Thank you to the following people for reviewing: Txcutee, GirlwithaBow, ImaginationStation00, Ellenka, To be a rebel, spartygirl46, ShortySC22, teacups and lollipops, and rayleen14. Good to know you have stuck with this story despite the long time between updates! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter ;)
Chapter 10
I don't know how I'm here but I'm with her in the Arena. We've managed to make it to the end, with only 2 Career boys left in the running for victor. They've managed to track us after we were forced into the same area of the Arena, thanks to the Gamemakers. As the Careers chase after us, I make sure that Katniss stays in front of me, so they will reach me before her. We've already had a ton of arguments over who will get out. She still thinks that she is trying to get me out of here…that's what I've let her think anyway. She should know better than to think that I would ever let any harm come her way.
I somehow manage to lose my footing and fall to the ground. I attempt to spring back up but find myself pulled to the ground. I look down to my right leg and find it in a snare. It high tech which leads me to believe it was put here by the Gamemakers. I look ahead of me and see Katniss continuing to run.
'Good, keep going.' I think to myself. I'm relieved she's saving herself and also that she wouldn't be here to witness my end. I still don't give up. I try to free myself but the vine on my leg seems to wrap tighter around me. I try to slice through it with my knife but it won't work. I let out a frustrated sigh. There is nothing left to do but wait. I hear footsteps trudging behind me. I close my eyes, hoping that they are quick.
"Gale!" Katniss calls out, sliding down next to me.
"Katniss, you have to get out of here." I plead with her as I grasp her shoulders.
"Not without you!" she replies, rejecting my demand.
"They're coming. They'll get us both."
"No!"
"Go!" I say, pushing her away from me.
"Not without you!" she repeats herself. She works on trying to free me. I don't know what else I can do to make her run. It isn't too long before the Careers find us, their faces wearing sadistic smiles. I plead with her to leave one more time but she refuses.
"What do we have here?" the taller one asks as he paces closer. He grabs Katniss off of me and the other boy restrains me, though I can't see a reason why. I am not going anywhere with this vine wrapped around me. I then feel his metal blade against my neck and know it's the end.
"I must say, I'm impressed 12." the boy holding Katniss says. "No one expected you to last as long as you did."
"Let her go!" I shout. He laughs maniacally.
"Why would I do that? Got to cut the competition as much as we can." he replies. I've come to the conclusion that I hate this guy. I try to break free from the other Career's hold on me to lunge at him but I am pulled back down. The blade feels even closer to my neck.
"Let's finish him." I hear the voice from behind me say.
"Not just yet. I want him to see this." he says with a glint in his eyes. I watch as he pins Katniss to the ground, shifting his weight on top of her. My blood runs cold. How could he…how could anyone…
"Get off her!" I shout as I try to break free. Katniss is screaming my name as she tries to escape. It's impossible. He's so much bigger than her. I still continue the struggle and plead for some sort of alternative. My surroundings darken into a black abyss and then I'm back in the light, under the covers in my bed. Katniss is here trying to calm me down.
"It was just a bad dream." she says as she brings me back to reality. I feel tears on my cheek. I quickly turn onto my stomach and bury my head in my pillow. I don't want her to see me crying. I've never shown her my vulnerable side; I'm not about to start now. My body is stll shaking as I think about that last scene in my dream, about what almost happened. If anyone ever tried that with her, they wouldn't live to see the next day.
"Gale." she coos as she rubs my back, her fingertips swirling in a circular motion. This works to calm me but soon has another effect. Her touch stirs something inside me, a desire I've tried to stifle for so long. It feels so good. I don't think she even shows how sensual she can be, even when she isn't even trying. It soon becomes too much for me. If she continues this, I'll want her to do other stuff. Things she would never agree to.
"Katniss, stop." I mutter loud enough to hear. She ignores me, continuing to try to soothe me. Why won't she listen? "Katniss, I said stop!" I say firmly as I hit my pillow with my forearm. Her hand immediately leaves me. I look over to her and see her scared expression. Before I can apologize for my tone, she turns away, leaving the room.
My mother enters the room, hurriedly.
"What did you do?" she asks in an accusatory voice.
"Nothing."
"You clearly upset her…wouldn't even tell me what was wrong."
"She's the one who wouldn't stop."
"Stop what?"
"Nothing, forget it." I shrug it off. The last thing I want to do is explain it to my mother. I'm not ready to let this go yet. "And why do you always think it's me that did something wrong?"
"Because I know you. I know how your react sometimes."
"I wasn't mean…at least not the first time."
"People won't always put up with your shit, Gale. Just remember that." she says before leaving. I'm left speechless when I hear my mother curse. She never curses. She despises it. The guilt then sinks in. Mothers can do that do you.
