KATNISS

The sound of loud voices and profanity brings me from my subconscious the next morning. The fighting is so old now. Why can't this just end? I clench my fists over my eyes. I just want to go back to bed. There are only good things in my dreams. Reality is the place that drags me down. I know I can't hide in my mind. I want them to stop. To go away or to figure out their differences. But at the same time I want to confront them. The volume of them grows louder over the next few minutes. Prim's cries get into the mix. At her crying, and them ignoring her I get up eventually and decide I'm gonna put an end to all this. They ignore me. They ignore Prim. They hurt everyone around them. Enough is enough. I fling my covers to the side and rise from my bed. I ran into their room where they were fighting. I let out all the built up pain and anger towards my parents.

"Shut up! Just shut up both of you! I'm so sick and tired of all this fighting! Please stop! You don't care about anyone! Not Prim, and not me! We are your children! Start acting like the parents I knew! Please!" My voice goes up an octave and it leaves me shaking and tears glazing my eyes.

They stare at me with the utmost shock on their faces. I never talk. Let alone raise my voice. Dad walks over to me. I see more of his demeanor. It's angry. It's intimidating. I know I have stepped over the line. My heart has had enough. I had to get it out. No matter what happens.

He strikes me across my face. I hold my ground. I stare up at him with the scowl I inherited from him. The tears fall but I don't make a sound. He proceeds to the yelling he and my mother were doing that woke me up this morning. He blames her that I'm so disrespectful.

"Well maybe if you didn't hurt her-" My mom starts saying but is cut off by my father who hits her as well. My mother tries to defend herself for once. She pounds on his chest and tries to get him to see. It makes his anger intensify.

I clench my fists and look at the old wooden floor. My tears land on the top of my feet. I turn fast on my heels and race up the stairs to my room. I can't take this anymore. I can't. How am I supposed to live with this?

My father, who turned abusive after losing his life work and friends. My mother, who raised me yet now ignores me and her newborn child by putting up with my father's behavior with nothing but accepting the abuse inflicted to her family. Then I am left to pick up the pieces at age five. Five! I change from my pajamas and get dressed. I grab my game bag from the hook, before I dash out the door and slam the old wooden door. I ran in the Seam. The old broken road beneath my feet blur with the tears that fall from my eyes. A thought came to me. If my family can't help, maybe someone else can help.

Peeta.. He was nice to me...He can help..maybe... Right?

I ran faster to get to Town Square. I notice people staring. I slow down and try to act normal. As normal as you can be when your home is toxic. I take a fast pace walk instead of my crazed running. I wipe my face on my jacket sleeves. My old father's jacket. I would always wear it. It makes me feel safe. He let me have it. Told me I would grow into it. The sleeves still hide my hands. I have a while to grow into it. It is the last thing I'll ever have of my old family. My happy family. As I approach the bakery, I see the line is extremely long. Mostly filled with the Townies. They are the only ones who can afford the nice things in life. Unlike me. I weave my way through the line. I get comments made my way to leave. To move to the back of the line. To go back to the Seam. I ignore them. I get to the counter. The man behind the counter has his back turned. He turns and sees me peering up at him.

"Oh, I remember you. Are you looking for Peeta, Sweetheart?" He asks.

I nod.

"Sorry, girlie. He has school today. The High School isn't out til the afternoon. I'll tell him you stopped by. I have to get back to work now. So I'll have to ask you to leave until he's back, alright?"

I feel more tears welling and I turn fast from the counter and run. Bumping into the Townies and they throw their comments my way once more. I take off running out of the bakery. I need to go to the only place I know is safe in my world. The woods. The fresh scent of nature. The solitude. My home.

I slide under the hole in the fence my father once showed me. I crash through the trees and bushes. The damp forest floor makes me sink into it. I still have yet to get the Hunter's Tread my father has. I come to the small cliff with a clearing my father once showed me. The place that is ours. Was ours, rather..

I am so sick of this, I think to myself slumping under the big tree.

