THE MAN IN THE HANGING TREE | Gale Hawthorne

EIGHT - Shooting Lessons

YOUR POINT OF VIEW

It has been two days since the 74th Hunger Games began, and thankfully Katniss and Peeta are alive so far. Fighting through every day best they can.

I have faith in them, but fate is up to the odds of the games. I cannot control the outcome no matter how hard I wish.

It has also been two days since Gale and I shared that special moment in the meadow.

And since then, he's been avoiding everyone, me, his mother, the few friends he does have. He talks in short sentences, which isn't too odd for him, but usually he's never that way to me. He hunts more often, overall just being both physically and emotionally distant to everyone.

I know how much it hurts having your best friend taken away from you, I had two of them taken away, but that was still no excuse for Gale to ignore me.

Out of every person on this god damned planet, I am the one who understands him most. And he's just shutting me out, even while I need him.

He's starting to truly piss me off.

»»---------------------►

As I wake up on the third day of his ignorant silence, I finally decide enough is enough.

I'm going to get Gale to talk, no matter what

I get dressed in a pair of worn jeans, probably the most casual thing I have in my closet.  With it I pair a white camisole, leather hiking type boots, and a last minute jacket on as I leave my home.

Hair wild and unkempt, steps furious and sure, I feel sort of like Katniss when she goes on her hunting expeditions. I feel powerful, and surprisingly confident. It's a great feeling, but I'm still mad at Gale.

I march over to his house, knowing the direction by heart at this point. With a sure fist, full of anger for the stupid boy who lies beyond it, I knock on the aged red door firmly. Said stupid boy opens right away, and before he can say anything I speak.

"Teach me to shoot." I tell him. It wasn't a question, this is merely my last resort to get him to snap out of whatever mood he's gotten himself in. 

He opens his mouth after a moment of just staring at me confused, to say something, probably no, but I continue, hand in the air.

"Your going to teach me to shoot a bow. We're going to go and get our minds off everything. You're going to stop ignoring everyone." I pause after every statement, stunning the usually but now ridiculously silent boy tot silence once more. "Alright?" I ask, breathless after my quick walk across town and all of the words that just fell out of it.

Gale nods, eyebrows raised. "Sure."

I march back down the street  I came from, on the way to the outer reaches of the district now. My steps are so quick, even Gale with his longer legs struggles to keep up as I duck under the barbed wire fence, and start on the trail to the forest.

"Your eager, aren't you?" Gale follows behind, slightly amused and only a foot behind me.

"So now you talk to me." I grumble, still furious at him. I stop at the tree I know a bow and quiver is hidden in, waiting for the boy to get it out, I cross my arms.

He sighs, trekking the rest of the way to me and the tree. "I'm just a little stressed right now, that's all." Gale says, reaching for the weapon from the hollow tree.