CHAPTER 2

I took a deep breath of the fresh air. I ran a hand through my hair and opened my eyes. I was not that far from the fence, but I could barely see the district. "What was I thinking last night? I shouldn't have called. She probably still hates me for designing the bomb that killed Prim," I whispered to myself.

"You should go see her. You may feel that she forgot about you, but you were the only one that she could be herself around."

I turn around, stunned. My mother stood ten feet away from me. She didn't know I was the one who designed the bomb, and she never followed me into the woods, always been scared of it. So why now? "You should be at home," I told her, unable to think of anything else to say.

"I'm here because I heard you up late last night. I know you called her, Gale. I'll support you with whatever you choose, but I still feel that you should go see her in Twelve."

And with that, she walked away, instantly engulfed into the trees and bushes. I sat on the ground and look at the place she stood. She thinks I should be with her as well. But if anyone were to out right ask her, she would never admit it.

Maybe she was right though. I should go to her. "I'll be crazy for admitting this though," I chuckled at myself.

Katniss would kill me for always thinking of her and never of myself. And because of all the pain that she has had to endure, I will never stop worrying about her. She was my very reason for living, even if I didn't know it before that one New Year's Day. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

She was sitting at Greasy Sae's station at the Hob. Eating the soup that we traded for. Darius was teasing her like he always did, but that time, I had realized it bothered me.

Those eyes of her's when she got embarrassed, were like gems that you would never be able to find in a lifetime. Her rosy cheeks would blush when someone flirted with her.

She never thought that she was pretty, or worth liking, but most of the boys in the district would tell a different story. No one would tell her that though. Always afraid she'd shoot an arrow though them if they did.

I hadn't thought about that day in a long time. Must have been a few months at the most, but it always has a way of working itself back into my mind, demanding that I paid attention to it.

And every time it did, I always realized that after I met her, I wouldn't stay with anyone long because they weren't her, and they could never live up to those standards.

As I stood up, I took one last look at the place that almost became a home for me in the past fifteen years. It would never be home to me though. She is my home, and maybe it is time I went back. Maybe, I thought, just maybe she has missed me all these years...

I pushed that thought out of my head, not wanting to get my hopes up and end up having them crushed. After all, I have neither spoken to her nor seen her in all of those long, long years.


I stayed up late that night, thinking over dinner in my head. I hadn't eaten much. And I told my family that I would be heading to District Twelve the day after tomorrow.

They had been excited. Just like I thought they would be.

My mother insisted that I would pack and prepare for the flight all day tomorrow. She also told me that she had made a dress for Katniss that she would like me to give her.

Possy wanted to go with me. "I need to go see her alone this time," I told her. "Maybe next time I go, you can come." But who knows if there really will be a next time, I added in my head silently, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"Not fair, Gale! I haven't seen her in years either!" she pouted. She stalked off to her room, but only to come right back out and say she was sorry and that she understood why I had to go alone.

"Possy, would you be a dear and help the boys with the dishes?" my mother asked, before she headed to the living room, motioning me to follow. Once we were by ourselves, she turned to me and said "You do realize that you may or may not come back depending what happens when you see her? Or whether you may or may not return to Twelve if you come back?"

One of her eyebrows was raised, as if she already knew the answer to these questions, but wanted me to make it clear for her.

"Yes, I understand," I said cooly, surprising myself. I haven't been that sure in a long while.

"I'm glad you understand, so I'm going to make it clear that I don't want you mentioning to any of your siblings," she said in a firm tone. "I don't want them to feel like they are loosing you to someone else."

"I know, and I would never do that to them."

That was the last thing that was said before I headed up to my room so that I could rest for tomorrow.


The next morning I dressed and packed a duffel bag with clothes for a couple of months, my hunting gear, and any other essentials I would need. Running out of the house with my bag, I headed for the landing strip where the District keeps all of their aircrafts.

I told my family that I would be leaving a day later because I didn't want to see their faces when I left. I had to leave without them there.

I had left a note on the kitchen table:

Dear Mom,

I know I said I was leaving tomorrow, but I couldn't bear to see all of your faces when I left. It would only keep me here for a while longer. I have already waited to long to go back, so when you find this, I want you to know that I love you and thank you for pushing me to go. See you all when I get back.

Love,

Gale H.

END CHAPTER 2