Chapter 2
"You wanna fight, huh? Bring it." Peeta said coolly bringing up his fists.
"Swing first, Bread Boy." I shoot daggers at him with my eyes "I don't think you know what you're in for." I slide my knife into the holster.
"Guys, C'mon not no-"
Gale cuts Katniss off by putting his hand on her shoulder. "They need to take out their anger towards each other somehow."
"Yeah, but I know Roxen is stronger and quicker than Peeta. Peeta doesn't know Roxen like I do." She whispered to Gale.
I stood up straight with my legs spread ready to move if needed just how Cato taught me. I smile devilishly. "You scared, Pita."
He charged at me and swung a powerful punch. I quickly move to the left and swing. I punch his gut with right hand and quickly bring my left elbow to his jaw. He jumps back and punches into my chest. I feel myself lose my breath as I hit the ground. I jump up and swiftly kick his feet out from under him. He pulls me to the ground with him and straddles me. He aims his punches at my face, but I grab his fists. I push him on his back and jump to my feet. He comes to his feet and I push him against a pavilion pole. I grab a glowing knife and whip it at him. It lands a quarter of an inch away from his neck. He looks at me scared and confused as I walk up to grab the knife. I pull it out of the pole. "Just remember, I don't miss." I stick it back into the holster.
Katniss runs to his side as I walk into the pavilion. "Peeta, are you alright?!" She asks frantically.
"Yeah." I hear faintly.
I walk up to Gale feeling the bruise form on my jaw. "You don't miss, huh?" He snickered.
"I learned to fight from Cato, throwing knives from Clove."
"I see. Learned from the strong." He nodded. "Katniss knew you were stronger than him, but why bring the throwing knives?" He chuckled.
"It's how I take my anger out. I knew he was coming, so I brought them." I laughed seeing how it sounded like I was planning on murdering him.
"Whatever makes you happy… Why do they glow?" Gale asked a bit confused.
"So I can see them in the dark." I said simply.
"I see…"
"The cake any good?" I ask trying to make conversation.
"Has blue frosting. Blue is my favorite color. How about you?" He says taking another bite.
"Favorite color? I'd have to sa-"
"Roxen, We need to talk." I heard Katniss say a bit sadly.
I look at Gale confused and he raised a brow. He walks over with me and Katniss bites her lips for a second. "We… uhh… took a vote and-"
"We want you out of here. You're a hazard and could hurt someone else because you're so hot-headed." Peeta finished for her with a sneer.
"Wha… What…" I murmured.
"Roxen, I'm sorry, but seeing how you could've killed him… I'm sorry…" She said saddened.
"I… I'm the one who paid for this party, I bought the food, I hunted the food, I invited everyone I did everything and this is how you repay me? I'm getting kicked out of my party. You know what? Fine. Whatever the victor wants. It's always been whatever you wanted." I say with tears welling up "I'm sorry for defending myself. I guess I'm supposed to be a punching bag to everyone. Bye, Katniss. Congratulations on killing my family." I run off into the night.
"I can't believe you, Katniss. You've changed. You're not the Katniss I talk to in the woods." I hear Gale say before chasing after me. "Roxen! Wait up!"
I turn around with tears flowing down my face. He charges at me and gives me a tight hug. I can hear his heart beating from running after me and he's kind of panting. "That wasn't cool of them. They were being stupid."
"I told you… I'm used to it." I cry into his chest.
"You shouldn't be. You deserve better…" He carried me to a near by bench and set me on his lap.
I look up at Gale and feel a breeze. It runs across my cheeks, turning them a rosy color. He smiles at me. His grey eyes sparkle in the moonlight along with his smile. I feel his rough hands slip under my shirt and rub my sides. I feel my cheeks turn a dark red as he pulls me closer to him.
"Solid?" I giggle.
"Solid." He slowly lowers his head until our lips meet.
I close my eyes and wrap my arms loosely around his neck and slowly move my lips at the same time he does. He moves his hands down to my hips and rubs circles with his thumbs. I feel my back arch on reflex as Gale moves the kissing to my neck.
