…

It had been almost four hours since Gale and I were Reaped for the seventy-fifth annual Hunger Games.

Gale still hadn't uttered a word. The train was deathly silent, save for the chattering of Effie Trinket, who was going on and on about how beautiful I am and how much the Capitol was going to love me.

"You'll be Panem's sweetheart." She told me excitedly as we sat down for dinner, "Mark my words, honey."

I nodded softly, because I really couldn't say anything. Effie was smiling at me as though I were made of diamonds, and suddenly I felt sick.

I knew why they had chosen me.

Why they had chosen Gale.

Hell, the entire district - maybe even the whole of Panem - knew why the mayor's daughter and Katniss Everdeen's cousin of all people, had been Reaped.

"Madge." I looked up slowly and connected with Peeta's soft gaze, "Are you alright?"

"Been better." I mumbled, spearing a potato and shovelling it into my mouth.

I wasn't even hungry anymore.

"You guys should eat." Katniss spoke up quietly, "It's important that you're well and rested for when we begin training tomorrow."

"Right." I whispered, blinking away the hot tears that were burning to fall.

"Gale."

He ignored Katniss and continued throwing food into his mouth, his grey eyes dark and dangerous. There was a muscle in his jaw that was ticking away threateningly and his shoulders looked broader than ever.

"Gale."

Still, his eyes stayed locked on the glass of wine sat before him, "Gale would you stop being so stubborn and listen to me."

He slammed his fork down and looked up angrily, almost accusingly, "What Katniss?"

"Stop doing this." She told him, her lips drawn into a taut line, "Look this isn't the smartest way of handling things - I know what it feels like to be in your position, Gale but - "

"Of course you do," He growled, "You're the girl on fire, aren't you?"

I winced at the acid behind his words, but Katniss barely batted an eyelid. She sighed heavily and shook her head.

"You know this isn't about that, Gale."

But she was lying. Of course this was about that.

This was about Katniss and Peeta defying the Capitol. This was about murmurs of a Rebellion and a War. This was about control.

"Then what is it about, Katniss?" He glared at her hotly, "It's always about you, isn't it? Come on. That's the whole reason Snow rigged the Games so that me and Undersee were chosen."

Effie gasped dramatically and held a hand to her heart, "Take that back Gale Hawthorne! The Games would never be rigged."

"Sure they wouldn't." Gale scoffed loudly, rolling his eyes, "You know what? I'm not even hungry anymore." He threw his napkin down roughly and stood up, stalking over to the door and slamming it shut loudly with his departure.

"Well I never," Effie babbled on, "How dare he even insinuate that our President Snow would ever - "

"Not now, Effie." Peeta turned to her, exasperated, "Please. Not now."

And surprisingly, Effie's mouth snapped shut as she was silenced. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms stubbornly, but not another word escaped her lips.

"He'll come around." Katniss said, to no-one in particular, "That's just Gale. It's his way of coping."

"Well his way of coping isn't very conducive to what we're meant to be doing." Peeta sighed, "Madge…can you talk to him?"

"Me?" I shook my head, "Gale and I have barely ever even spoken more than five words at a time to each other."

"You're in the same position he is." Peeta ran a hand through his hair briskly, "Maybe he'll listen to you."

"Listen to me?"

Gale was the most stubborn person I knew - and that's saying a lot considering Katniss was one of my best friends. He wasn't about to listen to anybody especially not me.

"Just try. Please." Katniss' eyes were clouded with an emotion I couldn't quite place.

I nodded wearily, "Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you though."

Peeta's lips tugged up into a small smile at the pathetic attempt at a joke, and Katniss just stared at me strangely.

I stood slowly, creasing out the pale yellow dress I still hadn't taken off since I had been Reaped this morning, and making my way over to Gale's room at the other end of the train. I tucked a stray curl of hair behind my ear and breathed out deeply, preparing myself for the torrent of abuse I knew would come. Gale had never been nice to me. And I knew that just because we had both been Reaped, that wasn't about to change.

To him I was still the enemy. Granted, I was no longer the privileged Town girl, but now I was just one of many he would need to kill to survive the Games.

I was his prey.

I shivered because the moment my name was picked from that bowl, I knew that I was being shipped off to my almost certain imminent death.

