Chapter 26: Dream - Husband Hunting Part IV

It is Saturday, so Gale is still working in the mines. To keep myself busy between not having school and waiting till tomorrow to hunt with him, I spend the day picnicking in the Meadow with another male I know.

Matthew Rivers and I never intended to become friends. And everyone knows I am not a 'friends' kind of person in general, as I am very selective over who I let into my life. But with Matthew and I, it just sort of happened. Sitting together at school lunches soon turned into me taking him into the woods and showing him the wonders of nature.

It all trips Matthew's trigger, of course. He is the son of one of District 12's most renowned geologists. He will likely inherit the post from his father one day. But Matthew is more than just a scientific thinker. He is a vicarious reader, and deeply interested in politics.

"Now the thing about me, is that I want to get into the thick matters of policy. That's why I want to go to school after working in my dad's job after a while. Someday, I'm going to be the Mayor of District 12."

I laugh. "Wait till my mother and sister get to know you," I tease. "You three would just sit and philosophize the day away."

Matthew gets a far-away look in his eyes. "The winds aloud howl, over the masses, and sing through every shroud. Pale, trembling, tired, the sailors freeze with fears! An instant death, on every wave appears!"

I giggle. "Homer's Iliad!" I only remember the quote because we read that text in school. "I think it would be wonderful if you were a politician. You're the kind of person of who would not be concerned with who's Merchant and who's Seam." I feel him staring my way, almost to the point of awkwardness. I laugh and smile. "You're making fun of me!"

"Nah," he chuckles. "I would never make fun of a wonderful Seam girl like you."

After our picnic meal, Matthew manages to catch a live deer. Instead of killing it, however, he attempts learning to ride it. The deer is none too pleased. It bucks and kicks until finally it succeeds in throwing Matthew off, over its head, before indignantly scampering away.

I freeze when I see that Matthew is not rising from where he fell in the meadow grass. Hiking up the hem of my long sundress, I run to him. "Matthew!", my voice filled with concern.

But, when I roll him over, he is laughing his head off, and I realize he has tricked me. I let out an affronted laugh of my own and slap at him. He catches me, and soon, we are rolling down the grassy hill, shrieking with laughter.

Matthew finally stands, and pulls me up with him. We are suddenly very close, and I am still in his embrace.

Matthew smiles down at me, and I nervously give a ghost of smile back. My eyes soften, grow heavy, and I feel my hand tighten its grip on his bicep. Our lips draw closer and closer together, until at last, we kiss tentatively.

The kiss turns very passionate very quickly. Before I know it, we have fallen down into the grass, me on top of him. I feel my sundress nudged off of my body, and moments later, I sense Matthew enter my holiest of places...

We lie on the picnic blanket, still as naked as babies, after having glorious sex in the Meadow. My head and hand rest on Matthew's chest as I lounge, lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Matthew asks.

I shake my head. "Nothing." But once again, I have had relations with someone who could one day be my husband. I think of Matthew's desired goals. I have no doubt he will be the Mayor of our District one day. But would I be content, living in the Justice Building, being the Mayor's wife? Going to Capitol functions and entertaining Capitolites out of necessity? It does not seem like my cup of tea, at least the last part doesn't. But I am so fond of Matthew... I go to sleep unresolved.