She was just trying to help and I pushed her away. I then start to wonder if that meant more than that. Anyone who knows Katniss knows she's guarded and has a difficult time showing her emotions. What if she was reaching out to me, showing me how she felt in the best way she could? Her touch felt different this time, soft and delicate. Most of the time she just pushes me around as if to prove herself. I was finally having a breakthrough with her and I didn't even realize it at the time. Instead, what did I do? I pushed her further away. I fear we have regressed and I've created some damage.
I resolve that an apology is in order. She needs to know that I didn't mean to upset her. She did nothing wrong. I was the one who was being an ass. I climb out of bed and lean against the wall as I slide on my shoes. My body is weak with my muscles having atrophied from staying in bed for so long. I brace the wall as I hobble down the hallway towards the front door. I don't even reach it before I am stopped by my mother.
"Where do you think you are going, Gale Hawthorne?" she asks, blocking my way.
"To apologize to her." I briefly explain.
"You're still weak. You'll never make it to her house. Back to bed." she tells me as she turns me around.
"Mom, I need to tell her I'm sorry!" I say in a panic.
"There will be time for that later."
"Mom, she's upset." I say, trying to reason with her. "I don't want her to think she did something wrong."
"Next time she's here, you can talk."
"There might not be a next time." I reply as I quickly turn around to try for the door once more. My body betrays me and I lose my footing, causing my head to make contact with the back of a wooden chair. I fall to the ground in pain. My mother huffs loudly and helps me up.
"You need to start listening." she tells me. I hate this. I've never felt more like a child in my life. I place my hand up to my forehead and can already feel the knot forming.
"You need to start letting me make my own decisions." I retort. She then says something about me living under her roof and all this other stuff I drown out as she helps me back to bed. I don't want to be in bed. I've been there for too long.
I'm lucky that my mother lets me join my family for dinner for the first time I traveled back…or was ill. I'm still not sure if all that future stuff was just a bad dream. I felt real. Time passed in real time. Everything was so vivid. I guess it doesn't really matter, except to heed it as a warning about what my future could be like if I make a wrong move now. After dinner, I sit with my family in the living room until it's time to turn in. My mother helps me back to bed and tucks me in before leaving me. I'm left alone with my thoughts. I still want to tell Katniss I'm sorry.
I wait until the house has grown quiet. I do my best to move quietly through the house but trip a few times. I'm still not in control of my body. When I get to the door, I take my father's walking stick to balance myself. I make my way through the Seam, struggling with each step but I don't dare turn back. I carry on even though I know that this was a bad idea. My mother was right. I am too weak for this.
I use the rest of my strength to climb the stairs of the Everdeen's porch. I knock loud enough to be heard but not so loud that I startle someone. I wait a minute but nothing happens. I try again, this time knocking a little louder. This time, I have more success as I see the door slowly open. On the other side is Katniss, peaking from behind the door. When she sees it's me, she quickly opens the door the rest of the way.
"Gale, what are you doing?" she asks as she helps me inside. I take a seat on the bench by the doorway and let out a breath of relief. It feels good to be off my feet.
"Came to apologize…for earlier." I tell her.
"Oh my—your head!" she exclaims as her fingers gently touch the knot of my head.
"It's from earlier. I'm fine."
"You should be in bed resting."
"I needed to see you."
"You scared me half to death, banging on our door in the middle of the night." she says as she slaps my arm. "Thought you were a Peacekeeper."
"Why would you think that?" I ask with a furrowed brow.
"We break the law on a daily basis, Gale. It's only a matter of time before we're caught."
"No, we're careful. And besides, most of them are on our side."
"But not all of them." she says. Her face becomes gentler before she speaks again. "Come on; let's get you to bed." she says propping me up. At first I am convinced that she is going to walk me home, so I'm surprised when we start towards her room. I don't say anything about it. To be honest, I'm curious as to what will happen next. Will she sleep in the same bed as me or opt for the loveseat instead? I brace the footboard to her bed while she pulls back the covers. She then returns to me and helps me into bed, bringing the covers up to my shoulders. She turns for the door but I stop her by taking her hand.
"Stay." I request.
"There isn't enough room." she comments. Not enough room isn't really a valid reason. She'd fit in here with me. There just might not be enough space between us for her liking. I scoot towards the edge of the bed and pat on the space I made for her.
"It's fine, Gale. I can sleep on the couch."
"I'd prefer not to be alone…not tonight." I admit, hoping it's enough to make her stay. She turns for the door. I don't put up a fight. I'd never make her do anything against her will. I watch her go to close the door but am surprised to see her stay on the same side as me. She makes her way through the darkness to her bed, a route I'm sure she's all too familiar with. Even with the curtains open, the room is still dark due to the new moon. She lays on top of the covers leaving enough space so our bodies aren't touching. Even though it's late, I'm still not ready to sleep so I ask her the one question I have been dreading to ask her…or anyone really.
