#mega aulover

Four weeks after the party where Gale had shown up with a glamorous woman on his arm. A green balloon whizzed past Peeta’s head.

A peal of laughter could be heard as Peeta ran for cover. He zig-zagged as water balloons fell around him as he ran for cover.

Katniss’ deadly aim nearly caught him. He still had his two lives. Katniss cheekily warned him he’d be wearing her colors by the end of the day.

Behind him, he heard a young female voice say, “Take that Dexter!”

Peeta looked back to see Dexter Highbotton take two hits. The girl who lobbed the balloons wore horned rimmed glasses and had knobby knees. Peeta expected Phoebe Crane would one day become a grand beauty and Dexter would lament teasing her during her formative years.

In front of him, Casca made it to the safety of a tree. He was bent over catching his breath.

“Get Peeta!” Katniss’s voice boomed from above.

Peeta picked up the pace. Water balloons rained down on him, he used all of the tactics he had learned in wrestling to avoid getting hit. He dove behind the upturned picnic table to find Gale hiding there.

“I forgot how much of a dead shot Katniss is,” Gale said, poking his head out. A water balloon landed with potent green food-colored dye landed a few feet away. His white T-shirt had a splatter of blue paint, one more hit, and Gale would be out.

“She always gets her prey, right through the eyes,” Peeta panted, as he looked at the bucket filled with red balloons.

“How many in our team are left?” Peeta asked.

“We’ve got three more left beside you and me.”

The massive water balloon fight was the highlight of the end of the Summer Camp. They wore white t-shirts and tied a handkerchief in the color of their team around their arm. The balloons were filled with food dye. When they were hit their t-shirts absorbed the attacking team’s color. They had split into four groups, the Yellow, Red, Green, and Blue Teams.

The Green Team led by Annie, and the Blue team led by Thresh, ganged up on the Yellow team and eviscerated them. Gale’s Red Team went after Thresh’s team. Annie and Katniss turned their attention to Gale’s team.

Peeta himself got Cato and Gale got Thresh. Now it was only Red against Green, and somehow he knew Gale wasn’t going to win. Annie had Finch on her team, a brilliant girl from District Five who Katniss swore looked like a fox, and of course Katniss who was a sharpshooter.

Katniss had taught the kids how to use slingshots.

“Where the heck is she?” Peeta panted.

“I don’t know but knowing Katniss she’s got her team camouflaged in the trees or bushes,” Gale said.

“Camouflage is supposed to be our thing,” Peeta said, impressed with his girlfriend.

“Peeta, if you haven’t figured it out, women are smarter and braver than we are.”

Peeta chuckled.

“Incoming,” Volumina shouted.

They watched as green balloons got Volumina in the back as she dove to where they were hiding.

“Crap!” Volumina exclaimed. She raised both her hands, a sign she was out of the game. She looked upset.

“They have frozen watermelon slush, go get a cup!” Gale said.

“Cool,” Volumina said. Her mood lightened as she darted away.

They were trying to gain ground on the enemy, the Green Team. The Green Team’s stronghold was a few yards away. The rest of the Red team was trying to get to this point.

They heard another splash, followed by an, “Oh man.”

Gale looked up and ducked. “There goes, Johnson.”

Peeta heard another splat, followed by a low scream.

“They got Casca and Clemencia,” Gale said.

“Just us two?”

“Yep!”

“READY TO GIVE UP!” Annie shouted.

“What do you think?” Gale wiped his face.

“We can either go down fighting, or we can give up!”

“If I surrender Katniss will never let me forget this,” Gale bemoaned.

“Going out in a blaze of glory it is,” Peeta loaded up on water balloons.

Gale nodded, “It’s been nice knowing you, Mellark.”

“Strength and honor,” Peeta said.

Together they stood up and began running for the fortification. There weren’t any balloons being tossed at them. But as they neared the fortification, which was really several up-turned picnic tables lying end to end, Peeta counted seven heads that popped out over the top of the makeshift barricade. Out of 27 campers that were in Annie’s team they had a lot still playing. Peeta knew Katniss was leading a group of girls; they were still hiding in the trees.

He wondered if they were too far for Katniss to get at them.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Gale stop and whip around. Peeta turned and the table they had just come from was turned and Katniss and three campers were there grinning at them.

“We’re surrounded,” Gale said.

“Hell,” Peeta murmured.

