"Katniss I'm so glad your home" Prim ran over to me and wrapped her skinny arms around my waist, her blonde hair all gathered round her head like a halo, as I stroked it behind her ears she smiled up at me, her eyes bright and twinkling, the blue in them reminding me of the blue in Peeta's.

"Actually we wont be here for long Prim, we're going to have a sleepover" Madge added smiling nervously at Prim, as even though she knows her so well, Madge is the shy girl at school, which doesn't help her when she tries to make friends, what with being the mayors daughter and all. "Is mother home?" I added.

Prim shook her head, the hair behind her ears falling in to her eyes as she gazed up at me. "No sorry Katniss, she's just gone in to the village to buy some ingredients for that stomach calmer antidote, there have been a bunch of townies coming in recently with bad tummy ache" she looked suddenly serious, forever the healer like our mother, with their matching blue eyes and blonde hair, a seam miracle.

"Prim, I've told you before you must not call any one by their stereo type its just rude, despite what Gale might say-" "Gale might say what?" boomed a voice from behind us, and Prim ran over to hug him too. Madges face was bright red as she glanced up at him before shyly returning her view to her manicured finger nails.

"We were just discussing what a bad example you are to the younger ones, weren't we Madge?" I smirked folding my arms over my chest as I watched Madge squirm uncomfortably beside me. "N-no, of of course…. No I would never … Katniss!" she groaned. She grabbed her bag from the floor, "Hey I thought we were having a sleepover?" My heart started thumping, I would never figure out these Peeta problems if Madge refused to help me.

"Oh" Madges eyes flashed, "and was there a particular reason, I cant seem to remember Kat?" my stomach dropped as I realised that Prim had already returned to the house probably to collect a bucket and continue milking Lady. I didn't realise she had gone and that Gale had been listening in to our conversation. He had suddenly become still and curious, his eyes flickering between me and Madge.

"I thought we were going hunting?" his expression seemed plainly confused, as he ran his fingers through the cropped black hair cut over his stone coloured eyes. "Well Madge was going to give me some advice on how… I mean … erm… bye Gale" I turned to walk away, but Madge remained where she was as Gales fingers caught around my wrist and dragged me back. "Oh no Kitty-Kat I want to hear all about these girl problems of yours, Im sure that I can help, right?" he winked at Madge and her blush deepened until I thought she was going to turn in to a lobster.

"Its private." I stated squinting in to the evening sunlight. "Since when do we keep secrets from one another?" he asked, his face a mask of nothing-ness like this morning, the worry, anger and loneliness present only in his voice and eyes as they searched mine. "Its not so much a secret, its just I need to keep some things to myself, and I don't do that too often." We both remained silent for a moment, his hand still clutching my wrist loosely. "Have I – Have I made you angry about some thing?" he questioned his eyes still searching.

"No its just-" " Katniss is just having boy troubles" my mouth gaped open in shock as I turned around to see Madge standing there an anxious expression on her face as she refused to look at me, knowing that she would see the fire she had just started. Gales eyes almost bugged out of his head when he heard that but he still burst in to a fit of laughter, doubling over with his hands on his knees.

"That's a good one Madge, Katniss, have emotions?" he clutched his sides from laughter. That hurt, that hurt a lot to not only have shy quiet Madge act like it was a miracle, but to have my closest best friend laugh at me when I was going through some thing so difficult. "Is it so strange to find out that I have emotions?" I managed to get past the urge to burst in to tears, if they acted like this then surely the out side world saw me in an even worse light, and then I stood no chance with Peeta. Even less of a chance than I stood now.

His laughter died in his throat when he heard me speaking. Slowly, ever so slowly, he rose from his doubled over position and stood straight again, towering over me and Madge like the bears in the forest might do. His expression was suddenly hopeful as he looked down at me. "No its not that, its just very unlike you to show some thing when you usually show no sign of weakness"

"Well Im sorry for not wanting to let people down by being selfish all the time" I snapped turning and heading towards the house, with Madge hot on my heels. But Gale ran and stood in front of me again.

"Please don't be mad at me Katniss, Im your best friend, Im here to help too" He sounded so injured like I'd told him I practically hated him when that clearly wasn't the case.

I sighed and smiled up at him. "Hey no worries, Im just having a difficult time right now, just getting used to some things, Im not always gonna' be a little kid you know, that awkward little teenager you used to know isn't gonna be here much longer"

He sighed heavily and waved goodbye as we continued in to the house but I could swear that I heard him whisper "yeah I know", but I just brushed it off, as the wooden door swung shut and Prim ran forward and threw my bag at me. I kissed her forehead and then went through the procedure of phone numbers on the fridge, a pile of loose change for the phone box in a jar in the kitchen and medicines being in mums medicine room. "Make sure you lock the door and answer to no one but mum" I called when the door had swung shut. "Yes Katniss whatever you say" she beamed at me through the window as she waved me and Madge away.

"So what now?" I asked turning to Madge. "Now the fun begins" she grinned as she dragged me in to the mayor's family house.