I am Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. I am the girl on fire. I am the mockingjay.
And I am mad. I pulled myself away and slapped Gale. "How dare you?" I asked. I was shaking. I was hoping he took it as rage.
"Me?" He asked incredulously. "What about you? I am pretty damn sure you were kissing me back. And it was you who initiated that thing that happened in the supply closet less than two weeks ago. Katniss, you need to figure out what is going on and what you want."
I pulled my locket out from beneath my shirt and opened it. He looked at it. I knew what he saw. My mother and Prim smiling from one side. Peeta smiling from the other side. I knew he didn't know that his picture was still in there, but I know he knew it had been.
"Okay, fine." He turned and left me to stand in the hall, still shaking. I was crying. How long had I been crying?
I wiped my eyes and put the locket back under my shirt. I went to find Boggs. I could go ahead and load up on the plan. I needed out of 13. Too bad Gale would be there too. That would not give me any time to clear my head.
Boggs gave me a pack that had supplies and handed me a garment bag. "Change." He said. I unzipped the bag and realized the styling team had repaired my Mokingjay suit.
Another time for me to stand out.
I sat on the hovercraft alone for a long time after I changed. We were set to leave in about fifteen minutes but everyone else was saying goodbyes. I could see Annie and Finnick. I could see 13's soldiers saying goodbye to family.
The first one on was Finnick so he took the seat next to me. He was smiling still when he looked at me. That made me smile back. "Just a couple of days and we will back." He nodded reassuring himself more than me.
Gale boarded next taking the seat across from me. He looked me dead in the eyes. It was a challenge. One that I would meet, I looked him dead in the eyes. He was the first to smile. Then I smiled. Yeah, we had always been good at communicating with a look. Finnick cleared his throat. I blushed and looked at him.
"Did you say goodbye to Peeta?" He asked me very cautiously.
"Yes, early this morning. I made sure he made it back to the hospital ward before I left." I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my mouth. I saw Gale tense up in the corner of my eye. He probably guessed as much but it was always different when you knew something for sure.
Finnick changed his attention to Gale while he laughed at me. "And did you say goodbye to Johanna?" he asked Gale.
Was I the only one that didn't know?
"All night," Gale said, and the guys high-fived.
Men will forever be the same. I rolled my eyes. And Gale relaxed. I guess we saw how things were going to be from now on. I would eventually be happy for him. And I hope he will eventually be happy for me and Peeta.
I strapped myself in and once everyone was loaded we took off for the capital. We took off towards my future. "Alright, Snow, here I come."