A/N: Okay so I know the last chapter sucked but meh sorry. Hope this is somewhat better. I am aware that there is a request and I will get to work on that asap! Any feedback is much appreciated and suggestions are welcome. Enjoy :)
Note: Imagine Annie doesn't exist in this chapter or something or she isn't dating Finnick. Don't get me wrong, I ship Odesta, they just aren't together in this story. No hate please.
"Thanks, Finnick," Katniss smiled hugging the boy and walking away with Clove.
Gale snarled to himself. He pretty much hated everyone, but the one person who really got on his tits was Finnick Odair. What did everyone see in him? Sure he may have had lucious bronze hair but Katniss's greasy braid was so much nicer. And maybe his body was tanned and muscular but Katniss had flabby arms and pasty skin. What would you choose? Gale would always pick Katniss over anyone, of course.
Which is why it angered him so much to see Odair making moves on her. No one was allowed to make moved on Katniss but Gale himself, since he were to be her future husband.
Suddenly, Peeta Mellark showed up out of nowhere. Ah, another person that Gale despised. He seemed to think that something was going to happen between him and Katniss. As if she'd ever sink so low.
"Go away, Mellark, no one wants you."
"But-"
"No one."
Peeta sighed, otherwise ignoring Gale.
"But did you see Katniss just now? She was with Finnick. They were…" he lowered his voice, "touching!"
Gale frowned. As much as he hated Pathetic Peeta, he was right to be outraged by Katniss becoming close to Finnick. It was simply unacceptable.
"I know," Gale replied angrily. "Something has to be done about him, thinking he can steal Katniss from me."
"You mean me?" Peeta interjected.
Gale really wasn't in the mood to argue with him. Besides, it wouldn't get him anywhere – everyone knew Peeta was a nutcase.
"Whatever. Look he's flirting with Katniss all the time and it has to stop!"
Well, this had actually been the first time he'd seen it, but still. Who knew what would happen if they didn't act now?
"I declare… ATTAACCKK!" Peeta shouted charging off in the direction that Finnick had gone in.
Wow. Gale had known he was an idiot but – just, wow. I guess I'll have to fix this alone, he decided.
Either way, he was getting his wifey back.
Their last lesson of the day was English, where him, Peeta, Katniss and Finnick were all in the same class. Gale was sitting at the back, alone, as he liked it. He quickly ripped a piece of paper out of his exercise book and scribbled down a message. 'Tell me the truth: is there something going on between you and Finnick? What's he got that I haven't?'
He lobbed at Katniss's seat and turned back to his work, not wanting her to catch him starring at her. Cos that had happened a couple of times before. Two words: real awkward.
A couple of minutes later, the ball of paper sailed back to his table. He scrambled to flatten it out in anticipation of Katniss's reply.
'I'll be honest, there would be something going on between me and Finnick if it were up to me, but it would seem that he doesn't see me in that way. What's he got that you haven't? Hahaha good one. He's got everything and you've got… well, nothing. Why would you ask me that anyway, silly Gale, you know I loaf Katniss. Okay bye! xxxx'
Wait, what? Gale did a double take, looking up at where the note had come from. There was Peeta one seat away from Katniss, looking over at Gale and waving frantically.
"Hey, Gale! Did you get my note?"
Gale face-palmed in exasperation. He had honestly never met anyone as stupid as Peeta.
I guess I'll just have to talk to her, he thought to himself. Just one thing – make sure Peeta isn't around.
After class ended Gale waited until everyone had left the room, including the teacher, except for Katniss.
"Hey, Katniss, wait up a sec," he called as she was leaving.
Katniss just stared at him for a second in revulsion.
"Gale, I told you not to talk to me in public."
He just chuckled. Katniss could be so funny sometimes. That was one of the main reasons he loved her.
"So anyway, I have something to ask you."
"Ugh. Can you make it quick? Unlike you, I actually have people to see."
Again, with the humour. She was just perfect.
"Well, it's about Finnick."
She shrugged.
"What about him?"
"I just want to kno-"
"Hey, Katniss, you here?" a voice cut him off.
Of course, it was Finnick Odair rounding the corner.
"Oh, hi Gale. I was just checking on Katniss," he told them, turning to look at her. "Is everything okay? You were right behind me."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I'm just leaving anyway-"
"But we're not finished!" Gale whined.
"Uh, yes, Gale, we are."
Katniss turned to leave with Finnick at her side when Peeta jogged through the door, slightly out of breath.
"Sorry, I left my pen…" he then laid his eyes on Gale, Katniss and Finnick. "Hey, guys! Why didn't you tell me you were having a meeting? Katniss, I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Katniss raised her eyebrows in concern.
"Um… why?"
"I think you mean why not? Am I right? HAHAHAHAHAHA," Peeta answered, collapsing in hysterical laughter at himself.
"So anyway… we're gonna leave now," Finnick declared when Peeta had calmed down.
"No, don't go!" Gale told them. "Look, since we're all here, there's something I need to know."
Katniss glowered at him.
