Disclaimer: The bread scene clip came out today in a commercial. I think I cried.


After getting to my house, refusing to answer my dad about where I was and why my clothes were wet, changing as fast as I could and making myself semi-presentable for school, I rush out the door. Gale has stayed, surprisingly, and is in the same spot I left him, sitting on my stoop. He's too focused on watching people walk by on their way to work to notice that I've come back outside. I watch him for a moment; his eyes squint as he analyzes each person. I wonder if he's judging them, picking apart every detail down to the way they walk to the clothes they wear. I wonder if he still clumps me with them, as a townie instead of just someone who lives in D12. I close the door so it pops and he shifts to look at me, forcing a short smile onto his face.

"We should start walking," I say quickly, rushing past him and he stands to follow. "I took a little longer than expected trying to avoid my father. We might be late." He says nothing but changes his pace so he walks next to me instead of behind me. My blonde hair tumbles down my shoulders and flies behind me in the wind. I wish I had brought a hair tie or something because now I'm going to look like an animal in school. Not that I'm trying to impress anyone. I think.

"Have you heard anything about Katniss?" Gale asks as the school appears on the horizon. I shake my head no and begin feeling guilty. I haven't asked or paid much attention recently. "She's still out," he mutters. I frown and yank a strand of hair back to my face and begin playing with it. It keeps my mind busy. We pass the bakery and see that it's up and running again. I want to stop in and see Mr. Mellark and ask how he is but we're already late as it is. I think Gale sense this because he says, "He's still alive, you know." I nod, but I know it won't be for much longer. He's nestled himself on the river bed after the D2 boy cut him and his odds aren't very strong right now. Maybe he'll outlast the others.

As we approach the school it's clear that it's already started. "Sorry," I say quietly as he holds the door open for me. "I didn't mean to make us late."

"I leave next week anyways," he shrugs. "I don't even really know why I come anymore." That's right; Gale's going to start his job in the mines. Must mean his birthday's coming up. "Was your dad mad at you?"

"Furious," I mumble when we arrive at the office. I shake the thoughts of my father's angry accusations and fists against the wall from my head. He'd never been that mad before. All late attendees must sign in to prove that they were here, and state their reason of lateness. "What do we say?"

"I usually just leave it blank," he smirks, taking the pen from the secretary. I decide to do the same. After we do that we part ways to different classes, Gale nodding at me with a muted smile, but a smile nonetheless. His gaze holds mine for a moment before he turns the opposite direction. I start walking to my class and glance over my shoulder at him, realizing he's doing the same. I snap my head back and realize I'm blushing. I pause outside the classroom door to collect my breath for a moment, feeling my face to make sure it isn't pink anymore. Stupid Gale.

Once inside, everyone in the class glances at me. A few snicker so I wonder if I'm still blushing. Some in the back whisper something. I hand my pass to the teacher and she barely glances at it before waving me to my seat. I'm not all that late anyways, just a few minutes. The people around me fall to a hush as I sit down and I wonder what they could possibly be talking about.

This routine of whispers and glances follow me throughout the day. I don't find out why until lunchtime.

"Have a good night, Madge?" Cassius slides into the seat across from me, a malicious smile pasted to his face.

"Why is my night any concern of yours?" I snap before taking a bite of my apple. He shrugs, his smile widening with my response.

"You see, I have this friend." Oh, great. "His names Landon."

"I know Landon," I mumble. He's also from town, one of Cassius' many minions. "What about him?" As I wait for him to answer I take a sip from my water bottle.

"See, he sent me over to see if you wanted to go on a date with him." With these words the water doesn't sit in my throat and I choke and laugh at the same time. "Yeah I know. My first thought was who'd want to date you? But I told him I'd come talk to you anyways even though his chances are obviously slim."

"Obviously," I echo, my voice raw from choking. I take another sip to stop it from aching and he continues.

"Yeah, I mean, after you and that Seam kid went gallivanting off in the middle of the night…" A whole new fit of coughs erupts from me.

