Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.
It was the way Madge looked at him that made my stomach ache. The way her eyes followed Peeta as he trailed the stage, hand in hand with Katniss, that made me angry.
Of course, everyone was in love with the baker, the boy with the bread. Even Madge, the unattainable mayor's daughter. In a different world maybe the two could have ended up together, but not anymore. Katniss and Peeta, Katniss and Peeta, it never ends.
"It's best to just get over it," I mutter to her one night. We stand in the square, not talking, just near each other, as images from the new happy couple dance across the screen during their party at the Capitol. "They're together now."
"Get over what?" she asks back, her eyes not leaving the pair.
"Mellark. You're in love with him, I can see it."
Madge snorts, and then her hand reaches up to cover her nose. "No I'm not. God, are you an idiot?" I raise an eyebrow at her and take a step closer. "I've been friends with him since preschool, he's been in love with Katniss just as long. It's nice to see him happy."
I watch as a smile creeps on to her face and she lowers her hand, resting it by her side. "You didn't think he'd be back, did you?"
"Of course not," she admits slowly. "He's not… he's not like Katniss. She's strong, you know? Peeta's kind of… he's kind of sensitive."
I chuckle, "Obviously." She turns toward me and her eyebrows lift lightly up her forehead. "What?"
She looks away quickly, "Nothing." I cross my arms over my chest and she laughs lightly. "You just sounded so… tired. You know, when you told me to give up. Like you really didn't want me getting hurt." She kicks at the rocks on the ground for a moment and then says, "Why would you care anyway?"
"I don't," I mutter quickly, and again she laughs.
"You're not a very good liar, Hawthorne," she tells me, resting her hand gently on my arm. I snap to look at her and she sighs, pulling her hand away. "He'll treat Katniss right, Gale," she tells me quietly. "He's a nice guy."
"Yeah, well."
"I think in a different life you two might have been friends, actually." After a pause she adds, "Maybe us, too. We could've been friends." Her eyes meet mine and again she smiles. "Maybe we still could be."
"Maybe not," I add lightly, watching her smile increase.
"Alright well," she says, starting to walk away. "You don't have to worry about me, Gale. The boys I fancy aren't entirely unattainable. Yet, anyways." Then she winks, and turns away, carrying herself back to her house.
First I get angry, thinking about how she rubs the other boys in her life in my face. Like I'll never be able to get over Katniss while Madge can go off with anyone. But then I remember the wink, the soft touch of her arm, and the jealously slips away.
Maybe I don't keep losing to the boy with the bread, maybe he's just pushing me toward the girl with the strawberries.