Military School (Part 1)
(Madge/Gale)
(Modern Day)

MILITARY SCHOOL! Military school…Madge Undersee, only daughter of the Mayor, was going to military school? Unheard of! And for what…one detention? Where does that account as enough trouble to have to go to the extreme of military school. There wasn't even another way of saying the two simple words without the emphasis of disbelief. She was a good child, a straight A students with stellar records (well…except for that one detention…BUT THEY DON'T GO ON YOUR PERMANENT RECORD!), and a bright, a bright, future.

But military school.

Well, as if to prove its point, Panem Military Academy's metal archway comes into view as Mayor Undersee's silver Volvo turns its final right turn into the hell. Only, where Madge has to stay, the Volvo would roll away from the Academy like it got to go back to heaven and it was a damn Saint again and not a Satan worshipper! Yeah, she was going to the extreme, but military school?

That's the only thought she could form. She felt betrayed and lonely, as if her parents didn't want her anymore, she felt abandoned like one of those dogs you see on the commercials. She huffs out a sigh to express her annoyance with her father for the upmost millionth time this four hour car ride.

"Madgie," oh how she hated that after what he's doing, "It's for the good, it will be good for you." He tells her for the upmost millionth time this week. It was a bunch of bull, anyways. Madgie, it will help you learn discipline…Madgie, we still love you….Madgie this, and Madgie that! It's like they didn't even care! And discipline, her ass! She knew discipline, or she would eat with her hands like a savage, and (for crying out loud) she would slouch. And if she didn't know discipline, would she have come home bawling her eyes out about receiving the detention in the first place as she gingerly hands her father the paper to sign? No! She wouldn't!

Oh, how she is mad!

"We love you, don't forget that!" her father calls to her as she gets out of the car with her big bag full of a billion hair ties (we all know she's gonna need them), perfume, some clothing, and her favorite teddy bear, Mr. Giggles. She has to fight off her smile about having Mr. Giggles still in her care because she's supposed to be really mad at her dad.

"Whatever." She mumbles angrily as she slams the car door as hard as she can.

"We'll have to build you up some muscles, little lady. Hi, how are you? I'm your counselor, Mr. Right, Madge, right?"

Of course she would get Mr. Right with his stupid comments about her weak body. She was a pianist, not a military sergeant. This place wasn't for her; this place wasn't meant for her… What the hell did her parents get her into?

"Yeah, I'm Madge…Undersee."

"Great! You'll be in barracks 12. Now, this comes as a shocker…"

"Shocker…" she repeats.

"Yes, a shocker, that the barracks are co-ed according to groups. The people in the same barrack will be your group, your lifeline of sorts, during your stay here whether you stay until graduation or the first semester. You will eat, sleep, workout, and follow orders with them. They are your new family and they will protect you as you will protect them. The only times you will be separated is when you are attending everyday classes; although, depending on your age, you may have a few classes with some on your fellow group members. There are classes you will all have, just not at the same time. Any questions so far?"

"Showers…" before she can even finish her sentence, he's cutting her off.

"Oh yes, they are a total of ten showers in each barrack. They will run for 15 minutes once you press the button, so hopefully you have enough time to shave both legs and not just one. A lot of girls have problems with time management when it comes to showering."

Madge's eyes go wide. All hell no, she needs her 30 minutes of bliss to shave and rinse off and wash her hair. This is not good, not at all. Guess she's giving up shaving.

"Are…a-are they…um," she scratches her forehead, "co-ed, as well?" her heart speeds up for a moment and she stomach tightens.

"Yes." Her eyes go even wider than before and she glances down at her clothed body. She didn't bring a bathing suit, she didn't think she would need one! They expect her to shower naked with a bunch of boys. No way, not gonna happen. "Well of course most barracks tend to make a schedule so girls can shower and then boys can. But that's only optional."

"Oh, it's not going to be optional, it's going to happen." She mutters under her breath. If she has to shower in the presence of others, then she damn well is going to shower in the presence of her own gender.

"What's that, soldier?"

"Nothing." He eyes her like he's going to make her tell him, but then decides against. He notices that she is quite pretty; she's going to have to work for some respect around here. She's intelligent, if that sparkle in her eye is anything to go by.

"We're here. Pick any bed that you like that isn't already taken." He smiles before scurrying off back to the gates far behind them. Another girl comes up behind Madge and bumps her shoulder, she, too, look as pale as Madge.

"Ya ready for this?" Madge shakes her head no, "Me neither. I don't know how I feel about shitting in front of the boys. Or the girls, for that matter."

"Me neither." Madge takes a deep breath and stares at the barrack like Hell's gates just opened up and Satan is standing on the other side waiting for her to walk in to Hell.

