The summer flies by. She spends most of it in the woods or in the Hob, buying new blankets and a coat for Prim. Katniss makes sure to put aside more time for just her and her sister, especially since their mother can't be trusted to spend real, meaningful time with Prim.

She almost forgets about Peeta again. He hasn't come looking for anything, like he said he wouldn't, and she hasn't come across any ephinaies of how to repay him, so she doesn't bother.

In fact, besides the extra food rations they get each month without having to add more name slips, life is basically the same as it has been for Katniss the last five years.

On one of the last few days Gale has left of his freedom from the mines, they sit on the little hill past the first section of the forest that overlooks the District.

Katniss pops another blackberry in her mouth, squinting against the sun.

"What if we just ran away?" Gale says.

Katniss sighs and keeps studying the sky overhead. "We can't."

"Why not?"

It's the same conversation they've always had, and yet, for some reason, it's loaded in a completely different way. She doesn't understand what's changed.

"Prim. My mom. Rory, Vick, Posy. Your mom." She lists, grabbing another berry from the pile they picked that sits between them.

Gale waves his arms and makes an exasperated noise. "They would be fine. We could take care of them. We already do, it would only be a little different."

She shakes her head. "That's not true and you know it. If it were just us, I'd say we could make it. But not with both of our families. We can't be selfish."

"Selfish?" Gale repeats angrily. "I'm not being selfish. I'm being protective. I don't want my siblings going into the Games, Katniss."

She finally turns to meet his gaze, fire burning in her grey eyes. "I don't want Prim to be reaped, either. I don't want to be reaped. And I don't want you to go to the mines. But it is what it is, Gale. We can't change that, and it would be crazy and stupid to go off with all of them. We'd all end up as Avoxes, or worse, and you know it."

Gale grits his teeth and angrily puffs. "Fine."

"Don't get angry with me. I'm just telling you what I really think. But if running away is what you want to do, then go ahead. I won't stop you, but I won't be coming with you, either."

They fall silent again after that. They continue to pick through the berries as they try and soak up some of the last summer rays.

"I've got a bad feeling, you know." He says quietly just before she's about to start home.

"About what?" Katnis replies, wiping the berry stains off of her fingers.

"I don't know. This whole next year, I guess."

Katniss stands and nods, studying the District in front of them bathed in the soft afternoon light.

"I always feel like that."

"Prim. Wake up."

Her sister blinks up at her blearily, and tries to roll back over to sleep.

"School, Prim."

"Ughhh." Prim groans, her face schrunched up.

Katniss laughs quietly. "I know, Little Duck. Come on. I've got breakfast on the table."

She walks away once she's sure Prim will get up and get dressed, and heads back into the kitchen. She sits down at the table and starts eating her own breakfast of bread with cheese from Lady spread on it, and too ripe apple slices.

Prim comes bouncing out, her golden hair tied into two curly pigtails with baby blue ribbons that match her eyes. She's dressed in the school uniform of grey blazer over a no-longer-white button blouse, and the dark grey skirt. Katniss motions for her to come over and tucks the little duck tail into the back of her skirt.

"There." She says, giving her sister a smile. "I'll make sure to get you some new school slacks before it gets too cold."

Prim thanks her and sits down across from her, downing her breakfast quickly.

At lunch Madge comes over and sits next to her under the same tree they've used for the past few years. She pulls her lunch out of the paper sack she holds and starts eating before she says anything. It's their usual routine.

"The girls won't shut up about Peeta not being in school anymore."

Katniss looks up from her own lunch at the Mayor's daughter. "What do you mean?"

Madge gives her an incredulous look. "What do you mean, what do I mean?" She laughs, shaking her head. "Katniss, sometimes I wonder if your head is screwed on right." She eats another bite of her sandwich before continuing. "You've got to have noticed at least how handsome Peeta is. Everyone else has." She elbows her playfully and wiggles her eyebrows. "Even some of the boys."

Katniss scrunches up her nose. "Uhm, no. I tend to worry about different things than, uh, boys."

In fact, on the list of things Katniss worries about, boys are basically at the bottom. Just below frilly dresses and hairbows. And the only reason those are considered is for Prim's beneift.

Madge shrugs. "I know. But I've caught you looking at him a few times over the years. I just figured that even you had noticed his ungodly good looks."

Katniss arches an eyebrow at her friend but doesn't reply. The only reason she ever noticed Peeta before was in relation to how he had saved her family from starvation.

"Anyways; It's just getting annoying. The poor boy just went through the Hunger Games, and all they can think about is how they'll, 'never be able to watch him walk down the halls again,' and 'What they wouldn't give to have him smile at them again.' He's not dead, for Christ's sake."

Katniss nodds along as she continues to eat her lunch.

"I've even heard talk about whether or not he'll ask one of them to marry him. The biggest gossip right now is about that girl he said he was in love with during his interview. Half of them are now saying they went and said goodbye to him after the Reaping." Madge pauses and raises an eyebrow at her quiet friend. "In fact," she says, voice almost teasing, "the only girl I remember seeing go in to see him was you, Katniss."

"Oh." She says stupidly. She doesn't know how to defend herself on that attack.

"Why did you go see Peeta, if you're not interested in him?" Madge asks with a girlish grin.

"To say goodbye."

"But you're not even friends."

"He, uh. Did a favor for me. A few years ago. I forgot to say thank you."

"Mhm," Madge hums, eating a strawberry. "Sure."

Katniss scowls at her friend.

Madge ignores the look and shrugs once more. "I'm sure there must have just been some other mystery girl who went and said goodbye to him that's interested in him, and just won't come forward." She holds her container out to Katniss.

"Strawberry?"

Katniss shakes her head. "No thank you."

The bell rings and the girls slowly grab up their stuff and walk back to the school building.

"You know," Madge says just before they walk in, "they write down all the names of people who visit the tributes. I bet her name would be in there."

Madge walks away, leaving Katniss standing there alone.