Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far! I'm glad you are enjoying it. I am certainly enjoying writing this story and your feedback makes me want to write and update even sooner. :)

Chapter 3

The next few weeks pass by quickly and soon winter has settled in. Even the cold can't keep Merrick and I from spending time together. On the days when we are outside, Merrick brings me extra winter items such as gloves and a hat to keep me warm. He also brings a thermos of hot chocolate as well, which is something I always look forward to. I had never tasted it before meeting him. On the days his parents aren't home, we spend time at his house. That is where I am headed right now. I make sure to keep myself hidden once I am in the Peacekeeper Village. I still do not know what would happen if I should be caught there. I don't intend on finding out either. As I walk across his backyard, I can see him waiting for me on the back steps. He smiles warmly and walks towards me. Once I am close enough to him, he wraps me in his arms. At first this bothered me, the way he'd hug me when greeting me. The only people I was used to hugging were Prim, and on occasion my mother. I learned to accept it and now I actually don't mind it. It feels nice sometimes. He grabs my hand and quickly leads me into his house.

Once inside, we remove our outerwear and head straight for the kitchen where he already has a snack waiting for us. As we sit on the countertop and eat, I tell him about my school day and everything that happened. I'm not one to gossip but I do share the funny things I saw happen. He seems to like my stories. It says it reminds him of his old school back in District 2.

After we finish our snack, we start towards his room. On a table in the entryway, I see something I had never noticed before, a photograph. I walked closer towards it and take it into my hands.

"Who is this?" I ask with curiosity as I look at the young couple.

"My parents…on their wedding day." he replies.

"Oh, ok. You know you kind of look like your dad." I tell him as I hold the frame next to his face.

"Yeah, I know." he says, in a way that tells me that he's probably been told that a lot.

"So this is what you'll look like…when you get older." I say staring at the young man in the photo. He looks quite handsome actually. He looks tall and strong, something that Merrick currently is not. He still seems a little lanky to me. Maybe that will change one day.

"I guess only time will tell." he says as he take the frame from me and places it back to its original spot. We run up the staircase until we are in his room. He goes straight to his fort in the corner of his room that he had made out of spare blankets and sheets. He climbs inside and I join him as we lay on our designated sides. It's actually quite nice in here. It is a good place for talking.

"Merrick, what's it like in District 2?" I ask him. It's something I've been wondering for a while now but had felt comfortable enough to ask him. Now that we know each other better, I think it's ok to ask.

"It nice. It's in the mountains. The mountains are big there. So much higher than the little ones you have here. And in the winter there is snow…lots of it. It's really nice. There are little villages nestled in the mountains by the quarries."

"What are quarries?" I ask, unfamiliar with the word.

"They're where they get stone for buildings and floors and other stuff." he tell me.

"You would love District 2, Katniss. It's so beautiful." he says placing his arms behind his head.

"Do you miss it?"

"Yes I do, but District 12 is nice too." he tells me, just to be polite, I think. There is nothing really spectacular about my district. He then tells me he has a picture and hurries out of his fort to get it. He brings back a frame with a snow covered mountain and a lake.

"Wow." I say as I take in the details. It really is an incredible place.

"Maybe I can take you there one day." he says with a smile.

"Yeah, maybe." I tell him. I don't tell him what I am really thinking. About how I will never leave District 12. When would I ever get permission from the Capitol to do that? They wouldn't allow it just so I could go on a trip with my friend. It doesn't matter how important his father is, they still would deny the request.

The rest of the afternoon, we sit in his fort, talking and laughing and playing games. I really am lucky to have found him, or should I say, I am lucky that he found me. Because that is what he did. He found me crying under the tree that day and took care of me. I couldn't ask for a better friend.

When his alarm clock beeps at 5pm, I know it's time to go again. We make plans to meet at the edge of town, near the beginning of the Seam tomorrow. It's supposed to be a nice day and we might as well enjoy the mild weather when we can. I say goodbye and carefully make my way home.

When I meet Merrick the next day, I can't help but notice a change. The boy who is always smiling wears a sullen expression as he kicks a patch of grass as he waits for me to meet him. I ask him what's wrong but all he does is motion me to follow him. He doesn't even wait for me to walk beside him; he just trudges along. He leads me to the meadow. He's been here so long that he knows his way around District 12 pretty well now. He sits on the grass and stares out into the tree line with his brow furrowed as he bites on his lower lip. I sit beside him silently wondering why he acting this way. My first thought is that his parents found out about me. He brought me here to tell me he cannot see me anymore. As the minutes pass, I grow more impatient with his silence.

"Merrick, why did you bring me all the way out here." I ask him, this time not hiding my annoyance.

"I'm leaving tomorrow." he says, still not making eye contact. I feel my heart sink. He's going back to District 2. I cannot let him show how upset I am. The last thing he needs is to worry about my feelings.

"That's great, you'll get to see your friends again." I say with fake enthusiasm.

"Katniss you know what this means, right?" he said ignoring my last comment as he turns to look me in the eyes. He looks like he's ready to cry. "It means I have to leave you."

"I know." I said letting go of my 'I'm happy for you' act. I look down at my hands as fidget with a blade of grass. "When will you be back?"

"I don't know…" he trailed off. "This could be it."

"I'll miss you." I say.

"I'll miss you too." he says as he leans against me.

