To be honest, the only reason I've been updating so much is because I should be doing revision right now D: Oh, and sorry about making Gale's eyes brown when apparently they're actually grey – I promise they'll be grey from now on!

Chapter 6

Today I'm woken up by my alarm clock, which I manage to knock off my bedside table while attempting to switch it off. Unfortunately this doesn't stop it from beeping, so I have to get up to fix it.

I run my fingers through my hair and sigh. School was going to be a lot less enjoyable now that Katniss was gone.

I pull on some clothes, not really bothering to look if they match or are even appropriate for school, and head downstairs for breakfast. I yawn and stretch as I take my place at the table, which is otherwise empty. My father must have left early for work.

I take some cereal and am halfway through my bowl when Toby comes through with my tea, which I gratefully accept. I didn't know why I liked tea so much, I just did. It helped me wake up in the morning.

"Morning." I manage to say to Toby through another yawn.

"Good morning," he replies, sitting opposite me. "Madge, why is your shirt on the wrong way?"

I look down and realise that he's right. I groan and head upstairs to change, feeling exhausted already. I pick up my bag from its usual spot and prepare to leave.

I sit alone at lunch, but I didn't really expect anything else. Normally Katniss would be here with me, but not today. And maybe never again.

I don't really mind sitting on my own, considering that no one really talks about me enough to care. However, my quiet lunch is ruined when I see a tall boy coming towards me. At first I think that it's Gale, but it was someone much worse.

"Hey, Madge." Zach says coolly as he sits opposite me, flashing me a smile. Just like last time, I noticed that it wasn't a friendly smile. It was an over-confident, nasty smile and I hated it.

"Leave me alone, Zach." I say, staring at the food in front of me, no longer hungry.

"Ouch, Undersee." He says, pretending to be hurt. "What kind of a hello is that?"

I toy with my apple, picking the skin away slowly. He continues talking when I don't attempt a reply.

"I said I would see you yesterday, but you disappeared. Where did you go, hmm?" He leans closer to me, and I resist the urge to flinch as I feel his breath on my face.

"I stayed in my house all day." I reply. Why couldn't he leave me alone?

"Sure you did, Madge." He still doesn't sound angry, he sounds kind of… Happy. He's enjoying this. Enjoying tormenting me, watching me squirm and feel uncomfortable.

I get up to put my tray away, not looking at him as I walk past, but he grabs my arm. I flinch and pull away, not wanting him to touch me. I very nearly drop my tray in the process.

"I'll come sit with you tomorrow, then." He says, that horrible smile still fixed to his face. I shake my head and manage to stutter the word 'no'.

"What was that, Madge? I couldn't quite hear you. Oh well, we'll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that. I'm sure you'd love that, wouldn't you Madge?" Zach stands, and brushes a strand of hair away from my face. I slap his hand away, but can't hide the fact that I'm scared to do so. I'm sure that he can see it in my eyes.

"It's a date." He says softly, smirking at me.

"It is not." I snarl back, before pushing him away with one hand. He isn't expecting it, so the force of it makes him take a step back to steady himself. This only makes him smile more.

"Stay away from me!" I yell over my shoulder as I walk quickly away. I dump my tray and leave, wishing that Katniss was here to sit with me again.

I notice that Gale isn't at school today. His usual spot with his friends is empty – did they allow that? Was it because of Katniss?

When I think about that, about Gale and Katniss, I feel something uncomfortable twist inside me. I assumed it to be sadness from my friend having left. Tomorrow, we would watch to find out the training scores.

The rest of the day is a blur. Zach doesn't bother me again, and I manage to make the walk home without bumping into anyone, which is a relief. My teachers didn't assign us any homework, because it was the Games, and we were expected to be watching instead of doing important things like working.

I suddenly feel anxious as soon as I think this, hoping I didn't accidentally say it out loud. The street was empty anyway, so even if I had, no one would have heard. I was lucky.

I take my book that I have nearly finished and sit on the steps by the back door of my house to read, despite it still being cloudy. I wrap a big blanket round myself to keep warm, and read till dinner.

Toby calls me in for dinner, which is awkward and uncomfortable, seeing as my father has managed to make it home in time for a family meal, which is unusual. We make small talk, but it's strained.

"Hello, Dad."

"Hello, Madge."

"How're you?"

"Fine, you?"

"Good."

Perhaps I should have said something to him about how I was actually feeling – that I was worried because Zach wouldn't leave me alone, that Gale had been acting oddly, that Katniss was gone from my life, and I couldn't get my friend back. But instead, like always, I said I was good. The conversation had ended there.

After dinner, I go and retrieve the blanket and my book which I had left outside on the stairs. Just as I'm about to stand up and go back inside, someone calls my name.

"Madge?" A figure steps out from the trees that line my garden.

"Gale?" I gasp, quickly checking behind me to make sure that my father or Toby haven't heard. But my father has shut himself in his office, and Toby is doing the washing up.

"What're you doing here?" I hiss. He comes closer, so that he's at the bottom of the steps.

"I wanted to make sure that you're okay." He says quietly, not looking at me. This surprises me.

"What? Why?" I ask, regretting it when I realise how sharp my voice is.

"With Zach and everything… He didn't bother you today or anything, did you?" He asks, shifting from one foot to another. I bite my lip, wondering how much should I tell him. In fact, why should I tell him?

Because he's just being nice, he's looking out for you. A small voice inside my head says.

"I…" Now it's my turn to look away. "He… He sat with me at lunch, and…"

"Did he touch you?" Gale almost sounds angry.

"He touched my arm when I walked away, but…" Gale had stiffened, and was now looking at me. He looked pissed off, but not how he is with me.

"Why do you care?" I can't stop the words leaving my mouth. "What am I worth to you?" He looks up at me, all previous anger gone – now he looks… Sad.

"I don't want him to hurt you, Madge." He says quietly. I take a step closer, so that there's only about half a meter between us. His grey eyes look into mine, and I don't know how to respond. I want to ask why, I want to know more, but instead I just stare at him.

Finally, he reaches out, and touches my cheek gently. Despite being on a step and him being on the ground, we're eyelevel to each other. I hope desperately that I don't blush, as it was something I tended to do all the time.

Gale left his hand there for a few seconds longer, before sighing and pulling away. As he turns to leave, I call after him,

"Wait! Will you come to school tomorrow?"

Gale doesn't reply immediately, and stops to think about it.

"Is Zach going to sit with you at lunch again?" He answers my question with another, and this annoys me, but I try not to show it.

"I think so. He said he would…"

"Then I'll come." He doesn't wait for my reply, and leaves quickly, ducking under the trees. And then he's gone.

I'm hoping to properly begin their relationship soon :D

Remember to review, your reviews are amazing and awesome and they make me so happy ^^