Chapter 3

You're in deep shit now

Gale pov

"What the fuck happened to your face man?"

"Shut up Thom." I say with an edgy voice, without looking at him while we walk through the gray corridors towards the schoolyard.

"Come on Gale, who was it? Was it a girl? I mean it couldn't have been a guy, unless you let yourself get beaten up by a guy who throws bitch slaps," he laughs "that would be the funniest-"

"Shut. The fuck. Up." I growl, now glaring angrily at him. He knows I'm gonna hit him if he doesn't shut up now.

"I know that look Galie," Oh hell no! He knows I don't allow anyone calling me fucking nicknames (besides Posy). I don't hesitate to push him into a locker, raise my fist and-

"but look around you. We're in school, and you'll be expelled if you get caught fighting again remember?" he says with a grin and wink at me. "Now let me down and let's go eat. I'm hungry. And I'm still going to find out who hit you, whether you tell me or not."

I slowly lower my fist, give him another death glare and let him go.

"And don't think for a second that the guys won't nag you about this." He guffaws from behind me.

"Fucking great." I mutter to myself while walking towards my own death. I've practically tied myself to the whipping post.

Why did I even go to school today?

Madge pov

Why did I even go to school today?

I ask myself, hiding as much as I can behind Katniss when I hear his friends from their usual table in the schoolyard. It's not working, but I don't care. He's not looking at me anyway. He never does... Oh my God, stop pitying yourself Madge. You're mad at him, remember? I groan at my freaky conversation with myself and my weak attempt at self-respect and drop my head in my hands.

I hiss out loud at the pain in my left hand, once again reminded of my violent outburst yesterday.

I swear, with my luck, I'm hurting more than him by that slap. still worth it though. It was a sign of self-respect, because I dared to show him that he had gone too far.

"What's wrong?" Katniss asks, looking at my red, swollen palm.

"Nothing. I just hurt my hand the other day." I tell her. It's not really a lie, I just didn't tell her exactly how I hurt it. She doesn't need to know that. I actually don't even think she knows me and Gale know each other.

"Oh, okay." She says and keeps nibbling at her bread. I know she won't ask me any further questions. I like that part of her. She doesn't pry or interfere in other people's business, she knows that if I want her to know something – I will simply tell her.

I hear loud voices from Gales table again and I dare to take a quick glance. Gale's cheek is still red, ha! I hope he has been suffering from that today. He's still hot though. He's got that tall-dark-and-mysterious look working very well, that stupid beautiful man!

I take a deep breath to give myself some courage and search for his eyes. They are not available for the moment, since he's watching the pretty olive skinned girls on the other side of the yard. I can't help but to envy them with their fair, dark skin and long, dark hair. But mostly, because Gale watches them that way.

He would never watch me in that way.

Gale pov

"It couldn't have been Hazelle, she'd never hit you even if you burned the freaking house down. You don't deserve a mom like that Gale." Thom teases. "Was it Katniss then?"

"No, if she wanted to hurt him she'd punched gim in the nuts or cracked his collarbone or something." Bristel giggles.

"Was it Posy? Damn that little girl must know how to fight!" Thom says.

"Shut up, it wasn't Posy you moron." I say, slapping him in the head, only getting angrier by the thought of my little sister. Of course she had that damned ribbon in her hair when I came back home last night. I couldn't even take it from her, she was all bouncy and happy, I couldn't bear to be the one taking that away from her. Fucking Madge, why does she always find a way to crawl under my skin? I mean come on, it was even fucking white. I mean she's spent a lot of time in the Seam lately, she should know we can't keep the soot away from anything. It was almost as if she wanted to rub it in my face that we Seam people are poor and dirty while she's all pure and clean.

"Okay then there's only your slag heap victims left," Thom said with a mischievous grin. "how lucky that most of them are all here in the school yard." He said, turning around.

"Amber, Jasmine, Iris, Daria," he shouts towards a couple of dark haired, olive skinned girls a couple of tables away. "did anyone of you slap G-"

"Okay, okay! Shut it, I'll tell you, you fucking prick." I hissed angrily at him. There's more than one way I could think of to wipe that stupid smirk off his face.

"It was Madge, all right." I said quietly in defeat.

"You got beaten up by the Mayors daughter?"

"I didn't get beaten up you idiot, she just slapped me." I hissed, looking towards her and Katniss's usual lunch spot. I spot her immediately, wouldn't miss that blond head from miles away. It's almost as if she's wearing a fucking halo. How ironic. "And be quiet!"

"Fucking hell Gale, you just don't settle with normal fuck ups like the rest of us do you?" he whispers, suddenly serious. "I mean come on, she's the bloody Mayors daughter. Dude, what is it with you and your fucked up desire to always be in danger?"

"It's not like that Thom, she's not like that." I say, struggling to find the right words. "We've been hanging out a bit, and she's-"

"Are you fucking the fucking Mayors daughter?" Thom interrupts me wide-eyed.

"I'm not discussing this with you anymore, and no I am not." I say dismissively.

"But you want to, don't you?" he says, narrowing his eyes on me.

"Didn't I say this discussion was over?"

"Oh you want to." Thom says.

"Gale, Gale, Gale, Gale." he sighs, leaning back on the bench, smirking at me.

"You're in deep shit now."

Thanks again for keep reading darlings, and thank you for adding me to your story and author alerts. You're giving me so much inspiration and desire to continue writing!

A new chapter is coming very soon, containing a meeting between Gale and Madge.

Kisses