and he moved onto Rory. Rory gave him a short hug and Gale told him to take care of us. He moved down the line to Vick. Gale gave him a hug that he willingly took. He told him to write and to help me with my homework. Vick let go and Gale finally got to me. He got down on his knees so I was just a foot taller. He held out his arms. I didnt run to him, but instead just gave him a disapproving stare and then straight ahead as if he wasnt there. He looked hurt, but he started to come towards me. I took a step back and was out of reach. He looked even more upset.

"Lesson 14." I told him firmly.

Lesson 14 was a lesson he taught me not to long ago. He told me, "Sometimes you have to do the better for the other person and not yourself." and I never forgot it. He looked down at the ground for a minute and then back up to my disapproving glare.

"I love you, Posy Juliet Hawthorn, and don't you ever forget it." he told me. I still glared at him trying to show no mercy.

"Lesson 14." I repeated and spun on my heel and started to walk away from him. I walked towards the hovercraft and eventually felt the tears leaking, so I started to run towards it. Nobody chased me so I was at least getting my wish.

I boarded and waited for my family to join me in our assigned compartment. I waited about 5 minutes and then I was joined by Ma, Rory, and Vick. Everyone stared at me for a few minutes and then realized I didn't want to talk about what happened and left me alone.

"Last call for passengers to Districts 12, 7, & 3." a robotic voice said over the PA system. I looked at my shoes. Only a few minutes, Gale, I though, This is your last chance. A minute later an out of breath Prim appeared with a huge smile.

"Ready?" she asked us all with a big smile. We turned to look at her. Her face dropped as she looked at all of us.

"Where's Gale?" she asked confused. I continued to look at my shoes.

"The idiot is moving to 2." I mumbled under my breath, so only I and possibly Rory could hear. I felt one tear slip from my grasp and roll down my cheeks. I willed myself to stop, but was being unsuccessful. More tears followed, but I tried to keep them in and show no signs of weakness, like Gale taught me.

"Tell you later." I heard Rory whisper to her. I saw her sit down next to him out of the corner of my eyes and I felt the hovercraft lift off the ground. No more chances. He wasn't coming and that was final. I let him have a choice. He could've boarded at the last minute, but he had his mind set of District 2, and from this time forward I hate Gale. I hate him, because he left me and he left his family. He didn't even give me a weeks notice, when clearly he had been planning this for a while. And apparently everybody else, but Prim knew, and that was cold. Scratch that. The whole situation was absoultey unthinkable and I possibly unforgivable.