I sat across the street from the bakery, leaning against a tree. I still had an hour till I had to meet Katniss in the woods. I had to stop getting up early just in hope that it'd be around the time he'd set out the cakes. The tree dug into my back, the soreness reminding me that it had been at least twenty minutes since I last moved from the spot.

I repositioned myself to get more comfortable, but still faced the window. I thought I was seeing things when his blonde hair appeared beyond the glass. He began setting out the cakes; he did it as though the position of the cakes would determine their value. He had these elegant hands that seemed to lack all possible flaws that came with living in district twelve.

For a moment he disappeared, I exhaled, only then realizing I'd been holding my breath. I shook my head knowing that feeling this way about the baker's son. Feeling this way about Peeta Mellark, would never amount to anything. It had no value, but each morning I'd find myself starring at the boy.

I lived for the mornings just to see his face. I looked forward to seeing him almost as much as seeing my best friend, Katniss. I'd always thought feelings like this were beyond someone like me. This world was shit and absolutely nothing could brighten it. I knew that was what was true, that the Capitol had stolen every last good thing that could happen in life from me.

I guess knowing the truth never stopped a man from hoping. Oppression couldn't kill hope, only smother it. When Peeta popped back into view the hope I had within me wasn't something the Capitol could take away from me. At least I would always have moments like this when the world goes to complete shit, as if it hadn't got to that already.

I got one last look at Peeta before I walked away. I really had to stop with all the nonsense; I wasn't even sure what the hell I felt for him. I didn't need to be staring at him having the girliest internal monologue of my life. I needed to hunt. That is what I needed to be doing, not wasting my time on some boy. What was I even thinking?

When I was a few yards away from the fence I broke out into a run, quickly ducking underneath it. I didn't stop running till my breath came in heavy doses. I caught my barring and began looking for the traps I'd set just the previous day.

When it was time to meet Katniss, I had already bagged four squirrels and set up a couple more traps for the next day. Katniss sat on a boulder, her bow strung and her arrows strapped to her back. My little hunter.

"Hey Catnip." I said when I made it into the small clearing. She looked up and gave me a slight smile. Some days being here with her felt better than being anywhere else. Yet she didn't come close to the way Peeta made me feel. He could make me smile with no reason just by existing. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to clear my mind of all this pointless thinking.

"It's nice of you to show up, Gale." She snapped playfully. I could always count on the bickering that seemed endless between her and me.

"Let's get started."