I sit there and cry. I never let myself feel. I know I should. My mother would tell me to, if she was herself again. If she ever will be. I hate myself for crying. Not just for the sign that is for the weak. That I'll scare away the game. Not that I make ugly sounds that my mother does too when she cries. But because I have no one to comfort me. My father would always comfort me. He'd hold me and sing me a song. With his wonderful voice that could soothe me. If only I had the life I had before. But I know that will never happen again. I'll never be safe. I'll never be happy. I hear the footsteps of a hunter and stand up quickly. I retrieve my bow from the log near me with shaky hands.

I'm just about to shoot when I hear a voice say, "Woah, woah , calm down, I'm not gonna hurt you."

I look up and see someone there. He has the features of a Seam resident. Olive skin, grey eyes, dark hair. I feel a little less threatened. He is like me. I have never seen him, yet... I feel okay. I lower my bow slowly.

"Sorry." I mumble. He lowers his bow. We walk a little closer to one another. "What are you doing here?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"Same as you, hunting. I have a family I need to feed." He points to my bow still loaded.

"Oh me too."

"I see you haven't gotten much," He says and points to my game bag.

I look down at my bag by my hip. I glance up at him and shake my head.

He smiles a little bit. He opens his game bag and hands me a rabbit.

"Here. My family will be okay. I have a lot already. Don't worry."

I look at the rabbit in his hand. I extend my much smaller, shaky hands towards him and take it. I put it in my bag.

"Thanks.." I say quietly.

"Of course. Tell you what, why don't we hunt together? You and I could get twice the bounty and feed both of our families," He suggests.

I nod a little. "Okay, sure. Thank you,"

"How long have you been hunting?"

"A while, I guess. What about you?" I ask.

"Been using a bow since I was about five. My father taught me before I could walk. Before he passed. Started to use snares as well a few years back. I could show you," He explains.

"Yeah, that would be great. I've never tried to. My father rarely hunts anymore. It's up to me."

"Well, come on then," He says.

We start walking. The woods have calmed my troubled heart. I feel better about life. Even though it will never be perfect, it will be better. He seems to be okay. The silence of the woods keep us from talking. But then he asks,

"So, you gotta name? If we are gonna hunt together I'd like to know your name,"

"Oh, uh, my name is Katniss Everdeen.."

"Catnip?" He asks with a chuckle.

I glare at him. "No, Katniss. Katniss."

"Hmm, okay Katniss. I think Catnip suits you better. With that scowl and all." He says with a smirk.

I scoff and roll my eyes. "And you are?"

"Gale. Gale Hawthorne."

The conversation ends there.

Gale's chuckles bring up the conversation again, "You aren't much of a talker, are you Catnip?"

"No, and it's Katniss," I say.

"That's what I said, Catnip," He says and laughs.

"Oh my gosh, I haven't even known an hour but you're so annoying," I groan.

"That must be why you probably don't have any friends, ain't it? When you do talk, you drive them away,"

I scowl at him and fold my arms. I feel my cheeks reden.

"Don't worry about it, Catnip. I like you. Now, Do you want me to show you how to work snares without a hunting partner?"

"Yeah, I do. Sorry.." I say and pull myself out of my fit of embarrassment.

"Let's get going then, Katniss," He says with a smile.

Gale shows me how to work snares and together we end up catching a small deer, four squirrels, a few birds and a pretty large rabbit. We set up on a spot to be ours. We clean the game and disperse the amounts for the both of us and our families.

"Hey, nice job out there today, Hunting Partner," Gale says as we walk to the beginning of the forest.

"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself...Partner," I say and nudge him.

We leave the forest and head to the Hob. We agree to sell a little for money. We both don't have hardly anything anyways. We could use it, along with the meat.

We both agreed to split the deer. Gale gets the majority since he shot it and has a larger family. And we also each get a squirrel and bird.

That should be enough meat and money to last my family a few days, I think to myself.

"Well thanks for going hunting with me Gale, we should do it again." I say as we head our separate ways.

"Definitely. How does Sunday sound?" he replies, handing me my half of the money and my meat.

"Sunday's," I agree. We both shake on it, then we head to our homes in the Seam.

As I walk home, I hear rustling from the bushes. I pay no attention to it. Thinking it was just my brain playing tricks on me or some kids playing. I continue walking, thinking about the meal we would have later thanks to this deer that Gale and I got. I get shaken out of my daydream of food, when there's a loud bang and yelling from a house.

