Chapter 2 – Last Goodbye's

Gale Hawthorne. Gale. Hawthorne. My name. Me. How? Without even looking I know all eyes are on me, all waiting for me to mount the stage and stand beside my friend, and leave my family and hers without anyone to provide for them.

"No! Not Gale too! Gale don't'! No!" Prim's shouts barely register in my mind, before I hear my mother wail and collapse beside Katniss' and both women stand crying in each other's arms, Prim and my siblings beside them. Even Posy looks confused, and knows something's wrong. "Why's everybody crying?"

I look to my little sister, before turning and walking determinedly to the stage. If Katniss can do it, so can I.

The silence continues even when I mount the steps to the risen wooden platform which is the first stage of my death. In just a few days I'll be in an arena, and not just that, not with just some other skinny girl from the seam I don't know, but with my best friend who I've known for years, who would be the only one who'd make sure my mother, brothers, and sisters, were cared for when I left, made sure Rory and Vick and Posy never had to take out tesserae if they could help it, and would never have to enter the arena.

But she can't, she's going in with me, and it's unlikely either of us will make it out alive.

I stand beside our stupidly dressed escort as she dares ask for volunteers. For a split second I see Rory lock eyes with me and start to open my mouth, but I instantly narrow my eyes, and he closes it again. If anyone is going to die, it will not be my brother, never, my brother.

The mayor starts to begin the long 'treaty of treason' but I'm not listening. I'm looking determinedly ahead and I know the girl beside me is doing the same. I can't look at my family, if I do then I'll fall apart, and if I do that, then I'll be marked as an easy target, despite my surprisingly decent build.

My mind wonders to what would have happened if we had left. If we'd gone then, just a few hours ago, this morning, then this wouldn't have happened, we could have got out, we should've gotten out, we could have hidden for a week, they'd see we weren't there and would never come after us, then we could come back and get whatever we needed, no peacekeepers or anyone in the seam would turn us in, not unless they had to.

Then the mayor finished his speech and gestures for both of us to shake hands. I turn stiffly and look to Katniss as I would any other tribute, but she knows I don't mean it, she knows it's for the camera's, and she does the same. We shake hands, the anthem plays, and before I know it, I'm whisked away towards the Justice Building where we're both conducted into different rooms, and left while our family's come to see us.

As I look around, I see that the room I'm in is the richest place I have ever been in, with thick, deep carpets without a single stain, a long velvet couch (at least I think it's velvet) and matching comfy-looking chairs.

I can't help but find it rather ironic that we say our final goodbye's to our families in perhaps one of the nicest places in the entirety of district 12. It's like we're in heaven already, if such a place even exists, like we're dead already. It sickens me.

I only have to wait a few minutes before there's a knock at the door and four very familiar figures walk in, trying not to run, my mother clutching Posy's hand as she continually looks confusedly up at me.

Within seconds I'm on my knees, my arms wrapped around my brothers, and there arms around me, our mother hugging us all, trapping Posy with us. For a while, we just sit like this, and I don't want to move, not ever, though I know I'll have to.

Painfully, I pry myself out of their arms and force them to sit down, even though Rory still clings to me, and before I can speak he starts spurting out word after word. "I would have volunteered! You should have let me and then everyone would be okay because you could provide for them like I can't, you know I can't shoot a bow, I tried and missed and I can only make one snare not like you, you can make all of them I know you can and-"

"Rory!" My sudden shout shocks him into silence and I look to him carefully, trying not to be harsh, but knowing I have to be.

"I don't want any of you, you, Vick, Posy, or Prim, to have to be in these Games, and neither does Katniss. If you'd gone into the Games Katniss would have done everything to make sure you lived, and in doing so she might have died, and you'd have died. With both of us we have a chance, one of us will come home, it'll be okay." As I speak I don't know who I'm convincing, him or myself, but he shuts up about it, so it seems to work at least.

"Now listen to me, all of you. None of you are to take tesserae, Posy; you're not to watch TV."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to look really silly-" I only dread to think what they'll dress us in "-and I don't want you to go around telling all your friends about how silly I look. It'd hurt my manhood." My mother tries to laugh, though fails and ends up crying silently again. Vick quickly goes to comfort her as Posy simply giggles and nods, promising she won't watch just for me. I just hope my mother enforces it.

"You're all to look after each other whilst I'm away, and look after Katniss' family too, Rory, practice your snares at home and teach Vick. By the end of the year I want both of you to be at least decent enough to make Dad proud, then go into the woods and sort out mine. The game on them will be old by then so do not eat it. Try to fix them and use my bow, you know where I keep it, Katniss' too, I know she wouldn't mind, but look after it."

"Gale… stop… don't talk like you won't come back… what you said was true, you have a chance. You and Katniss know what each other are thinking without even speaking, if you stick together you know one of you can come home. Promise me you'll try to come home."

