After the Ashes - Story from Gale Hawthorne

Chapter 8

I crawl back through the window into my room. Katniss stands at the door waiting. "Why were you on the roof?.." Katniss asks. "The fresh air," I say as all off an answer I'll give. She slightly nods.

"Well anyway you have a call," Katniss says.

I walk to the kitchen and grab the phone off the counter. "Hello?" I say, wondering who could be on the phone. I wasn't expecting any calls.

"Sargent Hawthorne, sir, this is Commander Coziahr." I feel something isn't right.

"You need to return to your duty immediately. I'm afraid district five and six are fighting over supplies. We need to stop from a war breakout. Our country is in no condition for any feud," Commander Coziahr explains.

I sigh and create a long pause. "I'll be there in two days."

"Thank you Sargent Hawthorne."

I hang up and head straight out the door. I walk to twelve's store, built for people to buy needed supplies now that there is no hob. I head straight to the back and buy a case of beer, not caring what Katniss says. It doesn't cost me much and I lug the beer home.

I walk past the livingroom unnoticed as the family plays some sort of game. How great it must be to be little Posy, worry free.

I go up to my room and start the celebration of beer. After about four bottles I'm getting pretty drunk.

"Damn Katniss," I mumble in my drunk state. I swig another sip of beer, onto by fifth bottle. "All you do is kill people. Finnick, Boggs...a-and other people..."

Without thinking clearly, I barge downstairs with a bottle of beer in my hand. "Where is she."

My family all turns to me. Probably looking at me all sorry and concerned, but I'm too drunk to notice. Vick finally speaks up, "S-she went home for the night..."

That's all I needed and I'm out the door heading for the Victor's Village. I finish the last gulp off beer and burst through the door. There she is, laying on the couch by the fire still awake. She sits up in alert. I attempt to throw my empty glass beer bottle at her, but with terrible coordination, totally miss and hit the floor ahead of me. The glass shatters around my feet. "Heyy Catnisp," I say with slurred speech, her nickname even incorrect.

"God Gale your drunk," Katniss spits and I can sense her roll her eyes.

"Don't tell me what to do!" I yell back, not making sense. She gives me a look as if saying, are you serious?

"I'm not - forget it," she takes a long sigh, thinking. "You should probably go home and lay down."

I randomly object with sudden sobs. "I-I don't wanna go back! I wanna stay here," I sniffle and sit by the fire.

"Fine, fine. Whatever gets you to shut up and sleep," Katniss says with a stressed sigh. She gets a blanket out of the closet and sets it around my shoulders. I fall on my side and roll left and right.

"But I'm not tired," I whine. "Read to me! Y-you should read the one - the one with the soldier. He fought hard for the girl who left him and. . .wait a minute. That's me! Oh-hoho. Ahh," I talk to myself. Katniss's face softens and looks honestly sorry.

Right before I pass out I add, "And uh I'm going to d-district two tomorrow or something. . .I gotta go back. . ."

I wake up the next  morning with the usual hangover. I'm somehow now on the couch and Katniss sleeps in the rocking chair near the couch. My head is pounding and even though the room is fairly dark, is seems too bright to me. I lay on the uncomfortable couch in pain, though I guess that's my fault.

After some unsure amount of time, Katniss wakes up. She walks by the couch and I slightly moan, letting her know I'm awake. "Oh, you're awake," Katniss says and stops by my head. "Uh-oh. . ." I say as I feel vomit force its way up. It lands on her feet. She looks away from her feet probably disgusted, but sighs and walks to the bathroom to clean off instead of yelling at me. I hardly remember coming here last night.

I rush to the bathroom feeling another round of vomit coming. I find the bathroom just in time and push Katniss out of my way. "Gale? w-" Katniss begins but doesn't continue as I forcefully empty the beer from last night.  The taste is wrenching and my throat burns. My stomach gets sore as well.

She rubs my back soothingly as I finish my throwing up fit. I flush the foul substance and sit on the bathroom floor, sweating and catching my breath.

Katniss looks uneasy at me. "You shouldn't be drinking like that," Katniss says and bites her lip. I just roll my eyes and stand up.

"I need to go home," I say, not remembering I told her I'm leaving. I walk out of the bathroom and down the stairs.

Katniss follows after. "You can't go."

I look at her oddly. "Why can't I go home?" She crosses her arms and adds, "You can't go back to two."