"What?"

"What's his name… Grime… Gash… Gabe…" This isn't happening. "Right, right, Gale. Gale Hawthorne. Yeah after you two disappeared somewhere in the middle of the night and no one's seen you since this morning, I'd say poor old Landon doesn't have much of a shot. Your father contacted my father who said we couldn't start up a search party until the morning..." Cassius' father is the head of the police force in D12. I hold up a hand for him to pause as I learn to breathe again as he sits across from me, a pleasant smirk on his face.

"I," cough, "We're not together…"

"Sure you aren't," he scoffs, leaning back and crossing his arms. "I have my sources from the Seam that say they saw you two wandering into the meadow late last night."

"Why're you keeping tabs on me, Cassius?" I growl, slamming my water bottle on the table.

"Then even more people saw you to emerge from the meadow this morning and arrive to school late!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about," I grumble. "There are plenty of blonde girls that look like me. Could have been any of them." I lie and lie and lie but I know he knows I'm lying because my father called his father.

"Yeah, I know so many blondes that live in the Seam. You're right; I'll have to check my sources." He pushes himself away but keeps his hands on the table. "I might have believed you Madge my dear, if it wasn't for one thing." I meet his eyes and he smiles, it looks genuine but I see the revenge in his eyes. This is all from me smacking him. "The boy didn't deny any of it." He finally removes his hands from the table and leaves me awestruck. Great. Peachy. Wonderful. The entire area around us has been listening and I can feel my face on fire.

I can't be here right now. Nope, I can't do it. I grab all of my things and go to stand when another person slides into the seat across from me. I look up and meet eyes with Gale. "What are you doing?" I hiss, momentarily dropping my things.

"Sitting with my girlfriend." He shrugs, a smile tempting his lips.

"I am not your girlfriend!"

"Well I know that, and you know that, but they," he gestures to the tables around us, "don't know that." A few moments later Gale's friend Thom takes the seat next to him. This isn't happening.

"And you're condoning it?" I say, not giving Thom a second glance.

"I think it's funny as hell, yes," Gale grins, so does Thom. "Come on, Undersee! What are the odds we'd ever get together? You have to admit its funny!"

Still, I frown. It's not that unlikely, is it? "Whatever, Gale."

"I thought you said she had a sense of humor," Thom chuckles, crossing his arms. I want to scold them both because despite my night with Gale I still have the looming threat of my mother dying over my head. It's hard to be funny and serious and calm yet still outgoing all at the same time. Mainly, I'm stressed.

"She does," Gale crosses his arm in the same fashion. "Where it went I'm not sure."

"I'm just gonna go," I mumble, pushing myself away from the table before either of them can stop me. How can he just take this so lightly? How can anyone? Yeah, I guess there could be worse rumors spread about me, but I just… I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it really is unlikely that I'm getting upset, or maybe the thought of how Katniss would take the rumor makes my head hurt. I shouldn't even be worrying about this! I should be at home with my mom or catching up on the Games to make sure Katniss and Peeta are still hanging on…

"Where're you going?" Gale calls, and I continue walking without looking at him. "Undersee," he growls, "don't do this." I pick up my pace and hear only my footsteps, causing me to think he isn't following me anymore, but then I remember his footsteps are silent and I wouldn't hear them if he was. "Damnit, Madge, would you stop?" He grabs my shoulder and spins me around to look at him. "What's with you?"

"I just don't want to deal with this right now!" I snap, pushing him off. "Since when," I pause, and spin away for a moment, "since when do my emotions concern you?" The words slip from my lips before I even process them, and then I realize why I'm acting like this. Gale can't care about me, how could he? I'm just some girl from town. I'm the mayor's daughter. I'm just Madge and I know he can't care about me and he doesn't and that I'm just all some big joke to him.

