Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise. Everything belongs to Suzanne Collins, and her brilliant, brilliant mind. I only hope that one day, someone will be writing that disclaimer about my own work.
Nb. Same deal. Roughly 700 words, about Gale's perspective at all the major parts of the Hunger Games.
.:.
Katniss's Interview
.:.
Again, he has to endure the others to get to her. She's not last this time (thank god) but still, the wait seems harder this time. More real.
For one, he can see her. He can see her, sitting in the stage in another of her beautiful flaming dresses and she looks as amazing as she has since the reaping. His mother had used this as a point of comfort ("See, Gale. She's right there. She's safe." She leaves out mentioning that this is the last time he was see her as such. The next time the screen capture's Katniss, she will be fighting for her life).
But he can't see it that way. He knows where she will be soon and he can't bring himself to forget. Seeing her there, on the stage, shining, glowing, makes this real. She will be there soon, in the arena, and there's nothing that he can do about it.
He can't help her.
For the moment, there's only one boy who can, and he's sitting next to her.
She's sitting next to him. They glance at each other every now and again, and it sets Gale's teeth on edge. Can't she see what he's doing? This is a tactic, he knows it. Manipulating, scheming—the baker's son was taking his place—taking Gale's place—and using it to his advantage.
If Katniss keeps being so dependent on this boy, she'll die quickly.
Gale busies himself glaring at the boy on the screen-who the camera's flick to more often this time, because of their famous status and their amazing costumes. He's not sure if District twelve has ever gotten this much attention before. At least, not since Haymitch Abernathy won the Quarter Quell.
Still, he is so distracted by glaring at Peeta, that it is only the dull interviewer's introduction that captures his attention. They're calling her.
They're calling her.
Caesar Flickerman (the blue haired interviewer has a name as intolerable as himself) says something to her—words that Gale disregards because he is so anxious to hear her voice again.
As if her voice would make any of this better.
The lamb stew.
Gale notes that her eyes flick to the audience before she responds. No one else would have noticed, but again Gale feels a thrill of jealousy run through his spine. She's relying on someone—someone who isn't the baker, and isn't Gale—to help her through this, and the thought makes him angry.
What's worse is that it must be a person from the Capitol. Who else would she know in the audience? He can see Abernathy on the other side, seated with the other mentors, watching her intently. They're reactions were filmed for the crowd's enjoyment as well. So it's not Abernathy that she's getting help from. And it's not the baker.
And it's not him.
Gale clenches his fists. No one else has noticed her nervousness, or his reaction to it. She is trying to be herself, he notes dully, but she couldn't be failing more.
She stands and grins and twirls in her dress.
Gale wants to vomit because it just isn't her. Where is his friend? His hunting partner? The girl he... no. He mustn't let thoughts like that into his head. They would discuss it when she got back.
If.
The interviewer is asking about the reaping now—about Prim and about why she'd volunteered for the games. The answer is obvious, isn't it? Gale thinks derisively. It's love. And it always has been love.
Maybe they don't understand love in the Capitol.
Gale stops thinking about this when the interviewer asks Katniss the next question. He asks about Prim and what she said to her after the reaping. It sends him reeling—thinking about, dwelling on the things that he said to her. He promised to keep her family safe, and he promised to look after himself.
Her response makes Prim tear up beside him, and he holds her in his arms. She seems to find solace there, clutching onto the scratchy material of her shirt the same way that Katniss has been holding on to the baker's son's hand.
I swore I would.
He tightens his grasp around Prim. Because he swore too.
.:.
A/N: Not sure how I feel about this chapter. :S Hum. Maybe some feedback would be good? I had my first day of orientation today and university and, needless to say, it was totally and completely terrifying.
Some reviews to make me feel better?
xx
.:.
Next: Peeta's interview
