Disclaimer: Still belonging to Suzanne. Deep sigh.
Grash leaves quickly after that. I've gone numb and can't really react. I want anything more than to talk to my mother but she's just taken a dose of morphling and won't be awake until tomorrow.
"Madge, you have to understand that I had a reason for not telling you…"
"And what's that?" I snap, pacing back and forth. "You were trying to protect me? Fuck that, you can't always protect me!"
"Margret Undersee do not use those words with me!" His voice booms but leaves me unaffected.
"I can say whatever the hell I want!" I hiss back at him, crossing my arms and turning to face him. "No, I just. No. I can't be here right now." I turn from him and fumble with my shoes, slipping them on quickly.
"And just where do you think you're going?" I can tell he's worried by his undertones but I can't look him in the eye right now. Without an answer I fumble out the door, slamming it behind me. "Madge!" I hear him call through the door, but he doesn't follow me. Tears are stinging at my eyes and I throw my arms around myself.
He's right. Where can I possibly go? The sky is already pink and orange overhead, the wind starting to pick up pace. It's going to be a little chilly tonight, but I can't go home. I can't be within twenty feet of him right now. He's going to want to talk and I can't talk to him. I can't talk about how my life is falling apart around me and I can't talk about how terrified I am of everything. I can't talk about the Games, and I can't talk about the Capitol, and I can't talk about anything. But it's not because I don't want to. It's because I have no one to talk with. Only then do I realize I've already started my walk to the Seam.
By the time I get to Gale's house I'm questioning my own sanity. Why am I here? Why did I think that this would be a good idea? I should just go home before I do something stupid like knock on the door.
"Madge?" Vick peaks out from the window and stares wide eyed at me. Oh crap. "Madge!" The door swings open and Vick ushers me in before I can object. He takes his seat next to Rory on the couch and watches me with caution.
"Hey Gale," Rory calls from his spot when he sees me. "Your girlfriends here!"
"Rory," I shake my head no and widen my eyes. "We're not…"
"What the hell are you talking about? I don't have a..." Gale saunters out of the backroom, and pauses when he sees me. "What are you…" I open my mouth to speak but no words come out. It might be due to the fact that I don't know what I'm doing here. It might also be due to the fact that Gale's shirtless. I can't decide. I drop my gaze quickly and reach up to tug on my hair. Rory is smirking from the couch, once again his eyes going back and forth between us. What do I even say? I don't know why I'm here. "Hold on," Gale says and turns back to his room.
"Feel free to sit, Madge," Rory grins. "Games are on."
"I'd rather not watch them," I admit shyly. "How's Katniss?" I wrap my arms around myself and try to breathe.
"Better," he shrugs. I don't know what better means and I don't really want to ask. I think he knows this and it's why he doesn't elaborate. Gale reemerges from his room wearing a short sleeved gray shirt and I find myself able to breathe again.
"Tell mom I went out," Gale says to Rory, who smirks again but nods in agreement.
"Do I expect to see you sometime tonight?"
"Later, Rory," Gale groans, ushering me out the door. I suddenly laugh at the younger who sits up proudly and waggles his eyebrows. Once outside, Gale shuts the door quietly and two sets of eyes peer out of the window at us. Gale shoots his brothers a glare who fall beneath our view giggling. "What's wrong?" he asks, turning back to me. "Are you alright?"
I pause for a moment, unsure of what to say. "Have you ever just wanted to forget everything?" He raises an eyebrow at me and I sigh, trying to figure out the string of words in my head. I run a hand through my hair and momentarily turn away before coming back. "Like you have so many problems, you just want them to go away. Even if it's just for a little bit."
He nods, "Yeah. Why?"
"Because," I groan. "Because I just want them to all go away!"
"Alright," he says slowly before looking up at the sky. It's pinks and oranges are turning into purples and blues. "Come with me," he says, taking a few steps off.
"Where?"
He laughs, "Why does it matter? Come on, Undersee. Live a little. Don't you trust me?" I scrunch my face before giving him a maybe face. "Just come on," he says, a smile still lighting his face. He turns to walk, and this time I follow. My arms are still folded tightly around me and we walk in silence. The Seam is a little less scary at night with him next to me. After a few minutes we find ourselves in the meadow.
"Oh hell no," I pause, looking towards the fence. "You are not getting me over that thing."
Gale laughs and turns back to me, having walked a few steps in front. "Wasn't planning on it. Come on, Madge." He reaches for my arm and pulls at my wrist until I start walking again. A short distance from the fence he veers left, traveling past the territory I've been in. After squeezing through a few bushes and trees we end up near a stream I've never seen before.
"What's this?"
"Dunno," he shrugs, lowering himself to sit on the ground. "I found it when I was younger, and yes, we're still inside the fence." I laugh at the last part and follow his actions, sitting next to him. "I come here when I want my problems to feel small." Then he lies down, sliding his hands behind his head. "I mean look at us. We're two people, right? On one planet out of how many? That's just for our sun, too. What about all the other suns?" I lay down next to him and also put my hands behind my head. "They've gotta have planets too, right? Surely we can't be the only people in the entire universe to have problems." However, in this moment, I feel like we are the only people in the entire universe. Therefore our problems would be the only ones.
"I feel like they just have more room to shout at me out here," I admit guiltily. He's trying to do something nice for me and it isn't helping much.
"Of course that's how you'd think," he laughs. "Just look at the stars, Madge. There are millions of them. Don't think. Just look."
The stars twinkle in the sky and I sigh. "You can't see them from town," I tell him. "The streetlights ruin any view you want to get." There's so many little dots above I begin to feel dizzy and flabbergasted just looking. The worries in my head gradually lessen and all I can think about is those dots, those millions of little dots…
"Madge?"
"Shhh," I close my eyes and listen to the stream as it gaggles a few feet from us, the wind as it dances through the leaves and through my hair. I hear him laugh quietly at me. After a few minutes I take a breath and tell him, "My mom's dying." He waits a moment but then turns on his side to look at me. I keep my eyes shut but can feel his gaze on me. "My dad's known for a few years. I found out by accident. She has a year left, maybe two. It's hard to tell." I swallow slowly and find it hard to do so.
"Madge…" he trails off, sitting up more. I shake my head and push myself off the ground, keeping my eyes shut due to the tears pushing at them.
"I don't understand," I mutter, pushing my hands into my eye sockets, trying to stop the tears before they start. "I already don't have any friends and now I'm losing my mom too…"
"Hey," he leans over and wraps his arms around me quickly as the tears begin to fall. "Don't say that. That's not true."
"Yes it is!" I whimper into his chest as he pulls tighter. "I don't have anyone!"
"You have me," he says firmly. I sniffle and pull away from him. "Okay?" I nod and then he sighs, pulling me back into his arms again. His body is warm and I fit perfectly in his grasp. He rests his chin on my shoulder and sighs. "It's gonna be okay."
A/N: Hello hello! First I'd like to say that seriously every time I get a review from you guys I like bounce and squee. They make me so happy! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Anyways, here's the first part of that chapter I thought might be considered a turning point. I'll post the second part tomorrow sometime... maybe c: Can't post it all at once! That's be crazy! So, I hope it's sincere and heartfelt. It's rather short, and for that I apologize. But it was two short heartfelt chapters or one long heartfelt chapter. I hope you like it!