Panem High School

Chapter 5

Well, what can I say. Gale's move of breaking Mellark's arm has made Mellark's popularity go up. A nerd like him doesn't deserve that attention. You see, us cheerleaders and football players go by a rule. Friendships between toad face nerds and us populars are forbidden.

I couldn't help but feel a bit scared when Gale broke Mellark's arm. I mean he was in agony. "Come on Katniss." Gale says. "We're going to my dorm." My ears perk up at this, interrupting me from my thoughts, and I turn on a heel and follow the group to Gale's dorm. 

After the boys finish playing a game called Fortnite, and Marvel screaming that he is lagging, we agreed to play truth or dare, or as everyone in our group calls it, truth odair, because Finnick's last name is Odair. Despite half of us being girls, Gale says that we should do the "no chickens" version. UGH! No chickens means you can't refuse a dare or truth. If you do you have to take off a piece of clothing. Finnick finds an empty soda bottle, and spins it. It lands on Cato. "Dare." Cato bravely says before Finnick even asked him. "Hm... What is a good one?" Finnick questions himself. "Oh I know! Go sign Bread Boy's cast!" Finnick says. "Gale gives Cato a playful shove. "Yeah, rather you than me." He says. "No way I'm signing that little shits arm." Cato replies and takes off his shirt. Cloves eyes bugger out of her head at Cato's abs, and then Cato spins and it lands on me. "Truth." I say. Cato already has this planned out though. "Who is your crush?" He asks. "Um... I Uh.... Don't have one." I say nervously. "Come on Kat! Quit lying!" yells Clove, because she is the only person who knows I have a crush. "Yeah! Who has the popular Katniss Everdeen chosen to be her man!" Finnick says. 

"Gale." I mumble quietly. "WHAT!? I DIDN'T CATCH THAT!" Marvel says. "Gale." I say more loudly. I look over to him and he is grinning? Next thing I know, he gets up, pulls me in close, kissing me directly on the mouth. I hear the whole group start cheering, but I'm not going to lie though, I don't feel the spark I thought I would. Something inside me tells me that Gale isn't the one. Then my head flashes back to images of Mellark, lying in the parking lot, in pain from what Gale put him through. I think of all the times that Gale has hurt another person physically or mentally, and there is to many to count. Never the less I keep kissing until Gale pulls away after about what felt like an hour. "Katniss, will you be my girlfriend?" Gale asks. I quickly try and make up an excuse, because I realize that the only thing Gale has inside of him is hatred. "Um, Gale, I'm sorry, but no. It was all for the game." (A/N: see what I did there? reference to the first book.) "To make these idiots happy." I say regretfully, gesturing to the group who is in shock after what I just said. I just rejected Gale. My long time crush. All because he beat tons of people up. Gale leaves his own dorm without another word, and god knows where he's going. Just like that, I think my friendship with Gale is done. I turn back to the group who give me disapproving shakes of there heads. "What the hell was that Katniss?" Marvel asks. He shoves by me and leaves the room, most likely going to find Gale. The rest of the group follows him, but Clove stays behind.

"So?" She asks. "Explain." "I just didn't feel a spark on that kiss!" I yell. "HOW! You've said you liked Gale for as long as you can remember!" Clove says back. "I just though back to all the times Gale has done something horrible to someone!" I scream. "There is too many to count!" I say getting irritated. "If Cato didn't ask that question then-" "Then what Katniss." Clove interrupts me. "Who was the one who supported everything Gale did and did the same stuff he did to others!" I didn't actually think about this. I was Gale's sidekick to all the bullying we did. "Yeah but not like the rest of you were any different." I tell Clove. "Just forget it. I don't want to start a fight." I say. "I'm not mad Katniss." Clove says. "I'm just frustrated you lied about liking Gale. And by the way, there's no use running after the rest of them." Clove says. "I don't think they particularly want to see you at the moment." I nod my head and me and Clove walk back to our dorm and discuss making a change, apologizing to everyone is the first and hardest step but I just hope we can be forgiven. I go to bed though deep in thought. Who is the one I want to be with? Although that is a question for another day, because I just want this one to end.