I opened the door to Gale and Swann, another of Jasper's school friends. Swann's family owned the fabric store in the square, they were one of the better off families in Twelve, because everyone needs clothes, don't they?!
"Come on in, guys. Jasper's up in his room," I grinned, shutting the door behind us.
"Shall I lead the way?" asked Gale, with an amused look on his face.
"After you, my good sir," I smiled, bowing slightly, the pair of us trying not to laugh at the expression on Swann's face.
"In his room?" grinned Gale, slightly red from the warmth of the house.
"Yeah, tell him Caesar Flickerman will be on in about an hour, if he still wants to watch Katniss and Peeta," I sighed, walking back into the living room. I sat back down on the large sofa, with my feet on the table, reading for a bit, until the three boys came in. Gray was out working again, and Nova was over at her friend's house watching. She was having a sleepover, something we got to do very rarely, but really enjoyed when we did. Gale and Jasper seemed to be in some secretive, but heated discussion when they came in, while Swann ignored them and came to sit with me, rolling his eyes.
"They've been like that for about 15 minutes now," he sighed, half annoyed, half amused.
"Anything interesting?" I asked him. He shook his head.
"Nah, not really," he replied. "Oh hang on, I've forgotten something." And with that, he ran off back into Jasper's room, past the bickering lads in the doorway, and from the sounds of it, under a bed.
"Argh, what the he......." I shouted, as a cushion hit me on the back of the head. I looked up to see Jasper grinning at me.
"Budge up, little sis," he laughed, "some of us want to be able to sit down too." He went into the kitchen, presumably to get something to eat, so Gale flopped down next to me, putting his socked feet up the table too, sighing.
"Can I tell you something?" he asked. I nodded. "I'm really worried about this interview. I don't know how Katniss will be, she doesn't do well in front of other people."
"You really do like her, don't you?" I asked. He looked conflicted.
"I do, but......" He faltered. "She doesn't realise how special she is. She thinks everyone is out to get her. Makes it kind of hard to try and start up a relationship with that," he joked. "Anyway, what's going on with you and Peeta?" I groaned.
"Urgh, don't ask. He is my best friend, has been since we were 5, but the last couple of years he has been pining after Katniss so much, I told him he should just go and tell her! I doubt he will though. I mean it's been eleven years now." Gale laughed.
"Are we ready?" asked Jasper, his hands full of left over turkey from dinner the previous night. I wrinkled my nose. Swann came in just in time to see Jasper stuffing 3 slices of turkey in his mouth.
"Can't you use a bloody plate, Jasp?" I asked. He grinned at me, shook his head and sat down in the nearest armchair, turning the television on. At once, the Capitol seal was up on the screen and then Caesar Flickerman's grinning face, his skin and hair a light blue this year. Much better than last year! One by one, the tributes came up to the stage, and had a bout 3 or 4 minutes sat down with Caesar, in front of the audience, and the whole of Panem. Glimmer and Marvel were the first two on stage. District 1. Careers. They were so confident, it was sickening. The same could be said for the tributes from District 2 - Clove and Cato. Clove looked like she was sucking lemons though. It seemed a struggle for her to smile and make it look genuine, but somehow she pulled it off. Caesar had an amazing ability to make you feel at ease, no matter what. When District 11 appeared, Thresh looked like he would do really well. But then came Rue, the 12 year old. She was so small, about the same size as Nova. Tears prickled my eyes again when I saw her. Then it was District 12. Katniss looked amazing, in her red dress with sparkles and sequins up her shoulder. She told Caesar that she enjoyed the lamb stew in the Capitol, and that when she had said goodbye to Primrose, she had promised she would win. For her. I looked over at Gale and he had tears in his eyes, which he quickly tried to wipe away before anyone else saw. When she stood up and twirled though, we were all in awe. She was gorgeous, the flames at the bottom of her dress, trying to lick their way up, but not burning anything.