"You have other friends. I'm sure they miss you. They will be happy to have you back."

"Yeah but you're different."

"How?" I ask.

"Well for one thing you're a girl."

"What else?"

"They can't climb trees like you can." he said with his smile returning.

"You can teach them." I say, giving him an easy solution.

"I can't help but think what will happen to you." he says barely audible.

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

"Nothing." he says, dodging my question. I don't push him for an answer.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." I say taking his hand. He squeezes his hand tightly around mine, not letting go.

"I have to get back. We are having dinner with the Head Peacekeeper tonight."

"Ok."

"Katniss will you meet me by our tree tonight?"

"Yes, what time?"

"Nine."

"I'll be there." I tell him. There's no way I'd turn down one last chance to be with him. He stands up and then helps me up. As soon as I have gained my balance, he pulls me closer for a hug. It lasts longer than our other hugs. I suppose he is trying to make every last moment count. When he finally breaks his embrace, he quickly turns and walks away, leaving me in the meadow all alone.

I go back to my house, still feeling downhearted. Tomorrow he will be out of my life, probably for good. I'll go back to my former life, friendless and struggling to survive. I suppose now I'll have start hunting in the woods, by myself. Inside my house, my mother is making soup. I look into the pot and see water and a few vegetables. It's not much of a meal but it's better than nothing at all. I eat with my family and help Prim get ready for bed. My mother turns in for bed around the same time. Once the house is quiet, I make my way into the night to meet him.

I get there early and find him already waiting for me. He's sitting at the base of a tree with two large bags sandwiching him. He flashes a tragic smile before standing up. I run towards him and he hugs me once again. When he tries to pull away, I pull him closer. I'm not ready for our greeting to end.

"Katniss I can't breathe." he says. It not until then that I realize how tightly my arms are wrapped around him. I let go and back away one step. He then gives me a playful smile and I wonder what he could possibly be thinking. It doesn't take long before I know. "Race you to the high branch." he says as he starts for the tree. He jumps up and wraps his arms around the lowest branch. I follow closely behind him. It's amazing how good he is at climbing now considering he had no experience when I first met him. I'm still quicker than him and beat him to the branch we usually stop at. He stands on a branch opposite of mine, holding onto the base as he moves his body, causing the whole tree to sway. Other people might be scared of falling but we don't mind. We sit down on the branches and look up at the moon, which is full tonight. When I tell him I don't feel like being so high up, he leads the way back to the ground.

We lean against the base of the tree saying nothing to each other. Nothing we could say would be important. This is most likely the last time we will ever see each other again. It's not like we would need to remember it anyway. That's what I plan to do about him. Forget him as quickly as possible. Convince myself that he never really existed. My attention turns back to the two bags that are lying near us.

"What's with the bags? You're not planning on running away, are you?"

"No, they are for you." he tells me. I open the bag nearest to me and find if filled to the brim with food. I really don't know what to say. It's enough food to last us for a month, maybe two if I ration it out properly.

"Why did you bring this?" I asked him gently.

"Because I won't be around anymore Katniss. I couldn't let anything happen to you." he murmurs softly with his mouth close to my ear. I know what he means. He couldn't let me starve. The only words that come to my lips are thank you. It's not much. I can't really express all the gratitude I feel towards him. He offers to help me carry the bags and this time I let him.

We walk down the path of the Seam again in silence. We both know the moment is coming soon, our last moment together. I walk a little slower as we approach my house, clinging onto the minutes. He lowers the bags on my front porch walks closer to me. He wraps his arms around my shoulders and begins his final words.

"If I ever come back here, I swear I'll find you." he promises. "Even if it's five or ten years from now, I promise I will find you."

"I might not be around that long." I tell him with a sigh. He pulls away from me and looks me in my eyes.

"You have to survive, Katniss. No matter what it takes. Find someone to take care of you or find a way to take care of yourself. The last thing I want is to find you crying by yourself under a tree." he says, recounting their first meeting.

"Ok, I will." I say as I nod my head. Another thought crosses my mind. "How will you find me?"

"I'll look for a girl that looks like you do now…but older." he explains. I can't help but laugh at his answer.

"Sound like you have it all figured out." I say with a chuckle.

"Your braid. I'll look for the girl with the braid." he tells me.

"What if I don't wear my hair that way, when I'm older."

"Keep it for me…so I'll know." he says in a whisper. I nod my head, not sure if I'll really stick to this agreement. He doesn't need to know that.

"What about me? If you come back, how can I recognize you?"

"You already know what I'll look like. The wedding picture, remember?" I nod my head remembering back to the day that I held up his parents' wedding photo next to his face.

"I should get inside. It's late." I say. I don't want to draw this out any longer. It will only make it more difficult to say goodbye. "Merrick, I just wanted to say thank you for everything."

"Thank you too. For always being there." he says. We hug one last time. As soon as he ends the embrace, he jogs down my porch and down the path towards home. I take the bags into my house, leaving them by the doorway. I'm too tired to unpack them. That can wait until tomorrow. Right now I just want to sleep and to dream about a place where I'm always happy and where my best friend would never have to leave me.

Merrick's gone :( don't worry though. This isn't the last of their relationship. Next Chapter is where it starts to get really good :)

BTW, it's my birthday today so if you really want to make my day, please leave me a review :)