"Gale… Not here… Not now." I half moan trying to contain this feeling.
He removed himself from my neck with a smile. "You know… If you left, I'd have nobody." He said sheepishly "Katniss has Peeta… Madge has every other guy in the District…"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Do… Do you want to…" He muttered.
"Do I want to what?" I ask genuinely confused.
"Want to… go for a walk." He asked a bit rushed and his face a light red.
I figure he's just going to ignore the fact we just kissed. "Yeah. If you want to." I shrug sitting up and getting off his lap.
He gets up along with me and we walk down the dusty road in dead silence. I could sense his occasional glances, but didn't say anything. I feel his hand brush mine a few times. I'm about to grab his hand when moves a step away. I instantly felt a cool breeze wrap around me. I glance at him for not even a second and look at the ground.
"What?" He breaks the silence.
I guess he noticed.
"You were making me warm." I admit.
He slides his arm across my shoulder with a smile and chuckles a bit. "Let's go to my house." He insisted.
"Is-is it warm there." My teeth began to shatter.
He shrugged his shoulders as he thought about it. I've never been to Gale's house so I guess I wouldn't know either. We kept walking, but I only had that kiss on my mind. Did it actually mean something or… was it just to make feel better. I should stop thinking about before I have an anxiety attack. He pulls inside a house, but all I see is black. He pulls his arm off of me and I hear a slight clunking. I then hear a squirting noise then a match lights. The match flies into a section in the wall. A small little spark rushes into an inferno then dies down a little. I could smell the burning gasoline along with the charred wood. That's when I see the outline of Gale standing next the small inferno. He turns to me. "Make yourself at home."
I take small step into the room and see two chairs and a couch. I look closely and see the one chair had a blanket. I take the blanket and sit on the couch. I wrap myself in the blanket with Gale sitting next to me. "Do I not get any?" He laughed.
I sigh as I unravel myself and wrap him in it as well. "Better?"
"Solid." He jokes.
"Solid." I look into the fire.
We sit in silence as we listen to music play from party nearby. They're using the radio that I brought. "Sounds like they're having fun."
"You know Katniss voted for you to stay. So did Prim." He said setting his hand on my thigh.
"Then why did you say she changed?"
"Because the old Katniss was stubborn. If something happened she didn't like, she'd not let it happen. She wasn't thrilled about you living and I could see the hurt in her eyes when I said the things I said. She knew I meant it. I rather be here with you then at that party with everyone else anyways." He looked at me with a slight squint.
"Why? I'm not much. You'd have so much fun with them then here with me."
"Really? Like I said last time, with 'Pita' there, she wouldn't talk to me. He doesn't like me and he'd get too jealous if she talked to me. That's why we only talk in the woods. Prim and maybe Effie or Haymitch would be the only ones talking to me." He shrugged. "Plus, you're way more fun."
"Me and my throwing knives." I laugh taking my holster off and setting it on the nearby table.
"Stripping, huh?"
"What?! No!" I say frantically.
He smiled and slowly took his shirt off, exposing every large muscle in torso area. I sit there and stare in awe.
"Enjoying the view?" He asks with a grin.
"N-no!" I look away with my face turning as bright as the fire.
"C'mon… you know you want it." He whispered into my ear as he pushed me to the soft couch.
"I really don't." I said giggling. He laid me down and sat above me. He ran his sandpaper hands up my sides sending a shiver up me spine. "Gale~…" I gasp.
"What?" He smiled as hand slowly rubbed them.
"I-I don't know. It just felt good… Peeta bruised my sides. That's all."
Gale moved down and kissed each side then the middle of my chest. He looked up and kissed my chin. I almost cried in happiness. He pulled my shirt off of me and made us switch positions. I laid on top of him with a smile on my face. I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck. I lay my head on his chest and listen to his heart beat.
Thump… Thump Thump… Thump… Thump Thump…
"You comfortable?" He said after yawning.
"Yeah…Goodnight, Gale…" I said sleepily.
"Night, Roxen…" He kissed my forehead.
I felt my eyes slowly get heavy and eventually, they close. Gale was the last thought on my mind.