As my mother speaks, I can't tell her my doubts, I can't bring myself to tell her the cold truth, I won't come home. The 'careers', those that actually train their entire lives so that they can win the games, they probably know 10 different ways to kill me with a sword, 20 with a knife, but I can't tell her that, so I smile, nod, and promise her I'll come home.

Then there's a peacekeeper at the door signalling us that our time's up and I clutch them all tightly one last time, taking in everything about them, how they feel, how they smell, how their tears make my hairs stand on end. A small hand clutches mine and puts a soft fabric something within it, before they're shouting 'goodbyes' and 'I love you's' and then they're gone. When I open it, I see my little sisters favourite pink bow, and a singular tear falls from my eye.

For what feels like forever, I sit and try not to think about the days ahead, simply concentrating on the here and the now, but I can't help it. Image upon image of previous Games repeatedly fill my mind and nothing I can do can stop them. By the time a peacekeeper comes in telling me I have more visitors, my hands are entwined within my hair, pulling painfully as I try to distract myself from the weeks ahead.

"Gale…?" As I look up, I can't help but raise an eyebrow in confusion as the baker's boy looks back at me, his name being Peeta I think, he's in Katniss' year at school but she once told me that the baker's boy threw her burnt bread. Though that doesn't explain why he's visiting me.

"Yeah..?"

"Look after her… okay?" After who? Katniss?

"Um… sure?"

"I just… yeah… you don't deserve this, either of you."

"Odds weren't in my favour I guess…" We sit in silence. Neither of us sure what to say to each other until the peace keeper returns and states how the time is up.

"Goodbye Gale."

"Goodbye Peeta."

It's only moments after he's left that I'm ushered out again and both myself and Katniss are directed to a car waiting to take us to the station. I've never been in a car before, wagons if I'm lucky to get from one part of the district to the next, but never a car. It's almost weird to be sat inside it watching the world go by. It also feels like a trap, but I push that thought out of my mind.

The entire ride to the station Katniss and I only look at each other once, but it's enough. She's been crying, she knows I want to, she's scared but knows she's done the right thing, and she's sorry. I smile weakly, telling her I'm sorry to, and then we're at the station being directed onto the platform, and onto the train, and then the doors slam shut behind us.

At first the speed takes my breath away, but then Effie Trinket takes us both and directs us to our rooms. We can do anything we want, wear anything we want, everything's at our disposal, as long as we're ready for dinner in an hour. And soon are lives will be at the gamemakers disposal. Katniss looks to me briefly, then turns and walks into her room, closing the door behind her.

Not wanting to be left in the same corridor as Effie Trinket, I hurry to my own room and shut the door quickly behind me. What awaits me is fancier than even the room back at the district building. The beds are large and highly comfy, as proved when I peel myself from the door and sit on it, and there are drawers and a door which I'm assuming leads to my own private bathroom. I want to shower and change, but right now I can't bring myself to do it. The thought of movement seems to much as thought after thought runs through my head.

Will I die? Will Katniss die? Will my family and hers have to watch us die? Who will look after them when we come home only in boxes? Is there life after death?

It's at that last philosophical thought that I decide I've done enough of thinking about what will happen, and I go straight to the shower. The water is blisteringly warm but I don't care. We never get hot water at home unless we boil it, and I'm so numb right now that all I can hope is that if I feel anything it'll be my skin burning.

Ten minutes later, I climb out and pull open the drawers, taking out a clean white pressed shirt and black pants, my own clothes discarded on a chair in the corner of the room, I won't need them now anyway. The only thing I do retrieve is the singular pink bow, which I undo so it's simply a plain pink ribbon, and tie it around my wrist. For some reason, it just makes me feel stronger.

I want to go see Katniss but I want to be alone for now, and I know she will too. We can talk and face each other when we're ready, but not yet, now's the time to simply prepare, sort ourselves out, if we can, and try not to think about dying.

"Gale, Katniss, it's time for supper do hurry along!" Ugh, Effie.

I exit my room and see Katniss exit hers at the same time ahead of me. Both of us following her along the shaking corridor, which I swear to myself I'll never get used to, and then we're sat at the ornate table in the next room. Our mentor, the one who's meant to be keeping us alive through the Games, is absent.

"Where's Haymitch?"

"Unconscious maybe? He did collapse off the stage…"

"yes, well it has been an exhausting day."

As she replies I can't help but mutter under my breath "yes you're wig nearly fell off. Oh the disaster" and also can't help but feel satisfied when Katniss smiles lightly near me.

The dinner itself comes in courses, and it's more food than I've seen in the past month: Carrot soup, lamb and mash potatoes, cheese and fruit, and a great rich chocolate cake. Even though I know I shouldn't, I can't help but stuff myself full of all of it, and beside me I see Katniss do the exact same thing.

"At least you two have manners. Last year's tributes ate with their hands like savages. It completely upset my digestion." I glare partially at her before looking straight at Katniss.

For a moment our situation is forgotten, we exchange the usual evil glint in our eyes, and then simultaneously finish the cake with our bare hands, and when it's all gone, she wipes her fingers on the cloth whilst I lick the plate spotless, before doing the same as her. When we leave the table, four chocolate handprints look up at us proudly from the white cloth.

