Chapter 3
"Solid." I push down my laughter seeing how they have no idea what I mean. "You go Peeta. Gold start for you."
"Yay…" He said quietly then continued to snore.
"But… you and Gale kissed…?"
"Yeah…" I blush "And slept on the same couch… And he took off my shirt, but that's all." I giggle.
"Whoa… He didn't make any attempt to tell me…" She said finally grabbing some sort of towel and wiping up the spilled water.
I know I shouldn't say this… "Well, with you always around Peeta, how could he? I mean you guys are joined at the hip and honestly I wouldn't see why he should tell you if you don't even talk to him, but that's none of my business." I bite into the apple.
Katniss looked up at me for a moment then continued to clean.
"I mean open your eyes. He's here right now."
"That's because you brought him here." She stood up and threw the towel onto the counter.
"Think. If he wasn't in a drunken coma, would he be here right now?" I smiled and take another hunk out of my apple.
"Well, yeah." She smiled then realized what I meant. Her smile faded and she knew I was right. "Well, he's not her every morning."
"And who is here when he's not?" I raised a brow and threw out the core of the apple.
"You and Gale, but I don't understand wh-"
"We can only be here when he's not, Katniss. How could you be so blind, sweetheart." I laughed at how ridiculous she was being.
She thought about it for a moment and pushed her tongue against the side of her mouth. She was speechless. I smiled and looked at and Peeta as his eyes slowly open. I grab Katniss' old cup and fill it with water. He stretches and I set the glass in front of him. "Sober up, sweetheart." I smile.
"Uhh… Thanks…" He looked at me uneasily. "What'd you do to it?"
"Does everything I do have to have a catch? The only thing that touched it was Katniss' lips before she spilled it everywhere." I smiled at her.
"Shut up…" She rolled her eyes.
He took a sip and eyed me down as he did so. I roll my eyes. "Do you need something else?"
"No. Just confused why you're still here. Don't you have something to steal?" He glared.
"This is what I mean…" I turn to Katniss "But you see here, Bread Boy, I was trying to be nice."
"Guys it's too early in the morning for this." Katniss groaned.
"You almost killed me last night!" He snapped.
"I woke Gale up this morning doing the exact same thing I did to get your attention. I never miss, sweetheart. If I wanted to kill you, I would have by now." I smiled now noticing the bruise on his jaw. It matched mine. "Hey, now noticing our matching bruises, we're pretty even. He didn't say anything. Not sure because of how hung-over he was or he just knew I was right. Either one was fine by me. "Plus, I carried you here. If I didn't you would've been out there still with Haymitch and the others. Pick your poison."
He muttered something. I really wanted to know what.
"What?" I ask.
"I said thanks." He said with the cup still in his mouth.
"No problem." I look around to find a clock, but there's none in here. "What time is it?"
"12:26." Peeta answer looking down at his wrist watch "Why?"
"Going to go see Mrs. Hawthorne for lunch. I wanted to pick her up a gift." I smiled. "Want anything, Peeta?"
Weird. I'm actually asking Peeta if he wants something. I know not to ask Katniss. She doesn't approve of my stealing.
"You're asking me?" He actually removed the cup from his mouth to actually talk.
"Well, she doesn't want anything and I dunno. I'm trying to be nice here." I shrugged.
"No… I'm fine…" He picked up the cup again.
I nod and give Katniss a hug and turn to Peeta. "You want a hug?" I try to fight the smile on my face.
"Nah, you go have fun stealing." He smiled into his cup.
