The next several days are marked by secret kisses and measured glances. Whenever I know Gale cannot meet me to hunt, I invite Peeta; I continue to teach him everything I know about hunting and surviving. He is doing well, better than I could have hoped. After only a few days of archery training, he is hitting the tree pretty consistently. It'll take some time for him to shoot the knot on the trunk, but I have faith that he will do it. Soon.

Neither Peeta nor I have revealed our decision to be together to anyone. We both have reservations about exposing our relationship until we can explain ourselves to certain key individuals: Mrs. Mellark and Gale. We have decided to handle our person-of-concern on an independently, and as a precaution against procrastination on either of our parts, we have agreed that, by the time school begins on Monday morning, the deed must be done. Today is Sunday. Today is also a hunting day with Gale. I have to tell him within the next twenty four hours. My stomach churns anxiously at the thought of possibly losing my best friend today.

Reluctantly, I make my way to the woods to meet Gale for our traditional Sunday morning breakfast at the usual place. I hope that my anxiety over the inevitable conversation-to-come doesn't show on my face as I greet him and take a seat next to him for breakfast.

"Catnip!" Gale greets warmly. His tone is a little too cheery for my liking. I can tell his over-excited demeanor is his attempt at compensating emotionally for something else entirely. It doesn't bother me, though. I will figure it out soon enough; we know each other too well.

"Gale!" I say sarcastically. I grab some food and begin eating, pleased with myself as I notice that Gale's too cheery mood has dissolved into a more familiar disposition. We eat in silence, which is fine with me; I don't want to provoke unwanted attention to the fact that I am about explode with a secret that may break my best friend's heart. I wish I could make both Gale and Peeta happy, but I can't. I've made my choice. I know what I want, but sometimes I wish it could be easier to have.

One thing I have been learning about love: it is more than just taking that first risk - although the first risk can be the hardest one to take; instead, it requires risk after risk after risk. Every day I jump off another cliff for Peeta, but he is always there to hold my hand and jump right alongside me. Talking to Gale is a risk. I am risking our friendship so that I can love Peeta better. But no matter what happens, I know that Peeta and I will get through it together.

Finally, we leave the awkwardness of breakfast behind and begin the routine of checking the snares, setting them back up, shooting game, and gathering plants and nuts. As we are finishing out our relatively silent and uneventful day by picking berries and pulling roots, the knot in my throat is growing larger and larger. I decide that I cannot hold back any longer, so I begin the dreaded conversation before I change my mind:

"Gale?" I begin hesitantly.

"I know what you're gonna say, Katniss, and I am not trying to ignore it. I just needed time to think," he interrupts.

"Huh?" I ask, confused.

"You know something is up. I am planning to tell you; I just needed some time, is all," he tries to explain. It doesn't help. I'm still completely lost, and I think it shows on my face. He sighs dramatically, meets my eyes, and begins to clarify: "I've been meaning to tell you for several months now, but I didn't because I wanted you to catch up with me. Since that hasn't really been working, I figured I should just be honest with you. Katniss, I like you. A lot. You are my best friend, and you mean the world to me. I hope my actions lately haven't confused you. If they have, I'm sorry. I-I just wanted to see if you felt the same about me," he says, looking away from my eyes.

I gulp a huge bubble of air down my throat to suppress whatever sound is waiting to come out as a result of my current state of total shock and frustration.

Perfect timing, Gale, I think to myself sarcastically.

After the silence becomes too painful, I find myself again and try to gently express the chaos within.

"Gale, I'm sorry... I just can't love you like you want me to," I say, disappointed that I couldn't think of a better explanation. The shock and sadness in his face tells me that my response is not good enough, so I try again: "Look, Gale, you are my best friend, and I hope that that never has to change. I do love you, but I love you like I love Prim. You are like-like a brother to me. We have grown up together, and we know each other so well...I just can't give you anymore than that kind of love."

"But why? I don't understand. All those things you said seem like the perfect reasons for us to be together. We would be great together, Katniss. Can't you see that?" he says with pleading grey eyes.

I continue, trying to make him understand: "Until a couple weeks ago, I was determined to never love someone romantically. I was so afraid, Gale. I was afraid of getting hurt, and I was afraid of hurting the people I love. But then, Prim told me that sometimes we have to take a risk and believe in the good in this world rather than the bad, so I did."

"You did? What do you mean, you did, Katniss?" he asks, aggravated.

I can tell he is getting really frustrated with me, so I decide to just tell him.

"It's Peeta, Gale. I love Peeta," I say softly, refusing to make eye contact.

"Mellark? The baker's son?" he asks, unbelieving.

"Yes, Gale, the baker's son," I fire back, defensively.

"How? Why? I just can't believe this!" Now, he is pacing back and forth, his fingers running through his hair. He is not handling this well.

"I don't know, Gale. I can't tell you why. All I know is it happened. I love him. He loves me... I'm really sorry." I realize now is not the time to tell Gale the entirety of Peeta's and my love story. Instead, I oversimplify the whole thing so that it is easier on Gale. If he will still be my friend after all of this, I know that he will learn all that he needs to when the time is right.

Gale picks up a rock and throws it, with all of his might, into the nearest tree. I've barely loved Peeta for a week, and I'm already hurting people. Why does this have to be so hard? I don't say anything else; there's nothing left for me to say. It's his turn, his decision.

After I watch him sink onto a fairly large rock and bury his head in his hands, I realize I can't do anything to help his current state, so I decide to leave him alone so he can think. I grab my game back and my bow and whisper, "I'm so sorry," one last time before I turn to head back home.