Suddenly, there was something running in front of me.It stopped and I then realized what was going on. My eyes met the eyes of a dog. Most likely a stray, I thought. Its fur was dirty and matted, and you could almost see its ribs poking out of its thin frame. Most people around here couldn't afford to keep a dog, as some barley had enough to feed themselves, let alone a dog. I guess he was trying to get food like everyone in the Seam.

"Shoo, shoo. Go on. Go back to the woods. You'll find something there." I say and try to shoo it.

But it just stood there, staring up at me with his big brown eyes, giving me an innocent look. I sighed, and decided to at least just let it walk home with me, thinking it would get bored and leave me. As I was nearing my house, the dog was still with me. I was getting annoyed, and wanted him to just leave us already. I figured that Prim would immediately fall in love with this filthy stray dog. as it was just in her caring nature even though she is barely a month old. I didn't need another mouth to feed. Especially not a dog. I mean, he was pretty cute though. He might even be able to help Gale and me hunt if we train him. My father would most likely not approve of him though. He would see him as a filthy, disgusting animal and only that.

Suddenly, I started to feel sorry for this dog, as silly as it sounds. He was all alone, no family, no food, nobody to care for him. I figured that he needed a name at least. I thought about possible names that could suit him. Fluffy? Ew no too cutesy. Rover? No, too boring. Hmm.

Maybe Lupus? He does look like a little wolf. That is the old term for a wolf, I thought.

It seemed to suit him. I tried it out saying, "Hey Lupus! Who's a good dog?" He reacted by wagging his tail, and giving me what I thought looked like a little dog smile. "Well, that settles it then Lupus." I said to him.

I smiled and beacond him to come closer. He tilted his head, "Come here, Lupus. I won't hurt you. Come here." I say gently.

He slowly came closer to me and sniffed my hand. He nuzzled it and licked it.

I laugh a little and pet his head. I pull my hand away and see how dirty he's been living. I figured that I should give him a bath, as he looked like he hadn't been washed for ages. Or ever. He does seem pretty tame all things considering. His mother may not be here anymore so he wouldn't know how to care for himself. That's why he may be dumpster diving. I found an old garden hose that I decided would work in this situation.

"Lupus, sit. Sit." I said. To my surprise he obeyed me.

I wonder if someone may have fed him off the streets, I think. That may be why he obeys to a point.

I hosed him off just enough to not have so much dirt. He comes out looking much better, and not like something that I pulled out of a trash can. I see he has reddish fur. His eyes are a light blue. As I turn off the hose, someone comes up behind me and says my name.

"Hi Katniss!" They said.

"Ahh!" I yelled, surprised by the sudden noise.

I spun around, and too late I realized that I had never turned the hose off. My eyes widened in horror as the water blasted them in the face. I quickly turned the hose off, repeatedly apologizing to them. I saw the blonde curls and a nicer skirt and blouse. I recognized who it was. Madge Undersee. She was the mayor's daughter. I could just hear my father's voice yelling at me when the Mayor made an announcement about it. Just my luck. Lucky for me though, she didn't seem bothered by the fact that I had just blasted her face with a wall of water.

"Sorry that I scared you!" She said, as if she was the one who should be apologizing. "I just saw your dog and thought he was cute. I love dogs! My name is Madge by the way." She said.

"Thanks, and, I should be apologizing to you. I-I'm really sorry that I sprayed you. I'm Katniss." I replied shyly. "What are you doing in the Seam?"

"My Dad and I were out getting strawberries from Hawthorne's. They are mine and my Mother's favorite treat! We made a deal that they can just come to our house to sell and we'll give them money," She says.

Hmm, makes sense. Why else would the mayor and his daughter come to this part of the District? He stays in town. Wait, Hawthorne? I know one, I think.

"I just met them. Gale. He hunts with me now," I say.

"Oh, well maybe we can buy your game too! I'll talk to my daddy!" She beams.

"That.. you don't have to do it. It's fine, Madge. I can take care of myself." I stutter.

"No, no! I would love to! Daddy wouldn't mind one bit! The stuff in town is getting old anyways." Madge says.

"O-okay, I guess." I say.

"And then I can see your cute puppy! And be you're friend." Madge says with a smile.

"You..want to be friends?" I ask.

"Of course! Do you want to be my friend too?" She asks.

"Sure," I say quietly.

