Excuse my language for a moment. Rated M for those younger kids(;
108 motherfucking review! Holy shit! You guys are fucking amazing!
Alright, I feel better now. :3 So we are going to kind of graze through the parts of prep before The Hunger Games until the interviews, which is what I want to focus on. Alright, now enjoy this Chapter! It is a thank you treat for 108 reviews! I'm thankful for amazing people like all of you(:
Peeta meets up with Prim and I every night in the town square. Hazelle stays home with the kids, and Madge joins us too when I offer for her to join us. They replay the Reaping the evening they leave. I pay close attention to possible problems. The boy from one looks like a threat, and the girl also seems a bit dangerous. In two, the boy is definitely a major threat by just smiling. The girl, Clove I think? She smiles in a arrogant and vicious way. A girl who resembles a fox from five looks sneaky. The next tributes don't look too dangerous until eleven. The boy, Thresh, is extremely bulky. I sense that he isn't as scary as he comes across though. My heart breaks when I see a little girl, a black version of Prim get pulled. I easily retain her name. Rue is only twelve years old with no volunteers. Prim shakes her head with sadness.
The Tribute Parade runs smoothly. It seems as though we got better stylists in the Capitol, because instead of drab coal mining outfits, Gale and Sara are in sleek black costumes, with capes of synthetic fire. Sara reaches for his hand, but he roughly pulls his away. He actually smiles at the crowd, and the cameras flash some of those crazy capitol ladies fainting and swooning at him. I shudder at their glee.
After waiting a few days, the training ends. When it's time for the viewing to start, Prim leaves for the Hawthorne's. I run to the square to meet Peeta and Madge. We all sit in the front row, our hands all clasping. I was right about those tributes that were intimidating. The pair from one both gets a nine. Cato and Clove from two both receive a ten. Foxface from five gets a five. I snicker, ironic that she gets the same score as her District number right? Thresh gets a ten, not surprising me slightly. Even little Rue manages to pull off a seven! I silently cheer for the girl.
When Sara's face flashes by, she earns an eight. I don't know how she could get that. Did she flirt with the game makers? Maybe give a strip show? I laugh out loud, earning a questioning look from both Peeta and Madge. I shake my head and turn back to the screen. Gale's face comes up, and I feel Madge clutch my hand. I hold my breath and a bold eleven flashes across the screen. I hear someone gasp, and another cheers. Soon the whole town has erupted in screams of happiness, everybody shaking hands and other bouncing. I hug Madge tightly, and she grins.
"He'll come back." I say confidently, and turn to Peeta to give him a light kiss.
There isn't any required show the next night in preparation for the interviews. I decide to take Rory out for the afternoon to teach archery. He picks it up pretty well, and I give him encouraging comments.
"Gale will come home right?" He says abruptly, catching me off guard.
"Of course he will Rory. Do you think he'd honestly give up easily?" He shakes his head a lot. "Exactly. Gale will find a way home, he always does."
The next evening I sit again with Madge and Peeta. I barely pay attention to any of the tributes. When Sara comes on, I decide to listen.
"Hello Sara!" Caesar says with a fake smile.
She flirtatiously replies. "Hi Caesar! And how are you?"
"I'm great! Let's learn a bit about you. How is the Capitol?"
"It is so amazing!" she gushes. "The food, oh! The food is so amazing! And all of you are so lovely! The men are handsome, but I have my eyes on someone else." She grins mischievously.
"Who might that be?" Caesar says with a glimmer of wonder in his eyes.
"The boy I came with! Gale!" She squeals, and grins widely."I have loved him for so long Caesar!" The crowd goes wild at that remark.
I feel Madge stiffen, and I squeeze her hand comfortingly. Luckily the buzzer sounds, and she smiles at the camera. Gale comes on with a grin and I sit up.
"Hi Gale." Caesar says politely, and Gale grins again in return.
"Hello Caesar."
"Tell me Gale, who was the boy you volunteered for at the Reaping?"
"My little brother Rory. He means the world to me like my other siblings. I couldn't think of him ever going to the games. So I volunteered." He says, and the crowd gasps.
"Very touching. I assume he saw you off too?" Caesar leans in as if expecting a big secret.
"Yes. I promised him and some others that I would win. No matter what I have to do." He responds in almost an arrogant manner.
"Gale, you hear Sara's confession earlier. Tell me, what is your opinion?"
"Honestly Caesar? She's out of luck. Somebody else holds my heart." He says with a soft smile.
I turn to see Madge smile slightly.
"Any name to this girl?" Caesar pushes.
"Miss Madge Undersee." He says affectionately. "I promised her most of all I would return." The crowd gives a big aww at this. The buzzer signals the end of the interview, and Caesar shakes hands with Gale.
"Gale Hawthorne!" He shouts over the cheering crowd.
Peeta smiles at me, and I see Madge looking dazed. I hug her and tell her I have to go. She nods saying goodbye to Peeta and I, and leaves us alone. "That surprised me." Peeta says with a smile.
"Me too. I knew something happened when he said bye, I was surprised he was over me. Let alone falling for someone else. She's so happy." Peeta smiles again, and leans down to kiss me.
"Shall we get you home?" He offers his hand, and I gratefully take it. We swing our hands between us all the way back, and my mind wanders to what tomorrow will bring. I step up to my door, and turn to kiss Peeta. My arms wrap around his neck, bringing him closer to me. He pushes me against our front door, and we get passionate. But of course, my mom whips open the door, causing me to fall onto the ground and Peeta land on top of me. She laughs loudly, and we both blush deeply.
"Night Katniss." He says in a rush, and then runs home. I turn to my Mom and see her smiling affectionately.
"Young love." She mutters before leaving out the door.
Thoughts? I can't bring myself to pull the star crossed lover shit with Gale and Sara. That is like pairing up God with the Devil. Super wrong. xP Review!