“FIRE!” Annie screamed.

Suddenly water balloons filled the air at them from both sides. Gale was hit with four balloons and he flattened himself on the ground.

Peeta dodged one but soon a balloon hit him followed by another. “AAGGGHHH!”

The cool water felt great as he stood there with his arms open. He heard cheering and laughter. He cracked open one eye. He saw his Cupcake approach him with a sly smile.

“I told you they’re smarter,” Gale said standing up. He was drenched in green.

“Hello sweetheart,” Peeta grinned. “Are you here to finish me off?”

“Yup,” Katniss said.

If it weren’t for the children surrounding them, Peeta would have wrapped his arms around her middle and kissed her soundly.

“Peeta and Katniss sitting in a tree…” one of the boys snickered and more and more kids began singing along to the ancient tunes.

Then Peeta saw Gale’s grin disappear. His frown morphed into a deadly scowl.

Peeta followed Gale’s line of sight and found Delly and Thresh approaching. Delly’s arm was linked with Thresh’s. They were laughing when they approached the group. “Hey, look, who came to visit?” Thresh said.

“Hey Dells,” Peeta greeted.

Thread grinned and winked. “Haymitch invited Cinna to do a school fashion show for the kids.”

“I’ll lead your group to the show,” Finch offered. “I wasn’t hit.”

“Are you going to be on the runway?” Thresh asked.

Delly blushed. “No, I’ll be behind the scenes helping. I helped design some of the boots.”

Thresh whistled. “Are you going to be a fashion shoe designer?”

“With Cinna’s help. He allowed me to brand the shoes.”

“Wow, that’s amazing!” Thresh grinned at Delly like a lost puppy dog.

“We’re almost set up. Cinna has the models ready for the catwalk.” Delly beamed.

“Like the ones you’re wearing?” One of the girls asked.

“Yes,” Delly nodded.

The group of girls that were under Gale’s care turned to him and asked, “Oh, can we join?”

“The entire camp is invited,” Gale grumbled. “We just have to get cleaned up.”

“I’ll see you over there,” Katniss winked.

Peeta and Gale walked to their cabin. He snuck a look at Gale, who looked upset.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” Gale said, tearing open the door.

“Are you sure?”

Gale whipped his shirt off and threw it forcefully in the hamper; the hamper fell on its side.

Peeta cleared his throat. “Okay.”

“What?”

“Look, I don’t know what the hamper did…” Peeta walked over to the hamper and picked it up.

Gale sat heavily on his bed. He rubbed his face wearily. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me?”

“What’s going on?” Peeta took the empty metal wastebasket, turned it upside down, and sat opposite him.

Gale shook his head.

“We’re friends and you can talk to me. Whatever you say I promise it stays in this room.”

Gale glanced up at him. By the firm set of Gale’s jaw and the contrasting bewildered look in his eyes, Gale was struggling mightily. From what Peeta observed in his time at the camps living with Gale, Gale was not someone who was indecisive. He was clever, thoughtful, and was never bogged down by problems or troubles. Gale sat forward as if ready to talk but his lips thinned as he labored to speak. Peeta sat back waiting patiently. This was the type of conversation that led to life-altering decisions.

After a few attempts, Gale said, “Have you ever wanted something so bad, but you’ve made choices in your life that prevent you from having what you want, and you know that if you don’t do something that door may close?”

Peeta understood what Gale was talking about, that was him and Katniss, but by the look on Gale’s face there was a lot Gale wasn’t telling him. “I have, with Katniss. The odds were in my favor when we were to come to the Capitol. It was the luckiest day of my life.”

Gale nodded.

Peeta hedged, “Are you in a similar position, with someone you like?”

“Yeah.”

His confession was so soft, had it been noisier in the room, Peeta would have missed it. It all clicked into place. Gale was talking about the Fulvia girl he was dating. Fulvia was a Capitolite who wanted to be a syndicated reporter, like Caesar Flickerman. She was interning with Plutarch Heavensbee, who ran PTN, Panem Television Network.

Fulvia was beautiful with that Capitol edge. She was cultured, stylish, and self-absorbed as most of the people from the Capitol were. Peeta didn’t like her attitude toward their circle of friends or to Delly in particular.

Peeta noticed that whenever Delly was around, Fulvia tended to show extra public displays of affection toward Gale. He also noticed she wasn’t nice to Delly but it was subtle. He noticed she did this whenever Gale wasn’t in the room or when he wasn’t paying attention.

