I loved writing the suspense the reaping causes between them. I hated writing Gale and Prim's pain as they watch the games. I guess this was a mediocre chapter, then. It's very long, though, so stick through with it! All rights to Suzanne Collins
12 Years Old.
Her name is picked. Effie Trinket just said so, with her wig wobbling on her head and her makeup running. But it's true. I see her, her blouse untucked from the back. She looks so frightened, so scared. I want to run up and volunteer, but that's impossible. I do run up to her, though, but I don't reach her fast enough. The peacekeepers engulf her. I'm crying, tears are spilling fast down my cheeks. One falls onto my lip. It tastes bitter.
I see her sister calling for her with the same panic in her eyes I'm sure I have. She pushes the Peacekeepers away, screaming, shouting, kicking, and calls in a loud voice "I volunteer! I volunteer for tribute!"
I've known Katniss for a long time, I respect her and I like her, and I have to say without her I could be dead. That's why I'm so ashamed to say this, but those might've been the best words I've ever heard in my life.
The rest of the reaping goes by so fast, it's a blur. Gale doesn't get called, it's some boy named Peeta Mellark. I'm not paying much attention to anything on stage, though. The only thing I'm doing is throwing her looks and looking away when she catches my eye. Her eyes are swollen, and her hair's a tangled mess. Her cheeks are still red, and her blouse is still untucked.
I turn to Gale. He's scared for her, too, I can tell. But his eyes aren't on her, they're on Katniss's, like everyone else's. He's mostly scared for Katniss, the brave girl who's hunted with him for so long. They're like siblings, but they're not. They're best friends, and my brother loves her.
However, all I see is her, with her blonde hair and her frightened, pale blue eyes.
A scary thing happens then. As Katniss and Peeta stand up and shakes hands, Effie is about to usher them out when I swept off my feet in a daze of confusion. One by one, people in the crowd put their three fingers to their lips, slowly, cautiously, and hold them out to the newest tributes of the 74th Hunger Games. I put the forbidden fingers to my lips and hold them out, not sure if I'm doing the right thing.
It's the sign that was banished so long ago by the last Head Peacekeeper. It's the sign no one is sure they can use. It's the sign that means danger, sacrifice, and love.
It's the sign that means goodbye.
It's been a week since the reaping. The television flickers on and Gale's head turns. It's Caesar, announcing the world it's time for the hunger games again. Great.
"Get them." Gale tells me tiredly. This has happened so many times I know who he's talking about.
I run outside, with mom yelling at me about sweaters. I turn, sprint down the road, and I see the house. I run up the steps and knock on the door. It creaks open, and all I see is a pair of scared blue eyes. It's her. She opens the door wider and she nods. "Mom's sick." she says with a voice so dull it frightens me. "It's just going to be me tonight."
I pull up the nerve to hold her hand. She raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything as we run back together, hand in hand, not wanting to miss anything.
We get back, and Gale holds the door open for us. He looks hollow, too, like the rest of us. He never gets any sleep, skips classes to crawl into the woods to hunt, stares out the window for hours a day, lost in his thoughts. I don't know what to make of him anymore as he leads us to the old couch and we take a seat.
Katniss is onscreen at the moment, holding her bow loaded in her hands as she walks down the river bank. She seems as if she doesn't care if the rest of the Career pack hunt her down, she looks like she is ready to take every one of them on if she has to. After Rues death, she's been strong. When the announcement was made that there would be 2 victors this year, she said Peetas name, clear and loud before ducking her head. Since then, she made her way back to the river in search for him. We know where he is, though. He's camouflaged as mud, lying as still as a stone just a few feet away and as Katniss calls his name, he answers.
"Here to finish me off, sweetheart?" he seems to mock her as he says so, and I think it brings a smile on Katniss's face.
The rest of the episode goes by quick enough, we're all glad when Katniss doesn't remove Peetas underwear. Prim even gives a laugh or two as we watch. Over all, it was a good Hunger Games day. Even so, as Caesar reappears on the screens to tell the world good night, Prim has tears in her eyes.
She's clutching my hand. "Walk me home." She half orders, half whimpers. She holds my hand tightly the whole way back. It sends a shudder through my body. At the door, she turns to me with swollen eyes."Thanks for being such a good friend." she says, and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
I smile. And I walk away.
The train pulls in as she squeezes my hand, an ear to ear smile on her face. I squeeze back as I look at Gale. I don't know how well he'll handle this. He loves Katniss; I know this now because he whispered it to me after he saw her kiss Peeta once. He was upset, I know, and I saw a few tears roll down the tip of his nose.
The door slowly opens as Katniss, one foot in front of the other, makes her way down, hand in hand with Peeta. Even though they just won the Hunger Games, thy both look dull and hollow. Gale gulps, gives a slight shake of his head and mutters something quietly as he slips away from my side.
Katniss's face turns bright as her lips form a real smile, her eyes happy as she runs to her beside me, embraces her in a big hug with tears running down her face. "I told you I would win. I would win for you." she says in a hoarse, raspy voice. Katniss hugs her so tight and they're both laughing as their mother wraps them in a hug. I quietly slip away and let them have that moment to themselves.
I escape into the meadow, where I see the opening to the woods. I wriggle down on my belly and grab a bow and arrows Katniss gave me for my 12th birthday. I walk as quietly as Gale taught me, avoiding large branches and stepping lightly as I could.
I hear a shake from a bush as Gale pokes his head out. "God, Rory." he says, shaking his head hair from leaves. "You sound like a thunderstorm out there. You're scaring away prey, for God's sake."
I roll my eyes and give him a face. We take a hike around the forest. "Why did you run away?" I ask as we walk. "It's just Katniss."
Gale sighs. "She's in love with that Peeta guy. I can see it in her eyes." he looks away. "Why did you run away from her?"
I know who he's talking about. "I'm just giving them time." I say, looking out into the meadow."I'm not avoiding her." Gale gives a grunt. I squint hard and see a little blonde headed girl with pig tails and a smile so big it brings one up on my face as well. "There she is. I'll see you at home. Talk to Katniss!"
I wave goodbye and wriggle out loudly from the fence, stand up, shake dandelions out of my hair, and run up to see her, trying hard to keep my cool but loosing it at the sight of her.
"Rory!" she calls, and we stop as we reach each other. We fall onto the grass and she giggles. "My sisters back. I can't believe it! No, wait, I can. I knew it all along! "
I smile, brushing a strand of loose hair from her face. "I know." I say, hugging her. "I think we all knew she was coming back." We're silent for a bit, a comfortable silence. A question pops up into my head. "Do you think she really does love Peeta?" I ask without thinking, and blush creeps up on my cheeks.
She nods, her face full of earnest. "Of course!" she says dreamily, looking up into the sky, her legs crossed. "But I don't believe she doesn't love Gale. She always has, but she sees something special in Peeta. That's not wrong."
I nod slightly and lie back down into the grass, she does too and we point out clouds until darkness falls over. I take her by the hand and we run home to the party held for Katniss and Peeta. Every time I see her, I have to bite my tongue to fight back the urge to tell her I love her.