Just a small one-shot about one of my favourite couples, Galeniss (it was meant to be!)
The after their meeting in the woods, Katniss has nowhere to sit and decides to take a risk.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Lunch.
Lunch, for me, used to be non-existent. Not even a scrap of meat. Yesterday I caught a lot, but honestly, that was down to him. Hawthorne. The name rolled off the tongue. Gale. I hurry out of the classroom, following my classmates out to the small hall.
Seating arrangements are a source of power to some people. Not to me. I don't really mind sitting by myself, but most girls, the wealthy girls that is are paranoid that they won't have a proper upbringing without sitting beside their friends. I don't see Madge, whom I usually sit with.
I grab my small bag and approach the entrance of the hall, noticing that my class must've been late out. All the tables are taken. I groan. I'll have to sit beside some arbitrary person. I hope they don't speak to me. I inhale slowly, looking around for someone I know to be quiet when someone catches my eye. He's sitting alone, ripping a piece of game to pieces with his teeth. I see a few girls glancing at him. Lustfully. He is good-looking.
I shrug. It's either my new hunting partner or nothing.
I walk slowly, not drawing attention to myself as I pass most of the female tables, glancing at my feet. He doesn't see me. Yet.
I turn suddenly towards his table and plonk my bag down, sitting directly opposite him. He looks up as I sit, ignoring the outrageous looks I receive.
"Hawthorne." I say with recognition. He raises an eyebrow.
"My name's Gale, you know. I told you yesterday, Catnip." His voice is simple.
I pout slightly.
"My name's Katniss." I say audibly. He shrugs. I open my food and dig into the meat that attracts me. We eat in silence for a few minutes.
"I'm going out tonight." He says after a while. I look up.
"Can I come?" I ask and immediately curse myself for asking such a childish question. Either way, if it means food for Prim, I'm on board.
"If you like. I usually go at about five."
I don't like the fact that he's calling the shots but he clearly has more knowledge than I do about this. He's professional.
"Okay. I'll bring you a bow."
His mouth curves ever so slightly into what I might count as a small smile.
"You were serious then?" He asks patiently.
"Why not?" I say, "If we're going to be partners, we need to share. I give you a bow, you teach me snares."
I look at him but notice that he's not staring at me. He's staring behind me, at a small blonde boy. I turn to look but the boy looks away, embarrassed. I know that face vaguely.
"He a friend of yours?" He asks, nodding to the boy. My face flushes with colour at the memory.
"No." I say hurriedly. I look at his empty bag and notice mine was nearly twice as full as his was.
"Here." I say about to pass him a piece but he pushes my hand away gently. I put it down slowly.
"The little blonde girl. She's your sister, isn't she?" He asks. He's talking about Prim.
"Yes. Why?"
"Only two of you?" He asks, not answering my question.
I nod again.
"And my mother." I add quietly. He nods, taking it all in.
"How many have you?" I inquire. I know he has a little sister. Very young but I remember seeing him before, holding her hand as she picked a few flowers.
" My mother. My brother's Rory and Vick. And my little sister, Posy." He smiles at their names. It's like me and Prim. We are more alike than I realised.
"I just have Prim. Primrose."
That'll explain why he has less food. He has more to feed. For a minute, I'm thankful I only have Prim. Any more and I'm not sure we would've survived.
"So," He says, elongating the word, "What age are you?"
"Twelve." I say. He doesn't react. He just folds his arms. I hear a few girls giggle behind me but we both ignore them.
"Katniss!" I hear a small voice behind me. Immediately a small smile brings on my face. I turn around to see 'the little blonde girl' skipping towards me, her bag with food held in front of her. The younger classes pour into the hall but Gale's family don't approach immediately. After a while, two boys bunch in beside him, their bags fuller than Gale's was. Prim slides in beside me shyly and I put my arm around her.
"Prim," I say getting her attention, "This is Gale."
Her face brightens.
"He's the boy you were telling us about yesterday after..." I cut her off as I see Gale looking at me with interest. I wonder if it's from finding out that I mentioned him. I wonder if he mentioned me.
She beams at him and waves. He waves back, implying that he thinks it's cute. Prim is cute.
"This is Rory," He looks at the eldest of the two, "and this is Vick."
Vick gives Prim a little wave.
"This is the cat girl." Vick exclaims, looking at Rory. Gale doesn't blush like I did. He takes it in his stride.
"This is Katniss." He corrects them gently as the dig into their meat, leaving no crumbs to fall. I raise my eyebrow at him.
"The cat girl? Thanks."
He nods, not smiling. He doesn't tend to do that too often, I notice.
"You did tell me that was your name." He argues.
"No, I said Katniss, You misheard."
He nods patronizingly but jokingly and I try not to smile. I proudly succeed. Prim, on the other hand, giggles.
"You're funny." She says to him and I glare at him, at the fact that he has made my little sister like him before I have decided to trust him yet. I pull a strand of her blonde hair gently back behind her ear. She lets me and doesn't complain.
The teachers call the older classes up and we leave our siblings, walking together, ignoring the odd looks. I hear Prim giggling and the boys chuckling and for one second we both look at each other. They're friends already. We both raise an eyebrow at each other.
"I'll see you at five, Catnip." He says, stalking off to his line. I don't correct him. I find myself not wanting to.
I know that I mixed the kids together but it was for the sake of the story. I hope you liked!
LF xoxo