It's me, Gally.

Chapter 2

Her auburn hair was slightly tangled up but Gally didn't care at all. He watched her climb onto the old, rusty swing at the backyard of the Glibeauxes. Samantha swang her legs up as she gained velocity and height with each passing moment. She detached her left hand from the ropes and waved at Gally, who pressed his hand against the glass of the window as if to magically pass through to touch her hand in return. 

To Gally, Sam was the most beautiful thing in the world, and he knew that she was special. Not in the way his sister was, or any friends from school. No, it was different. What did  the grown-ups call it?

Oh yes . . . love. Gally's father had told him that there were different kinds of love. The love you show your family, the love you show your friends, and the love you show someone extra special. His father had said, that to him, Gally's mother was that extra special person.

''When you love someone, you take very good care of them to make sure nothing bad happens to them. You protect them,' he had said. After Gally's mother passed away he wanted to ask why his father didn't take care of her. But he never did. He didn't know why she had died either - the doctors said something about an infection, and how she didn't have much time before she was gone. But he never heard anything more.

Gally found himself staring at an empty swing. Sam was no longer there, but she must have left very recently because the swing was still lightly swaying back and forth. He turned around to sit on the couch, and was startled by a giggling Sam. She shoved a book into his face pointing to the cover which read, ''The Hunger Games''.

''I found it in the attic. Dad says it's really old.'' She flipped through the pages until she found the one she was looking for. ''I think this book is really great. You should definitely read it.''

Gally took the book from her, and read a few lines aloud. ''Sixty seconds. That's how long we're required to stand on our metal circles before the sound of a gong releases us. Step off before the minute is up, and land mines blow your legs off.'' The rasp in his voice was prominent as he read. ''Sixty seconds to take in the ring of tributes all equidistant from the Cornucopia, a giant golden horn shaped like a cone with a curved tail, the mouth of which is at least twenty feet high, spilling over with the things that will give us life here in the arena.''

After a heavy pause Gally handed the book back to Samantha, who took it joyfully. She smiled at him widely, and although the book had Gally in a slightly confused mood, the sight of a happy, smiling Sam made him feel fine again. ''Great, right?'' she gleamed playfully shoving Gally in the shoulder. ''Yeah, it was.'' he replied, unable to take his eyes off her, which she didn't  seem to notice.

''Beautiful . . .'' Gally muttered, more to himself than her. He didn't expect Sam to be listening anymore.

She looked puzzled. ''What's beatiful?'' 

''You.''