Chapter 3
Don't leave me
I shook my head.
Stop thinking of him! Focus!
I couldn't help it. He was so dreamy. I placed my arm in my wall and looked at the schedule. The purple ink clearly stated that I had to go to command as soon as breakfast finished. I stood up and exited my room. The walk wasn't very far and I reached the dinning room. I saw Gale and smiled. I had to swear to myself inside for I was ignoring a direct order from my grandmother. I walked over to him and gave him a friendly good morning.
"What's up with you?" Gale asked me. I looked to him with a confused look. I was seriously horrible at playing dumb.
"What do you mean?" I asked tilting my head to a side. He gave me a look.
"Come on tell me," Gale insisted. I did a long sigh.
"My grandmother doesn't want me near you anymore," I answered with a sigh. He moved forward in the line and started to receive his food. I got a smile from the lunch lady as she filled mine up next. I figured Gale wasn't talking to me because of the information I had just provided him with. I saw him walk off to go sit at his table. Prim and Posy saw me and waved. I waved back and sat down at my table. Luke and James joined me and smiled. "What?" I asked them. Their grins were bigger.
"Your Grandmother asked us to collect you," James started off.
"Even if you were eating and we are going to have fun collecting you," Luke finished as I sighed.
"Oh really now?" I asked. They nodded as I stood up. "Are you sure it is my grandmother who wants me?" I asked noticing that they were out of uniform. Luke gulped before nodding. I looked back at Gale's table and saw he wasn't looking at me. He was talking to Katniss. Then he looks at me and our eyes meet. I looked away and started to walk towards the exit. Luke and James caught up to me and grabbed one of my arms. I tried to shake them free pathetically and they stayed latch on to my arms. "Now what?" I asked them shooting daggers out of my eyes towards them. Luke grinned.
"Remember how I said 'we are going to have fun'?" Luke asked me. I nodded wearily. "Well now we are having fun," Luke said as they lifted me up. My feet were off the ground and I felt helpless. I hated it.
"Put me down!" I cried. All heads snapped towards me and I saw Katniss and Gale standing up getting ready to come over. I kicked my feet a bit too far back and accidentally hit James in the stomach. He let my arm go and suddenly I was going down. I hit the floor with a thud as I felt large hands reach my forearms. I looked up and saw Gale and Katniss by my side. I felt butterflies inside.
"Are you alright?" Katniss asked me as Gale glared at my friends.
"Fine. Thanks Gale but I can look after myself," I said coldly. Katniss looked confused as I pulled my arms away from him. My heart felt as if it was breaking. I stomped out of the room, but I heard some mutter that my skirt was roo short. I agreed. I pulled it down but made no improvement. I walked down the long corridor stopping outside the weapons vault. I sighed as I typed my code in and received my bow and arrows. I ignored my com beeping and set out towards the gate. I pushed the gates open and walked deep into the heart of the forest. I took my com off and the tracker on my ankle of as well and started to climb a tree. Tears came to my eyes as I leaned against a tree trunk. I know I was acting but Gale looked hurt. I remembered the last time that happened.
"Gale, why do you want to run away?" I asked him as I was undoing a snare. Gale glanced at me and must have seen I was having trouble. Before I knew it, he had his hands on mine and I felt his chest on my back. The strange butterfly feeling came to me as he guided my fingers.
"We can start a new life. You, Katniss and me. We can do it." We had the snare un-done and I grabbed the rabbit. I muttered my thanks as I re-wired the snare.
"What about our families?" I asked facing him. He was looking at in the eyes.
"You know that we could do it. We can hunt and support our families," He said grabbing my hands. I looked at him.
"What about everyone else? If we run, they will get hurt Gale! I didn't know you were that selfish!" I said yanking my hands back. I shoved the rabbit into his chest and walked off.
"Lexi! Come back, you and I both know that we can care for everyone! Lexi!" Gale called after me. I looked back at him and saw a hurt expression.
"Good-bye Gale. Forever." I decided then and there, to run to my Grandmother in thirteen. I refused to look back as I ran the opposite way to town. Gale can survive with out me, but I wasn't sure if I could without him. I thought about going back but dismissed that thought. That is exactly what he would expect me to do. I would never see him again but I know I will always remember that hurt face.
I don't know if that was harsh or not. I never really thought about it before. I guess it was but I wished I had said to him, "Don't leave me please Gale" Maybe that would have made things a little better but I guess not. I climbed down the tree and started to where I had the com and tracker.