AN: This is my first published FF so please tell me what I can do to improve. I would love any feedback that you could provide. Thanks so much for the reviews so far and for reading!
NOTE: I do not own any of these characters or claim to. All that credit goes to the brilliant Suzanne Collins.
If you have any suggestions or want to be a beta, please feel free to contact me.
Enjoy!
As Gale walks through the door I can't help but notice the excruciating pain on his face. It's right then that I know that he isn't going to be cruel or cutting. I realize that he, too, needs comfort. He's just standing in the entryway, trying not to freak out. I walk over and gently touch his arm, trying to bring him out of the daze he seems to have fallen into.
"Gale?" He turns quickly and looks at me intensely. "Why don't we sit down while we wait for it to be our turn?" All he does is blink a few times and then allows me to lead him over to the worn, leather couch that is in the room. Upon sitting it's like he comes back to life.
"We have to make a pact," he says quickly.
"A pact?" I reply, slightly confused.
"Yeah. To support Katniss, no matter what happens. When she's in there we need to try to raise money from sponsors, me from the Hob, you from the merchants. We have to take care of Prim and her mom and make sure that when she comes back, we'll be there for her so that she can get better."
The words come out so quickly that I can't even do anything but nod. I wonder when this idea came into his mind. Was it when he came in and saw me? Or has he always thought that this plan was something he would put in place in the worst case scenario? It hurts a little that he uses the phrase "when she comes back". This whole time I've been thinking that this is the end for my best friend when he has total faith in her. Total faith that she will survive and come back to us. To me this calls to attention the fact that she may be my best friend but that I am most certainly not hers. That spot totally and completely belongs to Gale.
"If this is going to happen," I begin slowly, "we're going to have to band together as well."
"I know, I'm sorry I've been so mean at times in the past. Really. Katniss would always defend you but for some reason you seemed to be a fair weather friend to me. Seeing you here has really cemented in my mind that you truly are her friend."
Wow. I can't even speak. Gale walks in and I expect him to be his teasing self and here he comes offering me a pact to help Katniss and an apology. That couldn't have gone better if I had planned it. Well maybe it could have but now was not the right time or place for that to play out.
"Thank you. I think that was something I needed to hear right now," I tell him, trying not to blush. Becoming serious I change the subject, "I think I have another rule to this pact."
"What's that?"
"We show her we are tough and that we have faith in her. No being weepy or evasive. Give some advice and be reassuring."
"Sounds good to me," he says and as if on cue, the Peacekeepers in the room go in and bring out Prim, who is screaming and crying, and Mrs. Everdeen from Katniss' room and Mr. and Mrs. Mellark from Peeta's room. I'm shocked to see that neither of Peeta's brothers came to see him away. I had planned on seeing him before coming now I certainly was going to see him.
"Who's next?" The head Peacekeeper asks. I'm about to nod towards Gale when Mr. Mellark asks to go in. Mrs. Mellark shoots him a dirty look and storms out of the building. Gale and I look at each other, slightly confused. As he walks I'm trying to decide why he would go see her and Gale is holding Prim, trying to offer some sort of solace to this pained little girl. Upon standing up and moving towards the Peacekeeper to ask to go see Peeta, Prim suddenly asks if she can see Peeta. The Peacekeeper agrees and I can't help but feel like I'm doing an awful job of helping out my friends.
Mrs. Everdeen goes to wait outside and Gale and I sit in silence, waiting for our moments. A few minutes pass and Mr. Mellark comes out, sans a bag that he had been carrying before. This gives me an idea. I'm going to give Katniss my pin. The pin that belonged to a former tribute. One that was in the arena when another tribute from District 12 won. Of course I'm not going to explain that to her but I'm sure she'll appreciate the gift.
I walk into the room, leaving Gale waiting and Prim talking to Peeta and simply walk straight to Katniss. I will keep my promise to Gale. She looks surprised to see me, like she wasn't important enough to me to come. I talk quickly, fearing that I might lose it now that we're face to face. "They let you wear one thing from your district in the arena. One thing to remind you of home. Will you wear this?" I unhook and hold out the pin to her. She seems to be examining it for the first time.
