Disclaimer: All stories are individuals of themselves and are unrelated to each other.
"I don't know, Katniss," Madge says as she looks down at her outfit. Tight black running pants and a hot pink sports bra? "If we're running from zombies, aren't we supposed to not stand out?"
Katniss groans and looks down at her own outfit, very similar only her sports bra is lime green. "Johanna picked them out," Katniss finally says. "She said if we want to win we've got to feel empowered, or something." Almost as if on cue Johanna emerges, her own bra bright blue. "I think she's just trying to find a way to show the most amount of skin possible."
"Now if I was doing that," Johanna says, "we'd be in shorts." Madge frowns and ties her hair up in a ponytail, turning away from her two friends. "Listen," Johanna starts. "We are about to compete in The Slag Heap's annual Zombie Quest." The Zombie Quest is held every year around Halloween by a band known as The Slag Heap. They've been coming to the campus for years to sponsor the event, and afterwards they have a concert and play their most famous songs like I shouldn't Have Kissed You, What Was Your Name?, and Under the Stars Again. "I've been running this damn thing for two years and if we don't win against the boys someone is going to get their hair cut off and super glued to their legs."
Again Madge frowns. "I don't want to do this," she says.
"Well too bad Princess," Johanna readjusts her bra. "Your name is on the team list and you're the fastest runner we've got. Besides, if you don't participate you don't get to go to the concert afterwards." Madge sighs and glances at herself in the mirror again. Delly arrives seconds later, her sports bra very orange. "Alright we're all here. Now to go over the plan."
The college that the girls attend is very spread out, which is why they've decided to do this in a sort of relay race run. The entire event is designed around the idea that zombies are on the loose and there's a race for the cure. The first team to successfully collect all four vials of the serum (which is rumored to just be sprite with blue food coloring in it) gets front row seats at the concert afterwards, as well as backstage passes afterwards. This is Madge's first year competing, she usually just stands outside the gate at the concert, but she really wants to actually be there.
"It doesn't sound so bad," Madge finally says as they all lean down to tie their shoes. "Just a race."
"You're the last sprint, baby," Johanna says. "And whether you believe it or not, Gale Hawthorne is incredibly fast. You'll be up against him." Ah, yes, the boys team. Gale Hawthorne and Peeta Mellark and Proja Mellark and Thom Reynar. The unstoppable four. They take on the same sort of plan that the girls have, and have won both years they've competed.
"It's a lot harder than it sounds," Katniss murmurs, tying her hair into a braid. "Not only do you have to collect the cure from a place surrounded by zombies, if you get caught even once you're out. If you 'die' you're not allowed in the concert until the second set."
"Die?" Madge croaks.
"Didn't you read the rules?" Johanna frowns. She thrusts a green glow stick on a string toward Madge and gestures for her to wear it like a necklace. "If a zombie gets their grimy hands on you they take your life and give you a red glow stick. And if you turn into a zombie then we don't all get the cure and then we don't win. So don't get caught."
"Get caught," Proja Mellark, Peeta's older brother paces the room, "and I will kill you. Lose, and I will feed you to the zombies. If we get anything other than first—"
"Save it, Doughboy," Gale cuts him off. "You give us the same speech every year." Gale looks around at his teammates and they all have smiles on their faces. Watching Proja get riled up over this is absolutely hilarious. "We always get first. Why would it be any different this year?"
"Because Johanna's running the girl's team," he tells them. "And she's fucking psychotic."
"In bed?" Thom teases. Proja narrows his eyes. "Aw, come on! It's a bunch of girls, half of them haven't even played before."
"Hey, your girlfriend's on that team," Peeta says in defense of Delly. "And she's very determined."
"Your girlfriend's on the team too, Peeta," Thom responds.
"I don't think the fact that they're girls is an issue," Proja mutters. "The fact that they go to the gym in a group at least twice a week for Zumba is the issue. Besides, they've got Madge this year."
Gale cocks an eyebrow. "So what?"
Proja nearly groans, "She's on our school's nationally ranked track team!" Gale rolls his eyes. He's heard enough about Madge Undersee for a lifetime. She's utterly perfect at everything, the most wonderful woman in the world. "All I'm saying," Proja says, "is that we've got to stay focused so we can win. Okay?"
Focused! How the holy hell is Gale supposed to stay focused when Madge Undersee is dressed like that?! Her golden hair is tied up and out of her face and Goddammit her body is perfect (alright, maybe she is utterly perfect at everything) and she looks determined and ready to win and Jesus Christ why did they have to dress like that?!
Peeta crosses through the crowd over to the girls and Thom pushes Gale's jaw up so he's not gaping and hands him a bandanna to tie around his head. "You're running last," Thom reminds him. "You've got to get into the science building, the serum is on the bottom floor, and then all the way back here to the starting lot."