"Fine! But make it quick. The squirrels don't kill themselves, you know."
Gale grinned in delight. He loved it when Katniss talked dirty.
"Okay. Katniss: is there something going on between you and Finnick?"
Peeta looked up at him.
"But that's what you asked me earlier! Someone's a little obsessed with Finnick!" he exclaimed, giggling ridiculously again.
Everyone ignored him, as usual. Katniss was starring at Gale, open-mouthed.
"No, of course not. But even if there was it's none of your damn business!"
"What do you mean? I thought we were in love!" he answered with a wail.
"Katniss, I thought there was something between us!" Finnick added.
Peeta joined in by singing so everyone ignored him again.
"Hey, I'm a baker
And this is craaaazy,
But I loaf Katniss,
So call me maybe?"
Katniss, threw her hands in the air in frustration.
"Peeta, SHUT UP."
Just as she looked like she was about to punch someone in the face, Clove, one of Katniss's best friends, entered the room.
"Whoa, whoa, what's all the noise, guys?" she asked, twirling a knife in her hand. Why did she always do that?
"Look, it's private-" Gale began but Katniss cut him off. Well, that was okay – he loved hearing her deep, croaky voice.
"Finnick, Gale and Peeta have just declared their love for me," she explained, briefly.
"Ahh. We all knew this day was coming," Clove grinned. "You know what this means. Cooonnttessstt!"
"Battle of the boys!" Katniss exclaimed in agreement. "Awesome!"
"Ooh, I love games!" Peeta chirped in, clapping his hands. "I know – let's have a bake off!"
"Seriously, Katniss, you're letting him compete?" Clove asked, rolling her eyes.
Katniss shrugged.
"It's only fair."
Gale was past listening – if there were to be a contest, he was going to have to make sure he won. He would not be losing to Finnick Odair.
"Roll-up, roll-up!" Clove called, standing at the door of the empty classroom. It had been a week since the announcement and today was the day – Battle of the Boys.
Gale had no idea how they had managed to secure an empty classroom without any teachers noticing but didn't worry too much. There was an audience gathered at the back of the room while a table had been dragged near the front where Katniss was sat. There was a space cleared at the front that would work like a stage for the competitors.
Finnick, Peeta and him were all waiting 'backstage', basically just outside the door from the chosen room.
Finnick was fluffing out his hair and applying another coat of fake tan. Peeta was singing and dancing around. Good God.
Gale himself seemed to be the only normal one there, glancing into the room of awaiting people. He had this. It was obvious Katniss wanted him.
"Hush!" Clove shouted, after a while, at the audience of students gathered in the room. "The time has come to select one courageous young man and er- just one man, to take Katniss's hand in marriage."
"My what?" Katniss squeaked.
"Oops, I mean to have Katniss as their girlfriend. And maybe one day, her hand in marriage."
Katniss just frowned, otherwise saying nothing.
"Okay, so the competitors will come up to the front, one by one and wow Katniss with some kind of special skill or talent. Then, at the end, Katniss's will see who scored the highest, and he shall be crowned champion!"
The crowd cheered and whooped in anticipation of the first performance.
"So, without further a-do, please welcome to the stage; Peeta Mellark!" Clove announced.
Peeta shot Gale a thumbs up before strolling onto the stage, completely uncoordinatedly.
Clove took her seat next to Katniss at the judging table.
"So, Peeta, what's your special skill?"
"Well, I think it's pretty obvious, don't you? I'm going to… SING!"
Every single student in the room groaned - even Peeta himself, who joined in because he was just that stupid.
"Oh, and dance," he added with a grin.
Well, at least he's making it easier for me, Gale thought to himself, tasting the inevitable victory.
Clove pulled her head out of her hands to answer Peeta.
"Fine. Just make it quick."
Peeta beamed, even more, nodding at Marvel who was in control of the tunes.
"Hit it!"
And with that, the stereo was switched on the 'It's Raining Men' music began blaring out of the speakers. Just before the lyrics started, he ripped off the thick jacket and pants he'd been wearing, revealing his outfit underneath which consisted of a shirt made entirely of silver sequins and pink shorts.
"Hi - Hi! We're your Weather Girls - Ah-huh -
And have we got news for you - You better listen!
Get ready, all you lonely girls
and leave those umbrellas at home. - Alright!"
Oh, God. Absolutely everyone just stared in bewilderment with their mouths wide open as Peeta shimmied around the impromptu stage. As the chorus rapidly approached, he leaped up onto the judges table where Katniss was seated and began singing at the top of his lungs.
"It's raining bread! Hallelujah, it's raining bread!
I'm gonna stay in, and make myself a cake,
And bake and bake and bake and baaakkke…
It's raining bread! Hallelujah, it's raining bread! Every specimen!
Rough, burnt, soft and square,
It's so much better than a snaaaree…
It's raining bread!"
He finished by collapsing on to his knees and bowing his head for dramatic effect.
