As always, thanks a million to my betas, dandelionsunset and francatwild!

Chapter 6—girl's night in

Rye joined them at lunch. Madge said her father was fine with them rehearsing at their home it as long as they didn't make a mess, cleaned up after themselves and kept it in the basement so it wouldn't bother her mother. Rye suggested they begin rehearsals tomorrow night.

Rye gave Katniss an intimidatingly large song list. Many of them she already knew but plenty were unfamiliar. Madge looked at it and said, "I think we have some recordings of these at my house. Katniss, why don't you come over tonight? You can listen to the songs you don't know to get ready for rehearsals with the whole band. Plus, you can see if there's anything else you'd like to sing. And bring Prim, if your mother thinks its alright."

When they got home after school, Katniss let her mother know that Gale had agreed to walk her home. Mrs. Everdeen seemed satisfied and also gave Prim permission to go to Madge's house that night.

After supper, Katniss and Prim walked to the Undersee's. Prim was thrilled at the prospect of getting to spend the evening with Madge, whom she adored. Madge met them at the back door and brought them into her basement. Katniss had never seen this part of Madge's house before. She was expecting something like a coal cellar but it turned out to be a very comfortable room. There was an upright piano against the wall. The furniture was clean but older and well-worn, almost shabby looking. None of it matched. There were several lamps, a wall of books, a beat up stereo system and a fireplace at the far end of the room. Everything about the room was cozy and inviting.

It was also well-lit, which was unusual in and of itself for most buildings in the District. However, being part of the local government meant that the Undersee home was one of the few places that consistently had electricity. It was on a separate grid along with the Justice Building and a couple of other municipal structures.

The girls settled in with Rye's song list. They went through the songs Katniss didn't know. If there wasn't a recording of it, Madge played it on the piano and taught Katniss the lyrics until Katniss had it mostly memorized. Prim listened to other tracks through headphones and wrote down suggestions for their song list.

Katniss was seriously impressed both with Madge's ability to play the piano and with her knowledge of music. She showed Katniss a large chest filled with sheet music, some of it from before the Dark Days. Katniss suggested that they petition Rye to have Madge join the band but Madge said that bluegrass music didn't usually have a piano and anyway, pianos weren't easy to carry from gig to gig.

After about an hour, Madge brought down tea and cookies and they took a break. Most of the cookies were plain sugar cookies but one was iced with yellow primroses. Madge handed it to Prim and said, "This is for you."

Prim's eyes lit up when she saw it. "Madge!" she said breathlessly, "Where did you get this?"

Madge laughed. "At the bakery, of course. I told Rye and Peeta as they were leaving school that I would be getting cookies for the three of us tonight. Peeta iced that one just for you." Prim made the same noise she used for puppies and kittens. Katniss started to scowl-just one more thing she would owe Peeta Mellark-but Prim was so happy that Katniss found herself smiling despite herself. Maybe she'd include an extra squirrel for Mr. Mellark on Saturday or something.

Just before the end of the evening, Madge played the piano for them. The songs she played were unlike anything Katniss had ever heard. Madge said they were called "sonatas." Katniss and Prim sat on the floor and applauded when she was done. All in all, it was one of the nicest evenings Katniss had had in years.

So naturally, Gale had to come along and ruin it.

When he arrived at the backdoor, Madge invited him in to wait while the Everdeen girls put their shoes and sweaters back on. Gale coldly refused.

Then Madge offered him one of the sugar cookies. Gale sneered, "I don't need your handouts, Undersee."

Madge looked confused. "I know you don't, Gale. I'm just offering a cookie to my guest, is all."

"I'm not your guest," he condescended. Apparently, he hadn't had his fill be being rude because he added, completely unnecessarily, "Must be nice to have electricity full time."

Madge had done an admirable job of keeping her face neutral up to this point but his words seemed to stir something within her. She narrowed her eyes at him and enunciated her words very carefully. "Local government has to be available to the Capitol 24/7."

Gale looked down at Madge and sneered, "Well, I'm sure being at the beck and call of the Capitol is quite the burden."

Katniss and Prim had finished putting on their shoes and outerwear by this time and were both glaring at Gale. Madge turned a bit pink but when she spoke, she looked Gale in the eyes and her voice was steady. "You don't have the first clue what you are talking about, Gale."

Gale opened his mouth to say something but Katniss grabbed one arm and Prim grabbed the other. They both thanked Madge quickly and dragged Gale towards home.

Prim started in on Gale first. "Gale Hawthorne! What is the matter with you? Madge has never been anything but nice to Katniss and me. Why did you have to be so rude?"

Gale scoffed, "Oh, please. She's living in luxury while people in the Seam are staving to death. She can handle a little rudeness."

Now it was Katniss' turn. "It isn't Madge's fault that people in the Seam go hungry, Gale, and you know it. She can't help where she lives any more than you can. She's 16 years old. She lives with her parents just like the rest of us. Besides, we trade with her and her father! Who else can afford your strawberries?"

Gale wasn't having any of it. "Whatever. Did you hear her, treating me like a charity case with those stupid cookies? She's a townie snob."

Now both girls started to argue with him. They bickered with Gale until they arrived at the Everdeen home. Prim announced, "Gale, the only person who was being a snob tonight was you. You want to pretend that Madge looks down on you because you're from the Seam but the truth is you look down on Madge because she's from town. You act like you are too good for her but you're not. You're just jealous." And with that, she flounced into the house, blond braids swinging.

Gale started to argue but Katniss held up a hand and said, "Save it. Look, Gale, you're my best friend. We've known each other for a long time and you've never acted like this. Ever. But that right there-" Katniss pointed at the door that Prim had disappeared through-"is the third time in the last day that somebody has pointed out to me that you're acting jealous. I don't know what your problem is or why you're acting like this but you had no reason-none-to treat Madge like you did. So thanks for walking us back home tonight but from now on, I'll find somebody else to do it or I'll go it alone."

"Wait. Catnip-" he started but Katniss walked into the house and slammed the door behind her.