Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.
"It's not that big of a deal, Madge," Katniss scowled. "Just take the strawberries to Gale like we always do, he doesn't bite."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Madge murmured, pushing her bangs out of her face. "He hates me, Katniss!"
"I assure you," Katniss thrusted the basket of strawberries into Madge's hand, "that the mayor's son does not hate you. Not as much as you hate him, anyways." Madge bit her lip and looked down at the red fruits in her hand. "If you hate him at all."
"He's everything I despise about this District," she muttered, starting off toward town. "You're friends with him, why don't you do it?"
"I have to help Prim get ready for her recital," Katniss said back before scurrying toward her home in the Seam. "See you there!" Madge growled, tightening her grip on the basket and continuing toward the mayor's house.
It's not that she hated the mayor's son as much as she hated his wealth. The way he could strum any song on his guitar as well as tap out a tune on his piano. It drove her up the wall. She was forced to feed herself and her constantly bedridden mother, survive without aid from anyone, while Gale Hawthorne had everything he wanted with the wave of his hand. Nice clothes, delicious food, a warm bed on a cold winter night.
Madge pounded away on the back door, waiting for him to answer. "Madge," he nodded as he opened the door, studying the blonde from the Seam, the dirt that dotted her nose. "Where's Katniss?"
"Home with Prim," Madge replied dully, thrusting the basket forward. "Here're your berries, as requested." As requested, everything he wanted was what he got.
Gale frowned, accepting the basket slowly. "You know, Madge," he handed her the silver coins, "I'm sure you like strawberries more than me."
"You know, Hawthorne," she slid the coins into her pocket and narrowed her gaze, "I'm sure the money I make from this trade can feed me for two weeks, while those berries would only feed me for a few days."
He frowned again, "That's not fair."
"It's plenty fair," she noted. "You pay for the strawberries I'd rather save for myself so I can feed my family. You eat them as a treat. They'd be a meal for me."
"Then take them," he held the basket out to her. "Keep the money while you're at it."
"I'll have you know," she growled, jabbing her finger to his chest, "that I don't accept charity from town boys." In fact, Madge didn't accept charity at all. Not when her father died in the mines, not when her mother fell ill with her headaches. "I knew Katniss should have come instead of me."
As Madge pounded down the wooden stairs that led to the backdoor she heard him sigh. "I don't even like strawberries," Gale called to her. Madge froze in her step but didn't turn around. "And Katniss selling them isn't the reason I buy them."
"Then why do you buy them?" Madge called back.
"You know why," he answered quietly before shutting the door. Madge balled her hands into fists before marching off toward her home in the Seam. There was no way she was going to let a boy from town, the mayor's son of all people, get her heart racing.