Author's Note: I am a big fan of gravity…what is up will come down…as we shall see…I thought after three stories you guys knew me? ;D

Thanks go to my reviewers: ASMF, Pandora, E-W-Dragon, HL and JB

Chapter 23

Rivals

After our first rally the throngs have swelled, the last two weeks prior to reaping we have a mob of teens and young adults who are running with us. Gale improves but we still end up doing the mandatory push ups.

Actually…we all do them. Katniss, Haymitch, Peeta and all their respective crews.

I start every morning with a stop at the bakery. Harry enjoys having me help and it helps me think.

Or not think. My mind is foggy lately. I blame Gale and Buck.

Both are finding reasons to call on me at Haymitch's in the evenings.

Buck is almost always to get me to come to the bakery to work on something. I think he likes the face his mom is pulling on him when I come in. She reminds me of Perry so much with pursed lips and angry haughty glares as she leaves. We work on making variations of breads they use as standards. He's eager to offer suggestions and we do test batches. He shows me tricks in doing decorative loafs and sometimes as we braid loaves into rings or other shapes our hands touch and he blushes furiously. He is attentive and we sometimes just sit and read thru recipes to see what can be improved on, or we talk about how his family is. He is more intent on knowing what happened to me while I was gone than anything else. A subject I don't feel all that comfortable talking about but do anyway because he's family.

Gale is to go on walks or visit his mom and siblings or just to hang out in the meadow. We talk, a lot. I mean a lot, and it's not what Buck had said once.

It's not about rebellion.

Turns out that's what a lot of kids my age talk about.

But with Gale…we don't talk rebellion. Of all the things we talk about growing up, him in the seam me with my semi-merchant family. What we liked to do then and now. I feel so comfortable with Gale, we both hunted for necessity as kids, only I was much younger as well as with my dad and he was with Katniss. Just he never ate snake, and I never fished.

A week before the reaping Gale gets to me first. Buck has withdrawn since the reaping is close to taking Peeta away again. I feel like him, and Gale can see something is wrong.

"You're not all that chatty" he says, we made it to the meadow without a single word crossing my lips. "something wrong Ariana?"

"I wish I could volunteer for one of them" I say softly, "they are so young Gale"

"Just by two years" he says, "I know the feeling, it's a sick game they play with us"

"You don't know the half of it" I mutter, he looks at me an eyebrow raised. I shake my head, it's not the time, maybe later when the train leaves and I don't have to run Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch ragged I will explain things to Gale. Not yet.

"I want to thumb my nose at these peacekeepers" I say instead, "I have a bad feeling they are going to do something to upset everyone"

"They already have" Gale says, "remember my back? And those old men in the stocks yesterday? They are already upsetting us"

I sigh, I tuck my legs up and hug them, resting my chin on them, much like I did the day before my launch, it's a bit harder since I'm more mature but I still manage this. "more than that, I walked past that head peacekeeper Thread on my way to the bakery this morning, he gives me the creeps, I really want to piss him off and have him have nothing to do against it"

Gale doesn't reply, when I look up he has a grin. "what?" I ask

"Nothin', you are nothing like Katniss sometimes" he says

"I'll take that as a complement" I say in reply, he is still staring at me, "Gale?"

"Yeah?" he smirks

"You're staring at me" I look at him deadpanned, "is it that shocking that someone hates your peacekeepers?"

He chuckles and shakes his head; "you know why I stare" he looks at the grass.

Yeah I guess I do.

I lean over and kiss his cheek. But he turns his head and it lands on his lips.

I automatically pull away blushing.

But he's blushing too. He leans towards me and we kiss again.

It's brief, but not unwanted.

Gale drops me off at the bakery on our way home. Harry is sweeping the front steps as we make our approach, holding hands.

"Evenin' Mr Mellark" Gale waves

Harry nods, smirking as I head into the shop. Buck comes thru to man the register his smile falters a bit as he sees Gale walk by the shop window and wave bye to me.

I really don't know what to do with these two. And we don't have time.

"We should do the party in a couple days" I say to him as I pass by, he follows me to the kitchen.

"Why was Hawthorne with you?" he asks, I can hear a bit of distaste in his voice.

"We're friends Buck, we hang out, is there something wrong with that?" I reply not rising to fight, Peeta once said there was prejudice between merchants and seam people.

He doesn't reply at first, "just friends?" he asks

Uh oh. I hear something in his voice I don't recognize, something I am sure is akin to jealousy, and I don't want to deal with it right now.

"Should we get Peeta into this idea? Or do you think he has too much on his mind" I say going to the roster, apparently the apple bread is being asked for.

"Ariana" Buck starts

"Right he's prolly too worried to focus, he'll just enjoy it" I say, avoiding this topic is getting hard.

"Ari" Buck tries again and this time he grabs my wrist as I walk past

A little too tight

"Buck let go please" I say softly

He looks at me, "can you answer me?" he looks adamant and no matter how much pain crosses my face as his grip tightens and my heart aches he isn't letting go

"Buck my wrist" I say quietly

"Answer me" he says dangerously soft

Harry comes in, he sees the two of us, and his face contorts to something I don't recognize on him, "Buck outside right now" he says

Buck stands straight and releases my wrist, its sore but I don't think he bruised it.

I try and block it out, how Buck looks at me hurt, how Harry leads him off with a warning glance and an apologetic one to me.

I try and bury this hurt I feel by trying my hand at cake batter. I don't notice tears coming from my eyes until my nose gets stuffy.

I hurt him, and I don't like this feeling.

"Ria?" Ryan comes down the stairs and sees me crying while making the batter, "hey kiddo, what's wrong?"

I shake my head but he comes over and releases my hold on bowl and wooden spoon, a small part of me is glad since my wrist is sore, "Ariana come on, it can't be that bad"

"I think I hurt Buck" I say softly, "I didn't mean it Ryen, but…"

He shushes me and notices my wrist, its red and when he touches it it's tender, "Buck did this?" he asks calmly, when I don't answer he gets me to look at him by tilting his head, "Ariana I won't be angry"

I give a small nod; the bell at the front signifies Harry has returned with Buck who comes to the back.

"Buck what the hell!" Ryen snaps at him, "why didja hurt Ria?"

"She likes that seam guy Hawthorne!" Buck snaps

Ryen doesn't miss a step, "gee I wonder why? With you glaring at him and him just paying attention to her, and then you hurt her wrist"

"She wouldn't answer me!"

"Why should she?!"

"Ari come over here" Harry says softly, I get up and go over to him, he takes my hand gently, examining it, "does it hurt badly? Do you need to ice it?"

"I can continue" I reply, "it's not too bad" I wince when he flexes it

"I'm no doctor darling but I think you should head to Haymitch's and ice it before it swells too badly" Harry replies

"But we were gonna plan the party" I look at him sadly, "we were going to get everything ready!"

He smiles, that warm safe smile, "don't worry we will still do it, I'll come over later to talk to you about what's needed" he leads me out, and walks me home.