"Yay! I have a friend now!" She says and hugs me.

"Me too.." I say, a smile beginning to form on my face.

I didn't have many friends, and she seemed nice. Now I have two friends. Gale, and Madge. And Lupus too.

Maybe life will be okay, I think.

"I should probably get going though. Bye Katniss! I hope we can see eachother again sometime!" She said with a smile. She ran out of my yard and down the street.

I waved goodbye to her. I took a deep breath and looked down at Lupus. I looked to my house. It was dim, but a few lights were on upstairs. I sighed and prepared for my father to find some stupid reason to get rid of Lupus. Or to hit me for some other thing that he generally did.

"Come on, boy," I say.

Lupus shakes himself off, flinging water on me.

"Hey! Lupus!" I laugh.

I go to the porch and hover outside the front door. I reach my hand to the doorknob and twist it slowly. I go inside. To my surprise, he wasn't there. No one was there. Just like them too. Leaving Prim all alone at the house. She was a newborn baby for God's sake. My mother was most likely with a friend of hers. I brought Lupus into Prim's room. Hoping Prim wouldn't be startled. As he was quite a bit bigger than her. I turned on the lamp on her side table. I peered down at her and found her sparkling blue eyes looking up at me.

I gently took her out of her crib, and sat her in my lap. I allowed Lupus to come up to her, and he gently licked her foot, making her giggle. She made incoherent baby noises and Lupus wagged his tail at her. I knew she would love Lupus as she grew up. Lupus yipped and licked her more. Prim grabbed onto his fur and hugged him.

I heard the door slam and someone walk through. Prim cooed and Lupus made a low growl. Uh oh. My father was home. I quickly put Prim back in her crib and walked into the kitchen, having Lupus sit down and look innocent and sweet. I desperately hoped that my father would let us keep him. I had already decided that even if he didn't, I would find some way to keep him.

I found my father looking into the fridge. I could smell the smoke and alcohol on him from my spot in the doorway. Which has hardly anything in it these days. He slammed it and he looked at me, a glare settled on his stern face.

"What the hell is that dog doing here?" He yelled. "Haven't I told you that we can't get pets you stupid child!? Especially hungry strays like this!" He slapped my face. Lupus made a low growl. I could already feel the burning sensation of tears welling up in my eyes. I tried to summon my courage. I had to keep Lupus.

"No. I won't let you take him." I said quietly, but with enough force that he heard. His face hardened, and a cold look came over his face.

"Well then I guess we will have to do this the hard way. Won't we Katniss?" He said, drawing his hand back to strike me again. Lupus growled, his tail between his legs. I cowered in fear, ready for the blow to come, but my mother walked through the door, saving me. At least temporarily.

"Katniss, I'm hom-" She said, getting cut short as she saw the scene about to play out in the kitchen. She grabbed me, gently pushing me up the stairs. "Now, why don't you take this nice dog and bring him to Prim's room. You can play for a little there!" She said softly.

I nodded, taking Lupus with me. I heard the shouting happen, and something thrown against the floor, broken. Lupus started whimpering, and I hugged him close to me, thankful for the safety that I felt as he nuzzled his head into my hands.

I wish I could have stayed here away from the fighting that was occurring downstairs, but soon enough it was time for dinner. My mother called for me to bring Prim. I carried her down the stairs slowly. Lupus slowly followed behind me.

My mother had a purple bruise forming under her eye. She smiled when she saw us. A fake one to try and convince me that everything was fine. I knew it would never be alright. Not with Lupus, not with Gale, not with Madge. Nothing will ever be okay. My eyes turned to my father. Sitting at the head drinking his beer. I despised the way my father treated us. My thoughts went to Prim, who I hold in my arms. She who would most likely be a victim of our abusive father soon enough. I couldn't bear to think of her sweet, peaceful body being beaten and hurt by him. My father glared at me, his disgust visible as I sat in my spot next to him. I strap Prim into her high chair next to me. My mother comes to the table on three trips with our meal.

"Where did you get this, Katniss?" My mother asks me.

"I..uh.." I mumble and play with my food.

"Stole it from the Butcher Shop most likely." My father says.

My mother clears her throat. "As you were saying?" She asks me with a small smile.