Everyone, including Katniss, still had their mouths hanging open and no one was quite sure how to respond. A couple of members of the crowd clapped their hands once or twice but no one else even moved.
Gale tried to process what had just happened but couldn't quite figure it out.
"Thanks, folks!" Peeta cried, jumping to my feet. "Katniss, I know you'll make the right decision."
Then he turned and left the room, joining Finnick and Gale in the corridor.
"What did you think, guys?" he panted.
"I… I don't even know what to say," Finnick answered him eventually and even Gale agreed.
"It was that good? Aww, thanks you guys!"
Peeta clapped happily to himself.
"Um, so after whatever that was," Clove told the audience, "please welcome… Gale Hawthorne!"
Gale took a couple of breaths before walking out to face the students.
"So, Gale, what's your skill?" Clove asked him.
He grinned, eager to show them his well prepared performance.
"I'm going to be doing a bit of drama for everyone today."
"Oh. Well, okay, Good luck!" she answered as the audience clapped in excitement. It wasn't the biggest applause but, hey, it was bigger than Peeta's.
He glanced at Marvel who hit the play button on the music.
The song Gale had chosen was 'Pick Me' by Justin Bieber.
As the lyrics began playing, he took out a palm-sized heart that he'd carved from wood. He'd engraved the words 'Katniss's heart' on to the block of wood.
"You should pick me,
Tell me can you dig it,
I'm everything you need girl,
So tell me you can dig it."
Gale then whipped out a long piece of wire and began twisting it expertly, not to mention in time to the music. It was all going too smoothly.
"I'll always be your number one,
Number one fan,
And I should be your one and only
Man."
Justin Bieber blared away in the background as he finished making the snare and hooked it around the lamp shade hanging from the centre of the ceiling. Suddenly, the music cut off to build suspense. He waited a couple of seconds before the big finale where he placed a kiss on the heart and flicked it out of his hands. The small chunk of wood sailed towards the awaiting snare, where it caught and remained hanging by the wire.
"Katniss, I have captured your heart," he declared, then adding in a whisper, "pick me."
Then Gale turned and left the room just as Peeta had done, head held high in success.
Some members of the audience clapped while others remained unmoving.
"Oh… kay. Well, again, not quite sure what that was but thank you, Gale!" Clove cried, standing up. "Next up, we have the one, the only… Finnick Odair!"
Gale watched as Finnick stood in the doorway, ready to go on but not actually entering the room yet.
Without warning, the music started up. It was the tuneful introduction to 'Bringing Sexy Back' by Justin Timberlake. Of course he'd choose something vain like that.
Finnick waited a little while before slowly walking on to the stage seductively.
He didn't sing or dance or even act, just walked to the centre and stood there, looking around with a lazy smirk for a couple of minutes as the song played.
After that, he winked at Katniss and walked off, looking pleased with himself.
The crowd erupted into applause and every single girl started screaming at him.
"Finnick! We love you!"
"Show us your sugar cubes!"
"You should win!"
What the hell? He hadn't even done anything.
"Wow. Thanks for that Finnick," Clove grinned, fanning herself. "Now, welcome back to the stage, our three competitors Peeta Mellark, Gale Hawthorne and Finnick Odair!"
Gale walked back out into the room of people, followed by the other two.
"Now, I'll leave it to Katniss to announce the results, although it seems to me that we have an obvious winner."
Katniss stood up with her answer card.
"Thanks, Clove. Now-"
"Wait!" a voice bellowed from the back of the room.
Suddenly, Thresh appeared out of nowhere, making his way to the front of the room. He stopped when he was in front of Katniss's table.
"Look, Katniss, I know I'm not even part of the contest and I didn't compete but just know we could make it work. If you chose me I would rock your world."
Clove scowled at the rock reference but didn't say anything.
"Oh, Thresh!" Katniss breathed, jumping over the table and into his arms. "What the hell, I choose you!"
"What?" Gale exclaimed at the same time as Finnick and Peeta.
"He didn't even compete!"
"What the heck, Katniss?"
"But I loaf you!"
"Shut up, all of you! I just want Thresh, okay?"
With that, they ran out of the room together holding hands before anyone even had a chance to say anything else.
There was a couple of beats of silence.
"Well, for the third time today, I'm not quite sure what just happened but it looks like Thresh won!" Clove announced.
The audience shrugged at first but soon started cheering.
Gale growled angrily, storming out of the classroom and not stopping until he reached the forest where he sometimes hunted with Katniss. He eventually reached his private spot where he wanted to clear his head, only to find Katniss and Thresh making out under a bush.
"Katniss!" Gale wailed, breaking down in tears. "It's over!"
He ran off sobbing. A second or two later, he crashed into someone else who was also bawling their eyes out. He looked up.
"Peeta?"
Peeta sniffed and stayed quiet for a long time.
"Do you… do you want to come try some of my new bread?" he asked.
Gale considered it briefly but then shrugged.
"Sure, why not."
So he began the short walk down to the bakery with Peeta.
And who knew? Maybe they'd even be friends…
Please, please don't forget to review :)
