Gale

"Gale Hawthorne! I have never been more embarrassed before than by your actions today," My mom yelled coming in our tiny house. I stop twirling my four year old sister, Posy; I have never seen my mom so upset with me – usually she treats me like an adult. She's always been soft-spoken even with all the other children. I whisper in Posy's ear to go find Vick and Rory. As I watch her walk out the door, I think back to my day and I have no idea what I could have done to upset my mom like this.

"Ma, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'd never embarrass you," I say.

"I'm talking about the way you behaved with Madge Undersee at the Justice Building. That girl was just trying to keep you out of trouble." I can tell she's still really upset and I'm puzzled – is Ma really mad at me about the district's high and mighty princess? The spoiled brat must have complained about me to my mother – Figures!

"Ma, I don't know what she told you but don't believe a word of what she said," I smirk, take that Madge Undersee, you won't be able to turn my own mother against me.

"I saw the way you blocked her from hugging you and I heard what you said to her with my own ears. When I apologized to her…,"

I cut her off immediately. "You apologized to her?" I know my mom will be mad at me for interrupting her but I can't help it; I'm appalled that my mom apologized to the little brat.

"Gale Hawthorne!" My mom admonishes me.

"I'm sorry, Ma. I didn't mean any disrespect towards you but she is a spoiled brat that just knows how to take and take…,"

This time my mom cuts me off and says, "When I apologized to her, she told me it was unnecessary. She told me she helped you because she admires your strength, your loyalty and your determination. Should I not believe those things about you?"

"Aw, Ma…,"

"Gale, I want you to go apologize to her. Katniss is her friend too. She's hurting just like you. If you open up to her you may see that both of you are a lot more alike and have a lot in common with each other. The two of you may be able to comfort each other in this difficult time."

Did my mom just suggest I apologize and befriend the princess? "Ma, I will NOT apologize to Madge Undersee. She is a Capitol tool. She is always gushing about how great the Capitol is. Sure they are great to her. She has a wonderful life so of course she loves them. I bet she's never stepped foot in the seam. She has no idea what the Capitol is capable of. I hate the Capitol; I hate everything associated with it. I hate everyone associated with it. I will NOT apologize to Madge Undersee!"

Somewhere during my rant, my mom closed the door so no one could hear me criticize the Capitol. Heaven forbid we say anything negative about the Capitol.

I feel like an ass as I watch my mother's face fall at my words. I have never spoken like this to my mother – I have never defied her. Come to think of it I don't think my mother's ever asked me to do anything before. The first time she asks me to do something and I blow up on her. As if I didn't hate Undersee enough. This is yet another reason I hate her for – the crestfallen look on my mother's face. My mother turns away from me and says, "You are eighteen years old. You are an adult. You know the difference between right and wrong."

I sigh. "I'm sorry Ma! I'll go tomorrow to apologize to her."

She smiles and adds, "Thank you, Gale, and give her a hug too. I think you really hurt her and embarrassed her by blocking her hug. Imagine if someone did that to Posy. And after all, her father is the Mayor."

With that my mom leaves and I'm left with a vision of my sweet Posy and the district brat. Madge Undersee cannot be compared to Posy. Madge always has new pretty dresses, matching shoes, jewelry, and hair ribbons. Posy wears all of the hand me downs from me to Rory, Rory to Vick and finally down to her. She has never even owned a dress. All her clothes are old and boys'. Her favorite color is pink and she owns nothing pink. Her only girly possession is a doll that my mom made out of one of Rory's old shirts – even that's blue.

I've promised Posy a pink dress for her 5th birthday. I don't know how I'll ever get her one especially now that I have to feed two families. With Katniss gone, I won't be able to haul as much and whatever I catch/hunt will have to be enough for two families. When Katniss and I both hunted together we barely had enough to get by. I don't know how I'll do it by myself. It's ironic how the math works out – half the hunters and twice the number of families to take care of.

Images of Undersee float through my head again – the smile always present on her face and the pretty dresses. I hate Madge Undersee and that I have to apologize to her. Life sucks! If anyone other than Ma had asked me to apologize to her I wouldn't do it - not even if the Mayor asked himself. Speaking of fathers – I hate her for yet another reason. My dad was killed in a mining accident when I was just fourteen. Posy never even knew him. I'm the only father figure she's ever known. Madge still has her father and mother. She probably sits with her mother all day and talks her heart out whereas my mother has to work all day just to support us. I barely get a few minutes with her. Sometimes the short talks with Ma is the only thing that keeps me going. I've had to settle with just a few minutes of her time with real life problems whereas the princess gets all the time in the world to talk about nothing important. She has a father who works to support them – I don't; Posy doesn't.

