Chpt. 2
Spring has started and I'm in the woods when I find a snare that catches my attention. It's not like the snares that my father taught me it is much more intricate and delicate at the same time, but by the rabbit hanging off of it also tells me that it is very deadly. "That's dangerous" I jump back and a tall handsome boy comes into view. I remember him from the funeral of the dead miners he lost his father in that explosion also. "What's your name?" he asks. "Katniss" I say. "Well, Catnip, stealing is punishable by death or haven't you heard" he says. "It's Katniss and I wasn't stealing. I just wanted to look at your snare mine never catch anything." After he notices my satchel with squirrels and birds that I've shoot we come to an agreement of me teaching him how to use a bow and arrow and he would teach me how to make and use snares. Thus the beginning of our hunting partnership.
I've picked greens and dandelions to accompany the rabbit stew what we'll take to the Mellark's Bakery as it now has become tradition to eat dinner on Saturday nights since that day that my best friend Peeta saved my family and me. "I met someone in the woods today" I tell Peeta. "Who? Mr. Owl or maybe Mrs. Pine?" he says. "Peeta! No I actually met a person in the woods." I say. Peeta's blue eyes change from smiling joking eyes to ones full of concern. "Katniss this can become dangerous. Who is it?" he asks again. "His name is Gale Hawthorne, I mean I had seen him before when my father passed away, his also passed in the mines." I say while looking at him his eyes show a bit of jealousy, but it passes as soon as I notice it. "We made an agreement and established a hunting partnership. You know I could get even better game and more too." I tell him. "Katniss, no need to explain to me I know you do it for your family." I do feel the need to explain, Peeta is my best friend and I don't want him to think I'm replacing him. "What are you thinking about?" he asks. "Peeta don't ever think that I would replace you, you're my best friend you know everything about me" I say. He looks at me with those beautiful blue eyes that not even the sky can compare on the prettiest day of spring and tells me, "Katniss I never said or thought for that matter that you would replace me with this so called 'Gale Hawthorne', but it does hurt to know that he will be spending more time with you than me."
Months have passed since I met my two best friends and I've made a two more. Delly Cartwright a girl from the merchant side of town; who I believe is Peeta's girlfriend and Madge Undersee the mayor's daughter. Madge and I always spend lunch together since we are both quiet and the silence that surrounds us is very peaceful, but every once in a while when there is a field trip to the mines or an assembly Peeta, Madge, Delly, and I get together. Gale doesn't join us since he is in a higher grade and he doesn't meet eye to eye with the merchant people unless it is to trade. His hatred towards the Capitol is unlike any other that I have seen. "Catnip, I still don't understand how you can associate yourself with people like them." Gale states. "Gale, it's not their fault plus you might think they live with no needs, but in reality we are better off. Peeta always eats stale bread that no one else will buy." I say. "Except on Saturdays when your family and his family are one big happy family, and you take them game that WE work hard to catch." Gale says with high annoyance. "They might as well marry you off with Bran or Rye. No I bet you really want Peeta, but he's with that Delly girl isn't he." he glares at me I try to hide my annoyance and jealousy and I scowl at him. "Damn you Gale. I don't know what you have against any of them." I shout at him. "Katniss you are jealous aren't you that Peeta is with Delly?" Gale asks. "Gale he is my best friend just like you are and no I am not jealous." I start walking towards the fence when Gale grabs my hand. "Catnip, I didn't mean to get you mad. I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge" He stops. "This is your first year in the reaping, how many times has your name been in the drawing?" he asks. My name has been in the drawing four times but I say "Not enough to become the female tribute of District 12." With that I begin to walk my way back home. Today I won't trade all my game to have a feast with my family and Peeta's to celebrate the Fall Festival after the reaping.
Four years later…
Gale after so much convincing to give the merchant people a chance finally sees that even the odd aren't in their favor, but I also think Madge had something to do with it since she is his girlfriend now. At first I thought I was jealous, most would think because I had feelings for him, but it was because I've seen what love does to people, and Gale and I have a hunting partnership that can be ruined by their relationship. When my father passed my mother almost fell into a depression I swore to myself that I would never love someone more than myself. I don't want to know what it would have been like for Prim and I if we lost both our parents one physically and the other mentally, and I would have had to if my mother loved my father a little more than herself. Turns out Peeta and Delly were never together they were best friends before that fateful day that I meet the boy with bread. Today is Reaping Day and as custom Gale, Madge, Delly, Peeta, and I sit in the meadow eat before heading to the district center to form into our respective groups. I notice Gale is nervous since he keeps shoving his hands in his pockets. "Gale, how many times has your name been in the drawing today?" I ask. "42" Madge says that's when I notice she doesn't look very well saying that. I think again I will not fall in love only for my love to be taken away from me. "Happy Hunger Games" Gale and Madge say, "And May the odds be ever in your favor" Peeta, Delly and I say in our best impersonation of the Capitol accent.
As we begin to part ways to get ready for the reaping Peeta grabs my hand to turn me around, begins to tuck a lose strand of hair behind my ear and says "Katniss, can I speak to you?". "Sure Peeta." I tell him. "Katniss I hope you know how much you mean to me." I begin to interrupt him by telling him that I do that that's why we are best friends when he places his finger to my mouth to shut me up. "Katniss will you please just listen?" he pleads. "I want to tell you so much in case anything happens." I glare at him. "Peeta will you quit it please nothing will happen to you let's just have hope that none of us will be reaped today." "Katniss just listen please?" I sit down to listen to him even though I am uncomfortable to listen to my best friend try to tell me good bye in his sort of way. "Katniss you don't know how grateful I am to be your friend and to have you in my live life" I can't help but smile at him. "But I wouldn't forgive myself if I never told you how in love I am with you" I feel like I've just been dropped into a lake full of freezing water my best friend, the boy with the bread, the boy with those beautiful blue eyes, and my savior just told me he loved me. I said I never would fall in love. He senses my apprehension and says "Katniss I'm not asking for anything in return. I just wanted you to know in case anything happens today." I begin "Peeta. I can't I don't know how to." "Katniss you do know how to love, you just chose not to. Like I said I'm not asking for anything in return I just wanted you to know in case of anything happened today." We get up and I stare at his blue eyes and at that moment I realize he's right I do know how to love and I choose not to.