Hunting Hours-Chapter One

This story is about Gale Hawthorne and what he did over the few weeks when Katniss Everdeen (his best friend and possibly the girl that he was in love with) was sent to face her fate in the capital during the 74th Annual Hunger Game. Read along as he explains what he did without his best friend, hunting partner, and girl of his dreams.(All original credit goes to Suzzane Collins, author of The Hunger Games series. This is just a fan fiction writen by me. Please ask if you are going to use it for any reason, and don't forget to comment and review. Warning: If you haven't read the books, including Catching Fire and Mockingjay, I would not suggest reading this, for this story might contain spoilors to all three books. Enjoy!)

Chapter One

There are many things I could say about Katniss Everdeen, things I would never say out loud or to her face. I will be honest…my first impression of her has changed over the years of knowing her, even though we hadn't even been friends for that long. When I first saw her in the woods, I thought she was trying to run away; which made me loose respect for her, for running away wouldn't do or help you with anything. The thought about running away from your problems back then seemed like a sickening way to get out of responsibility. But trust me, if I could run away now, I would and I want to so badly. Surviving off the land and hunting with Katniss. What's the difference now?But then, my mind goes back to my family, and I am trapped here like a bird in a cage. We had already lost my dad, what would they do if they lost me too. Would they forget about me, or would they actually go searching through different lost and founds to find me? I had thought about it, I had and entire plan laid out in front of me; all I needed was Katniss to agree. We would be able to make it, survive off the land. With her bow skills and my snares, we could be set for life. But, she has a family to take care of, and so do I, a family I would never trade, never in a hundred years. 

Now, I realize what a great friend this girl had come to be for me. She became my rock to stabilize me, and I became the same for her. We had both lost our fathers in a mining accident, and we worked hard just to keep food on the table. We had first found each other in the woods, hunting for a tiny bit of food, anything would do. She had caught a puny little squirrel with only a bow, a skill I hadn't quite figured out yet. And she was a few years younger than I... I only had a rabbit that day, from one of my snares. Snares were my thing, it seemed a lot easier than a bow and arrow, though you need a whole lot of patients, patients I don't think Katniss had. But I did... I asked to see her bow, and she gave me a brief reminder of the rules. She said, “Remember, stealing is punishable by death.” I smile, and inspect her bow. I didn't need to know the rules; I had broken a few of them already. She, though, was colder, and hadn't returned a smile to me until a few months later. In that short amount of time though, we had traded knowledge. 

She taught me more about hunting with bows, and I showed her a thing or two about snares. Soon enough, we were officially hunting partners. Every day was the same old routine; meet up in the woods, make some snares, shoot some bows and collect and divvy up our winnings. We became closer, much like brother and sister, which was what people started to believe as well. No, wait; they thought we were cousins, ha. Whatever people wanted to believe… I never bothered with the rumors… I knew there were a few spreading around the school. I chose to ignore it, and not pay attention to it. Besides, who really wants to listen to girls obsess about a person when they walk through the halls. The routine actually worked though, and kept our families well fed and healthy for long enough. Then, reaping day came.

That day was a nightmare. In order to protect my family, I had my name in that giant bowl 42 times. The odds were not in my favor, and I was biting my tongue the entire time. It wasn't easy being from The Seam. "Ladies first," I remembered that crazy odd lady Effie Trinket say. And with that, she reached into the large bowl for a name, fishing for an unlucky fish on this gloomy day. And she said, "Primrose Everdeen." My eyes, as well as hundreds of others, shot over to where all the twelve year old girls sat and we all see her; the little sister of my best friend, bravely walking towards the stage. I feared for her, I loved her as much as I loved my family, mostly because that’s exactly what she had become after years of hunting for her. She had that way with people, where she wanted to help them even when she knew she couldn't, and she had a gentle touch, making her a great nurse like her mother when I got myself into some pretty bad accidents. 

Screaming happened in the next minute, and I heard a familiar voice shout, "I volunteer as tribute." This was unheard of, no one from distract 12 ever volunteered for the Games. This just showed the love of two sisters, and I quickly walked over and picked Prim up. I watched as Katniss pushed passed me, making her way up to the stairs of her fate, or the stairs of doom. I felt the eyes of everyone on me and her, and I wasn't one for being in the spot light. I slung Prim over my shoulder, and I felt my only good shirt getting wet with her tears.

"Up you go, Catnip," I say to her, my voice cracking under pressure. I walked Prim back, listening as Effie continued on with the Reaping. It is scary silent, not a one person claps. Instead you hear Haymitch's, the town drunk, flustering to make some sort of communication. Effie Trinket tries to brighten the mood with her bubbly outbursts, but honestly, I think her outfit did a better job. I walked slowly back to the section of guys, the moment of truth coming as Effie reaches into the big bowl of male names. My name was in there 42 times. What if I get chosen, would I kill my best friend? No, that was ridiculous, I wouldn't be able. I never thought of her more than a sister or best friend. I didn't want to, for when a relationship moves beyond that, things get ugly. But now I did, mostly since I knew the chances of her coming out were 1/24. I wouldn't kill her, I would make us survive as long as possible and take it from here. And if she died, I would fight for her, as she would probably do the same for me. I felt the entire section I was sitting in tense up, myself included. 

Effie reached in, and pulled out a single name. Forty-two times my name was entered, and I just knew she would say it. I tried not to look at Katniss, but if I went with her at least we would be safe and would be together living through the nightmare together, supporting one another. I looked down at my shoes as Effie said the male tribute's name. "Peeta Mellark." What?! Did I actually make it out alive? I looked around, feeling the anxiety of every boy in the room seize, well, except for one. I watched as the poor soul walked to his spot on the stage and my eyes landed back on Katniss. She was worried, though she tried to remain emotionless. I could tell by her eyes, and soon enough Effie was allowing everyone to leave, and only close family say goodbye to the Tributes. I pushed my way through the crowed, trying to get to my best friend. 

It took me a few minutes to get to the building, but when I found it, I was directed into a very expensive but dark looking room. When I see her, she is in distress and the only thing I think I could do was open my arms and give her a bear hug. This was exactly what I do and I wrapped my arms around her, feeling chest sink with the thought of never being able to express my true feelings to her. She is worried, but she is a lot stronger than I would have been in the moment. I try to calm her, explaining how after all these years of hunting in the woods should have prepared her. It didn't help her. "You know how to kill," I tell her.

"Not people," she rebuttals.

"How different can it be, really," I say lightly. 

All too soon though, Peacekeepers and running in, grabbing me to get out. My time with her has run up, and she panics to get one more word in to me. I am trying to resist, but Peacekeepers must work out 10 hours a day. "Don't let them starve," Katniss cries out to me, the last thing I heard from her that day, and for the next few weeks. 

"I won’t! You know I won’t! Katniss, remember I-" But the door slams and it's time for me to go without another word to my friend. I stop there, there was no use. She wasn't going to hear me through the thick capital door. What was I going to say anyway? I couldn't say my true feeling; that was impossible for me to do. I love you... that was something I never said to anyone. And did I really? Did I love her? I don't know. I probably would have said, "I have faith in you," or something that wouldn't mean anything to her or help her in anyway. I walk out, hands in my pockets as I curse the capital. I did that a lot; there was nothing I hated more than the capital.

That and this fancy clothing.