"I..uh found it in the woods. I had help. I made a friend. His name is Gale. Gale Hawthorne. He lives in the Seam. We hunt now..i guess. And we sell at the Hob. I have the rest of the money. It's in my game bag. I don't need it.." I explain.

"Well isn't that wonderful!" My mother exclaimed.

There was only an unbearable, painful silence at that.

My father scoffed and muttered something incoherently and took a swig of his beer.

I tried to eat quickly, so that I could get away from my father as soon as possible. Once I was finished practically inhaling my dinner, I unstrapped Prim from her high chair. I raced upstairs. I went to Prim's room and set her down in her crib. I smile down at her and kiss her head. I go to my room and try to not slam my door. I shut it forcefully and hoped I didn't wake up Prim. I feel the anger even more now.I go to my bed and lay down. Sometimes I wished I could've been born into a different family. No abusive father, no barley getting enough food sometimes. The only thing I would want to keep was Prim. And now Lupus. My door opens a bit and I hear a soft patter of claws. I feel something nudging at me. I removed the pillow hiding my face. I see Lupus staring at me. I pat my bed with my hand and he jumps up. He rests his head on my hip. I heard my parents start arguing again. Since our walls were very thin, I could hear some of what they were screaming at each other.

"You can't keep doing this!" My mother screeched. "The kids need a father! You can't go around gambling all day! We will end up poorer than we already are! Can't you see that?!" She yelled.

I heard the sound of his fist against her face, and a sob escape from her mouth. I desperately wanted to help her, but I was terrified of what my father would do to me again. My father proceeded to scream at her, and I shut my eyes, and tried to drown out the sound, thinking of other things, ignoring the chaos below me.

~Present Day; 16 Years Later~

I stare at the ground as I walk to meet Madge and Gale at Madge's house. We're going to celebrate my birthday even though I protested that I do not want to celebrate. But they were so keen on celebrating that I gave in. I was sort of regretting it but I was also relieved to get away from my parents. I just hope it's calm while I'm gone. Sometimes I wonder how my parents will affect Prim. They already affected me. No, I thought, no thinking like this. Not right now. I looked up from the ground I was at Madge's house already. I walked up to the door. I put on a smile and rang the doorbell. Mr. Undersee opened it.

"Why, Katniss! Happy Birthday!" He said cheerfully.

"Thank you." I replied.

"Oh, Madge and Gale are upstairs in her bedroom. I trust you know how to find her room." He said.

"Yes, I do," I said. "Thank you, Mr. Undersee!" I called over my shoulder. I walked up the steps of a rock so like marble I sometimes thought they were the same. I turned the corner and walked into the long hallway. The hallway was filled with pictures of the Undersees. Ones of Madge, her father and her mother. Some of Mr. Undersee by his desk. And one of each Undersee alone. I kept walking down the hall to the furthest bedroom. Madge's bedroom. There were murmurs coming from the other side of the door.

"I'm going to do it." Said a voice that sounded like Gale's.

"Really?!" Someone else said.

It was probably Madge. "She'll love it!" Madge said.

She knocked on the door not wanting to barrage in on whatever conversation they were having. "Who is it?" Madge called from the other side.

"Katniss." I said back. Just then the door opened.

"Hi!" Madge said as cheerily as her dad.

"Someone's in a good mood today."

I noted as I walked in and sat down on her bed by Gale.

He pecked me on the cheek. "Hi," He said.

"Well you should be in a good mood today, too. It is your sixteenth birthday today after all." Madge said.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. So what is planned for today?" I asked.

"It's a surprise! Duh," Madge said.

"Yeah, Catnip, it's a surprise," Gale said, drawing out the word surprise.

I rolled my eyes again. "Of course it is."

Madge took my wrist startling me. I flinched. She must've noticed that I flinched because she let go of my wrist. "Sorry," She mumbled.

"It's fine," I said shaking it off.

"Anyways," Gale started. "Let's go!"

I let them blindfold me, which might have been a mistake. I bumped into at least three walls and almost tripped on the stairs. Two times. Finally, they let me take off the blindfold after about ten minutes.

"We're here!" Madge sang.

I opened my eyes. We were at Mellark's bakery.

"W-what are we going here?" I asked.

"You'll see soon." Gale said.

