Always

Kisses and hugs (revised)

My feet crunch against the twigs and leaves as I walk through the woods. Now that I live in the victors village, I don't have to provide food for my family by hunting. Would that stop me from going out everyday and killing animals for food? No, it's a part of who I am. As I carry my bag full of game, I take a break in the meadow.

Sitting down on the slightly snowed on grass I look to my left. Sticking out of a pile of snow is a bright, yellow dandelion. I smile at the thought of my dandelion. Peeta has changed, but I think we both have. They say that the person you are before the arena, dies in the arena. As much as I hat to admit it, I have to agree. I wake up screaming every night only to find that the real world isn't any better than my nightmares.

I pick the dandelion up and twirl it around in my fingers. Maybe Peeta was right, you can have hope no matter the circumstances. This dandelion is proof. It's proof of an easier time, one where I didn't have to worry about my house being bugged. What I wouldn't give for a simple life.

"I thought you were leaving today." I hear Gale walk up behind me and sit down.  I nod my head at his answer.

"This afternoon." I look over at him and I know that it kills him to see me with Peeta. Shortly after we got back from the games, Gale told me he was in love with me. I hated having to look him in the eye and tell him that I love Peeta. Breaking someone's heart is awful, but breaking your best friend's heart is worse. You know deep down that your friendship will never be the same.

"I don't understand why you stay with him. The Capitol isn't here, you can stop acting." He says with an aggravated face.

I sigh at the thought of having to explain this to him again. "Gale, it isn't an act. I love Peeta. I don't know any other way to tell you." I tell him while standing up. I wipe the snow off of my behind and smile sadly at Gale. "I know you always thought we'd fall in love and I did too, but people change. More importantly, I changed." I turn around and walk away from the meadow, leaving Gale behind.

When I get home, I find that instead of my prep team waiting for me, the president is. When I open the door to the office I'm met with the snake eyes of Snow. "Ah Miss Everdeen, it's good to see you again." He says and a chill runs up my spine.

"I could say the same." I reply and he grins, except it's extremely disturbing.

"I think this would go a lot better if we agree not to lie, don't you?" He asks.

I swallow hard. "Yes."

"I have a problem, you see," says President Snow. "A problem that began the moment you pulled out those poisonous berries in the arena."

My mind instantly flashes back to that moment, the moment when Claudius Templesmith announced the rule change, when he said that Peeta and I would have to choose who lived and who died. There could only be one winner. I remember my and Peeta's argument, every word, as both of us fought to convince the other that they should be the one to live.

That was when I thought that maybe, just maybe, there was a way for both of us to live. Because, after all, the Games had to have a victor . . . but what if that option was taken away? So I had pulled out the berries, hoping that the Gamemakers would rather have two winners than none.

"If the Head Gamemaker, Seneca Crane, had had any brains, he'd have blown both of you to dust right then. But he had an unfortunate sentimental streak. So here you are. Can you guess where he is?" Snow asks.

I nod because it's obvious by his inflection that Seneca Crane is dead.

"After that, there was nothing to do but let you play out your little scenario, the great love that you shared. The people in the Capitol were quite convinced. Unfortunately, not everyone in the districts fell for your act," he says.