"So, what did Katniss and Peeta want to talk to you about?" Rory asked as he poured me some coffee. Just as I suspected, I got no sleep.
"Well, they told me the same thing you did. That we'd be sitting at their table at the big birthday festival thing. But that I was only allowed to make small talk- I have to wait till' Sunday to really talk to them." I swirled my coffee around in my cup. I don't know how I was supposed to pretend to be fine with how we were.
"Oh. Well hey, that might be okay. Less drama for the party. And it's a lot of fun, trust me. Did you bring a suit?"
"Yah I guess. It's formal?" I asked.
"Yup," Rory said, "it's not like tuxedo formal but it's nice suit formal. And the food- and the cake- oof, the cake Peeta makes is delicious."
"Hmm. Well I didn't bring a suit, but I can get one today or tomorrow." I told him.
"Oh no, that's okay, you can just wear one of mine. We're around the same size, right?"
"Oh, yah, yah I guess", I said and sipped some coffee. I looked down at my feet.
Rory had been leaning on the counter but now came and sat down next to me at the table. "You seem really distracted, Gale. The whole time you've been here you've just been worrying about the Mellarks, you know? It kinda...it kinda sucks, man" Rory said.
I stopped playing with my coffee and looked at Rory. He was looking me directly in the eyes, trying his best to be expressionless. But I knew from Angela what it meant to him that I was here.
I looked for my words before I spoke. "Oh. Yah, I guess I kind of have been. It's just- this thing, this fight, has been going on for so long I'm just desperate to end it. And things keep getting in the way. But Saturday's your day, and you're my brother. So it's a good thing the Mellarks only want small talk- because I promise I'll make the day about you, and Angela. I'm sorry man."
Now he was looked down and nodded. "It's okay-I'm just, I'm glad you're here is all." he said.
A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. Then Rory looked up and asked "Hey, I'm off work today, how bout' we go do something?".
"What did you have in mind?" I asked.
"I dunno, something fun. How about we go by the lake? They made it sort of into a leisure spot, it's really nice there- and hey, Delly's shop is on the way!"
"Delly's shop? What kind of place is it?" I asked. I had no idea Delly had a shop- oh gosh. This whole time, she'd been helping me figure out what to do with Peeta, doing everything for me, I didn't didn't even have the courtesy of asking how and what she was doing.
"It's an ice cream shop- it's amazing, she has her own secret recipe. She just bought the place next door so the restaurant part is opening too. Last I heard they were thinking of expanding the ice cream shop all the way down to District 11- making it some sort of franchise food place or something" Rory told me.
So after we got ready, me and Rory headed down to the lake.
Town had expanded and there were more streets leading up to the lake then there were when I was a kid. There were tons of new shops and houses, and even a fire station we passed on the way.
"This is it," Rory finally said. We stopped at a brick building with a sign that said "Brrrzar" in blue letters, and walked in. A few people were eating cones at the tables, and there was a young boy behind the counter wiping off tables. Rory approached him and said "Hey, is Delly in?"
The boy nodded and went to the back to get her, and wearing a blue hat and apron, out came Delly.
"Hey!" she exclaimed when she saw us, "good to see you guys! What'll you be having?"
"Uh, just plain vanilla for me. Gale?" he asked.
I looked at the menu board and said "Uh, how bout' mint? And also do you have a sec Delly?"
"Coming right up. And sure Gale, what's up?" She pulled me into the back room and let me speak.
"Well, I just wanted to say thank you for helping me out with everything and going out of your way. You didn't need to do that. And also, I'm really sorry for not asking how you were doing, and what you were up to- Rory and everyone else seems to like it," I explained to her.
"Aw- thank you Gale! And really, it was no trouble. I live for that kind of stuff. So go eat your ice cream." She hugged me and following her direction, I went to enjoy my dessert.
After we finished our ice cream- which was amazing, me and Rory headed towards the was the same lake I used to go to to hunt for my family, the same one I went to to escape from watching Katniss in the Hunger Games, the same one I brought all the survivors of District 12 to. So many bad memories were associated with this lake, but I saw something different when we arrived.
There were lawn chairs all over the place, families sunbathing, and even a few kids learning how to swim. There was no sign of the old broken down cabins. Instead, there were a few shops that sold hats or necklaces. Couples lounged and groups of teens hung around the water.
I realized then how much I had missed. Not just of Katniss' life, of everything. My old home was completely different. People I used to know had jobs, had kids. My little brother was engaged. But I couldn't go back and redo it, I just had to be happy that District 12 was thriving.
Clementine was right. This trip was amazing.