"I've done it before," Gale says, "I can do it again."
"You're up against Madge."
"Goddammit."
"Now I know you've got this act where you pretend she's the most foul creature on the planet because she's Katniss roommate and her daddy's got a shit ton of money when you really just use that defensive mechanism because you're so attracted to her." Gale frowns as he ties his blue bandanna on. "So don't fuck it up, okay?"
"Fuck what up?"
"Any of it. Don't piss Undersee off and don't get distracted by her and don't let us lose, okay?"
Gale frowns again. "That's not fair, you're not running against Delly."
"Yeah I'm running against Katniss which is a hell of a lot harder," Thom murmurs. The two friends glance over to where Johanna and Proja are glaring at each other. "They're definitely hooking up tonight," Thom laughs, turning to look at Gale. "If we win, Johanna will want angry sex and Proja will want victory sex, and if they win it'll be vice versa."
"What if neither of us win?" Gale asks, glancing around at the crowds of contestants. "There are other teams, you know."
"Pffft," Peeta says as he returns, "do you see them? It's us or the girls, no doubt."
"Zombies could get us, there're more than last time." The Slag Heap made sure of it. They love to have a free concert but there has to be an incentive to winning or there's no participation. "All I'm saying is that it's not going to be as easy as last year."
When the cannon blasts and the first runners take off Madge looks around nervously. Other teams have taken the approach of going around as a group, but that never works. People always die, they get easily surrounded and end up losing. She wishes she has the support of her teammates when the zombies come but at least she knows they'll be in the safe zone waiting. There are a few other teams that have taken this approach as well but they're not paying much attention.
Madge's not ready for this, ready to run like this. Okay, she does long distance runs for school but that's different, she doesn't have to fear that a zombie is going to eat her or that Johanna is going to shave off her hair and glue it to her legs.
Besides, when she runs her races for school she doesn't have to worry about Gale Hawthorne. He's never even been to one of her matches (that she knows of), his handsome face has never been much of a distraction. If anything she can pretend he's waiting for her at the end, causing her to run faster. She can't do that here, though. They're competing. If she wins he most definitely won't be at the end for her.
She digs the toe of her sneakers into the ground and glances over at the boys. Delly and Peeta were the first two runners and that was ten minutes ago, Thom and Gale are quietly chatting while Proja paces back and forth. There's a low whistle from the Mellark boy and Madge turns quickly. She can see Delly coming up now with Peeta just on her tail, both of them have blue vials in their hands and zombies dragging behind them.
"Yeah, Delly!" Johanna screams. Proja mutters something angrily under his breath as Katniss takes off. The second the last runner is in view the next takes off, according to Johanna's plan.
"Oh, shit," Thom mutters. "I hate this part." Gale pats him on the back as he takes off too, following the same path Katniss is leading through the crowds.
When Delly and Peeta return they laugh together, clinking their vials in victory. They're both breathless and quickly talking about the mobs they encountered. "Thanks for the help at that one part," Peeta pants. "I thought you were going to leave me."
"Johanna would've preferred if I did," Delly responds as Madge thrusts a bottle of water into her hands. "But we're friends. I just had to run a little faster when we got out of there."
Madge wait for Delly to finish her drink. "Was it scary?"
"Of course it's scary," Proja says from over her shoulder. Madge doesn't even turn. "They have the lights flicker and people screaming in pain and—"
"Leave her alone," Gale mutters, shoving Proja away. Madge's heart stutters in her chest, both in fear and with butterflies. Gale turns to Madge and shrugs, "It's not that bad. It's like cheap haunted house props. Just don't let it get to your head." Proja grumbles under his breath again, marching away and keeping an eye out for Thom so he can start to run. "The first year is always the worst. You don't know what you're getting into."
"Yeah, but you won your first year," Madge reminds him. Gale smirks. "I'll be fine," she says.
Soon enough Thom and Katniss are back, Katniss in the lead, and Proja and Johanna are gone. After everyone gives their runners drinks and allows them to breathe, Gale turns to Madge again.
"Just you and me," he says. "The final sprint." Madge tries her hardest to think of some snarky comeback but her throat is tied up. "C'mon, Undersee, don't chicken out now. Give me some sort of competition."
"You won't know what hit you," she retorts.
He smirks. They both turn their heads when they see Proja running up the hill. "Good luck," Gale whispers before breaking out into a sprint.
Johanna is behind him but it takes at least a minute for Madge to see her, and by then Gale's had a head start that could cost them the whole thing. Dammit, Madge wants those front row seats! As she leaves her group she hears Johanna shouting, "That jerkoff tripped me! Come on, we've got to get to the lot! It's all up to Madge now!"
