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Also, another great job for my beta: Josh4eva3
And the disclaimer: I do not own hunger games
Chapter 7
Gale's POV
Madge and I put our training clothes on and headed down to the training center. A trained pinned the number "7" to my back. I looked around and saw that most of the tributes were here. I didn't know what to do first.
"You can do two things at the training center: practice what you're good at to intimidate the careers, or pretend to be weak by not being able to do anything," Johanna said to me during breakfast. I thought back to it now, I decided I would try to intimidate the careers.
I saw the axes and knew that's what I would do. I threw axe after axe at the dummy. I killed every dummy I threw at. I heard a person coming to the axe station. I turned around to see that it was actually two people: one of them must have been extremely quiet. Katniss picked up a small knife and walked in front of the dummy. I couldn't hear her move though, so I decided that she was probably the one with silent footsteps. I saw her fumbling to grip the axe. Once she got a hold of the axe, she threw it. The axe was only a few centimeters off. Throwing it that close, for a first time, was really good.
"Pretty good for a newcomer," I said and smirked.
"If you say so," She said. She continued throwing the axes and slowly she was getting closer to hitting the bull's-eye. She then looked at the boy and they both walked away. They went to the knives at station. She picked up a knife, and threw it. She hit bull's-eye. She picked up more knifes ad threw them simultaneously. She hit bull's-eye after bull's-eye. She would definitely be a big threat in the games. I decided to move onto snares. I knew I was already really good at snares. I started building an intricate snare. I built many snares until the head trainer announced that it was lunch. I saw Madge come near me.
"Here's your sandwich," Madge said as she handed me a bag. "Where do you want to sit?"
I looked around. One table was occupied by the careers. All the other tables were already filed with about 2 Districts - at least.
"How about we sit with Katniss and Peeta?" Madge said and nudged me in the direction they were sitting. At least it was only them at the table.
"Would it be all right if we sat here?" Madge asked.
"Of course it would!" Peeta said. We sat down. Madge and Peeta were the only people participating in the conversation. I was only half listening.
"Katniss?" Peeta asked.
"Huh? What?" It was obvious that Katniss had completely zoned out, much like me.
"Madge and I were talking about being allies," Peeta said. At the same time, Katniss and I jumped up.
"No!" We both said at the same time.
"No Peeta. I don't want to look after anyone else," Katniss said sternly.
"Well first of all, we can take care of ourselves. But I agree, I don't need extra people with me," I said.
"You guys both need to calm down and think about it. We would be able to protect each other," Madge said. Protect each other? Is she trying to make it harder for one of us to come home?
"Yeah. We would have each others backs," Peeta said. Is he serious?
"Peeta, I don't need anyone making my job any harder." Her job? And what is her job?
"And what's your job Katniss?" Peeta asked what I was going to ask.
"My job is to get you out alive from the arena." Sorry, but none of you guys can come out alive if Madge and I needed to come out alive.
"Not this again. I thought we agreed on trying to protect you," Peeta said and he rolled his eyes.
"Don't you start with me. We didn't agree on anything," She said as she pointed a finger at him. She then turned around and marched over to the sword station. We watched as Katniss picked up a sword and viciously attacked the dummy.
"She just doesn't get it," Peeta mumbled as he rubbed his temples.
"Get what?" Madge asked.
"Everything. She doesn't get that I'd practically kill myself if I made it out and she didn't, she's stronger out of the two of us. She would be able to move on, I wouldn't," Peeta cast his eyes downward the whole time. Was he in love with her? He then laughed as if nothing happened and looked up. He took a bit of his sandwich and then he let his eyes wonder. I saw the District 2 male get up from his table, and strut to where Katniss was attacking the dummies. I saw them talk for a bit. Then the boy started moving in on her. I looked at Peeta; he must have also been watching their encounter. In fact, Most of the tributes were. Peeta was gripping the table, hard. The boy must have said something to Katniss because her face expression changed. Cato continued talking. Katniss nodded before walking off. What did she agree to?
For the rest of the day, Katniss and Peeta spent their time separated. I could see that they both stealing glances at each other. I was at the knot tying session when Madge approached me.
"You know, you and Katniss are exactly the same." What? No way. There is no way I was as stubborn as her.
"How the heck am I similar to her?"
"For one thing, you guys are both scared to let people become close to you. You guys are both extremely stubborn. You guys both want the upper hand. You guys would both go to extreme lengths for your families. You know she also hunts illegally to feed her family? Don't even get me started on how much you guys look alike," She said all of this in a low voice.
"I mean, you guys both reacted exactly the same when Peeta and I mentioned the ideas of being allies." She got me there. That was true; both of us jumped out of chairs and were instant to disagree with the idea. We both also had similar reason for disagreeing. Maybe we were more alike then I thought.
"If you guys just gave each other the chance, you guys would become good friends," Madge said before walking off. The head trainer announced that it was time for the tributes to retreat to their floors. I saw Katniss sprint out of the room and run to the elevator. She probably wanted to be alone. I could tell Peeta wanted to run after her, but he didn't. He probably knew that if he did she would probably yell at him. Peeta, Madge and I all took the elevator together to our floors.
"It's okay, Peeta. She'll come around," Madge said. It annoyed me that Peeta and Madge were really good friends, maybe even better friends than Madge and me.
"Yeah, I know," Peeta said. The doors opened and Madge and I got off.
"Okay, how did training go?" Johanna asked.
"It went just fine," I said. Johanna looked at me and then Madge. Madge then proceeded to tell Johanna the days events.
"If I were you, I would propose a alliance with them," Johanna said. Great, another person thinking I need an ally.
"I told you Gale! District 12 could help us! Peeta's great with camouflage and Katniss can hunt!"
"Oh I'm sure she can hunt! What does she hunt? Flowers?"
"Maybe if you listen to Peeta you would have known her anther died when she was only twelve! That she had to support her family all on her own. She hunted outside the fence to support her family!" She hunted? She had the guts to hunt? I didn't have the chance to think about it because Madge got closer to me. She stood on her tiptoes and her face moved closer to mine.
"Yeah well I'm really tired, I'll see you in the morning," I said and turned my face quickly. I looked back at her and her eyes filled with water. I speed walked to my room before I could feel any more guilty. Even though a part of me really wanted to kiss her, I don't want any of us to get attached to something just in case we die.
I heard someone open the door.
"You really got her worked up over there," Johanna said.
"Yeah."
"Its obvious that you like her," Johanna said. I don't like her. How could I like her?
"Normally, someone like you wouldn't ally with someone like her," Johanna said.
"What is that suppose to mean?" I spit back at her.
"As in, its obvious your the fighter between the pair. Why would you protect a princess who will be nothing but extra weight in the arena? You like her, you just don't realize it," Johanna said. She then got up ad left the room. She had given me a lot to think about. Did I like her? I don't think I did…