They led me inside. " Happy Birthday, Katniss!" Mr. Mellark said when we came in.

"Thanks," I mumbled. I hated being the center of attention.

Madge whispered something to him. Mr. Mellark nodded and left the room going into the kitchen in the back. He came back a minute later and his back faced towards us. He looked like he was hunched over and holding something.

"What are you holding?" I was curious.

"My you are observant. Aren't you?" Mr. Mellark asked.

"I call it learning more about people. You can learn how they walk and easily be able to identify them in the dark. And so on." I said coolly back.

"Hmmm. Well for your information. Yes. I am holding something. Something for you in fact."

"Really?" I asked, letting my curiosity get the better of me.

He laughed and turned around. He was holding a cake that had my name, Katniss, on it in a beautiful print and going through my name was an arrow. Below my name was a forest with a lot of trees. I noticed there was a mockingjay on one of the trees.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed.

I was about to hug Mr. Mellark when I realized he still had the cake in his hands. I did not want to ruin the cake. I quickly turned to Madge and Gale. I hugged Madge first. I turned to face Gale and he was staring at him. I hugged him and a millisecond later he hugged me back.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," I said over and over to all of them.

"You're welcome. You're welcome. You're welcome," They all responded while laughing.

I rolled my eyes but laughed a little. "Well, go ahead," Mr. Mellark said, gesturing to the cake. "Take it and go enjoy it."

I hugged him. "Thank you." I said quietly.

"You're welcome," he whispered back. He and I hugged a little longer then finally broke it.

I turned back to my friends. Madge was staring out the window waving to random people. Gale on the other hand was staring at me and Mr. Mellark.

I blushed a little. "C'mon guys. Let's go eat this cake." Madge and Gale nodded.

Gale picked up the cake that was now in a box. Mr. Mellark must have put the cake in the box while I was hugging my friends. Madge opened the door for Gale.

"Oh, Katniss, if you ever need anything you can come to me." He said as I was about to walk out of the door.

I turned around. "Got it."

"Katniss!" Madge said.

"Coming!" I called back.

"Thank you." I said one last time. I turned back around and walked out of the door.

I stole one last glance at the bakery. Mr. Mellark was staring at me. I waved and he waved back. I walked over to where Gale and Madge were talking in hushed voices.

"What are you guys talking about?" I questioned.

"Nothing." Gale said quickly.

We walked in an odd but comfortable silence until we stopped at my house.

"Katniss, what's happening?" Prim suddenly asks from the kitchen as she runs to the door seeing her sister and her two friends. Thankfully, I didn't need to say much, because my little sister did the most of it.

"Oh my-, is that a vanilla cake?"

"Sure is!", Madge said with a smile.

Primrose lit up, jumping up and down in her place before inviting them in for a tee with the cake. My two friends went past me into the house as I still followed them with my wide eyes before closing the door. I had never seen Madge together with Gale alone if I wasn't with one of them at least. They really went all out for me.

I could already feel that awful feeling in my stomach, the sudden panic in my heart.

How am I supposed to pay them back? she thought. Should I give them a squirrel each for free? No, that won't do, Gale can fix one easy for himself.

But I still, deep inside my heart, knew that I shouldn't be selfish. I knew that my friends want to do this for me and that I should enjoy that cake more than anyone else in this room. So I tried to ignore that feeling of being a typical Seam as I walked to the kitchen.

"Thank you guys." I said to my two friends and sister sitting beside the table waiting for the tee to boil. I lowered my face in embarrassment. "Really, I mean it."

"Of course Catnip." Gale said back.

"It isn't every day you turn sixteen!" Madge sang happily. I smiled and sat beside my sister, who waited patiently on the tee so she could eat it with the vanilla cake.

"Sixteen isn't a big deal." I said. Gale rolled his eyes and Madge looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow.

"Katniss, sixteen is like the Seams holy number." he said, scratching his neck as I slowly turned red.

"What does that mean?" Prim asked.

"Well..." Madge said, a little ashamed. "Isn't it, y'know, early?"

"Early or not." I said, making all the three look at me. "I don't want to marry, and I don't want kids. Period."

"I want kids!" Prim suddenly burst out happy, all the attention on her now. "I want hundreds of kids. I love kids so much."