I'll go see Undersee tomorrow for my mom's sake. Today is for Posy and my brothers and me - anything to keep Katniss off my mind. I take my brothers and Posy for a long walk – it's the only form of entertainment we can afford. We walk through the town and the seam. Posy and Vick like to look at cakes at the bakery window, shoes at the shoe store, clothes, and dresses – basically everything I will never be able to afford for them. I come to town for the two of them because they like it but each time they admire something from afar it breaks my heart just a little more. Rory understands now and tries to steer them away before they can comment. That's another thing I hate – he is only twelve years old and he has to grow up already.

My dad would have been proud of the young man he's becoming. I put my brothers to bed and go lay down with Posy so I can tell her a story about a prince that rescues the princess.

Posy says sleepily, "Gale, Katniss is strong. She'll come home. Tomorrow can you tell me a story about a princess that saves the prince?" I chuckle, "I don't know any of those stories, boo-boo."

"Ma said Madge Undersee saved you and she's like a princess. She's pretty, she's nice and now I know she's brave – just like a real princess. Will you tell me a story about her?"

I watch Posy close her eyes and drift off to sleep before I can comment. Why are the women in my house so taken with Undersee; I hate her.

I kiss Posy's forehead and get out of bed. My mom is folding laundry on the sofa. I sit with her and help her. Usually we talk about anything/everything this time of night but I think she senses that I need time to think so she doesn't say anything. After a while I get up, put my jacket on and say, "I'm going to Thom's for a while." My mom just nods. She never stops me, questions me, or tells me what time to come home.

Thom and I build a fire near his house and talk about the reaping. I don't stay long because Thom apologizes about Katniss. He doesn't think Katniss can win – he has already written her off. He doesn't understand why I haven't given up on her. I get it – the odds are stacked against her but she's Katniss – she's strong, she's a fighter, and she's determined to come home to Prim.

The next day after school I walk my brothers and Prim home and then head off to town to apologize to Undersee. I'm not looking forward to it. She'll probably just ridicule and humiliate me.

I knock on the front door and someone from the seam, I think his name is Karl, opens the door. I ask for Undersee and he leads me in. I pass by at least five people doing various chores. I know that at least three other people work here. Sure the house is huge but how many people do they need to take care of the three of them? My anger at Undersee grows stronger.

I'm shown into the den where Undersee sits with an untouched platter of food (enough to feed my family for a week), her feet up and a book in her hand. Her eyes widen as she sees me and she gets up. "What are you doing here?" She doesn't even call me by my name as if I am nobody.

I shrug eyeing, Karl from the seam. I don't want to apologize in front of anyone else; this will be humiliating enough. Karl is from the seam so he understands – he takes the hint and leaves us alone.

I look at Undersee and see that she is eyeing me curiously. She has a look on her face that unnerves me. I steel myself to begin my apology but I decide I need to take one more jibe at her and this atrocious house that the Capitol has provided for her. "This house that the C…," I don't get a chance to say anymore because Undersee crashes into me and kisses me. I don't even have time to react before she pulls her soft lips back. She's left me disconcerted and I blurt the only thing that comes to mind, "What the hell, Undersee?"

She shrugs her shoulders and says, "Yesterday my mom told me to kiss a boy. You were here so I tried it." She starts to walk out of the room and towards the front door as if she's gotten what she needs from me and I've been dismissed. I follow her seething with anger.

Once we are on the other side of the gate to their yard (on the street), she turns to me and places her hand gently on my arm. I stiffen. With her eyes downcast she whispers, "Sorry, it isn't safe to talk inside my house. I had to get you out of there." I don't answer because I'm confused as to what she means by that. When I don't say anything, she looks up at me and continues, "My house is bugged by Capitol officials. I didn't want to call you by your name inside and I didn't want you to say anything you could get in trouble for." She bites her lip and casts her eyes down to my feet again.

Madge Undersee just saved my life and my family and if Ma is correct…it isn't the first time she's done it. "I came to apologize for my behavior yesterday. My mother pointed out I was really rude to you. You were trying to help me and I was being a jerk."

She looks up at me with disappointment and says, "Oh."

I'm taken aback by where my thoughts have gone. Madge Undersee is standing inches away from me, holding onto my arm boring her eyes into mine. She looks beautiful and vulnerable at the same time; she looks like an angel. I bend down and kiss her quickly. I chuckle at her shocked expression. I playfully tap the tip of her nose with my finger, bend down and say, "Thank you, Madge." Then I turn and walk away.

She might be known as the district princess but I've thoroughly earned my reputation of district's biggest flirt. I've never really looked at Madge as a girl but she looked beautiful today and I couldn't help but steal a kiss. After all she started it. I whistle all the way back to my house.

A/N: What do you think?