Continuing the Lives of Katniss and Peeta

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

I up wrap myself from Peeta and roll onto my back. He rolls the other way onto his back. I don't know what to do. I open my mouth, still wet from our kisses, and refuse to look at Peeta. I pick at some blades of grass and pluck one from the ground. I pretend to be very interested in tying the grass in knots. For about a minute or two, Gale stares at us. It felt like eternity. Suddenly, I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Hey Gale." I finally choke out.

"Hi Catnip."

I get up and come over to hug him. He gladly accepts my hug and I whisper in his ear asking how its been.

"Terrible." He admits. "And I need to talk to you." I pull apart our hug and gesture everybody out of the meadow. Peeta comes out first, then Haymitch, Gale and I. I tell everyone but Gale to go to the house and they follow my direction. Peeta gives me a small look of warning and glances to Gale, back to me, then turns hestitantly. Suddenly, I remember I am in my revealing pajamas and I pull them down. The top of my chest is revealed now, but the pajamas are too short to cover everything.  Peeta is the only one who ever sees this much of me.

I go back under the fence and Gale follows me to our spot in the woods. I sit on the log where we shared our second kiss.

"Why are you here? I- I mean what made you want to come back to twelve?" I say, studdering at my rudeness.

"I missed you. And I owe you something." He says. What would he owe me? Did he miss me in a friendly way, or a more-than friend way? I definatly missed him as my friend but what about him? Did he still love me as more than friends? He surely must know that Peeta is mine since he interrupted our moment.

"I missed you so much Gale. But what could you possible owe me?" I start off with.

"An apology. I'm sorry about - about Prim. I didn't mean it. The bomb was for the capitol. I don't know how that bomb got in the capitol's hands. I knew she was one of your only source happiness and you lo-" He says. I kiss his fore head because I can't continue listening to him and having this guilt.

"It's not your fault. It was the capitols'. Listen Gale, remember that day when you said you loved me?" He nods at my words.

"I have thought about that over and over again. I do love you, Gale. As my best friend. I saw your hurt face when you saw Peeta and I in the grass earlier. That doesn't mean I can't love you both. I may love him differently than you, but I will always have our memories in my head. You are my only friend. The only one that is - is still here. I love you. That conversation has been killing me. I felt so guilty. You are just like family to me, since mine is gone. Stay with me in 12. Stay here. I miss you." I confess everything on my mind about him. I continue, "I just can't love you the way that I love Peeta. I love you two in different ways. Can you respect that? And.- and even once in a while we can share a small kiss."

"I can definatley do that. I love you, too. I meant it when I said it. You are the only thing I have left. My family was murdered and the money was stolen while I was out ..... doing my job." He hugs me and I hug him back. I give him a small peck on his lips and continue hugging him.

"I'm so sorry. You are always welcome in one of the houses in the Victors village, next to ours. Always you are welcomed back to 12." I say honestly. "Besides your family, how was 2?"

"Well, a couple months ago my girlfriend broke up with me and I almost lost my job. I quit my job when my family died and hiked to 12. I saw Haymitch drunk in the woods and he was leading me to your house, when we saw you two .... in the meadow. I come here with nothing." He says. I am speachless. What could I say? I usher him to come back to our house and he tells me more about 2. I open the door and drag him inside. Rose comes barrelling down the stairs. Uh oh. I forgot to tell him about Rose .... Gale looks at me like I have 10 heads.

"Uh Rose, this is Gale. Gale, this is Rose." I awkwardly introduce. They greet each other and Rose rudely says to me,

"Mommy, why is he here?" She says. I bite my bottom lip. She had to call me her mom NOW?

"Um, he is one of my friends from District 2 and he needs some help." I say solemly. I invite Gale inside to the living room and go into the bedroom to get changed. I change into something very concealing. I've never been this conscious of my body before. I go out and as I pass the kitchen, I hear Peeta and Gale's voices. I listen closer and hear my name said many times. They are talking about me.

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OOOHHH! What do you think they are talking about .... about her? Does that make sence? .... Is sence spelt correctly? Sorry, I have bad spelling and grammar skills. :3 VOTE! COMMENT!

Peace, Love and Hunger Games,

Hannah <3