Chapter 7
(Gale POV)
I dream about her. Dream we're kissing. And it's incredible right up until I wake up to my brother laughing his ass off at me. I hit him with my pillow and then push passed him. He only laughs and never explains but I must've been talking in my sleep or something. Maybe making kissing nnoises or something. Hopefully I didn't say her name.
In the kitchen I find my little sister looking at the page I tore out of the newspaper. I forgot to pick it up and throw it away after I tossed it across the room last night. She must've found it. She can't read yet though so I know she has no idea what it's about.
"Can I see that Posy?" I ask as I take it without waiting for her to respond.
"Hey!" She calls out and frowns. "That's mine!"
"Actually, it's mine." I tell her with a smile as I scoot out the door. She's probably about to pitch a full on fit and I don't care to be here for it.
I stuff the crumpled page in my back pocket again and head over to Katniss's house to see if her mom can do something for my raw hands. Her mom was a townie back when she was growing up and her family ran the apothecary. Even though she's been in the Seam for years now she still knows how to make medicines and stuff out of plants and herbs. She's sort of a mess and not all there after her husband died in the mines a few years back. Like she's checked out of reality or something. Still, she manages to make the medicines and has taught Prim quite a few things.
"Got anything for this?" I ask holding up my hands when Katniss opens the door.
"Is that all from building the stage?" She asks as she makes a face and lets me in. "Looks painful."
"Yeah. I meant to put something on em last night but forgot."
She goes over to the cabinet and looks at several little jars before she finds the one she needs. "Sit." She instructs as she nods at the table.
She puts the jar down on the table and goes over to get a clean cloth off the shelf behind me. "What's this?" She asks as she yanks the crumpled article out of my pocket. Must've been sticking out and caught her attention.
"Nothing." I say as I try unsuccessfully to snatch it back.
"Madge made front page news with her match?" She says aloud as she scans the article.
"Apparently."
"What are you doing with this?" She questions in a teasing sort of way.
"Nothing. Just wanted to know what the article said about why she is matched with a guy and a girl." I try to play it off.
"Uh huh." She replies as her eyes keep scanning the article.
"Can we just focus on my hands please?" I tell her, annoyance building.
"In a minute...I want the scoop on all this too."
Finally she puts it down and looks up at me. I wait for it. The teasing I know is coming.
"So she has to share her match with another girl. I could never do that. From the way she's kissing him it doesn't seem like she cares though."
So no teasing? That's a surprise. I thought for sure she'd give me crap about this. I shrug. "Beats me. She's your friend. I'm sure she'll tell you all about it."
"It's summer time. She and I just talk in school sometimes." She shakes her head.
"She looks kinda drunk in that kissing picture if you ask me." I say.
She leans forward to see the picture again. "Maybe." Is all she says and I let the topic rest.
After she covers my hand in a thick coat of something that smells minty she wraps clean strips of linen cloth around them. "You'll need to keep these wrapped up for a couple days."
"I can't go to reaping day with my hands all wrapped up." I remind her as I roll my eyes.
"Well at least leave it on until that morning. It'll heal faster that way."
"Thanks. Wanna head out one last time before the fence gets left on for awhile?"
"Yeah, let me tell Prim I'm leaving."
We climb through the fence and head out through the woods. We can't really set snares since we won't be able to get back out for sure to check them so she brings her bow. We never see anything though. Not game wise anyway. She does find some kind of plant that her mom has mentioned needing leaves from so she collects those and we clear off a whole bush of wild blackberries. Should be able to can most of those to eat later, maybe sell some too so we can have money now.
(Madge POV)
I've been busy all morning preparing for the tea I'm supposed to host the morning of the reaping ceremony. I've made arrangements with the flower shop, the bakery and the cafe. I've arranged for extended staff to work the tea party because our normal number of staff won't be enough. We will have a few extra visitors compared to normal because of all the attention my matching has brought to our district. Every guest room in house will be filled. And I get the fun task of entertaining them before the ceremony. Why my father thought it would be a good idea for me to play hostess on the very morning of the reaping is beyond me. Does he not realize that I'll already be nervous? Or does he just not care? It's going to take all my energy to have a tea party while pretending to be excited that someone in our district is about to be called into a game where they will likely die. What normal human being would be excited about that. But then again, I'm not supposed to be normal, I'm supposed to be Capitol. I'm supposed to be thrilled that someone is about to die, even if that someone ends up being me. After all, my name is in there too.