As Madge squirmed because of Prim's cuteness, and Gale glancing at his hunting partner almost disappointed, I suddenly saw a picture in my head. Prim being sixteen years old, a husband by her side and a swollen belly.

The sound of the tee boiling was heard, and before Madge went up to fix it, I was already in the kitchen, feeling my face redden in either anger or fear.

~

We went back to Madge's house after we left a piece of cake for Prim. Gale set the cake down on the table and opened the box. Madge walked up and started cutting the cake and setting three huge slices on the plates. The cake was two layers, one layer of chocolate icing and one of white cake, with buttercream frosting in the middle. I licked my lips and picked up the biggest piece which happened to be the K. I took a fork and dug into my cake. I sighed. It was delicious. Gale and Madge took a bit of their cake.

"Yum." Madge said.

Gale nodded his mouth full of cake.

"Present time!" Madge said.

"What? Presents? You guys didn't have to. The cake was enough."

"Well, we did. Deal with it." Madge replied.

"Open my first!" Madge said, handing her a beautifully wrapped gift.

Katniss took it and opened it. Inside was a beautiful necklace that had a K on it. "There's more," Madge said.

Katniss lifted the necklace out of the box and, just like Madge had said, there was another gift.

A pin. With a mockingjay on it.

"They're both beautiful." I said.

"Want me to put it on for you?" Gale asked.

"Yes please," I said, handing him the necklace.

I lifted my hair up and I felt him putting the necklace on.

"Thank you."

I looked at the clock. It was 5pm Oh, no. I was late. "Shoot," I said getting up and grabbing my stuff.

"I'm late. Goodbye." I said hurriedly. I ran out of the house and back to my house. I opened the door.

"Katniss!" My dad yelled.

"You were supposed to be home an hour ago." He walked out of the kitchen.

"And what is on your neck?"

"It's um a necklace. I got it from Madge." I answered quietly.

"Let me see that." He said. I realized what he was going to do before he did it. He grabbed the necklace and yanked it off of my neck, breaking it.

"No!" I cried. " Why? Why do you do this every time I do something?"

Then he hit me across the cheek. "Do. Not. Speak to me that way. Do you understand young lady?" He said.

I raced upstairs, hot angry tears burning my cheeks even more. I could hear the loud steps my father was making up the stairs. He came to my room and was pounding on the door and trying to get inside. Yelling profanities and other hurtful words at me. I hide my head under my pillow and allow myself to cry.

~

When my father had left to do his nightly routine, me, Primrose, and our mother had a quiet supper. We all ate my favorite stew in silence, spoon hitting the old bowls and throat clearing up now and then.

Since it was spring, there were more animals to hunt and more game to eat. They must save already now for next winter, but it's still much better than any other months. And it was Prim who insisted that they'd eat my favorite food today, even if I only wanted a simple soup.

Our mother had been to town the same morning and came back recently after healing some people, and as Prim happily smiled (since she had vanilla cake this morning, plus her mother had a good day), I almost waited for her mother to just stand up and go to her room, locking herself up for either a week or a month. Not that I would care. Dad would come home and make the week hell like it was on those weeks when mother would disappear into herself.

We kept eating, and I wanted this dinner to be done as fast as it could when my mother suddenly cleared her throat. Just louder this time.

"Sixteen years old now, Katniss. It's a big number." she said with a faint and low voice. I kept looking into my stew as I ate, only a few spoons left of it.

"It is." It's quiet for a moment more, and I am finally done with the stew. I stand up fast with my bowl in my hand, cleaning my mouth with the backside of my spoon as I go to the kitchen.

"A-actually..." her mother says, raising her voice a little higher. I stop in the track and turn around. "I left a gift on your bed." Before I could react, Prim started.

"What? I want to see! Mom, can I see?"

"No Primrose, only Katniss can see it."

"Mom!"

As they argued, I hurried myself to the kitchen, threw the bowl in the sink, almost ran to my room and closed the door behind me. I wanted to cry. I really wanted to, and it was either because of happiness or sadness. It's a mixed feeling in me, a feeling that confused me. Like I somehow must pay back for the gift. Yet I can't because it's my mother's gift.