"Wait," he says right as I begin walking away. "Don't leave." He is looking at me now, and I can see the sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Katniss. This isn't your fault. I shouldn't be acting like this. If I would have just told you in the very beginning, maybe things would be different."

"No, Gale. You can't blame yourself. Who knows what could have been? That doesn't matter now. This is no one's fault. It just happened," I say with as much gentleness as I can muster.

"I guess I just don't understand," he says, still trying to fit all the pieces together. "He is from town. You are from the Seam. How does that happen? How does that even work?"

"I told you already. I don't know. It just did. And Peeta is different. He doesn't look down on the Seam like other people do," I explain.

"But he's never had to survive like you and I have to. He doesn't hunt or worry about starving or anything."

"You would be surprised what he has gone through, Gale, and what he can do. I've been teaching him to shoot and hunt. He's really good, too. Maybe you should try to get to know him; then, maybe you wouldn't have such a hard time figuring out how I could possibly love someone like him." I say, defending Peeta. Thinking of what Peeta has gone through stirs thoughts of Mrs. Mellark. I do hope that she doesn't hurt Peeta because of me.

"I don't mean it like that, Katniss. I just don't see how you have anything in common," he clarifies.

"We don't have to both be the same to love each other. Sometimes it is good to love someone who is different. That way you strengthen each other." I don't know where that came from, but apparently, being with Peeta is teaching my heart things I never understood before.

"Are you happy?" he asks suddenly, his eyes searching mine.

"Yes. Very."

"Well then I am happy for you," he says, smiling weakly. His heart is hurting, but at those words, I know that he has chosen to remain friends with me. I am forever grateful. But I also know that it will take time and space for him to heal. I don't know if our friendship will ever be how it was, but I will do everything in my power to help it.

"Thank you, Gale. It means the world to me that you would say that. You are the best friend a girl could have," I smile. I walk over to him, help him to his feet, and give him a hug.

"Katniss?"

"Hm?"

"I'm going to need some time. My feelings - the way I feel about you are real, and I'm gonna need some time to work things out. You understand that right?" He explains, as he separates from me and collects his things.

"I understand," I answer solemnly. With that, he turns to head off into the woods on his own. I don't follow him.

---------------------------------

The next morning, Gale stays home to help Hazelle with the kids, so Peeta joins me again in the woods. As soon as I see him, I run to him and almost knock him to the ground with the force of my embrace.

"It was so hard," I say, as tears begin to pour down my cheeks. Annoyed with myself for crying, I tuck my head into his arm, so he can't see my face.

"Hey now, it's okay. It's over. We did it."

Despite my attempt at concealing my emotions, he finds my face with his hand and gently turns my head to face him. He kisses me softly on the forehead. I can tell that he hates seeing me upset. His eyes also show me that he is hurting as well. Guilt rises up inside of me. I've been so wrapped up in what has happened with me and Gale that I forgot Peeta had to confront his abusive mother. I scan his face, checking for cuts or bruises. Nothing catches my eye, and I sigh internally, thankful that he is safe with me.

"Are you okay?" I ask softly, still searching his face.

"I'm okay. I've been better, but it's gonna be alright now. We don't have to hide anymore," he says, smiling slightly.

"What did she do to you, Peeta? What did she say?" I ask. I know Mrs. Mellark wouldn't let him off that easily.

"Nothing out-of-the-ordinary. She is refusing to give me my allowance until I break things off with you - which means that I'll be working for nothing. And I'm pretty sure she hates me more than ever now that I'm dating someone from the Seam - not to mention someone from the Seam who hunts illegally," he says, trying to brush it off.

"Peeta, I'm sorry," I apologize.

"Don't be. We're in this together, remember?"

I smile gratefully. Out of curiosity, I wonder aloud, "What is your allowance?"

"Nothing much. Every week or so, depending on how the bakery sales are going, my parents give my brothers and me a small allowance of baking supplies, so we can make something fresh to eat or give away. Typically, we only eat the stale bread and pastries that no one buys, so it's kind of like a tiny payment for all the hours we put in at the bakery. Honestly, I think it was my dad's idea; my mom wouldn't care if we starved to death," he says, attempting a tone of indifference. "But," he continues, "I have been saving my allowance for a while now. That's how I have been giving you the bread all this time. So..." he pauses, processing his words with care. "I won't be able to deliver bread anymore." He looks down at his feet. "I'm sorry, Katniss."

I can't believe that, all this time, he has been sacrificing the only thing he could call his own for me. Once again, I am overwhelmed by Peeta's heart.

"Peeta, look at me," I say gently, placing my hands on his cheeks. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It's okay. We'll be okay." He nods, and I pull him in for a kiss.

"Now, let's do what we came here to do. Okay?" I say.

"Okay," he replies.

For the remainder of the morning, we clear the traps and gather plants. I try to shoot some more game, but Peeta's walk still poses a problem. He's getting better; he's just not quite there yet.

After we finish shooting lessons, we spend a few more minutes in each other's arms, relishing the warmth and safety we find in each other, avoiding acknowledgment of the fast-approaching hour when we will have to leave the woods and head to the schoolhouse for a day filled with long lectures about the glory of Panem.

When our time finally runs out and we can no longer avoid the inevitable, I head home to pick up Prim, and Peeta follows me. We walk the path from the Seam to the schoolhouse as normal, but this time, we realize, there's nothing to hide. Peeta takes my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine, and I grin with satisfaction. My heart swells with joy.