It occurs to me that I could ask Katniss if she wants to work the party. I know she won't be able to go outside the fence for awhile and I know she could use the money it would pay but I also don't know if she'd feel like it was some sort of charity. She hates anything that resembles charity. Maybe she can make some jam or something that I could buy. That could work. I know she knows how because I've bought some from her before. Sometimes she finds wild berries in the woods and sells them. Once she made jam out of them for me. Yes, that's probably the best way I can help her without offending her.I'll ask her to make some jam. And if she doesn't have any berries right now then I can provide them for her from the grocery store but still have her make the jam. I'll tell her that Bethany, our housekeeper, doesn't make it right and that I need this to be good.
I make my way towards her house, walking down the winding gravel paths of the Seam. I've only been to the Seam a couple of times but I know which house is hers. When I find it I knock and hope she's home.
To my surprise, she doesn't answer the door, Gale Hawthorne does. And he looks as surprised to see me as I am to see him. He doesn't even speak, just stares at me. My mind suddenly remembers seeing him without his shirt on and I feel my face flush again.
"Is Katniss here?" I ask quietly, looking at the ground as I try to hide my pink cheeks.
"Yeah." He says, stepping back and letting me inside.
Katniss is at the stove stirring something in a pot but looks up when I come inside.
"Hi, I'm so sorry to stop by unannounced like this but I needed a favor." I begin to explain.
"From me?" She asks quizzically.
"Yes, see I'm hosting a tea party for some guests at my house and I wanted to see if you could make some of that delicious jam you made before. My housekeeper's jam isn't very good and this is an important party and I want everything to be perfect." I ramble quickly while keeping my eyes on her. If i look at Gale again I might blush again.
"You want me to make some jam?"
"Can you? I can bring you some fruit from the store if you don't have any berries, although they never taste as good as the ones you find in the woods. And I'll pay you for making it of course."
"Do you like blackberries?" I hear Gale ask from behind me.
I spin around, probably faster than I should've because, well, because he just makes me nervous now.
"Yes, I do." I respond.
He splays his hands out, gesturing at the table and I see a huge pile of fresh blackberries. This is perfect!
"I can make the jam. When do you need it?" Katniss asks as she wads up something that was on the table and shoves it in her pocket. Some sort of paper. Not sure what that's about but apparently she didn't want me to notice it so I don't say anything.
"Tomorrow?" I ask, hoping that isn't too soon. I have no idea how to make jam. For all I know it's a long arduous process.
She shakes her head as if to say no but Gale elbows her and she tells me she can do it. She also shoots him a look. It must be a huge task I'm asking of her so I make a mental note to pay her well.
"Oh thank you so much! You have no idea how helpful this is for me!" I thank her. "Just bring it by the house whenever you've got it ready. I'll make sure to leave your payment in an envelope in case I'm not there when you bring it by."
"Madge?" Katniss calls after me as I start to let myself out.
"Yes?"
"How much jam do you need?" She asks with a little of a smile at the corners of her mouth.
"Oh, I have no idea. The party will have around 30 people. Just make what you can and I'll buy it all. If I don't use it all at the party I'm sure it'll be used for breakfasts."
"I'll bring it by in the morning. I think I have enough for 3 jars."
"Thanks again, I really really appreciate it!"
I smile all the way back to town. I don't even care that seeing Gale had me blushing for a moment. That felt good, to be able to pay her to make the jam. She's not someone who accepts help easily but this is a perfect way for me to help. And I know the jam will be well received by the guests too. They'll be oblivious to the fact that its made from wild berries instead of the ones from the store but I personally think thats why it tastes better. Berries and fruit from the store lack the sweetness of the wild kind.
At home I find a package has been delivered for me. I open the card and see it's from Drew. "Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."
I open the box and pull out a huge bouquet of roses. Roses. The official flower of Panem. White ones. How very Capitol of him to send me these, I think to myself as I roll my eyes. I take them into the kitchen to find a vase. How am I ever going to figure him out? I can't just ask him if he's a true Capitol supporter though that's what I want to know. But these flowers? Really? He couldn't pick something a little more personal? After I get them arranged, I take them up to my room and place them on the table by my vanity. They look perfect right there. As if my Capitol decorated bedroom was made for showing them off. I suppose it was a nice thought, even if they are the exact flowers I'd never pick. No, if I were picking, they'd be something a little more wild than roses.