The Hunger Games- What If's (Fan Fiction)

Chapter Nineteen

   The cookies give me warmth from under my shirt as Prim and I race through the rain to Gale's house. Before we left the shop, I tucked the package of fresh cookies under my shirt to prevent them from getting wet.

   Somehow, Prim always manages to make me feel so . . . wonderful. She knows what I need, even when I don't. She's always considerate, kind, and she never complains. Though she had all the right to before the Games. While I was in the Games, I bet she didn't even cry in front of anyone else. She probably stayed strong, watched me each and every day, then cried at night when only the soft breathing of our mother whose arms surround Prim's frame at night could be heard.

   I can see Gale's house now. A few more paces, and we'll be inside the door. Just before I'm about to push open the wooden door, Prim tugs on my hand. I look down at her, expecting her to say something.

   But she doesn't. She only looks at me with a mixture of confusion, concern and tediousness. I give her hand a reassuring squeeze for what I can't comprehend on her face, and the door opens to the beckoning of my fingertips.

   "Hello? Anybody home?" I call out.

   Almost instantly, all of Gale's siblings are all over me and Prim. I smile and greet them all one by one, then I unveil the package of cookies and give one to each of th'\em. "Don't tell Gale," I wink.

   Then Hazelle appears. "Oh, Katniss. Prim. How lovely to see you."

   Hazelle's smile is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen. It's anlways genuine, or she doesn't smile at all. She's simple; I like that about her.

   "Hello, Hazelle." I move to give her a hug. "Do you know where Gale is?" I offer her a cookie as I say this.

   "He's eighteen now, Katniss. He's . . . working."

   Sadness tugs at Hazelle's face. And I know why. Her husband and my father died in a mine incident. Now, Gale was working in the mines. And that wouldn't be her last son to have to go work there, either. It wasn't very likely that Gale would live into an old age. A mine explosion or years of breathing in coal dust and poisoness chemicals or something of that sort would catch up to him more quickly than it should. Even though Gale is strong, his strength will probably be ruined soon. Working in the mines takes away far more than your strength away, though.

   "Oh, yea. I'm sorry about that," I attempt a smile. Hazelle takes a cookie.

   "There's no reason for you to be, dear. It's not your fault that Gale is eighteen now. Oh, my . . . he's eighteen! My first little boy . . ." Hazelle bites the cookie. "This is delicious. Thank you, Katniss."

   Prim pipes up behind me and says,"I'm glad you like them! Just don't tell you-know-who! If you do, he'll be a grumpy old man!" she giggles.

   Rory smiles widely at the thought. "Heh, yea! Gale is an old man!"

   The little ones entertain themselves by walking around, pretending they have old canes in their hands, and talk like old men and ladies. Hazelle smiles and finishes her cookie, and my thoughts stray to Gale.

   Maybe I know where he's coming from when he gets angry, but he gets so angry. Sometimes, I think he's actually mad at me. Of course, he probably has a right to be. I acted like Peeta and I were in love, he had no idea how I actually felt, and I still don't know how I really felt. I remember thinking about Gale, knowing that somehow I had hurt him. I realize now that it's not just me who upset him, it was Peeta, too. And I can't help but wonder what it was he was going to say to me before the guards pulled him out of the meeting room before I left for the Capitol. . . .

   I'l have to ask Gale the next time I see him. For now though, I call Prim to me and tell her it's time to go.

   "Oh, you two are fine! It's no problem that you're here. In fact, why don't you stay until Gale gets here? I'm sure he'll be glad to see you up and at 'em, Katniss," Hazelle touches my arm gingerly.

   "I'm sorry, but we really have to go. I'm not feeling so well, I have to go take some medicine. We didn't mean to show up unannounced, so sorry for the intrusion. I'll see you soon though, okay?"

   "But Katniss. . . ." Prim starts to plead at my side.

   "We have to go Prim."

   Hazelle hesitates for a moment. "Well, . . . How about you stop by tomorrow after hunting. That is, if you're feeling up to it."

   I take Hazelle's hand in mine. "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, then. I'll see you all soon," I take Prim's hand and we start to walk toward the door.

   "Wait!" Posy grabs the bag of cookies and runs to Prim. "Here, take them!"

   Prim bends down and smiles at her. "Thank you, Posy. Here, everyone take another." So the bag is passed around, leaving  five of the cinnamon cookies in the crumpled brown bag.

   "Oh, Hazelle?" I ask while Prim wraps the rest of the cookies.

   "Yes?"

   "Uh, what day is tomorrow?"

   "It's Sunday, Katniss." I can hear a smile behind her words, almost as if she knows why I'm asking.

   I turn to go with Prim's hand in mine once again. "Thank you. Goodbye!"

   As I race down the streets with Prim, I can't help but feel a little bit happier. Gale and I can finally return to normal . . . I know that it will take some time, though. I can't just expect him to be totally okay with me right away, that's not fair to him. After all, if he were in the Hunger Games and was schmoozing with some girl, I'd be upset too. I just hope that he doesn't yell about it.

   Yelling . . . I hope he doesn't yell at all. That probably won't happen though.

   . . . But maybe it will.

   I mean, maybe he might realize how I feel about pretending to love Peeta, even if I'm not so sure myself. Maybe he might want to act like it was for my own survival, that we can go back to being us. We'll pick berries first, then Gale with collect and re-set the traps that I'm not able to by myself while I fish, and finally the game.

   I can already feel the smooth wood and slightly ragged cloth wrapped around the wood, like a handle of sorts. I can smell the trees and taste the bittersweet berries. I can feel the katniss tubers at my feet, see the shining fish in the water. The ripples I make with every move will have the sun glinting off of them, illumination the watery depths of the waterway.

   I sigh, and realize that I'm walking up the steps to a grand house when I'm sure we took a wrong turn, since we were in Victor's Village. But no, I'm a "winner" of the Hunger Games. Not that you can really win the Games, though.

  I lead Prim inside and she smiles at me.  Together we run into the kitchen where we find my mother, tending to the herb pots that rule over the windowsill, onto the counter.

   "We got cookies, momma! They're really good!" Prim races up to our mother and quickly grabs a cookie from the bag and holds it out to her. Then she gets two more, one for me and one for her.

   "Mmm, they are good!"

   I agree. They're scrumptious.

   "Oh, Katniss, here. Drink this. After that, go get dried off and change into some fresh clothes. You'll catch a cold soon enough. You too, Prim."

   We both nod and I down the dosage. I take a bite of the cookie in my hand to chase away the bitter taste of the herb concoction.

   "Get dressed, now!" mom calls.

   "Got it."

   "Sure thing!"