I closed my eyes and shook my head to clear my mind. I didn't want to think about that. Instead, I glanced with half-open eyes at my bed and saw a black-grey package. It wasn't wrapped up hurriedly and fast as they did in the Hob. It probably was something my mother had done herself, yet the child inside of me wanted to throw myself on the bed and open it up as fast as I can. I walk with three fast steps to the gift and take it, sitting down on the bed before I start to open it up. Every time I rip off the paper, I get a hint what it is and I bite my lip when I realize. Yet, I kept opening it slowly and painfully.

I started to cry. Quiet and silent tears running down my cheeks. In the black-grey package lay the dress my mother married in. It's beautiful.

I hate it.

~

Madge and I sat beside the table at the schoolyard, enjoying the rays of sunshine landing on us as we ate the vanilla cake that I had taken as lunch. We sat in a comfortable silence, chewing on the old cake as I thought about my mother's gift.

"What are you thinking about?" asks my friend without looking at me. I would usually deny thinking about anything, but this time I blurted it out. Madge listens to me carefully, finally meeting my eyes away from the sun as she raises an eyebrow.

"Seriously?"

"Yes." I muttered. "Why does she think I want to marry anyone, anyways?"

"She probably thinks you'll marry Gale." I glanced at my friend angry as Madge tried to pretend I didn't say anything wrong.

"Why would she think that?" Madge rolls her eyes as she chews on her cake.

"Katniss, everyone thinks that."

"Well, everyone is wrong,'' I said annoyed, wiping my mouth with my hand. "I'm not interested in Gale and he isn't interested in me-"

"Wrong."

"-and I won't marry anyone." I muttered, ignoring Madge's comment that almost sounded sad. "We are just friends, and nothing more."

"Well, you tell him that, because I'm not blind and neither are you." A lump creates in my stomach at the sound of my friend's bitter voice. Madge was right, I'm isn't blind.

~

Gale and I walked with small and quiet steps into the woods, the only sound that was heard was the birds singing and branches and leaves crushing under them. Since it was spring, I knew that I could get at least 5 squirrels or more. But I doubted it today.

As I glanced at Gale discreetly, I thought about yesterday. I had remembered mine and Madge's conversation about the marriage. I knew that Gale liked me, well, everyone knew apparently, and that he probably thought that he would be the one I'd marry. But he was wrong. I wouldn't marry anyone, and I promised myself that I had to tell him today. So last night, I barely got any sleep. Thoughts flooded into my head, afraid that the statement would make it awkward, or even worse, destroying our relationship completely. And that was the last thing I wanted.

Not daring to say anything for a while, we both did our daily routine. Shooting with the bow and arrow and checking up on the snares. I sighed with disappointment when I had two rabbits and two squirrels in my game bag, sitting on a stone waiting for Gale to check up the last snare.

"I got a rabbit.", he says happily, walking back to me as I yawned big. He raises an eyebrow questionably, and I look away, scratching my head almost guilty.

"I couldn't sleep last night." I said. The hunter nods, but he keeps standing there like he wants to say something. Or like he waits for me to say something.

Suddenly I don't know how to say it. Say something that would make everything so damn complicated, that I even considered to just marry him to ignore this part. But I couldn't do that. It wouldn't be fair. To marry without love wasn't something I could do. So I had to say this today.

"Why haven't you married anyone?" I suddenly ask, even if I think I know the answer. Gale was three years older than myself, he could've married anyone by now.

The hunter looks down on the ground almost ashamed.

"You already know why, Catnip." I could feel the guilt build up in my stomach. So it was my fault that he didn't marry? I had held him back all these years without knowing it only to say that I didn't want him. I felt horrible, and I almost backed out. "But now you are sixteen, so..." I flinch when he suddenly grabs my hand. It wasn't soft, his hand was rough and hard from all the work in the mines and hunting. I felt my cheeks burn up. "If you want, we can go to the Justice Building right now..." It's quiet for a long time. I still look down at our intertwined hand with a faint blush on my face, imagining his rough hand holding mine when we walked to the building, when we walked into our new home, when they ran over my body, when they held mine when I gave birth. I bit my lips. I didn't want any of that. It was so predicted, so hard. I didn't know how to be a wife and a mother, but most importantly, I didn't want to be a wife and a mother. I didn't want this. So I looks up at Gale ashamed and whisper;

"I don't want to."