Sorry kinda filler. Next chapter will be exciting though!

Review please!


Chapter Three

"Gale! Gale! Gale!" Rory ran up to his older brother in a scurry. He was royally screwed.

The voice of his brother was made Gale turn. He was obviously scared and anxious. "What's wrong?"

"She's not here!" Rory couldn't help that he was yelling. He almost started crying, but that wouldn't be manly and Gale and Vick were right there and then he would never hear the end of it. She wasn't here and it was the day before his test and he was definitely going to fail. Then his mother would murder him for failing that stupid algebra class, and then he'd be held back and none of this would turn out very good.

"Who?" Gale was thoroughly confused; the only girls Rory knew were Katniss and Prim. Prim was over there, and he definitely knew where Katniss was.

"Madge! I'm gonna fail and mom's gonna kill me! And you suck at math! Do you think we could stop at her house? I just need to go over a few things. I can't fail that class you know what mom what do to me!"

Madge? What was his brother doing with that prissy Townie? Math? What did math have to do with anything? Goddamnit. Madge was Rory's tutor. That's where he had been after school for the last month. This boy was going to be the death of him.

"Don't you think that's a little weird? Showing up at your tutor's house? Especially considering you're just a dirty little Seam rat to her." She probably just took pity on him. Stupid little Seam kid can't do math. Not that it would even matter he was probably going to end up in the mines just like their father and his father before him. You didn't need to know math or history or grammar to work the mines.

Rory stared at him as if he just said the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "I need this grade Gale! She won't care I promise! She's the nicest girl ever! Please Gale!"

Gale groaned. Ever since that moment he had with Madge Undersee in the meadow she was permanently etched into his brain, no matter how much he protested. Her scent, of daisies, her small body pressed against his. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it. He was only a man. Goddamn she was just so small and delicate. Her waist had felt so tiny when he wrapped his arms around her. That moment replayed in his head. He could still feel the curve of her breast against his stomach, and her full rounded hips against him. Goddamn. And that whisper. Her voice was still hot in his ear. If she were anyone else Gale would already have put in some time with her down at the slagheap. But she wasn't just anyone else. She was Madge fucking Undersee, the mayor's daughter. Someone who looked at him with disdain and pity.

Gale forced his brother to knock on the big oak door, while he and Vick stood behind him. Her business was with Rory not them.

Madge opened the door. Her usually radiant hair was thrown up in a messy bun at the top of her head, her eyes were watering, and her nose was red. There was no ribbon in her hair, nor was there an expensive dress on her body. She was still in her pajamas. She was obviously sick. Her face lit up as soon as she saw Rory. "Rory! I'm sorry! I wanted to go to school because I knew you needed the extra tutoring session, but my dad forced me to stay home!" She made an angry face in the direction of the Justice Building where her father worked. "Come on in!" She readjusted the blanket draped around her shoulders. As Rory entered her house, it was then that she saw Gale and a smaller boy, who she knew from Rory to be Vick, his younger brother. "Oh." She stopped at suddenly felt extremely self-conscious in the presence of Gale. It was just embarrassing to see someone you knew hated you at your worst. There were teddy bears on her pajamas for Christ's sake!

She moved to the side, gesturing for both boys to walk inside.

"Hi Gale." Gale nodded toward her. "Uhm, you must be Vick. Rory's told me a lot about you!" Vick smiled proudly. It wasn't everyday that a pretty girl acknowledged his presence.

At first, all three boys stared in amazement at the size and grandiosity of the house. The foyer was the size of their entire house. The looks of amazement on their faces made her feel incredibly guilty; only three people occupied the house.

She coughed to get their attention away from the grandeur of her home. "Do you guys want anything to drink?"

Vick was about to make a request, but Gale elbowed him in the side to shut his mouth. They were poor, yes, but they weren't about to beg Madge Undersee for water.

"No thanks," Gale chimed in for both of his brothers.

"Okay…" Madge walked past them her eyes on the ground. She knew what Gale was thinking about her, and maybe if she wasn't so tired and sick it wouldn't affect her so much, but in her state it made her guilty. "My room's this way."

All three boys followed her into the light blue room. Her room was lined with bookshelves. Gale had never seen so many books in one place. She motioned for Rory to sit at her desk, and the other boys to sit on her bed. Madge grabbed another chair from her father's study to sit with Rory.

Hopefully this would be quick.

Madge walked the boys to the door. Gale stood behind to speak privately with her. He had been surprised at the way she treated Rory. She didn't treat him like he was stupid or like he was any less than her. Gale couldn't deny how pretty she looked when she was laughing at one of Rory's stupid jokes. Her head tilted back and her eyes wrinkled as a smile lit up her face.

"I just wanted to say thanks for helping Rory. Y'know, I'm not so keen on school, so I can't help him the way that you can." This shocked her. Gale was actually thanking her, and he seemed incredibly sincere about it.

"It's no problem. He's an amazing kid. I'll see you guys around school." She looked past him and waved toward Gale and Vick.

"Goodbye," Gale muttered underneath his breath.

Madge slowly walked up the stairs to her room where she found a note on the part of the bed where Gale had been seated. She hesitantly opened it.

In messy writing was written, "Meadow tomorrow 5PM." With his name scribbled hastily underneath. She figured maybe he would ask about what she had said in the meadow, about him falling into line. Why would he care what she thought about him though? She certainly had stopped caring what he thought a long time ago and most anyone actually.