I won't bother you with too much writing. I know you want to get going with the chapter. So here it is, happy reading!
Chapter 9
"Haymitch Knows, Gale is Furious, and Peeta Loves Me…"
Peeta must have heard my panicked screams. He opens the door and takes in the scene before him; Gale stomping into his yard, almost to his door and myself running after Gale like a fool. I could feel my sense of control dissipating with every step closer to Peeta Gale became. My pleading gets louder and my pace becomes quicker. What is he going to do?
Peeta walks out into his yard, only making me feel crazier. "Nice to see you, Gale," Peeta says in a surprisingly even tone. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" I hear Gale scoff and charge at Peeta. "You bastard!" he yelled before driving Peeta into the ground, visibly knocking the wind out of him. I scream and fling myself onto Gale's back. "Stop! Stop this now!" Gale pushes me off of him with ease and punches Peeta solidly across his right cheek.
Peeta fights back, but Gale is much stronger. I pull myself off of the ground and grab Gale's arms. Gale would not relent. It was as if I wasn't even there. He stands, yanking Peeta up with him. He is about to punch Peeta in the stomach, when I somehow wedge my body in between the two. I hear Peeta's screams in protest, but I am not even concerned with the potential danger to myself. Gale stops immediately, a look of sheer anger on his face.
"What do you think you are doing, standing up for him? He has ruined you." I shake my head viciously and push him away from Peeta and I. "Gale, it's nothing like that. It's me. It's my fault!" The anger never leaves Gale's face; I can only hope that I am getting to him.
I hear Peeta's voice chime in behind me, and I know that it is all over. "Gale, I understand why you are so angry." Gale pushes me aside and punches Peeta in the stomach. I begin screaming in protest again, until a voice interrupts our little show on the lawn. We all stop to look, and see Haymitch wielding a knife.
"Get off of him, kid. We need him." Gale stands stock-still, unsure how to handle the situation. "I said get off." Haymitch's voice gets louder and sterner this time. He holds the knife out, letting Gale know that he isn't afraid to use it. "We need Peeta in one piece."
Gale doesn't look happy about it, but he lets Peeta go. Haymitch smiles and walks closer to Gale. "That's all we'll need from you today, thanks." Gale, not knowing what else to do turns to me. I am so angry I can barely keep myself from lunging at his throat. "Just leave, Gale." My words ooze out of me like venom. I notice that I'm shaking.
He looks a little hurt, but what can he expect from me after pummeling Peeta. I knew I would have to defend Peeta from the tributes, but never expected I would have to fight off Gale. Gale walks off, his pride obviously wounded.
As soon as I'm sure that Gale is no longer a threat, I turn my attention to Peeta. "Are you ok?" He nods and rubs his jaw. "That is beginning to swell. Maybe there is something that my mother could do for you." He doesn't protest.
Once inside, my mother begins to examine his face and abdomen, checking for broken ribs or signs of internal bleeding. Peeta is obviously in pain. "Is there anything I can do for you?" I really do want to help him. This, among so many other things, is my fault. "Not a thing." I look down, obviously feeling useless in this situation.
Peeta laughed, wincing after the fact. "That, that right there is exactly how I have felt every day since you've been…sick." We both give sideways glances at Haymitch, but he doesn't seem to be paying attention. I smile a little. "I hadn't thought about that."
Peeta's smile fades and he looks serious again. "Gale found out, didn't he?" I nod, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. "Yeah, he did. I had no idea that any of this…"
"It's fine. Did he hurt you?" I notice a bit of tension in his voice. Surely it's not directed at me. "No."
Haymitch begins to chuckle, throwing us both off guard. "The boy's just mad that his chances with her are over." I stare at him, confused. "What do you mean?" I ask in all sincerity.
"I know you're not really that dense, doll. The baby ties you to Peeta forever." My mouth drops. I glance quickly at Peeta, his face an exact replication of my own.
"How…how did you know?" Haymitch takes a few steps towards us, as if indicating that he is now in the conversation. "Seriously? You've been all but puking up your organs for the past month or so and you thought I wouldn't notice?" He shrugs and lets out a small laugh. "Maybe you are that dense."
"I'm…really sorry about this." He leans against the counter, looking down at his boots.
"There's really nothing we can do about it now. The situation isn't…ideal, but we'll manage somehow." I look down at the ground. I knew that he didn't believe we could make it out now. Our chances of winning just got slimmer, and we all knew it.
Peeta noticed how upset I was becoming. "We will manage. It will probably even motivate us more so than before. We can do this." I merely nodded.
My mother gave Peeta something for the pain, and he left. I thanked my mother and went upstairs to be alone. I needed to process all of this.
I went to my room and sank into the chair in my room. Everything seemed crazy. Haymitch knew all along. Gale is furious with Peeta, possibly me too. But I'm furious with him…but also upset that things will be different between us now. Peeta loves me, that's known. But do I love him?
I touch my abdomen. And how do I feel about it? I haven't given it more than fleeting moments of thought as I study my body in the mirror. It's like having a little piece of Peeta all the time, but I don't love it. Not really. I don't feel like I love Peeta either. Or do I? I do run to him at night for comfort…
I immediately shake those feelings. I only run to him because he is feeling the same way. He is the only one who understands. Am I horrible for doing this? Knowing that he loves me, but not reciprocating the emotion but running to him like I do? My mind is reeling from today. There is too much to think about. I sink into my bed and let my mind drift off, knowing there will be no peace there, but not caring. I needed the escape just for the moment.
I can't begin to thank everyone for their overwhelming reaction to my story. I never expected so many people to love it, but I am so glad that you all do! I hope you enjoyed the update. :) And sorry that it took so long, life called a little louder than usual today. I hope you enjoyed it though. Review and let me know what you think!