"Katniss Everdeen," shouted Caesar, holding Katniss's hand up. "The girl on fire!" The crowd went wild, applausing louder than anyone had ever known them to. "And now, for our final tribute," said Caesar, as Katniss left the stage. "Peeta Mellark." I gasped. Peeta walked onto the stage and he was completely different. Confident, suited up, grinning. The two chatted for a moment, about how Peeta really enjoyed the showers in the Capitol. That they were very different to the ones back home. Then the subject turned to love. Caesar asked him if he had anyone specila back home, to which Peeta blushed and said yes. And then the unthinkable happened. He announced to the whole of Panem, that the girl he was in love with wouldn't be able to go out with him when he won the Games, because she had come here with him. He had told everyone he was in love with Katniss and had eyes for no-one else. My heart dropped into my stomach, I felt sick. He looked like a love sick puppy, pining after the girl on fire. I don't know much after that, but I do remember my eyes burning with tears, my chest tight. I stood up and pushed everyone out of the way. I had to get to my room before it started. That was the plan anyway, I fell short of that by about 10 feet from my bedroom door. I collapsed to the floor and the tears took over. My whole body racked with sobs for the 2nd time in less than a week over a boy who didn't deserve me. That was when a strong pair of arms wrapped round me, holding me tight, stroking my hair as I sobbed into his shoulder. After what felt like an age, I sat up, wiped my eyes, and looked into a beautiful, warm pair of grey eyes. Gale.
"I'm sorry," I start to say, but he hushes me.
"I know," he says. "He doesn't deserve you, you are too good for him."
"But I thought you loved Katniss?"
"I do, but I'm not IN love with her. That has been reserved for someone much more special." My heart sank, my head trying to run through the list of girls he had been linked with in the past 6 months alone. He could see me looking a little confused because he carried on. "I didn't think she would have seen me as anything other than her older brother's friend." That was when it dropped. He meant ME. He looked into my eyes. "Well say something then," he smiled, looking nervous.
"I don't need to say anything," I said. He opened his mouth to protest, but I crashed my lips onto his and he relaxed into my arms, kissing me back. Everything was suddenly so clear. I'd known I had feelings for Gale, but I didn't know what to make of them. As he said, he was my older brother's friend and I didn't know if I could go there or not. I put everything I had built up into that kiss. Every feeling I had had, every glance from the corner of my eye, every butterfly I felt when he came into the room, every in-joke we shared. It all came out and into his lips. I think he felt the same, because he was kissing me like he had wanted to for a long time. You know how you want something so bad and when you finally get it, it's like relief floods through you like a river bursting it's banks? Well that's how it felt. My stomach no longer felt heavy, it was as light as air. We were still on the floor, me curled up between his legs as he held onto me, running his fingers through my hair, my arms round his neck.
"Ahem." We both jumped back and I landed in Jasper's feet, blushing. "She I told you she liked you," he chuckled. "You should thank me, Sorrel, I've been trying to get him to ask you out for months, but he didn't believe me!"
"Shut up, Jasper," grinned Gale, holding me into him. I sighed and Gale looked at me. "Are you ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's just... oh, I don't know. I'm sorry I ran out like that, you must think I'm completely stupid."
"Not in the slightest. You guys have been best friends as long as I've known you, perhaps longer. You see each other every day, you were bound to feel something for him." I rested my forehead on his, my eyes closed.
"And Katniss?" I asked, tentatively. He sighed.
"Katniss, she isn't you. It's always been you," he smiled, holding my face and kissing me, so gently, if I hadn't have been sitting on the floor I would have melted. I moved into him again and kissed him back. "Come on, I don't think I can watch anymore of the interviews tonight now."
"Me neither," I said, standing up. "Let's go somewhere else, somewhere quiet." We made our way to the door, where I put my shoes on, yelling to Jasper and Swann. "We're going out," I shouted. "Be back in time for curfew, don't worry." I heard Swann laughing on the other side of the door.
"Well I'm glad that's finally done," I heard him say. "Maybe he won't look so puppy eyed when he sees her," he chuckled. I ducked my head in the door and threw a shoe at them both, then ran out laughing, hand in hand with Gale Hawthorne.