"Your pin?" she says confused. I knew she wasn't thinking of this.
I undo the back tell her, "Here, I'll put it on your dress, all right?" I don't wait for an answer but simply fasten it to her pretty blue dress. "Promise you'll wear it into the arena, Katniss?" I ask her, pleading. "Promise?"
"Yes," she replies, seeming to be genuinely touched. I smile and kiss her on the cheek for good measure, hoping to give her a bit of strength and showing her that I do care what happens. I quickly make my exit and Gale practically runs by me into the room.
I look to Peacekeeper and ask him if I can go speak to Peeta and he confirms that there isn't anyone in there. How lonely he must be, I think to myself. Only his parents and Prim could be bothered to visit and say good-bye. Knowing his mother, she probably even said something harsh to him.
I walk in and can immediately can see that Peeta has been crying. Some may say that crying is a sign of weakness but I don't agree with that. Crying shows that you have strong feelings and that you're brave enough to show them to others. The Capitol and the other tributes may not think that way, but I do. I walk over to Peeta and he wipes away some tears and gives me his trademark smile, opening his arms.
To me, this is somewhat unexpected but who is to deny a tribute their wish? I walk over and hug him, feeling the warmth in him that is so clear just by looking at his face.
"What made you want to come see a dead man like me?" He asks me, trying to kid a bit.
"I wanted to offer you some reassurance that I'm rooting for you," I tell him, which is true, though, I also happen to be rooting for Katniss as well.
"Well thank you. It means a lot. Have any words of wisdom beyond your years? I hear you're good at offering those."
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, come on, everyone knows that you're the girl who can read people like a map."
Peeta is the first person to point this out to me blatantly. In the past, people tried to dance around this and try to request information from me but no one has ever just come out and asked for advice until now. I decide to go for it. "Tell her how you feel while you still can," I tell him with a straight face.
He looks kind of dumbstruck when I say this. I don't think he expected me to offer this sort of advice. He's trying to gather his words. "How… how did you know?"
"You were the one who said I can read people. I've seen the same look on your face when you look at Katniss since we started school and you don't look at anyone else the same way."
"Wow, you really are good. How do you expect to tell her how I feel when I haven't had the strength to tell her in the 11 years since I noticed her?"
"I'm sure you'll find a way. You're about to be spending quite a bit of time together anyways. I hate to be morbid but you have to take your chance while you've got it. If you wait too long, you may never get to tell her."
"I know."
"You want to help Katniss out, don't you?"
"Yes, definitely."
"Then tell Haymitch how you feel and how you think it might help."
"Haymitch? Seriously? That man won't even be sober enough to get dressed without help."
"Prove that you're worth his sobriety. He's not actually that bad of a guy. He's been through a lot." I can't believe that I'm defending him.
"Alright I'll do it," he says. I stand up to leave and hug Peeta again. He holds on longer this time and the tears start flowing.
As I walk out the door I can help but add, "Besides, everyone loves a pair of star-crossed lovers."
I walk out door of the main building and as soon as I'm clear of where anyone can see me, I can't hold it in any longer. It's one of those times when you cry and the sobs are just ugly and you are so glad that you can't see yourself. I can't even help the heaving of my chest and the way that I'm breaking. I feel alone. Without Katniss there really is not anyone in this district that I fully trust. Sure, I have other friends but no one can replace Katniss. I know that I can't allow my father to see me like this so I just stay and cry against a tree until I fell like I can't go on any further. I hear the car pull away from the Justice Building and I feel like every moment that passes, I'm losing my best friend. Even if she come back—when she comes back—I know she won't be the same.
I saw what the games did to Haymitch. What they did to my mother. Those that come out of the games are rarely any better off than those who died in them. Unless you're a career. Even then, you still belong to The Capitol.
After a good chunk of time has passed, I take a few deep breaths and gather myself. I know that I must look awful but I don't really care. I take a handkerchief out of the pocket of my dress and blow my nose. Slowly, then, I walk back to my house, thinking of my promise to Gale.
As I walk in the door I remember that I'm going to have to explain to my mother where my aunt's pin is. That is not going to go over well.