"My name's Katniss." Madge turns to shake the girl's outstretch hand and this was the first time she noticed the other girl for real. She had shiny, long, brown hair tied up in braid down her back, and her steel gray eyes shined with bravery and confidence, despite what her words conclude. She is taller than Madge by inches but she wasn't too tall. She was probably 5'7 ½ , whereas Madge was a small 5'4. At least she was over average!

She concluded that they were polar opposites. Madge could be compared to sunshine in appearance and Katniss could be compared to a severe thunderstorm rolling in to stay forever. But the girl seemed nice enough and just as nervous, in Madge's book, she was the golden ticket in the chocolate bar.

"Madge." She said. The girl gave her a small smile and nodded toward the easily retractable barrack that looked like it could be taken down in seconds. Just how the Military liked it.

They girls walk hesitantly towards the building like they were in war and were entering a building. They eyed the door handle and both took a deep breath.

The metal was cool underneath Madge's warm palm. The door was made of crappy, scrapyard wood, but it would do. It was home now, Madge thought glumly. She pulled the door open and Katniss walked in ahead her, scooping out the place.

The place was filled with people of all different races and looks. It seemed pretty simple, girl's on one side, and boy's on the other. The only problem was…the girl's side of filled and there were five beds on the boy's side still available.

Some of the girl's gave them apologetic looks as they put their stuff down tentatively on the thin cot as if someone would tell them they had to move and sleep on the floor. When no one did they open their trunks at the end of the cots and put their belonging there. Madge quickly shoved Mr. Giggles in her trunk before anyone could see him in his red bowtie. Madge and Katniss kept themselves on the boy's side, they knees in between their beds as they talked quietly.

Madge hadn't taken her eyes off the dark hair girl until she heard the owner of the cot behind her lay down with a huff. She threw a look over her shoulder and had to stop midsentence to do a double take. Not only was she forced to sleep on the boy's side of the barracks, but she had to sleep across from Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome too!

She knew he wasn't a newcomer from the fatigues he wore. His name was embroidered on the left hand pocket in gold. He hadn't shaved in a day or two which, if she knew anything at all, was a violation of the rules. He was lean, not bulky like most of the other guys, but he wasn't scrawny. His hair was too long for the Military, but damn did he look good with it.

When he look at him and raised an eyebrow, she noticed he had the most beautiful gray eyes like a storm rolling in over the ocean. They were breathtaking. When she didn't answer his silent question, he looked away and she saw flecks of vibrant violet sparkle in his eyes like water on a stone. She takes back the breathtaking part, he was breathtaking. Being all effortlessly gorgeous and all…

She returns to her conversation with Katniss, but her thoughts kept drifting back to him. How in the world did they expect her to sleep and shower with him nearby!? They would be lucky if she didn't jump him when she was on her period. God damn, was he magnificent.

"Alright, everybody up!" a deep baritone voice barks from the entrance. He was dressed in fatigues and had a face of an angel going into battle – beautiful but stern. "My name is Admiral Finnick and you will only call me Admiral Finnick. Not Admiral, not Finnick, not Captain Fishy as my girlfriend tends to call me." at the words Captain Fishy the Admiral wrinkles his nose to display his disapproval. "Anyways, I am not your friend, your buddy, your counselor. I am your boss and you will not question what I say. When I say jump, you say…" he waits for them to answer.

"How high?" the group chants.

"No!" he barks out, "How high, sir."

"Sir, yes, sir." The long timers respond, the boy next to her being one of them. He glances at her and nods slightly. It was almost as if he was telling her she could do it.

"Jump?" Admiral Finnick questions.

"How high, sir!" the crowd answers, hardly any emotion in any of their voices.

"A foot!" Admiral Finnick smirks. They all jump as high as they can. "Ah, ah, ah, some of your got it. Others, we will work with you." He nods once before leaving them alone with two other soldiers.

"I am Captain Johanna Mason and this is Sergeant Darius Kentworth. We will be training you and we give no mercy." She flashes her teeth at them and Madge can see gorgeous boy trying to suppress a smirk. "Line up on the line outside in an orderly fashion. Two lines, divide by your bunk sides."

Madge and Katniss' line moves first. Katniss watches the guy in front of her and marches like he does, stiff arms and a straight back. Madge follows suit.

They line up outside, Madge's row is in the back and Madge has to suppress the urge to jump to see Captain Johanna Mason and Sergeant Darius Kentworth. She shifts slightly, brushing against the boy's arm to see around others. He uses his finger to push her back into position parallel with the impossibly tall girl in front of her.