"I will." I nod and walk out of the house. District 12's Victors Village was kind of trashy. Well there's only been 3 victors so I can see why. I walk into the market and look around at the variety. From food to clothing to jewelry. I walk over to the jewelry and see rubies, sapphires, emeralds, pearls, topaz and a selection diamond rings. I might as well pick something up for Gale as well. I sit there at a clothing booth that's next to the jewelry. There's girl rings on the far end of the table and boyish rings on the table closest to me. The owner is helping a girl on the other side and I scope out the boy rings. There's a gold band that looks like Gale's style, but I see a silver band with a sapphire on it. It looks too expensive. He wont take the sapphire ring. He'd complain that it's too expensive and that he could just sell it and feed his family for weeks. I look at the gold band and lock onto it with my hands. I walk straight to the other side of the booth, grabbing the ring along the way. I'm undetected. The man is still helping the woman and I look at the ring she has on her finger. It's a ruby ring.
"I still don't know…" She said twisting her hand to see different angles.
"It's beautiful… Just like you." I look at her with a fake blush.
She looks at me flattered as a bright smile spreads across her face. "Thank you. You're such a doll. I'll take it. You pick out a ring of any choice to give to your mom or special somebody."
I smile and look at the rings. Before I pick out a ring, I look at her. She looks too nice to be form District 12. "Are you not from here?" I ask looking at the rings. What would Mrs. Hawthorne like…
"I'm from The Capitol. I'm just here for a little bit longer." She smiled at the jewelry booth owner.
"I'm from the Capitol as well. I went to District 2 first then I came here after I lost my family." I grabbed a emerald ring with some kind of silver band. It reminded me of her style in a way.
"Family?" The woman asked.
"Clove and Cato." I said firmly as she paid for the rings.
"Oh yes. The District 2 Tributes. They were you family?" She asked once more.
I pulled out the locket and opened it. I showed her the picture of the three of us. "They meant the world to me. They tried to promise me that they'd win the games for me. After I saw Katniss up there with Peeta fighting Cato… I knew it was the end. I moved here and tried to be friends with Katniss and yeah I mean we're friends, but she'll never replace them."
She looked at me with shock. I knew she'd feel bad. That's the only good thing about the story. People will do anything to try and make me feel better.
"I'm so sorry…" She said tearing up. "If it means anything, I lost my daughter in the games before this one."
"Seventy-third?" I ask.
She nods. "Quinn Desire."
"District 1. I'm sorry… That must've been hard." I say as she hands me the ring.
"She volunteered. She had determination. She had the strength. I believed she could do it, but that District 11 kid…" She shook her head.
"Just look on the bright side, She doesn't have to worry about the Capitol anymore." I patted her shoulder.
"True…" She nodded.
"I'll see you around maybe?" I smiled.
"Of course."
I smiled and walked off. I felt bad for her. She lost her daughter to the games. The Games… they aren't games. I kept walking until I say the greenish house that was owned by the Hawthorne's. I walk in and smile at the sight of her at the fireplace again. Instead of a pot this time there's some kind of grill.
"Did you ever stop making food?" I laugh and slip off my shoes.
She turns to me with a warm smile. "Glad you could make it."
"Close your eyes, I got you a gift." I smile and put the emerald ring in my right hand.
She walks over to me with a brow raised. She closes her eyes and holds a hand out. I set the ring on her hand and giggle. "Open."
She opens her eyes and looks at the ring in her hand. She gasps. "It's beautiful… Did you steal it?" She asks concerned.
"Some lady bought me this. I stole Gale's." I pull out the gold band with a snicker.
"I… I don't know what to say… It's beautiful." She slides it on her finger.
"You're making me lunch right? This is your reward." I smile and take a seat on the couch. "When does Gale get back?"
"In about ten minutes. How much chicken do you want?" She asks taking it off the grill.
"Not a lot. I'm not that hungry. So what do you do here all day?" I look around they house seeing how it's spotless.
"Cook, clean, make clothes for everyone." She handed me a plate with a hunk of chicken on it.
"I see… Did you make the dress you're wearing now?" I take a bite of the chicken.
My mouth instantly waters at the taste of the spiced chicken. My taste buds tingled and couldn't help but to take another huge bite.
"My mother actually made this for me." She set a slab of chicken onto her plate. "So how…" She trails off.
