Chapter 4:
Can't Stop Now
With the help of Rory and Vick, I am moved into my new home over the course of an hour. The inside looks almost identical to Katniss' and same goes for the outside; the only real difference is the colour. I am only two houses down from Haymitch, and am four houses from Katniss.
After Rory and Vick leave, I take a walk outside. I can see Peeta sketching Katniss in their front yard. Katniss and him are both laughing. I try to sneak past their house to get to the town square, but Katniss sees me and waves me over, I hesitate but put on a smile. Over in their yard, you could slice the tension with a butter knife. I say hi to them, Katniss gives me a warm smile, but Peeta just gives me a nod. We try at a few attempts of conversation, but they immediately die out and I just stand there awkwardly until Katniss asks the question that has been on everyone's minds. She turns to me and says, "Gale, what are you really doing here?" I guess it's a better time than any, so I tell her the truth, "Well…I um, am actually moving here, well, I mean, I have moved here, and uh, by here I mean Victors Village…" Surprise shines across their faces, until it is washed away by new emotions, Katniss shows genuine happiness, and Peeta tries to give a little smile, but it comes across as strained. Katniss welcomes me to the neighborhood, and Peeta gives me a firm handshake. As soon as I leave, their laughs are audible again.
In town, I visit the Hob, and eat lunch there. After lunch, I walk over to my mom's house. As soon as I get inside she hands me a letter, and tells me it's from The Capitol. I step outside and read it.
This is what it says:
Dear Mr. Hawthorne,
It has come to our attention that you currently own one of the government houses for free. To keep your house you will need to be producing some sort of income, as it is illegal to freely pay for able citizens' housing. Failure to do so will lead to the expulsion of your home.
Wishing you well,
Plutarch Heavensebee
I guess I have to get a job…but what? The mine was bombed, and it could take months for it to open up. I head back into town and am followed by Rory, I tell him about my current problem, and he says, "Well the only things you're good at are hunting and punching people, why don't you do one of those?" I chuckle a bit and say- "I kind of like the second one!" -while pretending to punch him. As he leaves, all of what he says sinks in. I could teach hunting…but I don't know what parent would pay for their kid to play with weapons. After weighing out the pros and cons of it, I decide to put up a sign up sheet in the town square, and sure enough, by nightfall, it is overflowing with names.
A/N: Isn't Rory so cute?