Delly never said an unkind word to Fulvia. She always bent over backward to make sure Fulvia was taken care of. Peeta witnessed how Fulvia took advantage of his friend’s good nature.

If they met up at a restaurant, Fulvia always wanted the seat Delly chose. If the group chose to do what Delly wanted, Fulvia would complain about the activity. When they ended up in Delly’s place, Delly was always hospitable whenever the group met up at her small apartment in the city. Fulvia expected Delly to have her preferred brand of fizzy water, or to keep gluten-free, vegan, non-GMO, non-preservative, sugar-free foods in stock.

Peeta found out Fulvia didn’t have celiac disease, nor did the woman have a gluten sensitivity, nor was she vegan. She wasn’t even a diabetic. Fulvia followed the latest food trend in the Capitol and Delly spent her hard-earned cash on such frivolities for a woman who didn’t even appreciate it.

Peeta was bothered by this behavior, but he didn’t say anything about his observations. Because it would look childish as if he was choosing sides, instead of giving Fulvia a chance.

Gale rubbed his face. “I like Fulvia, she’s smart, she’s beautiful, she’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met in the Capitol, but…”

“But,” Peeta egged him on.

“She’s not her. Every time I see her, I…I lose it. At first, I thought it was like a sibling thing you know, like with Katniss. By the way, this isn’t about Katniss.”

Peeta said nothing and only continued to listen.

“Katniss is like my little sister. And that is repulsive. I’m just glad she’s dating you and you’re respectful and won’t try anything with her.”

“You’d make one of your infamous traps and make sure I’m never heard from again.”

“Totally would.”

“So what is so special about this girl?”

“On the surface, nothing. She’s all light and sweetness. Then I got to know her while I was with Fulvia…” Gale’s face and neck flushed red. “The more I get to know her…the more I realize how wonderful she is - she’s got qualities I never knew…I want her…and not, you know, just in a physical way.”

Peter had never heard Gale talk about a girl this way. This mystery girl had to be something special.

“This goes beyond that. I want to hear her opinions. I want to know what she’s thinking. I want to tell her what I’m thinking. I want to hear her voice in the morning and hold her when she’s sad or tired. It’s crazy. It’s like she taps into this part of me that I never knew existed and it yearns for her. The funny thing is I’m not the type of guy who needs anyone or anything. Me and Katniss are a lot like that. But this girl, I need her. I feel incomplete without her. Does any of this make sense?”

“It’s like getting punched in the stomach in a good way, and you want more because you can’t go on without them,” Peeta said. Seeing Katniss, and getting to know her was the hardest yet the most wonderful thing in the world. Peeta wanted to tell Gale you’re in love, but he was restrained.

“Yes.” Gale nodded. “I know there’s another guy who would love to date her. I can see it and it’s driving me crazy.”

“Gale, we’ve got one life…and if dating Fulvia isn’t what you want, or need, maybe it’s time to end the relationship.”

Gale nodded then looked at the clock on the wall. “Damn, we’ve got to get going! We’ll be late for the fashion show.”

Gale sprung up as if his butt was lit on fire and ran to the shower. Peeta got up and got a pair of shorts and a camp t-shirt. When he turned around Gale was out of the shower with a towel slung around his waist screaming, “Come on Mellark, let’s go, let’s go.”

Peeta got up and walked to the shower. He took a quick bath and got dressed. Gale was outside of the cabin waiting for him. As soon as Peeta opened the cabin door, Gale took off walking fast.

“I swear you’re like a fireman headed toward a fire,” Peeta joked, though he understood it was because of the ratio requirement. They couldn’t leave that many kids alone with only a handful of counselors. However, Gale’s long strides were fast and Peeta was having trouble keeping up. “Never knew you were into fashion?”

“I don’t want to miss Delly,” Gale said. “She worked really hard on this.”

“Wait, is Delly’s the girl?”

Gale turned redder than a tomato. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face him. “Why would you say that?”

Peeta stopped himself from saying anything back, thinking he was wrong. Gale could have been talking about any girl. Then Gale said something that blew Peeta out of the water.

“You can’t say anything, not yet. Not until I’ve figured out what to do about Fulvia. I’ll have it figured out by the end of the week, this weekend before our friends and family descend. Are you sure you’re okay with staying in the tents?”