Gummy Bear Kisses

Chapter Nine

I finish painting my fingernails red just as there's a knock on my room door. I carefully sit the nail polish down on the coffee table, trying not to smudge my nails. "Coming!" I go to the door and turn the knob with the palm of my hand. Gale stands there with his hands in his pocket. "Hey, Catnip," he greets. "Hey, Gale, come on in." He comes in and shuts the door for me. "Thanks."

"No problem," he replies as I sit back down on the couch. I wonder what he wants. "So what brings you by?" I ask casually. "I can't just come and see my best friend?"

"No," I answer, sitting cross-legged on the sofa. "Why not?"

"Because it's unnatural and just...weird."

"I don't think so-"

"Well, I do, now what do you really want?"

"Nothing," he says. "Really?"

"Yeah," he mutters. "Okay, if you say so-"

"Fine!" He whips out a couple of folded pages from his pocket. He unfolds them and shows them to me. I take the pages and scan them. They're articles about Peeta and I. "What I ask?"

"Read them out loud." I sigh and begin to read. "Katniss Everdeen and new boyfriend? Katniss Everdeen was spotted with her new love interest going into Romantisme Exquise (A/N: not a real restaurant, this is French for Exquisite Romance). What's so special about that?"

"You were with Peeta, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but why does that concern you?"

"Keep reading." I sigh. "Why-"

"Just do it!" I'm taken back by his sudden loudness. "You don't have to yell, geez," I mutter, finding my place on the paper. "According to resources, her and her lover were seen having an intense groping and make-out session in the reserved patio-like area." I purse my lips. "Well?" He asks. "Well," I repeat. "That's not all," he tells me. "You haven't even finished this page." I sigh and continue reading. "They were said to have a silent understanding. Everdeen lead her lover by the hand out the restaurant after paying. They then went to Everdeen's place to finish what they started- Oh, that's a lie! We didn't do what they think." Yeah, but if Effie hadn't interrupted you two, you would've. Shut up. "That's only half of it," he says. "Just tell me what-"

"No, I want you to read it."

"Gale, what's your problem today?"

"Just read it!"

"Geez, fine. As seen in Everdeen's portfolio pictures, she wears an engagement ring. Looking at pictures of her when she was younger, the rings are not shown. Resources say that she's been engaged to her lover, who has not been named, for quite some time now. Eight years to be exact- Now, that's a lie! I was sixteen when I left! There's no way I could've gotten engaged because I didn't gain much interest in him until I left."

"You never know what you have until it's gone," he mutters. "Exactly! Thank you for understanding!"

"The only reason I know that is because I started feeling bad when you left."

"Uh, let's keep reading," I say quickly, avoiding his last statement. I look at the second page. "Rumors of Katniss Everdeen being pregnant are surfacing quickly?! Now, that's a lie-"

"Is it really, Katniss?"

"Yeah!"

"It's hard to believe you when we barely talk anymore. You're always with Peeta when I come by."

"How do you know that?"

"I hear you laughing along with a masculine voice. Then when you're out, I ask Effie. She says you're with Peeta."

"Well, you never schedule a time with me-"

"I shouldn't have to! We're best friends! There should always be time for us to be together."

"Not when your best friend is an actress!"

"You never take your best friend anywhere! It's always Peeta! It's like he took my place!" He did, Katniss. Shut up! "Gale, Peeta is my boyfriend. How do you think he'd feel of I took you instead of him?"

"Just like me, neglected."

"You're not my child! I don't have to take you everywhere, and I certainly don't have to tell you everything!"

"Well then don't, that's what best friends are for and that's Peeta apparently!" He storms away, but I hop up and grab his arm. "Gale, you're still my friend-"

"No, I'm not. Katniss, I don't want to be friends with you if you never have time for me."

"But my free time-"

"Is spent with Peeta, yeah, I get that. That's why you're going to have to choose."

"Peeta of course," I say, letting go of him. "Well then, he's your best friend." He storms away, but this time I don't go after him. I let him go. I thought he was happy for me, but apparently he was lying to me. I sigh as he slams the door shut behind him. I go into my living quarters and grab my gummy bear duct tape covered notebook. I sit down on my bed and grab a pen.

November 23
Gale isn't happy. He also isn't my best friend anymore. He's pissed, but he shouldn't be. He's the one that lied and said that he was happy! If he just told me the truth to begin with, we wouldn't have had that argument. After rereading my first two sentences, we sound like two five year olds. Maybe this argument is stupid! He shouldn't be mad because I'm happy. I wouldn't be mad if he had a girlfriend, then again that's because I don't like him like that. I thought I had gotten him off my back, but apparently not. I need another tactic, and I need it now.