I still had no idea what being hijacked meant. And I had no idea what was going on. But I obviously wanted to know. I followed mom and dad quietly behind them, keeping my distance so they wouldn't see me. When they got to Gale's house, I quickly climbed up a tree close enough to see and hear everything, but still far enough to not be seen.
Gale is sitting on a bench outside of his house with his head down. But when he notices he isn't alone his head shoots up. Dad looks at Gale, as if giving him a warning. He turns kissing mom on the forehead and he walks towards the bakery, giving mom and Gale their privacy.
Mom looks nervous, like she doesn't know what to say or do. "Hey Catnip." Gale says. Mom gives him a smile, "Hey Gale." She says. I could tell she was trying to stay strong, but I didn't understand why it was so hard for mom to talk to him. Mom took her away her smile getting serious.
"Why are you here Gale?" My mom said fiercely. Gale's smile faded too.
"I wanted to see you Katniss, I miss you." Mom's eyes darted in every direction, except in Gale's. "I don't know what Peeta Told you, but I'm not here to steal you away from him." He puts his hands on his hips. "I have a family, a wife and a son. I wanted to go home, 2 isn't my home, 12 is." I believed him saying he wasn't here to take mom from dad. But the way he spoke his words it was hard to think mom would be able to resist.
"A son?" moms voice cracks. I didn't understand why this bothered her, she had 2 kids. Gale locks his eyes on mom.
"You have a daughter." Gale says back. Mom nods realizing she should feel just as bad. Mom looks Gale in the eye for the first time.
"Gale listen, I have no problem with you living back here, but don't think I'm in this relationship with Peeta because it's forced. I love him, Gale. "She pauses, swallowing. "And Peeta loves me too." Gale's face lifts up, about to say something, probably countering what mom just said.
"No, Gale he does, he loved me even when he did suffer through the hijacking, but he stopped. He stopped the day we figured out I was pregnant with our daughter. "Now I was curious more than ever to know what dad stopped. Gale nods. "Goodbye Gale, I'll see you around." Gale lifts his hand and gives a pathetic wave goodbye.
Knowing I had to go home was uninviting. Mom and dad probably wouldn't tell me the truth about this anyway. So I decided something that dad might kill me for. Keeping my eyes on Gale, he sat on a bench looking at the ground. Without double thinking I jumped from the tree I was in. Gale immediately shot his head up starting at me and back up at the tree I was sitting in unnoticeable for 15 minutes. I walked closer to Gale's house, Gale looking at me every step I go. When I get to the gate surrounding his house, I look back at the windows of the bakery making sure no one was looking.
"As stealthy as her mother. " Gale says. I couldn't help but crack a smile. Maybe he isn't that bad. Realizing he wasn't the good guy, I got serious.
"And just as demanding." I started. "I'll tell you anything. Just can you tell me what you meant by saying 'A husband who is trying to kill her'" Gale just looked at me. It pained him to look at me, I could tell. Whenever he looked at me for a long time, his eyebrows bent downward, seeing my eyes. Peeta Mellarks eyes, but when he glanced at me quickly a part of him lit up, like he saw a sixteen year old Katniss.
"Alright, but you should know, I'm not the bad guy. " I had a hard time believing this, but he was the only chance at information I had. "Can we go in the back?" I asked looking back at the bakery, once more, only seeing Will, who was too busy to look at the window. Gale understands and leads me through the gate in the back there were benches and sitting on one of them was the boy.
His brown hair was shining in the sun, like it was in the forest. When he realized he wasn't alone he shot his head up, reminding me of Gale in every feature. He locked his eyes on me, probably questioning why I was there. Gale seeing him staring at asked his son, "Nick, would you mind going inside I got to talk to…" Gale didn't even know my name.
"Hailey." I finished. His name was Nick. I knew his name, and he knew mine. There was no more mysterious boy from the forest. He was Nick, Gale's son. Who moved here from District 2. Nick nodded going back into the house. Part of me was upset I didn't get to hear his voice. But I put that thought deep somewhere in my mind, there was no time to think of Nick's dreamy voice.
"So it's just you and your mother and father?" he asked sitting down, avoiding my face.
"And my brother." I said his eyes widened. "Sorry." I say quickly, I'm not sure why though. "He was the one in the window of the bakery?" I nodded. "I would have figured out sooner or later." We stand there awkwardly. "What about your mothers, mom?" I stand there thinking of Grandma. We rarely get a visit from her. She's been living in District 4 ever since I've been born, even before that. She comes down for birthdays, and holidays. But that's it really. "She's still in district 4" I answer.
"Gale, do you mind if I call you that?" I asked. "Go ahead." He answers quickly. "Can you just tell me what you meant?" Gale finally looks at me.
"You look exactly like your mother, Hailey." He is avoiding the topic, I wanted to talk about. "Yea except for the eyes, they're Mellark eyes." I say hostilely I immediately regret lashing out, seeing the hurt on his face, "Yup. Just like your mother." I roll my eyes in anger. "Gale you said you would tell me if I told you anything you would want to know."
"There's nothing I need to know so desperately." I get up angrily. Yea the good guy. I just risked being seen going into the back of Gale's house, just to hear things I know, and to share awkward glances. I walk towards the fence closet to the opposite of the front of the house, planning to jump over it.
"Hailey." I look back at Gale, making sure I made Dad's eyes as noticeable as can be, "He cares about you, your dad. The way he looked at me when I chased you off with what I said, or the way he ran after you, it reminded me of the way he protected your mother, they have a good reason for not telling you about this." He stands up from the bench, putting his arm on my shoulder. "Go home Hailey." He looks me straight in the eyes, not showing any weakness to them. "They're worried." He finishes taking his hands from my shoulders. I say nothing and jump over the fence.