The next morning…
I open my eyes and my vision blurs. I quickly rub them and look around. The fire from last night is still going, but a pot is now hanging over it. I look down and see Gale quietly snoring. I slowly climb up off and attach my holster to my belt loop. I look around the room before walking over to this pot. It's more of a cauldron really. There's broth in it with carrots, chicken and I think noodles floating around.
"Good morning, sweetheart."
I look over and see a woman with a soft smile. I raise a brow and smile a little.
"Hello, madam."
"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Mrs. Hawthorne. Hazelle Hawthorne." She smiled and walked over to the pot with a large spoon. "Mr. Spade, correct?"
"Yes, but you may just call me Roxen…" I look around the house and see two doors and a staircase.
"I'm sorry you had to leave the party yesterday. I voted for you to stay seeing how much effort you put into the party. I'm not the only one who did. Effie, Katniss, Prim and Haymitch all voted for you to stay. You put an awful scare on Mrs. Everdeen." She stirred the pot with her wooden spoon. "Peeta and the others were scared too. I mean I would be too if I was Peeta, but he did it to himself. He started the fight."
"It's okay, Ma'am. I just wanted everyone to have a good time. Do you want any help?" I ask with a smile seeing how she understood.
"Yes, actually. Could you go wake the children. All you have to do is peek you head in the room and say that breakfast is almost done. Rory and Vick should be easy to wake. Then just wake your very own sweetheart for me." I could see a smile spread across her face.
"Mrs. Hawthorne, we aren't anything." I blush a little.
"Whatever you say, darling." She giggles.
I shake my head and turn to wake up the children. "Uhh… which room are they in?" I ask.
"Up the stairs and the first room on your right."
I listen to her instructions and walk up the staircase. I look around and see a door to my right. I'm guessing that's it. I walk in and slowly open the door. I peek my head in. I see beds and sleeping children. "Breakfast is almost done." I say sort of loudly.
"Gale… Carry me…" A girl groans.
I think for a moment and walk over to the child size. With their eyes closed looked like they could be five or six. I pick her up and set her on my back like a piggy-back ride. She throws her arms over my shoulders and snore into my ear. I walk down the stairs and set her in a chair in the place we slept.
"You carried her down?" She asked with a brow raised.
"Yeah, she thought I was Gale. I don't know what Gale does so I just did it." I shrug and turn to Gale.
"Good luck waking Gale up." She smiles and take the kid out of the chair.
I look at her as she leaves the room and heads up stairs. I look at him as he rolls over and adjusts the blanket. I sit beside him and slowly shake him. "Gale, wake up." I said softly.
"Nghh… five more minutes…" He groaned.
"C'mon, Gale wake up." I shook him faster.
"Go away." He pushed me off the couch.
I huffed and blew my hair out of my face. I looked at him and smiled. "Fine, I'll just go back to The Capitol or maybe District 2."
"You do that." He turned away.
I glared at him and pulled him off the couch. He hit the ground with a thump, but still slept. Hmm… I grab a knife from the holster a throw it. It gives him a little trim off the top and his eyes open wide. He attempts to lift his head, but his hair was stuck under the knife.
"Oops. I missed." I smiled and grabbed the knife.
"Now I can see why Peeta was scared of you." He lifted his head an adjusted his hair.
"Well, It woke you up… Well, I met your mom and your sister." I put the knife into the holster.
"Oh really now?" He laughed.
"Yeah. She thinks we're something." I hinted at saying I was wondering the same thing.
"How funny." He chucked.
Well I guess we aren't anything. Yay…
"Yeah, I guess it is." I grabbed the wooden spoon and stirred the soup.
"Gale, aren't you up early. Woken up by your little sunshine." She giggles holding the kid I brought down.
"Mom, We aren't anything. We just slept by each other. That doesn't mean anything."
Oh yes. Add insult to injury.
"Don't forget kissed…" I muttered so no one would hear me. Apparently Gale did with the look he gave me.
"C'mon. You two could totally be something." Mrs. Hawthorne smiled.
I dig this woman. She's cool.