There was no possible way I - of all people - would live to see the end of the next few weeks.

Gale's door was closed of course, but I lifted my hand to the surface and tentatively knocked.

"Go away Katniss."

"It's not Katniss." I cleared my throat nervously, "It's me, Madge."

A beat of silence and then, "Undersee? What the hell do you want?" The door flew open and Gale was towering before me, his thick brows furrowed into a deep scowl.

"I - "

"They sent you over here to talk to me, didn't they?" He crossed his arms slowly, his eyes narrowing.

"Look Gale." My voice was trembling but I ignored it, "I know you're scared - "

"Scared?" He spat, "That doesn't quite cut it, Undersee."

"Madge." I corrected him gently, "My name is Madge."

His eyes widened in surprise, "Right. Madge. How would you know what I'm feeling anyway?"

"Because my name got Reaped too, remember?"

"You know this wasn't a coincidence, right?" His eyes darkened a shade, "That of all people Katniss' cousin and Mellark's childhood friend got Reaped for the Quarter Quell. You know that right? This is all just another Capitol game - to crush whatever hope Panem had for a Rebellion." His voice dropped dramatically, "This is all their fault."

"The Capitol will stop at nothing - "

"Not the Capitol." He sneered, "Katniss and Peeta."

My heart froze in my chest and I stared at Gale, disbelieving, "Gale…what are you talking about? Katniss and Peeta have started something big. That's why the Capitol is so afraid of them."

"Afraid?" He scoffed, "They're not afraid. They're pissed off. Our Reaping was just a taste of what will come if the Rebels actually start fighting back."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Gale Hawthorne - the boy who had always abhorred everything the Capitol stood for - was cursing the day Katniss and Peeta instigated a Rebellion?

"Gale isn't this what you wanted?" I asked, my eyebrows drawn together in confusion, "For the Capitol's regime to finally fall?"

"Not like this! No! Not with Peeta fucking Mellark as a symbol of hope." He growled, slamming his hand against the surface of the door and groaning loudly.

"So that's what this is all about?" I laughed in disbelief, "You're jealous because it's Peeta and not you?"

He looked over at me sharply, his eyes clouded over dangerously, "What are you talking about Madge?"

"You hate the fact that Peeta is part of the reason the entire Rebellion started." I shook my head slowly, "So they were right. You do love Katniss."

"I - I dont - "

He seemed almost…embarrassed.

I couldn't believe it. That he would get so irrationally angry over such a petty thing, when our lives were hanging in the balance.

"You know what Gale," For some reason something uncomfortable was pressing against my heart, "For someone so smart, you can be pretty dumb sometimes."

"What are you talking about Undersee?" He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and I clicked my tongue.

"A Rebellion has started." I stepped closer towards him and stared into his grey, unfathomable eyes, purposefully, "And there is no middle ground. You are either with us." I raised an eyebrow meaningfully, "Or you are against us. But don't throw everything away because of a little jealousy."

He seemed taken aback by my words and I didn't blame him. I had surprised even myself with my boldness.

A conflict of emotion passed through his eyes slowly, and I fidgeted with the hem of my dress, suddenly ashamed of what I'd said.

What if yelled at me to go away?

Or asked me who the hell I thought I was meddling in his business?

Or worse still…what if he laughed at me?

"I suggest you get some rest for tomorrow." I mumbled, my eyes shifting away from his handsome face nervously, "Training begins at eight."

And then I turned around quickly, intending to scurry away back to my room before he could tell me where I could shove my smartass opinions, when Gale's big warm hand landed on my shoulder. He spun me around, a sort of but not quite, smile on his face, and titled his head to one side.

"You know you're pretty ballsy. For a Town kid."

I blushed at the compliment and shrugged myself out of his grasp, a little frightened at the way my skin was still tingling from the contact, "Thanks, I guess."

He nodded and something strange passed between us - something that made my heart oddly pick up pace.

I shook the feeling away, "Goodnight, Gale."

"Goodnight Madge."

And then he shut the door, and the spell was broken. I hurried back to my room, and it wasn't until I had changed into my pyjamas, and was safely buried under the soft covers the Capitol had provided our train with, that I realised something.

Gale had called me Madge without me telling him to.

And really that, was the start of something extraordinarily, beautiful.

…