THE MAN IN THE HANGING TREE | Gale Hawthorne

FOUR - The Girl On Fire

GALE'S POINT OF VIEW

It's been only one day since the fateful morn of the reaping, but it feels like an entire little eternity since my best friend was taken.

Already, I begin to feel a little overwhelmed. I have to take care of Katniss's family and my own now. Two families to look after, six mouths to feed, two extra souls to protect until Katniss' return.

Tonight is the tribute parade, and we'll get to see if Katniss has a running chance with sponsors. That's really what decides your fate in the games, whether you dress up pretty enough, whether you smile wide enough. 

Though our minds are other places, on different planets entirely, (Y/n) and I spend most of the day with the Everdeens.

I go hunting for them and my family while (y/n) helps Mrs. Everdeen with house work, plays with Prim, and runs small errands for them. Helping the worried family every way we possibly can.

The two of us actually make a good team.

We are keeping each other going in this dark world, where children are sent off to kill each other. We are helping each other fulfill a promise we made to our friend, in turn stressing our own selves.

But we have each other's backs, and she's all I need right now.

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(Y/n) and I make dinner for the Everdeens in silence, until (y/n) speaks up, still chopping vegetables with a gleaming steel knife. "I went to your house the other night for dinner, so I was wondering if you'd like to come and have it at my house tonight?" She asks, her mesmerizing (e/c) eyes meet mine.

I get distracted for a moment, she really is beautiful. She makes me feel things I've never felt before for anyone.

"Gale?" Her eyes are still on me. "We can watch the tribute parade tonight as well." She snaps me out of my trance.

"I'd love to." I answer her previous question, turning back to the pan in front of me, blushing a bit.

I can see her smile out of the corner of my eye. "Great, be at my house by 6:30."

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At 6:00 sharp I start to get ready.

I tell my mom that I wouldn't be home for dinner, drying my hair with a towel from my hasty bath. 

She smirks, crossing her arms as she watches me search through my dresser, in a random t-shirt and jeans for now. "Do you have a date or something?" She asks, shaking her head at my franticness.  

I blush, ace heating up as I ignore slight. "I'm just going to (y/n)'s." I inform her, finally pulling out the outfit I was searching for. "It's no big deal." I turn towards my doorway.

 My mother smiles knowingly, it is a very big deal for me.

I get dressed finally at 6:15 into nicer clothes, the outfit I had searched tediously for a pale blue button up shirt, and my nicer pants and shoes that I wore at the Reaping. (Y/n)'s family has more money, so I would like to look more presentable than usual.

I try to tame my wild hair next, combing it, and placing it. It just won't stay. I decide finally after tugging it around a bit that it's not that big of a deal, and finally head over to the Undersee house all the way on the other side of town.