Before I realizes it. I've finished the piece on my plate and jumping up for seconds.
"I'm guessing the food is good…" She giggles.
"Good? That's an understatement." I grab another hunk and slap it onto my plate.
"Save some for Gale. He needs to eat." She takes a bite of her own chicken.
"Nah, That's crazy talk." I smile as I hear the door open. "If you want food, eat it now before I eat it all!" I shout not really knowing who it is exactly.
"Is that right?" I hear a whisper in my ear followed by a kiss on the cheek.
It's Gale. I smell the coal and perspiration as he walks around. The clunking of heavy boots on the floor really annoyed me, but whatever. This freaking chicken made my life complete. I took another bite with a smile and remembered the ring. I'll save it for later. I continue to chow down until I run out of the delicious meat. I set my plate on the table in front of me although I could go for thirds, I'm sure Gale is hungry.
"Gale, come here and look at the present your sweetheart got me." Mrs. Hawthorne smiled gleefully.
"We aren't anything. We're just friends." I say with sass.
"Yes and that kiss on the cheek says otherwise." She said rolling her eyes.
She was right. What even are we? She held out her hand and Gale looked at the shiny ring. It sparkled in the light with the emerald glittering. He looked at me confused. "What'd you do? Propose?"
I roll my eyes. "Oh yes, sweet Gale. I proposed to your darling mother. I'm now your step father who's younger than you." I say mockingly.
"Solid." He smirked.
I got down on one knee and looked up at Gale. He raised a brow with a smile and light blush. I pulled out the gold ring. "Dear, sweet and ever lovely Gale…"
"Yes?" He sounded way to masculine for this.
"Your shoes are untied. That's a safety hazard." I stood up and held out the ring. "Plus, I got you this."
He picked it up and looked at it in the light. He spun it around and ran his finger along the outside. "It's too expensive. This would feed everyone here for weeks. Return it." He hands it back to me. I glare at him.
"It's stolen. I can't return it." I narrow my eyes.
"Well, I'm going to go sell it." He stuck it in his pocket with all seriousness.
"Seriously?" I ask a bit ticked.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" He said sitting down on the couch and slid off his boots.
"I risked becoming an Avox to get you something I thought you'd like and you're just going to sell it? Just give it back to me and I'll go give it to Peeta or Haymitch." I said annoyed.
"You'd give it to Peeta?" He stopped untying his other boot and looked at me with hidden anger.
"I don't know. Give it to someone who would at least appreciate the thought I put into it." I looked Mrs. Hawthorne hoping she'd back me up.
"Gale, you could've lost him if he got caught. The least you could do is wear it." She said softly.
"Fine… I'll wear the ring." He slid the ring onto his finger along with his other boot off.
"I mean you don't have to I just thought you'd at least like it." I said frowning a little.
"I do like it. I like it a lot. I just don't want to ear something that could be sold for food or other things." He shrugged.
I sat down next to him and shrugged as well. "I don't know. I just want you to be happy."
"I'm always happy when you're with me." He pulled me by them hip to get me closer to him.
"You guys have some things to talk about. I'll leave you two alone." She walked up the stairs and into a room.
"What does she mean?" He looked up the stairs.
"Gale, what are we?" I ask looking down at my feet. "We act like a couple, but then when people ask, we're nothing. Are we friends or more?"
He took a moment and doesn't answer. I'm guessing he doesn't know either. I guess I have to explain everything…
"If we're friends, that cool. We just can't kiss and do all the things we usually do. I'm not going to be some kind of friends with benefits and just end up hurting myself in the process. If you don't even want to be friends and you basically want me to stop talking to you, that's cool too. I just want to know before I fall with no one there to catch me, yah know? It's up to you."
He looks at me for a second and looks down at the ring on his finger. He twists it a bit before it pops off. He puts it in my hand with a saddened expression. "I think it'll be best if we stay friends."
