I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is enjoying their day off! Here is the latest chapter. There is a time lapse. Katniss is 15 now. Also, I there is something else I feel I should mention. Gale enters the picture in this chapter and I just want to remind you that this isn't a Galeniss story, so don't expect some big romance to happen between them (although something might happen in the future...you know how impulsive Gale Hawthorne is). Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or any of its characters.

Chapter 4

Last night I had a dream about a boy I used to know, a boy that I had not seen in years. In the dream, I was eleven years old again, running with him down the path in the Seam to our tree. We swung from the branches and I sang to him while he laid down with his head in my lap as he tried to take a short nap. It's hard to believe that was actually my life, that that boy was real and actually my friend.

I sit up from my bed, remembering that I have somewhere to be. It was another Reaping day, which meant I had to start earlier if I planned on hunting. I make my way to the fence and slide under the small gap between the fence and the ground. After I retrieve my bow and quiver, I make my way to my rock in a small field while I wait for him. Not the boy with the blonde hair and the warm smile. He's hundreds of miles away. I wait for another boy, a boy I met shortly after he returned to District 2.

His name is Gale and my meeting him was just as accidental as meeting Merrick. I met him on one of my first hunting trips into the woods. It wasn't the most pleasant of introductions. He thought I was trying to steal from him. It took a while for him to warm up to me, but we have been inseparable ever since. He is different from Merrick in just about every way possible, starting with looks. Gale's features are much darker with his olive skin and his dark brown hair. He's also much taller but then again, I have no idea how tall Merrick would be now. Last time I saw him he was only twelve. He'd look much different now.

Gale's also a lot more serious than Merrick was, except for the time he is in the woods. It's almost as if he transformed into a different person when we are out there. He jokes around with me and even smiles sometimes. He's also as stubborn as hell. It's not hard for me to understand why Gale behaves this way. He's had a rough life. He lost his father in the same accident as my own father and has four other people to take care of. It's a lot of weight for him to carry on his shoulders but he manages, somehow.

I see Gale emerge from the woods, joining me at the rock.

"You're late." I tell him.

"I'm never late." he disagrees. I let it go. It's not worth arguing over something so trivial on a reaping day. We eat some berries from the bush behind us and mimic the Capitol accent as we speak.

"I wonder what Effie Trinket will be wearing today." I say to him. Last year was her first year as an escort for our District. She definitely has her own unique sense of style. Or maybe that's how everyone in the Capitol dresses. I can't be certain about that, but it would be a spectacle to see that much boldness in one place.

"Whatever it is I'm sure you won't be able to miss her." Gale said with a laugh. "Happy Hunger Games, Catnip. And may the odds—" he says as he throws a berry in the air. I lean back and catch the berry in mouth before completing the sentence "—be ever in your favor."

When we've had our fill of the berries, we venture further into the woods to begin our hunting. We check the snare line that Gale had set up yesterday and find a few rabbits and a squirrel. Gale ventures to the lake to fish from the waters while I collect a small basket of strawberries. We then hull our goods back to District 12, stopping at the Hob first. We trade the fish for a large loaf of bread, and give Greasy Sae a rabbit in exchange for two bowls of stew she had just finished making. We keep the other rabbits for our small feast that our families will share during our celebration after the reaping. At least we hope to be celebrating, as long as Gale and I manage to avoid our names being called.

We then walk through town on our way to the mayor's house to drop off the strawberries. He always loves it when we bring them and his daughter Madge always offers us something nice in return. As we walk, the square is bustling with people buying and trading what they need before the shops close for the day. It's almost like a game trying to navigate through the maze of people. I try my best to keep up with Gale, who hates this part of town and for good reason. The residents are better off than people in the Seam and often turn up their noses to people like us.

"Gale, wait!" I shout, hoping he can hear me over the noise. I must not have been paying attention because I run into someone with such a force that I almost fall down. I cling on to their arm as I regain my balance and raise my head to apologize to the person I collided with. Only when I look up, I am left frozen. Staring back at me is the boy from the photograph. He looks at me, equally shocked and then a smile spreads on his face; that warm, gentle smile that I associate with him…Merrick. My mouth hangs open as I try to think of something to say only no words seem to come to me. I guess I could start with a greeting. Just as I am about to say hello to him, I feel someone's hand join with mine, pulling me away.

"Come on Katniss, we have to go." Gale says as he takes me away from the boy that was my best friend all those years ago. I then realize that I need to go back to him, at least to make plans to meet with him during another time. I yank on Gale's arm and tell him to stop for a second.

"I forgot something at the Hob. I need to go back and get it." I fib. "You take the strawberries to the Undersee home." I hold out my bag, which has the basket of fruit inside it.

"No you go to the Undersees' and I'll go back to the Hob to get it." he says.

"Gale." I huff at him. Sometimes he just has to make things so difficult.

"What, she's your friend." he tells me. It's true; we are sort of friends. We sit with each other at lunch, and work with each other on projects.

"Just do it." I tell him as I shove the bag into his arms before walking away.

I walk quickly in the opposite direction as I retrace my steps. I can only hope that in the few minutes that have passed, he hasn't wandered too far. I find him sitting on the edge of the fountain, not too far from the spot of our collision. He has a thoughtful look on his face as his chin rests on his fist. He must still be thinking about our little run in. He must have heard Gale say my name, confirming that it was in fact me. I nervously walk towards him, still not sure what we'll say to each other. I stand in front of him but he's still too deep in thought to notice. I gently kick his foot, breaking his concentration. He looks up and me and his smile returns. I motion for him to follow me, out of the way of all these people. They are probably too preoccupied to notice use but we should still use caution. We walk until we are on a small road behind the merchants' shops. As soon as I turn to face him, I find myself wrapped in his arms. He lets out a breath of relief as he holds me close to him. I wrap my arms around his torso, reciprocating the hug. I can't help but notice his defined muscles under his thin cotton shirt. His body feels so different. Last time I saw him, he was like a stick.

"I was starting to think I wouldn't be able to find you." he murmurs to me. His voice is much deeper than the last time I saw him. It has a nice cadence to it. It almost sounds like singing.

"How long have you been here?" I ask him, slowly stepping back so I can see his face. I only hope that I haven't lost too much time with him.

"Just a few days." he tells me. "You look the same…only older." he says with a laugh. I let out a light giggle as I remember him saying something similar to that. He then reaches his hand towards me, taking my braid in his hand. "And you kept your braid…just like you said you would."

"And you look just like your father's picture." I tell him because it's true. He looks exactly as his father had looked in that photograph he showed me 4 years ago.

"This place…it looks familiar." he says looking around, trying to place it.

"It is. Over there is where we first met." I tell him, pointing to a tree behind the Mellark's bakery. I watch him walk over to the tree and follow behind him. He rests his hand against the bark, leaning his weight against the tree. He looks down to the ground. He looks like he's ready to start a serious conversation with me about that day he found me all those years ago. Unfortunately, we do not have time for this. I have to start home to ready myself for the Reaping. I stop him before he begins to talk.

"I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to be going. It is a Reaping day."

"Oh yes, it is, isn't it." he says with disappointment. "How many times is your name going in?" he asks with concern.

"Sixteen." I tell him. I can tell by his reaction that he doesn't like my answer. "We can meet later tonight to talk…if I don't get picked." He doesn't say anything, only nods. "Eleven o'clock by our tree, if you still remember where it is."

"I remember." he tells me with a smile. "Good luck, Katniss." He gives me one last hug before starting towards his home. I walk back to the Seam when a thought crosses my mind. If it's Reaping Day, why isn't he at home in District 2?

Yay, Merrick's back! As always, reviews are appreciated ;)