"After last night I'd say we're a little bit more than strangers, wouldn't you?" His tone manages to be harsh and gentle at the same time. I pause for a moment, considering this. Is he actually saying we're friends? No, he can't be. Last night was just… stupid. It was all stupid, this whole thing is stupid! I can't deal with this. I can't deal with this. I was too emotional and that's why I opened up to him and told him all that stuff about my twin and my life and my feelings…

"I have too much going on," I mutter, turning away from him. "I can't deal with this, and my parents, and the Games…" I feel tears pricking at my eyes. "Maybe I am better off alone." Maybe? I know I am. Ever since birth I was destined to be by myself.

"You don't believe that," Gale says, leaning against the lockers as I keep walking. "You want to, but you don't."

"You don't know me Gale!" I turn back to him. "We don't know each other… we're illogical! There's already a rumor about us, do you want another?"

"I thought you didn't care what people thought about you."

"I don't…"

"Then what's it matter?" he says. "What does it matter if we're seen together?" I pause and meet his eyes as he shakes his head. "Embarrassed by the Seam boy?"

"No," I growl, "I'm not, you know I'm not."

"You're sure as hell acting like it."

"Well I'm not!" I say louder, stomping my foot and listening to it echo in the empty hallway.

"Then what?" he throws his hands up with a groan. "What is the big deal? You want the truth, Madge?" Instead of answering I drop my gaze. "I think you're scared to trust other people." I bite the inside of my cheek and the taste of copper fills my mouth. "You're right, maybe we aren't logical friends, but when you told me you trusted me last night you weren't lying. You're just scared now. You've admitted that you trust me and now you're scared that I'm gonna leave you."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to," he scoffs. After a long pause he says, "Your favorite color is pink, that's why you wore the pink ribbon for the Reaping." I look back up as he continues his speech, "You play the piano. You're pretty damn good at it too. You'd rather be anywhere but here. You blame everything on yourself. You'd do anything to change how things are. You've never drank, you have a mouth on you, and you're not afraid to stand up for what you think is right." I swallow slowly and find it getting caught in my throat. "You change your mind more often than most," he goes on, "and despite all the shit that's happening right now I feel calm whenever I'm around you. I forget about it all. I forget where we are, and what's going on, and how tragic this place is. Maybe I don't know you but I sure as hell want to."

"Don't say that," my voice shakes. "I can't… you…" He closes the distance between us in two strides and lifts my chin so I look up to him.

"I can't what, Madge?" His voice is soft and gentle like it was last night. "Care about you?" I jerk my head into a nod and he drops my chin. "Why not?"

"Because you're Gale!" I cry, stepping back and finding myself with my back against the lockers. He steps forward again and leans his forearm on the locker above me, leaning over me. "And I'm Madge…"

"And you have terrible excuses," he smirks, white teeth peeking out from between his lips. As much as I want to look away I can't. "Admit you trust me." I shake my head no and his face turns serious. "Admit it."

"I trust you," I say quietly.

"And that you don't regret last night."

"I don't regret it," I say quickly, a little too quickly. He smiles again and takes a step back. "Why're you always right?" I mutter, crossing my arms. He shrugs and crosses his arms too. I bite the inside of my cheek again and drop my eyes as he studies me. His gaze shouldn't make me nervous but it does and I want to slap him for doing this to me.

"You don't have to be alone, Madge."

"It's easier," I mutter.

"No it isn't," he sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Trust me." Then he smirks, probably because he knows I trust him, but then I just feel more dread inside of me. I trust him, great, but he doesn't trust me, and how could he ever learn to? My stomach tightens and I quickly walk back to the cafeteria. Thom is still sitting at the table and now Bristel has joined him. She smirks in my direction and then Thom turns and sees me, raising an eyebrow as Gale follows.

"Well if it isn't the new couple sneaking back into lunch," she smirks the same way Gale does, and crosses her arms. Bristel has long black hair and it mimics mine by tumbling down her shoulders. She's very pretty and despite being from the Seam even the town boys try to catch her eye. I try not to look angry at her comment but I can tell I do because she chuckles and drops her arms. Maybe she likes Gale. It seems everyone does.

