Thank you so much to my fantastic betas, dandelionsunset and francatwild. (If there are still typos, it's probably because I put them back in.)
Chapter 5—the benefit of the doubt
"I can't believe she's letting you do this." Gale and Katniss were walking to school. Prim was walking ahead of them with Gale's little brothers, Rory and Vick. Katniss had just told Gale that her mother had given Katniss permission last night to join Rye's band. Gale's opinion on the matter had not improved.
Katniss sighed. "Well, she is, but there's a condition attached. My mother doesn't want me walking home alone at night from the Undersee's. I know it's a lot to ask but I was hoping you'd be willing to do it."
Gale snorted, "Are you serious?" He scowled and looked like he was about to start another argument. Great, she thought, now he's all mad again. She backpedaled.
"Look, forget it. This is my mother's requirement, not mine. I'll try to get her to let me walk alone. And if she isn't OK with that, I can ask Rye or one of the other guys in the band."
"No, don't do that," Gale said quickly. "I'll do it. Wouldn't want some townie boy dragging you off to the Slag Heap."
Katniss tried to hide it but she was hurt—really hurt—but Gale's words. She was nearly 16 years old and had never even been kissed. She had certainly never been to the Slag Heap, the District's default make-out spot. Still, he was doing her a favor, so she tried to be gracious. "Thank you, Gale. I'll talk to Madge at lunch today. Assuming her dad gives us permission, come pick me up around 9:00. If he hasn't, I'll get word to you."
She thought about what her mother had said last night, about Gale being jealous. She didn't really want to believe it. She tried to see things from his point of view. She thought about how she'd feel if Gale were suddenly spending his evenings with four Merchant girls. She supposed she might be a little jealous but she sure wouldn't be trying to talk him out of it, especially if it would put food on his table.
They spent the rest of the walk in an uncomfortable silence. When they got to school, Katniss asked, "Are we heading out after school?" He knew she was asking if they were hunting today.
Gale huffed, "No." Then he looked over Katniss' shoulder and she saw his face cloud over. She turned around. Rye and Peeta were just walking up and said hello to both of them. Katniss returned the greeting. Gale said nothing. He scowled at the brothers, the silence going on long enough to be uncomfortable. Katniss elbowed Gale. He glared at her for a second, then stomped off. Katniss tried to keep the hurt off of her face when she turned to face Rye and Peeta.
Both brothers watched him leave but while Rye looked amused, Peeta looked worried.
Katniss tried to shake off Gale's bad mood and said, "OK, I'm in. When do we start?"
Rye watched Gale's retreating form. "I take it your boyfriend isn't very happy with your decision?"
Katniss frowned. "Gale isn't my boyfriend."
Peeta looked at Katniss, the worried look on his face suddenly gone. "Is he your cousin or something? You look a lot alike."
Katniss shook her head. "No, we aren't related. A lot of people in the Seam look like us. And we're just friends."
Rye and Peeta glanced at each other before Rye said, "Uh huh. Well, you might want to inform him of that because 'just friends' don't act like that. Jealous boyfriends do."
"He thinks you all are trying to get into my pants. That's a direct quote," she sighed, turning a little red. Peeta looked angry but it was Rye who spoke first.
"None of us has a death wish, Everdeen. And I mean that sincerely. We all know you could kill us and sell us for meat at the Hob. I'll find you and Madge at lunch and see whether Mayor Undersee is willing to let us turn his house into a rehearsal hall. Later, Everdeen." Rye walked to class but Katniss was a little surprised that Peeta didn't join him.
"Did he really say that to you, Katniss?" Peeta frowned.
"Who, Gale?" Peeta nodded. "Yes, he really did. Why do you ask?" Katniss didn't understand why Peeta would care.
Peeta looked at her, his face filled with concern. "Because this might be Rye's band but you're the one taking the biggest risk by being in it. I'm not blind to what goes on in this District, Katniss. I know Merchant kids get the benefit of the doubt when Seam kids don't. But whether Gale's your friend or your boyfriend, it's clear that you two are close. I would have hoped he'd give you the benefit of the doubt, too."
They had started walking towards class without Katniss even being aware of it. Katniss had been hurt by Gale's reaction, but she couldn't have put into words precisely why it bothered her so much. Somehow, Peeta had articulated exactly what she had been feeling.
But she didn't know how to say any of that, either, so she just nodded her head a little and hoped that sufficed for an answer. She decided to change the subject. "Are you joining us with Rye again today at lunch? You seemed to enjoy it so much yesterday." She couldn't help but grin as she remembered how Rye had teased Peeta.
Peeta groaned and wiped one hand over his face, which had started to turn a little pink. "Yeah, well, Rye has a lot of experience getting under my skin. I can get under his, too, though, so it evens out." Then his face fell a bit. "I can't today. My friend Will and I are helping Coach with some of the freshman wrestlers over our lunch period." He did look genuinely disappointed.
"That's right, you're on the wrestling team. Do you help the coach a lot?" Katniss asked.
"You knew I wrestled?" Peeta looked at Katniss in mild shock.
"Is it supposed to be a secret?" She scowled a little. Did he think she was stupid or something?
Peeta laughed and said "No, of course not. It just makes me happy that anybody would notice, is all. And to answer your question, Coach has everybody on the wrestling team take turns training the freshmen."
Peeta was smiling and he sure looked happy. Katniss supposed he probably didn't get much positive feedback at home. She thought about the look in his eyes when the subject of his mother's abuse came up yesterday at lunch.
Then she remembered something else from yesterday. "Wait. Peeta, I just thought of something. Rye said you told him I could sing. How did you know that?"
Just then the bell rang. Peeta looked a little panicked and said, "Story for another time. See you later?" Then he practically sprinted down the hall. Katniss looked at the clock and panicked a little, herself. She ran down the hall and got into her desk just in time.