"Don't get out of position, stiff as a board. If they catch you, which Darius might have, they'll make you do 500 pushups in front of everyone. You're lucky if it's Darius. First day, he'll let it slide." He barely moves his lips as he speaks through his teeth. His voice is deep, but not too deep. Madge's heart stutters a little bit in her chest at the sound of it.

"Alright, we are learning how to march today. After that you will go to the battlefield and train. Any questions?" Darius states in a nicer voice than Johanna.

"Yeah, what's the battlefield?" the girl in front of Madge asks.

"10 pushup for not raising your hand!" Captain Johanna points at the ground. The girl gets down and does them before Darius answers her question.

"It's the training area by the front entrance. You probably saw the big, wooden structure as you came in."

"Thank you." She states, her eyes nervously darting over to Johanna who just flashes her teeth.

"Anymore…no one. March!"

They march for some time before they are released from Johanna's grip. Just being in her presence makes Madge feel like she's suffocating. Her muscles are always tense and fear is the only thing running in her veins. Madge, like many newcomers, had to do many pushups. She had to do a total of 35 because it took her a long time to march right and because Johanna likes to pick on her.

They march their way to training on the "battlefield." There they are issued a series of fatigues. They are ushered into the small changing room. Gale and some other boy stand at the entrance since they already of fatigues on.

"Guess we'll see who's afraid to take off their clothes." The darker skinned boy whispers to Gale. Gale releases air out of his nose in a laugh. A small smile graces his features.

Madge, who is closer to Gale than Katniss, suddenly turns very embarrassed. She considers waiting until everyone leaves, but from the looks of it, no one leaves until everyone is ready. She speeds through chancing, thanking god for wearing a modest sports bra instead of her hot pink, palm trees decorative, Victoria's Secret sports bra.

When she glances up from her half buttoned up shirt, she catches Gale's eyes darting away from her, his tan cheeks tinging pink. At least he's embarrassed about it. She realizes that she might have to watch out for him. He was older than her.

They exit the changing area and head towards the soldiers already clad in fatigues.

"You're going to have to make that quicker from now on…I'm General Boggs. I will be your physical trainer. This is my team, Staff Sergeant Beetee, Private Wiress, and Colonel Cressida. You will respect us at all times and you will follow our orders. Now, run until I say stop. Don't stop. If you do stop, you just added a mile for everyone. Go!"

Everyone starts to jog except for the two that already know the drill.

"I said run, not jog." General Boggs screams from behind them. No one wanted to be last so they all started to run in a cluster. "Two in a row, don't cut." They form a long line of pairs and run as fast as the person in front of them.

Madge and Katniss somehow end up in the same pairing despite the fact that Katniss is a much faster, more fit runner. Madge is huffing and puffing after two seconds of running, whereas Katniss was still breathing through her nose. Damn her.

Madge couldn't tell you when her legs became numb, but it sure feels like forever. Her legs are wobbly and hardly moving in tune with the others. Katniss keeps shooting her looks like she's afraid Madge is going to keel over any minute now. And to be completely honest, she just might. Her head pounded to the beat of her heart. Her heart was pumping so hard she could feel it in her stomach. And her stomach was clamped so tight that she thought her stomach acid was going to burn through the lining and she was either going to die or puke. In total, she felt completely miserable.

"Are you okay?" Katniss calls over the pounding feet.

"God only knows!" Madge's breath was stolen a hell of a long time ago. She can barely get the response out with wheezing in between each word. Her lungs were burning.

"It's probably only a few more minutes. I can't see them making us run much longer on our first day. Just hang in there." Katniss was trying to be encouraging but all Madge wanted was for her to shut the hell up so she could focus on mentally willing her legs to go, go, go!

"Yeah, right, don't. Want. Another. Mile." She wheezed while grinding her teeth. If she had enough energy and air to scream, she would.

"Alright, circle back and line up!" Boggs screams.

"'Bout freaking time!" Madge pumps her fist an inch because that's all she's capable of at the moment.

"50 pushups and you're done. Do them at your own speed, but don't get used to it." Their superiors walk away, probably going cafeteria for lunch. Madge longs to go with them. What she would do for a bowl of fresh cut strawberries and a bowl of sugar right now. Everyone finishes long before Madge does, Katniss stays with Madge and so does cot neighbor.

"Why did you stay?" Katniss asks with a hint of anger.

"I thought maybe you wouldn't know where to go after this."

"Food?" Madge perks up.

He nods, "Food."

"Lead the way!" Madge's sudden energy makes Katniss laugh as she watches her new friend push the new new friend forward. Katniss shakes her head and jogs to catch up with the pair. They do look kind of cute together…

"Hey, wait up!"

A/N: Tell me what you think in the comment section? What do you want to see? I'll try to add want you guy want into it!