A/N-Hi! This chapter is set before the first Hunger Games in Madge's point of view. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer- I don't own the Hunger Games

I amble into the bakery while the tiny bell fills the room with its tinkling. I casually pull my blonde curls over my shoulder out of habit. There he is, watching me behind the counter. I offer him a small smile. He smiles back. It takes my breath away.

"Hello," Peeta says to my frozen figure. I smile again and remind myself to breathe. I take a few more steps to him.

"Hey," I force out. He waits patiently for me to say something, but my voice refuses to work. I swallow and force my eyes onto the pastries. Crap. What was I supposed to buy? I went over it a hundred times just in case this happened. Was I supposed to get bread? I don't know! I can't focus with his eyes watching me like that. Crap, say something!

"What's new?" Good job, Madge. Oh, crap. I'm talking in third person now? Shoot, I've heard about people like that. People call them-

"Business is slow. Nothing really new, though. Anything new with you," he replies, interrupting my inner monologue.

"Not really," I respond. We fall into silence. I rack my brain for any good conversation topics. How's the bakery? No, he already told me. How are your friends? I don't really care. How's your family doing? That seems like an innocent enough question. "How's your family?"

"They're fine. How's yours?"

"My father is fine, but my mother is still sick," I respond, my mood immediately deflating. My mother's getting worse. She's getting much worse.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he says with genuine concern. Oh, no. Great going, Madge. Way to get this conversation going downhill fast.

"She'll be fine," I try to say convincingly. He nods his head. I know he doesn't believe me, but he lets it go. I should try to get this conversation back on track. "My family is in dying need of some Mellark bread," I say dramatically as I lay my hand on my forehead. He chuckles. "Would you be kind enough to get us out of this terrible situation?"

"I don't know," he teases. The conversation is turning up!

"Would my chances be better if I begged?"

"Probably…"

"Peeta Mellark…" I say while laughing with him.

"How badly do you want that bread?" Do I actually have to beg in front of Peeta Mellark? Is he kidding?

"Seriously?"

"I am totally seriously serious."

"Fine," I sigh. I get on my hands and knees. That might be overkill, but it makes for a good joke later. "Peeta Mellark you are the ultimate baker anyone has ever met. Your bread is the best I have ever tasted. Then again, I have never had any other bread. You get my point. Oh, please, Peeta! I need your bread! I'm going insane without it! Look at me! If you could find it in your heart, I would be-," I trail off as the chiming from the tiny bell fills the room again. Crap.

I look over my shoulder to find Gale in the doorway with an amused expression. "What are you begging for, Undersee," he asks, trying to keep from laughing. Perfect crappy timing. Could anything make this worse?

I quickly scurry to my feet. Peeta has the decency to keep a straight face on. Mine is set in a scowl. I try to change the subject quickly. "You think by now you would realize my name is Madge, Gale."

"Who knew the mayor's daughter would have to beg."
"That's enough Gale," Peeta says forcefully. I gaze at him. He defended me. He defended me!

"Yeah," I say, trying to sound tough but miserably failing.

"What do you want," Peeta asks, trying to change the subject.

"Trade," he responds while holding his game bag into view. I frown. I have to admit I've always been a big animal lover. The raw meat does explain the stench, though, or maybe it's Gale. It's probably Gale.

"I'll go get some money." He hurries to the back of the bakery out of my sight. I watch him.

I try to avoid conversation with Gale. He doesn't like me at all. He resents me because I'm the mayor's daughter. Gosh, like I want to be the mayor's daughter. My father's never home. My mother can't even leave the bed without help. No one wants to be my friend because of who my father is. I never wanted this.

The only person who really is willing to be my friend is Katniss. Some people are nice to me like Delly and Peeta, but Katniss is the only person who sits with me at lunch and talks to me in the hallways. I'm so happy I have her in my life.

If Katniss is friends with this guy, then maybe there's something in him that is worth getting to know. Maybe it's because I'm so happy Peeta defended me, or maybe it's the mere idea of how much Katniss means to me that I decide to start a conversation with him. "How are you?"

"Nearly starving to death, but you seem to be healthy. That's all that really matters right?" Ouch. I try not to show how much that comment hurt.

"Only you, Gale Hawthorne, can turn an innocent question into something horrible," I hiss.

"The truth is the truth whether you want to believe it or not," he growls back.

"It's not my fault! You think I wanted this," I yell, suddenly very angry. I just noticed how close we drifted to each other. "I never asked for this!"

"What could possibly be wrong with your life," he snarls back.

"Well, first of all my mother is dying," I hiss. I see him soften in his expression, but I decide to keep going. "My father is never home. Nobody gives me the time of day because of my father. People like you. Do you want me to keep going?"

"I didn't know," he murmurs.

"Of course you didn't. You assumed," I hiss. "I could've assumed you were a worthless Seam rat, but I didn't."

The conversation falls into silence. I know he feels bad, but he'll get over it. I turn around and am faced with a surprised looking Peeta. My eyes go very wide. How much of that did he hear?

"I have the money," he says as he holds out his hand that is filled with coins. Gale strides up to him casually and whispers something that I can't hear. The comment seems to make Peeta confused. He looks at me then back at Gale. What did Gale say about me?

"Thanks," Peeta says as they exchange goods. Gale nods and saunters out the bakery door. The bell fills the room with its familiar ringing.

"I'm sorry about your mother," he says once Gale is out of sight.

"It's okay." What should I say? I really want to know what Gale told him, but I don't think this is the time. "How much did you hear?"

"I can hear pretty well from the back," he answers, avoiding the question.

"Oh," I respond. My face immediately goes red. I don't want him to think I'm bad tempered or a brat. It was Gale's fault!

"Don't worry about it," he replies. "Gale had it coming."

I smile wide and he does too. He is such a great guy. "Can I still get that bread?"

"Maybe…"

"Seriously?"

"I'm just kidding," he says with laugh. He goes in the back of the bakery and retrieves a loaf of bread.

"Here you go," he says as he hands me a warm loaf of Mellark bread.

"Thanks," I say as I hand him some coins.

We stand there for what seems like forever. I don't want to leave. Maybe I'm just very hopeful, but I don't think he wants me to leave either.

I wait and wait for him to say something, but he doesn't. "I should probably get going."

"I would ask you to say, but today is my day in the bakery."

"Oh," I say, even though I already knew. That's why I specifically came today. I wanted to see him.

"I'll see you around?"

"Definitely," I say while I turn on my heels and walk out the door. I hear the bell ring as I start my journey back home.

I thought about my visit today all the way home. I've watched him from a distance for as long as I can remember. I want to tell him how I feel, but I'm so scared he might not feel the same way. Maybe I really am going insane, but I love him. Too bad he'll probably never know.

A/N- What did you think? Review, please!