"Just calming her down," Gale reaches his arm over my shoulder and pulls me closer for a brief moment. It's warm and I can feel his muscles flex behind me. I try suppressing my blush but it's there, I can feel it. "She can be so feisty sometimes." His tone is full of sarcastic concern.

"You do like 'em feisty," Thom snorts as he picks at an orange, his eyes focused on the fruit in his hands. I feel so out of place it isn't funny in the least. They all have tanned skin and darker hair while I'm verging on pale and my blonde hair shimmers in the sunlight. "I'm joking," Thom adds when he sees my face fixed in concentration at a spot on the table. Gale squeezes my shoulder before dropping his arm.

"Learn to breathe," he whispers in my ear. My heartbeat picks up as the words tickle me and despite being angry at him and scared of what's going to happen with the Games and my mom and the future in general, I take a deep breath. A grin breaks onto his face as he leans away and then I force myself to finally accept that he does care about me. At least a sliver. And he's right, I need to breathe. The strangers sitting across from me don't ask about the Games, or my family, or the stupid rumor that got me upset in the first place. They just talk.

They talk about the mines that they'll all be joining within the next few weeks, and the annoying couple a few tables over that can't keep their lips off each other ("Glad you two aren't like that!" Thom teases) and Gale's impending birthday (whom speaking of which got nervous when it was mentioned), and how it was starting to cool down which was nice, and I finally knew what it was like to have… friends.

I mean I know they're not my friends, but I know what it feels like now, how great and wonderful it is. Katniss is a great friend, really, but we never had long drawn out silly conversations, and we never gossiped, and we never openly laughed at things that weren't funny. Thom flicks something across the table at me and Gale bats it away before it hits me. I retaliate and toss my apple stem at him, smacking him in the forehead. Bristel snorts into her hand and Gale turns away with a laugh. Thom laughs too and then so do I and I'm not even sure what's funny but I can't stop laughing.

"That's the Madge Undersee I think I know," Gale says gently as the bell rings, dismissing us back to class. Thom and Bristel wave goodbye to me and then drag him off towards his classes. He winks at me over his shoulder then runs off with his friends. Seeing Gale with his friends is like seeing an entirely new person. Hearing Gale in the hall confess he wants to know me is like meeting someone new. He's right. Being alone isn't better. It isn't better at all, because this feeling, this bubble of light in my stomach and goofy grin that won't leave my face, this feeling is what I want, and if Gale's the one to give it to me I'm not going to try to push him again. If anything, I'll pull him closer.


A/N: Wow this chapter is all over the place. My first delay and it was mostly because I just don't like this chapter much. I have Madge like this because she's trying to stay strong and fierce but at the same time she's really pained inside about her past and her mom and maybe the future and yeah. Gale's just being Gale and trying to make her feel better because he can't and I don't know, man, I don't know. Anyways, Thom and Bristel are actually in the books. Thom is one of Gale's oldest friends who he knew before he met Katniss. Bristel is someone a lot of other people add to their fanfics but usually he's a boy. According to the Hunger Games wikia, however, Bristel is a girl about the same age as them and works in the mines as well (via Catching Fire). So yadda yadda long and boring, sorry for the wait! School is catching up with me and it's crazy. Also, don't be scared to criticize me. Please! It helps make me a better writer! I love all the nice comments though, someone said they were rambling and should stop because they sounded stupid but I just grinned like crazy because it was too sweet. You're all really great.

Side note!: Someone mentioned writing from Gale's POV as well? What do you think? Give it a go or stick to Madge? Also, we all know the tragic demise of my lovely Undersee, should I end my story with that same demise or change it up a bit? I like to think Gale had a happy ending in D2 but they never really elaborate. And they all think Madge is dead but you never really know... Opinions on the matter would be nice!

Thanks for reading that huge paragraph if you did! Sorry for rambling! x