Effie next shows us to another compartment where we watch the reapings recap. They're staggered throughout the day so that bastards- sorry, capitolians can watch all of them live.

I take a seat by Katniss whilst Effie sits as far away from us as is possible whilst still retaining some form of politeness, before the words 'District One' appear on the screen before us. Knowing that these first two districts will make up the careers, as well as possibly district four, our eyes never leave the screen, waiting to see who our biggest competition will be.

As in our district, the girls are first, and the girl who ends up as tribute is some 17 year old named Glimmer. She's tall, with long shimmering blonde hair, and I have to blink for a few seconds to stop concentrating on her, no doubt that this year she'll be doing the 'sexy' approach, and I almost feel guilty when I realise I don't mind. Katniss raises an eyebrow at me and I simply mouth back "what kind of name is Glimmer?", hoping she doesn't notice how hot I think this girl is, because let's face it, she is. Her district partner isn't as noticeable, I catch his name, Marvel, but not much about him interests me, his name's just as stupid, that's all that stand out.

Next shown is district two, where a girl named Clove is reaped, though it's not long before someone shouts out that they volunteer. Clove looks around furiously then her face drops. The girl that volunteers looks a little like the reaped girl; she's slightly smaller with long straight black hair and pale skin, yet probably older. Though by the expression on Clove's face it's obvious she's Clove's sister, I'd put her at 17 or 18, though I can't decide which. Katniss and I finally agree on 17 and it's only when we've agreed and the announcer is about to call out the boy tributes name, when I remember that we never heard the volunteering girl's name. "Catnip, rewind it."

She nods once, and in seconds we're at the start of district 2's reaping once more.

"I volunteer!"

"Who the he- no..." Clove looks around furious and I watch her face fall again. The girl makes her way slowly to the stage as a speechless Clove is taken away.

"And who are you dear?"

"Rebekah. My name is Rebekah."

"Bex! No Bex don't!'

"So you're not the only sibling volunteer…"

"I suppose not…"

"Rebekah… the 17 year old from district 2… keep an eye on her." She nods, and we watch as the district two boys name is called out.

His name is Cato and it's immediately obvious that he's 18 and has trained for this his whole life, he has to be at least twice my build, and with muscles like that it's obvious he could knock someone out with just one punch. Katniss squirms slightly and I know she's nervous, but I just nudge her once, and she calms, before looking back to the screen.

I don't pay much attention to the other tributes save for a boy named Noah from three, a girl called Marina from four and some girl from five whose name I don't actually know but she reminds me of a fox and when I tell Katniss this she nods thoughtfully, and I mentally dub her Foxface, I completely missed her real name anyway.

The only others who catch my eye is the boy from district 10 who seems to have a crippled leg he won't last the bloodbath and the two from district 11. Thresh, and Rue. Like Cato, Thresh is tall and muscular, yet like the rest of his district (or at least most of them) he is dark skinned and quite sincere. When I see Rue though, a pang of regret fills me. She's small, only 12 years old, with a small kind face, and long frizzy hair. It always hurts when a 12 year old is reaped, and I can feel Katniss tense beside me when I realise, she's made her think of Prim.

"That guy will look after her" I try to sound comforting but it seems almost lost on her.

"What? Thresh? Are you joking?"

"I'm sure 11's like 12 Catnip, they'll look after their own. Besides I bet she's got some talents of her own, don't worry."

"I suppose…"

We then sit and watch as Katniss volunteers for Prim, and the commentators start chatting about how much of a surprise this is, and how interesting a games this will be, and then I watch myself mount the stage, shake hands, and be escorted off, before the program comes to a close.

"Well… there's our competition…" My eyes meet Katniss' and I know we start to talk in our minds again, though we can read each other so well it's not in the slightest bit difficult anymore. We're screwed.

"Yep." I know.

"You're mentor has a lot to learn about presentation and a lot about televised behaviour."

"He was drunk. He always is every year, that's who he is."

"Every day." adds Katniss, and I can't help but grin and nod.

"Yes…" she almost hisses the word through her teeth, isn't she used to it by now? "How odd you two find it amusing." She starts ranting on before finishing by telling us how Haymitch Abernathy could be the difference between "life and death" when the man himself staggers in, still drunk of course.

"I miss supper?" His voice is slurred, and then vomit pours from his mouth onto the floor before collapsing in it. Great. I look to Katniss with a genuine 'what the hell' look, written across my face and she raises a hand to her mouth and laughs quietly.

Effie glares at us, stands and walks straight past him, somehow avoiding all the vomit before shouting "so laugh away!" and leaving us to clean him up. Katniss watches her go and then her eyes find Haymitch.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…" She looks down disgustedly at our mentor, and I simply sigh as I walk over to him, grabbing him under his arms and lifting him up ready to drag him from the room before looking to Katniss and muttering "may the odds be in our favour."