"NO!" were the only words to race through my head when I watched her kiss him. I slammed my knife down on the table at the diner where I worked and went on break. Why would katniss do this to me? I thought her and I were…."friends" I said as tears filled my eyes I threw down my apron, I was gone. I ran to the hole in the fence and went through. I went and found my stash of snare wire set a quick snare, found my hunting bag, and my knife with a hollow hilt unscrewed it to find my matches and striker and set off. I stopped by the tree were I had hid my bow and arrows catni…I mean katniss had given me. She was no longer catnip to me I hated her from the whole cave scene! "I'll never call her catnip again" I vowed it was her fathers bow but she couldn't pull the string I was barely strong enough but still could shoot it "if I ever see mellark ill…I don't know" I said to my self as I sat down and cried. Why would she do this? how could she do this? I messed up maybe? she was right there and I waited to long how could I be so stupid any man would have loved her and I just couldn't say it. I heard a twig snap, and thought there was a peace keeper behind me I loaded an arrow and aimed and almost let it fly when Rory yelled "STOP GALE ITS RORY!" Rory? The words snapped me out of my haze, and I dropped the bow. Now gasping for breath I hugged him and said I was sorry. My brother only hugged me and said "no gale i'm sorry." No way Rory couldn't know "uh yeah its ok I only cut my self it's not that deep" I lied to my brother. "Don't lay gale I know why you're crying you never cry except for ka" I covered his mouth and whispered in a yelling tone. "don't even say it or ill…send you home" what was I saying "send him home?" what was I a teacher? I'd kick him in the hind before id send him home but what happened now? "See! You've gone soft for her gale" Rory scolded. "Shut your mouth kid!" I threatened and threw a rock at him which I expected him to dodge and he did. "Or what? You'll send me home again?" he mocked "ok Mr. President Hawthorne lets have a duel same rules as last time" Rory said and threw me a stick how could Rory remember that? He was only little when we dueled last. When I signed up for tesserae the second time on my third year Rory ran off into the woods because he was mad at the capitol and I chased him to … this same spot! I knew I recognized it the rules were anything goes loser goes home winner does what he wants Rory and I fought and I won he went home because I told him mom needs us now cause dad isn't here anymore. Now he wants another beating? "Bring it on" I yelled as I threw dirt in his eyes and hit him with a stick. we fought long and hard then I thought id humor my brother and backed up a few steps. Biggest mistake ever I stepped into my snare and was stuck Rory hit my chest "OW! You little son of a…" that's as far as I got before he tripped me and fell to a loss because of my own snare Rory held his stick at my neck raised his arm then threw the stick and helped me up I clapped and said "good fighting kid" by this time my anger was gone and was laughing I hugged my little brother and asked him "why did you come get me and how'd you find me?" "I knew you'd be here gale your run away is right here plus they were playing the hunger games at lunch and knew what would happen when that went down" instantly I was back to being mad as the smile on my face turned to a frown. "Yeah well you knew me too well." I said and looked off into the woods. "I am a Hawthorne." he bragged. "Nope we traded prim to catnip's mom, we wanted a boy." I said with a chuckle not even noticing what I said. I scuffled up his hair. "I'm kidding bro." I promised and hugged him. "You're gonna keep your bargain right?" he questioned. "what bargain Rory?" I asked. "are you gonna go home gale?" he asked me with slight doubt in his voice. I could just leave while he slept I thought and nodded. "Good because mom needs us cause dads not here." he said and I thought he began to resemble a man and was proud of him. "And katniss needs you too, as much as we do" now I started to tear up, not because I missed her but because he was my brother and was gonna be a good man. "Why do you say that?" I questioned. "Cause she needs a best friend, and would be broken hearted when she came home and hers wasn't there for her." he said and handed me something folded up in an envelope. It was our 4th grade class picture. "I remember that the photographer said no messing around and catnip hugged me at the last second" I said. "She's my best friend and I need her too." I agreed "well duh!" Rory said. "you called her catnip and when I watched you I heard you say you'd never call her that again, C'mon gale lets go home and cheer her on" I put my arm around my brother and hugged him as we walked home with a smirk on my face looking at the picture because her face was historical.