A/N: Never mind the nickname Katniss is given in this chapter, it will be explained in the next ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.

Chapter seven: Tests of Patience~

Gale watched as a streak of black flew past him and straight into Katniss, nearly knocking her over.

"Hey, Red. What'cha doin'?" The person asked, ignoring Gale completely.

"Hi, Johanna." Said Katniss, clearly unwanting of the attention.

"Still talkative as ever, I see." She joked. At least Gale assumed it was a joke - he really wasn't sure from the sarcastic way she'd said it.

Johanna smirked, giving Katniss a rough side-hug. She was taller than Katniss, with short black hair, with a single streak near her face dyed red. She wore a baseball cap and uniform, all of which had the all-too-familiar logo of Panem Sports imprinted on them. She held a duffle bag on one shoulder, and Gale could only guess that it held baseballs and bats.

He got the feeling that she was ignoring him purposefully, and he could tell by the looks of her that she had a rather abrasive personality, as well as a spunk and attitude all her own; something that apparently no one in this family lacked. He was beginning to ponder the idea of leaving to go find Rory or Prim, or even Mrs. Everdeen, but after a few awkward moments of standing there like an idiot, Gale was finally noticed.

"So who's this?" Johanna asked Katniss nonchalantly as she looked him over with all the interest of an insect, chewing on a stick of gum. Katniss opened her mouth to speak, but Gale beat her to it.

"Gale," he introduced himself, holding out a hand.

"Keep it," she disregarded, waving it off with a mitt-covered hand, chewing some more on her bubblegum.

Well okay, then.

"...So how are you related to Katniss?" Gale asked, trying to keep his irritation under control.

"You mean Red? We're best buds. Can't cha tell?" She replied, wrapping an arm around Katniss' shoulder and hugging her tight, smirking proudly.

"Hey, JOHANNA!"

She turned her head at the sound of her name, doing a full 360 to look outside the shelter. Gale followed her gaze, and his eyes landed on a man, no older than he, with bronze-blond hair and well-built physique, waving enthusiastically at her.

Johanna made a face, curling her upper lip into an 'M' shape.

"Tsk. In a MINUTE, Finnick!"

Finnick held his arms out in a 'come on, already!' fashion, before smirking and walking away to join a group of other fellow relatives.

Johanna grumbled (rather loudly, too), shoulders sagging, and turned back to Katniss and Gale.

"Ugh, look, I'm gonna have to go. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

Gale opened his mouth to answer - she was looking at him when she said this, so he assumed she was talking to him - but she cut him off, giving him an open-mouthed smirk.

"Not you."

Katniss turned her mouth downwards in a comical manner, trying to hide a smile.

"So whadaya say, cous'?" She asked her, grabbing her by the shoulder and shaking her a bit.

"Oh, um...yeah. Sounds good." She smiled, nodding a bit too enthusiastically.

"Great," smiled Johanna, blowing a bubble.

Seeing his friend's distress, Gale decided to step in.

"Uh, look, I don't think that-"

POP!

"I'm sorry. What was that?" She smirked, chewing her gum again.

Gale was trying his hardest not to blow up on this chick. She was just so annoying! He could barely stand to be around her for five minutes, he couldn't even fathom how Katniss was able to deal with her for eighteen years.

"...Ugh, nothing." He finished, crossing his arms to keep from just punching her.

"Really? Because your mouth was moving and I was sure-"

"Nope, I'm fine." Gale interrupted, clenching his jaw.

Unwrapping her arm from around Katniss, Johanna walked away, passing Gale slower than needed so he didn't miss the smirk she was sending way. When she was gone, Katniss warily stepped up to him, placing a hand on his arm.

"You okay?" She asked.

He exhaled deeply, nostrils flaring slightly. "Yeah...yeah, I'm good."

She nodded, removing her hand. She sighed, staring after Johanna.

"If it makes you feel any better, it means she likes you."

Gale gagged.

"W-what?"

The very notion of that...that...thing liking him made Gale choke on his own spit.

"She likes you. She tends to be a little...aggressive when she sees someone she likes." Katniss clarified, shrugging.

He stared at her with an open-mouthed expression, eyes bulging from their sockets.

"A little?"

She made an 'eh' expression, and they stood together like that for a few moments, watching everyone else go about their business as Gale silently vented.

"...What time is it?" Katniss asked suddenly.

Gale glanced at his wrists, even though there was no watch. "Uh, I don't..."

"There's a clock above the fireplace."

He whirled around, focusing his eyes on the rather ridiculously large clock that rested ,a bit unstable, at the top of the stone wall of the fireplace.

"Uh...11:30." He said.

"Okay, that means lunch is about to start. C'mon, help me get Prim." And she began to walk off, heading out the shelter toward the playground.

Gale, realizing that she had just successfully diffused his anger without him even knowing, smiled to himself, and followed.

A/N: Just so you know, in no way do I hate Johanna Mason. In fact, I LOVE her character. I just don't see her and Gale getting along, because I think their personalities would clash.

As they say, a double-negative is proof-positive! Aaand vice versa XD

I'm trying to decide which character(s) I should introduce next. You can post a review and give me your opinion if you want, but even if you don't, I'm sure I'll think of something :)

'Til next time!