"When is the Reaping?" I murmur into the darkness.
"Saturday." she responds.
"What day is it today?"
"Tuesday." I flinch at her reply. That's not enough time to do what I want to do. I want us to run away together along with our families. Four days is not enough time to plan this, especially when recovering from being ill.
"I'm worried about you." I admit.
"You're worried about me?" she asks with surprise.
"How many slips will have your name on there?"
"Twenty-four." she says automatically. She's already thought it through.
"That a lot." I say with a sigh.
"Not as many as you'll have."
"Forty-two." I respond back.
"Doesn't really matter, I guess. All it takes is one slip." I know what that last comment means and what she's referencing. I hear her breath hitch as she tries to hold back her tears. She's thinking of her sister, Prim. Katniss has kept her entries in the Reaping to a minimum, not letter her take any tessera. She'll only have one slip in the reaping bowl but if what happened before happens again, that won't matter.
"She'll be ok Katniss." I whisper as I wrap my arm around her to comfort her. Her muscles flinch at the surprise of my body touching hers but she seems to accept it. She doesn't make any moves to push me away.
"She'll never make it out of the Arena if she gets selected."
"You'd never let her get that close." I tell her.
"If I go, you'll take care of her, right?" she asks me as her voice wavers. I hold back my laugh at her ridiculous question. This isn't the time or place for that.
"You know I would. We've discussed this."
"It would make me feel better…hearing you say that."
"Yes, Katniss, of course I would. I really hope it doesn't come down to that."
"Goodnight Gale." she says, ending the conversation.
"Goodnight Katniss." I respond. I close my eyes and keep my arm around her as we both drift off to sleep.
I wake before Katniss and find our bodies are even closer when we were awake last night. She's right where I want her, safe in my arms. I lean forward and press my lips to her forehead, causing a smile to reach my lips. This is right where I want to be. I could stay in this moment forever if I could. I allow myself to savor this moment for a few minutes more before gently cooing her name. The sun has started to rise and she has school. Her eyes flutter open and almost immediately, her cheeks blush with embarrassment at our proximity. She silently frees herself from me and grabs a fresh set of clothes before leaving the room. She doesn't return for a while, probably making sure Prim is awake and getting ready.
"Come on, I'll take you back to your house." she says returning to me. Katniss helps me up and I use her for support, even though I really don't need it. I'll take any opportunity I can to be close to her. She calls for Prim once we reach the front door and we are on our way. As we draw closer and closer to my house, I can't help but think about how angry my mother is right now. She has to know by now that I am not in my bed. We walk to my front door and Katniss knocks on the door. I turn the knob, thinking it ridiculous to have to wait to be let into my own house. My mother is clearing off the table, stopping to give me a disapproving look. We are all silent as Katniss takes me back to my room. I manage to avoid Rory and Vick who are bathroom, finishing up getting ready for school. Once again, Katniss gets the bed ready for me and tucks me into bed. If feels nice having her take care of me.
I lay in bed until I am sure that everyone has left for school. I then make my way to the kitchen where my mother is by the sink, washing dishes. She pauses and dries her hands before crossing her arms in front of her. What follows is a staring contest, each of us waiting for the other to speak. The tension becomes too much and I break the silence.
"I don't know what you expect me to say."
"An apology seems to be in order." she says.
"And what if I'm not sorry?" I snip.
"You left the house in the middle of the night after I told you not to go."
"You don't understand." I say, my frustration building. If she knew what happened last night and what it meant to me, she wouldn't be talking to me this way.
"What if you didn't make it to the Everdeen house last night?"
"Someone would have found me."
"Yes, Peacekeepers finding you breaking curfew." she says with hurt eyes. In my desperateness to get to Katniss, I forgot about the curfew they impose on the District the week of the Reaping. Just another way for the Capitol to control us.
"Well I'm fine, so it doesn't matter."
"Ok." my mother simply said. She's surrendered this battle. I won. Pride swells up inside me, proud of myself for having talked my way out of this one. I start to leave when she starts to speak again. "Oh, Thom brought by your schoolwork. It's on the table."
"Schoolwork?" I ask confused.
"The work you missed when you were out. I'd get started if I were you. You have quite a bit of work to complete for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" I ask, confused. She doesn't really think….
"When you go back to school." she says, interrupting my thoughts. I look at the considerable pile resting on the tabletop. She's right. It's a lot to get through in one day. I locate my composition book and textbook and open it to the bookmarked page.
"Well-played." I murmur when I realize that my mother actually has the winning hand, reminding me not to cross Hazelle Hawthorne. She can be quite a fearsome thing to behold, given the right situation.
So what did you think? You know I love reviews so don't forget to leave one ;)
btw, The Reaping is next chapter!