GALE'S POV
I lean against our usual meeting spot, a flat and oval-ish boulder that sits near the edge of a cliff that looks over the woods. I spread the goods out on the huge rock: a fish that was caught in our net just this morning, some berries I found on my way to the meeting spot, and a big slice of warm bread that my mother made this morning. I breathed in the fresh morning air and waited for Katniss.
She strolled into the small clearing carrying something behind her back. Katniss had a huge grin on her face, a rare oddity I usually only see on special occasions. I furrow my brows and ask her with a smile, "What's with the grin? Did they strike gold in the coal mines?" I know this could never happen because, well, it's not possible, and… it's just not possible. Who heard of the poorest district suddenly becoming one of the richest just over night?
Katniss sat next to me, her tanned and toned legs just barely an inch from mine. God, she's so beautiful. I'm so happy I get to hunt with her every day. Katniss held up two squirrels by their tails, an arrow sticking both of them through their tiny necks.
"Two squirrels with one shot!" Katniss gushed. "They were crouched down, eating something off the ground, and I was just aiming for the first one, but it went through the entire first one and through the second!" I smiled.
"That's great Katniss! Do you want to keep them, trade them with the baker since he loves them, or trade them at the Hob?" I ask. She sets the squirrels on the boulder, puts her hands in her lap, and stares at the forest before her. This is what I love about Katniss. She can be an experienced and trained hunter, but then she goes being all nice and girly and it's so… cute.
Suddenly she turns to me and says, "Well, I think we could sell one at the Hob…" she says carefully, "And then we could trade the other one to the baker?" I nod, split the berries and bread between us, and we eat.
In between mouthfuls, I ask, "Want to sell the fish at the Hob this morning, too?" And this time it's Katniss's turn to nod.
After we finish eating, we set our poles up at the lake, set some snares, then we trek to the baker's house, which is closest. Katniss and I crouch behind the apple tree that grows behind the baker's house. We wait for the witch (aka, the baker's wife) to leave the house and go to the market for the daily flour. Once we see her walk down the dirt road, we spring into action and jump swiftly over the fence.
I look up. Ah-ha. The baker's son, like I suspected. He usually watches for us each morning, and he always watches me when I'm with Katniss. I think he likes her. The baker's son, Peeta, I think, disappears from the window. The loser.
I go to the back door and knock. Katniss is standing next to me, holding the dead squirrels. The arrow is still through their necks, because otherwise, bugs could get in the hole and blood could start leaking so it's best to leave it in as long as possible.
The baker answers the door. He is wiping his doughy hands on a stained cloth, which he then stuffs in a pocket in his powdery white apron. "Gale, Katniss, how nice it is to see you!" the baker exclaims. "What do you have for me today?"
I motion to Katniss and her squirrels. "Katniss shot 2 squirrels this morning. Care for one?" I say, as Katniss holds up the squirrels and nods. The baker looks pleased.
"One? Could I have both?" he asks, "I could pay you double." Katniss's eyes widen and look at me. I nod, and Katniss agrees.
"Great!" he says, and ushers us indoors. The room is hot from the ovens, and flour almost coats the floor. Peeta quickly looks up at Katniss before continuing to grind corn, most likely for corn bread.
The baker disappears into the front of the shop, where he goes to grab some bread for trade. Katniss and I make ourselves comfortable on a bench near the pantry. We talk about the Hob, the meadow, and other things we could make money off of while Katniss works the arrows out of the squirrels necks.. I sneak a peek of Peeta. He looks jealous, and also like he doesn't know what some of the things we're talking about are. Well, no surprise there. Mr. Rich Boy with all his bread and food and warm house wouldn't know what the Hob is.
The baker comes back in with 3 big loaves of steaming bread. My mouth started watering. Katniss handed him the squirrels and tucked the arrow in her holder as I took the bread. The baker led us to the back door and I said to Katniss, "Check our poles and snares? I have to talk to the baker. Meet you at the Hob?" She nodded and hopped the fence with ease.
I turned and leaned on the doorframe, one hand holding the fish and bread and the other hand in my pocket. I could feel Peeta watching me as I made polite conversation with his father.
PEETA'S POV
I despise him. So much. Hate him, really. Jealous, envious, angry at him. Why did he have to hang out with Katniss so much? He has good looks. His black, glossy, whooshy hair. His perfectly-aligned, bleach-white smile. His year round tan skin. His lean body. His confident, assuring, almost cocky personality. And his smoky grey eyes that sometimes sparkle in the sunlight. Not that I'm gay. I'm not. But come on. He could have any girl he wants! Why does he need Katniss? Sure, she's probably the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, but what about all the other girls that flirt with Gale? The girls who "drop" their books, giggle with their friends, point and stare and him, touch his arm when talking to him, and batting their eyelashes whenever he walks by in the school hallway. Why him?
