A/N: Thanks for the feedback! Everyone is always so sweet~ :) I love all you people. Okay, on with the reaping..

EStrunk - Sorry. All I meant was that I don't think that chapter was my best, but I wanted to get up a new chapter ASAP.

Chapter 9

Gale stood in front of the small cracked mirror in the bathroom. He pulled out his best clothes, clothes he only wore to reapings.

"Gale? Are you ready?" His mom peered into the room.

"Yeah Mom." Gale walked out. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yes. It's time to go." Hazelle opened the door and let everyone go ahead of her. She watched her children, all walking to the square. But it was Gale she feared for. The young ones were not yet eligible for the Hunger Games. But Gale had many slips. And she couldn't bear to lose her eldest son.

She sighed, and walked out.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

When the Hawthorne family arrived at the square, it was already swarming with people, from the frightened twelve year olds to the bet takers.

Gale spotted Katniss and her family across the square.

"I'll be right back," he muttered to his mom. She nodded.

Gale was halfway there when he felt something clutch on to his leg. He looked down.

"Gale!" Posy whimpered. "What's happening?"

Gale lifted her up into his arms. "Don't worry," he whispered. "Now come on."

He walked over to Katniss, who was holding Prim's hand.

"Hey Catnip." He nodded at her mom. "Mrs. Everdeen."

Then he looked at Prim. "Hi Prim."

She shyly ducked behind Katniss. "Hi," she softly murmured.

Mrs. Everdeen took Prim's other hand. "Let's go, darling."

Katniss was left with Gale and Posy.

"Hey Posy." Katniss smiled at her.

Posy took her thumb out of her mouth. "Hi," she said, then stuck her thumb back into her mouth.

"So...Gale. The reaping is now." Katniss sighed.

Gale felt a surge of anger. The Capitol was just cruel. "Yeah, I know. May the odds be ever in my favor."

Katniss opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the cheerily irritating voice of none other than Effie Trinket.

"Now, now! Places, everybody!" Effie trilled.

Katniss and Gale gave each other a parting nod, and headed to their age group.

Gale handed Posy to their mother, and headed to the fourteen year old section.

"Welcome, welcome! The time has come to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 12 in the 70th annual Hunger Games!" Effie was absurdly peppy. She was sporting a hot pink wig, and was decked out in a matching suit as well.

Then she launched into a speech about the honor of being selected, blah blah blah. All the crap that only Effie would believe in.

At last, she announced, "It is now time to select the tributes! May the odds be ever in your favor!"

She walked along the stage to the glass bowl, calling out, "Ladies first!" She reached into the glass bowl of names, her pale hand darting around.

At last her hand surfaced from the pool of paper, a slip tightly grasped in bedazzled pink claws. Her nails sparkled at the crowd, as if to mock them, to say, I will determine someone's fate, and it could be yours.

She dutifully walked over to the center of the stage and pulled the microphone towards her mouth. Her absurdly bright lips parted, and she shouted, "Our female tribute is...Lunelle Aiana!"

There was scattered applause as a young girl, who was no older than Katniss, Gale noted, approached the stage. She reluctantly made it up the stage, her tiny frame shaking.

Effie smiled. "Give it up for Lunelle!"

She cleared her throat. "Now, on to the gentlemen!" She crossed over to the opposite glass bowl, going through the same procedure. When she opened her mouth, Gale's heart sped up. It could be him.

Effie beamed. "Gale-"

Gale was stunned. The odds were not in his favor.

"NO!" A loud outburst caused the crowd to fall silent. Effie gazed into the crowd, trying to find the perpetrator.

Gale turned his head, and spotted Katniss, bright red, with a hand clamped over her mouth.

Effie frowned. "Let us continue. As I said, our male tribute is Gale Thayleen."

Again the crowd clapped as the boy headed to the stage.

Gale felt his heart slow down to a steady rhythm, and he felt relief wash over him. He was safe. His family was safe. He turned to Katniss once again, and she caught his eye. She blushed again and quickly averted her eyes.

Effie kept blabbering on, and finally she said the golden words: "Goodbye! Have a nice day, and be sure to tune in to The Happy Hunger Games!"

Gale made his way back to his family. Hazelle had tears gleaming in her eyes. "I was so worried it was you!"

Gale waved away her worry. "I wasn't chosen, so don't worry Mom."

"Of course I'll worry! You're my baby!" She swiped away the tears. "Let's go home now that it's over."

"I'll meet you there. I need to go somewhere," Gale stated.

She had a curious look on her face, but only nodded. She led the kids off.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Gale weaved through the crowd of people, trying desperately to find Katniss.

He saw a flash of her head, then he lost her. He groaned in frustration. Unsure of what to do, Gale headed to the meadow in the woods. He needed time to think. Why had Katniss shouted out?

When he arrived at the meadow, he saw that Katniss was sitting there.

"Katniss?" He slowly approached her.

She jumped up, alarmed. "What?" She turned to leave.

"Don't go. Why did you shout out 'no'?" Gale stared at her intensely.

"It's nothing." Her tone was uncomfortable.

"Tell me." Gale waited.

"It's nothing," she repeated.

Gale was fed up. "Stop lying to me! I thought we had known each other well enough by know to be friends, but no, you keep shielding yourself away from me like I'm a bad guy."

Katniss whirled around, fury evident in her eyes. "You really want to know?"

Gale sighed, exasperated. "Yes!"

She was ready to explode. "I just thought that the Capitol was going to take away one more person I care about!"

After that exclamation, she stiffened. Then she ran away.

A/N: The line Effie said ("Welcome, welcome...") is a direct quote from the trailer! Just wanted to use it! ^_^ And how was the ending? Dramatic? Might be OOC, IDK, so please review!