"Mom, we've only really talked for a night. We barely know each other. We aren't dating." He said a bit defensively.
Has he never heard of speed dating.
"Whatever you say, Gale." His mom winks and walks over to the pot with a ladle and a bunch of bowls.
"I don't even know his favorite color." He says standing up and stretching.
"Yours is blue." I say taking out the spoon and narrowing my eyes at him.
"Yeah, well…" He says narrowing his eyes at me.
I stick out my tongue and he makes the same face. His mom turns around to grab a bowl to only see the face Gale is making at me. "Oh my." She gasps. "Gale, put your tongue back in your mouth."
He looks over and smiles with embarrassment written all over his face. I contain my laughter and walk next to him and slide on my jacket that lies on the floor. I pull up the collar until it covers my mouth.
"Would you like some, Mr. Spade?" She asks politely.
"No thank you. I have to go check on the pavilion. How about I come over for lunch?" I smile and look at Gale 'cause I know he's going to give me credit for actually accepting food for once.
"Gale, is going to be down at the mines. Is that okay and don't you have a job?" She asks pouring Gale some of the soup.
"I don't care. You're a nice woman. We can talk a little. And well, I'm not going to lie. I'm a thief." I smile at her.
"You're such a sweetheart with a sour side. How cute. Have fun at the pavilion." She smiles pouring herself a bowl.
I love her. I turn to Gale to see what he was willing to. He gives me a small hug and kisses my cheek. I hug him back with a light blush then pull away noticing that his mom is watching. "Don't think I didn't notice that kiss on the cheek." She said shaking her ladle at us.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." I walk away with a light blush. "See you later, Hawthorne's." I open the door.
"Bye, darling." I hear his mom, but not Gale.
I walk out the door and look back at the house. I take a mental picture so I can try to remember what house looks like. It's a faded green house with broken shingled roof. I walk down the streets and realize where I am. I continue to walk straight and pass Victors Village. I kept going straight until I see the pavilion. I walk up and see a few people sleeping on the wooden tables. I smile to see Haymitch and Peeta and a few others I didn't know. I could carry Peeta, but not Haymitch. I guess I'll be nice and carry him home… why do I have to be so nice?
"Ro…I… rry…" I here him sleep talk.
"Huh?" I ask picking him up. Sometimes if you talk to people in their sleep when they sleep talk, they'll talk back.
There was no response, but a snore. I carry him down the coal dust layered streets and find Victors Village. I see Katniss' house and I walk in. I see Katniss in jeans and a tank-top rushing around in the kitchen. I smile.
"It's a bit chilly outside. You might wanna throw on a jacket." I adjust Peeta.
She turns her head and a slight smile grows on her face. "Why do you have Peeta and why weren't you in your room last night? You had me worried." She crossed her arms.
"One, I didn't want him to die of hypothermia and I don't know where he lives. Two, I was with Gale. Three, how was the cake?" I try to change the subject.
"He lives across the street and you were with Gale? And it was too expensive. I couldn't eat it. I gave it to Prim." She leaned against the counter with her arms folded. "Now. Details about you and Gale."
I set Peeta at the table and he slams his face on the table. He's in a deep sleep. He doesn't feel it. I turn to Katniss. "Nothing really. I just slept over there. His mom's pretty nice. She knows I'm a thief now." I grin.
"She's a good woman. She's like my second mom. I respect her. And his brothers and sisters?" She asked grabbing a plastic cup and filling it with water.
"One thought I was Gale… How was the party?" I ask curiously.
"Long story short, Haymitch and Peeta got drunk, Effie left because she wanted beauty sleep, Prim and I went home because were bored without you and Gale." She said taking a sip.
"Yeah, I heard you wanted me to stay." I open the refrigerator and pull out an apple. "Is it weird that me and Gale kissed?" I bite into the apple.
"What?!" She said in shock, dropping her cup on the floor and spilling water everywhere.
"Yeah… Don't tell anyone 'cause I don't know if he's out yet."
"He's not…" She said still standing in the puddle.
"Sugar is not flour…" Peeta puts in his drunken input.