Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.
Madge knocked lightly on the mayor's back door, waiting for his son to answer. She tapped her foot as she waited and tugged on her hair, slowly brushing the dirt off of her Reaping dress. She knew she wouldn't have time to return to her house and change before making this trade, it was too deep in the Seam to double back.
Rory was the one that answered, raising an eyebrow at the girl from the Seam before calling for his older brother. Gale rushed down the steps and shooed Rory away, sending him upstairs to prepare for the Reaping.
"You look nice," Gale smirked at the blonde, crossing his arms over his chest. He was already in his Reaping outfit; the nice dress shirt he wore didn't differ much from his normal attire. She, however, really did look nice. It was strange seeing Madge in a dress but he wasn't complaining. Her hair also hung down her shoulders in waves instead of being tied up like it usually was.
"You look the same as you always do," Madge retorted, handing the basket over, "like a kid from town." Gale dug around in his pockets until he found the coins for the strawberries.
"Your insults are lacking, Madge," Gale let out a slight chuckle.
"It is Reaping day after all," Madge replied, handing him the basket. "I'm trying to be thoughtful."
"You? Thoughtful?" Gale snorted. "Nice try."
Madge lifted her eyebrows and placed her hands on her hips. Gale only ever teased back when Katniss was absent from trades. "Maybe I'm assuming the role of Katniss, considering she's home with Prim to prepare her for her first Reaping." Madge scanned her nails, "So take the weak insult and drop it, Hawthorne."
"That's more believable, yet I still just think you're just running out of witty remarks."
"Maybe it's your last year," Madge scowled, "and I didn't want to say anything to upset your odds." She paused as Gale lifted his eyebrows, "Not that your odds were ever tragic."
Gale studied her for a moment; the terror she tried to hide from today glistened in her eyes. "How many entries do you have today?" he asked slowly.
"Not eight, that's for sure," she muttered. Eight, that was all Gale had. Being the mayor's son had its privileges. "Nineteen," she responded after seeing he wasn't happy with her answer.
"Oh," the smirk on his face dropped. He was sure there were other people with more but they weren't Madge. "Good luck."
Madge snorted, "I'd wish you good luck too, but it would appear that you don't need it." Finally she marched down the stairs, dropping her hands to her sides.
"Aw, that's not fair. You're going to feel awful if my name gets called!"
Madge smirked, "Hawthorne, your name wouldn't get called if you were the only person in the bowl." Gale rolled his eyes, a playful smile on his face as he slid the door shut.
"Gale," Rory pounded down the stairs, straightening his shirt before they left for the Reaping. "Was she that girl you like?" Gale felt his face redden as he tipped his head into a nod. "She's from the Seam, you know."
"I know," Gale muttered back. Madge didn't look like she was from the Seam with her pale skin and golden hair, but the dirt that streaked across her forehead was almost always evident. The Hawthorne family looked more Seam than the Undersee's, olive skin and darker hair.
"Dad would kill you if he knew," Rory frowned. People from the Seam weren't fondly looked upon in this household.
"That's why Dad doesn't know, and why you aren't going to tell him," Gale responded with a smile. "Now come on, we've got a Reaping to attend."