Gale gets to the science building faster than ever before and it doesn't look like anyone's been here yet. The zombies, aka people with gross amounts of face paint and tattered clothing, are so surprised at his arrival that he makes it to the basement with ease. Only for a moment does he feel guilty that they're going to be ready for Madge now. He hasn't even see her, he wonders how far ahead he is.
In the basement there aren't any zombies, just flickering lights and echoing screams from an old CD player. It does take Gale awhile to find where the vials are though. He twists and turns through the hallways and when he finally reaches the stack realizes someone else is already there. Ready to sprint in case it's a zombie Gale bounces on his toes, but when he realizes it's just a pretty blonde in a pink sports bra he nearly loses it.
"How'd you get here so fast?" he pants.
"I'm a runner," she shrugs. Has she even broken a sweat? Madge winks as she snatches one of the pretty little blue vials and starts up the back staircase without another word. Gale fumbles forward and picks up his own vial, quickly following the girl in front of him. Her green glow stick illuminates the staircase and he's quickly on her tail, following her when she makes a sharp left.
"Wait!" he calls. That's where the zombies are! Madge glances over her shoulder at him in confusion and ends up slipping, falling onto the ground very un-gracefully. Shit. "Are you okay?" Gale rushes forward and helps her up, finding her vial smashed to pieces and her hand bleeding. "Shit." She opens her palm and stares at the blood pooling. "Here, take mine."
"No," her voice is rough. "I'll get another and still beat you."
Madge makes for the staircase again but the zombies have heard them and they're going to follow. "You really didn't read the rule book," Gale groans, "did you?" He chases Madge down the staircase. "Once you're spotted inside the building they can follow you to where the vials are!"
"I—so what?" she calls over her shoulder. Madge has reached the bottom floor and picked up another vial. She turns for the back staircase again and plows into Gale's chest. He quickly tugs her away from the staircase and into an empty classroom. "What are you doing?" she hisses. They drop to the ground as the zombies make it to the basement from the staircase she had been planning to go up. Her entire body freezes. "Oh God Johanna's going to shave my head."
"What? Shut up," Gale growls. He pulls her away from the door and toward an emergency exit window. "Let's go," he murmurs. "Ladies first."
"Out the window?" Gale pops open the window and there's barely enough room for them to squeeze. "You're joking."
"Do you want to go to that concert or not, Undersee?" With a groan she forces herself out the window and Gale scolds himself for looking at her ass. The second she's up he waves her on. "Just go, I'll catch up."
"Jesus Christ, Gale," she extends her hand, "just let me help you!"
"If it wasn't for me you'd already have won," he groans, accepting the hand.
"If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be climbing out a window!" she says back. Once they're both out the window they crawl up the dip in the hill. "I don't see any of them."
"Me neither," he answers. And then she's gone. She forces herself onto her hands and sprints toward the finish. Goddammit! He's been tricked! Oh, what did he expect? For them to hold hands and cross together? He readjusts his hold on the vial in his hands and sprints after her, but dammit she's just so fast.
And then the girls are cheering and Proja looks like he's going to explode and Gale's bandanna is soaked in sweat and Madge holds her vial up and the members of The Slag Heap are standing there cheering on the girls as well and accepting their wristbands for backstage and Madge looks his way and gives him the sweetest smile he's ever seen.
Somehow the boys manage to make it to the front row as well, Peeta pressed up against Katniss and Thom twirling his fingers through Delly's hair and even Proja smiles as Johanna whispers things to him after he apologized for 'accidentally' tripping her. Gale finds Madge staring up waiting for the set to start with the most star struck face.
On a leap of faith his hands ease around her hips and she squeaks, quickly looking over at him. Gale smirks. "Did you let me win?" she immediately questions, resting her hands over his and turning back to face the stage.
"That would've been noble but no, I didn't. You're just too fast." She smiles as he rests his chin on the top of her head. "So you like The Slag Heap, eh? I didn't know it was your style."
"They're fun to dance to."
"You know all the words," he insists.
"Maybe." Madge turns in his grasp and her hands hold on his shirt. "Thanks for saving me back there. You could've won if you left me."
"It wouldn't have been a victory if you had died," he murmurs.
"I wouldn't really be dead," Madge smiles, "it's just a game. I just would've had a different glow stick."
"And not been in the front row," Gale says, "here, with me." He reaches up and traces her fingers under his chin. "Are you going to the after party that the Mellark's are throwing?" he asks. Madge tips her head forward. "Will you go with me?"
"That depends," she hums. "What's your favorite song by The Slag Heap?"
Gale thinks about it. "I'll Still Want You in the Morning," he murmurs. Madge smiles, tugging him down closer. "Do you know that song?"
"All the words," she hums.
A/N: It's gadge week! Today was "peeta or slag heap" and I chose slag heap. c: it's obviously a very different interpretation, but oh well... heh