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i can't write galeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. ;______;
apart from my hawthorne woes, though, at least i finished chapter 6! and i don't think it's too terrible, thank goodness. this is pretty awesome, because it means if i can get chapter 7 (the reaping) done (or at least mostly done) during my trip, i'll be on good standing to start posting this on ff.net by mid-january.
here's a snippet of six:
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He didn't sound like he was backing off, but it did seem like he just didn't see any point to getting in a confrontation. "Look, there's really nothing to it. Honest. I needed cheap help and your brother needed a job. It's win-win for both of us."
It sounded like simple logic, and he sounded sincere, but Gale knew better than to buy it. Mellark might like to think so, but the world just didn't work like that; not in District Twelve. "If it's just business," he added, "then why are you giving my sister cupcakes? That can't be good business."
"It was just two cupcakes," the blond man let out, almost in a groan. "And they were leftover anyway; no one was going to buy them the next day. Might as well give them to someone who would enjoy them instead of just throwing them to the pigs." His tone got a little harsher as he finished the sentence, in his frustration. "Or if you want, you can take it as a supplement to Rory's pay," he suggested, with a wide sweep of his arms. "He does good work, I appreciate it. And I know I don't pay him enough, so giving his little sister a cupcake every once in a while is the least I can do."
"My sister doesn't need you to feed her," Gale reminded him pointedly.
"Hey, I'm not trying to take your place or anything," Mellark said, raising his hands in front of him. Gale wasn't sure if it was supposed to tell him that he meant what he was saying, or if it was a barrier should Gale suddenly feel the need to punch him. He hadn't come here for a fight, but he might not be too far off, as the mere suggestion that he was jealous of Mellark over his sister's affection had made him bristle. "I was just trying to be nice to a sweet kid. I don't see what's so wrong about that, but you're her older brother and if you don't like it, then fine, I won't give Posy anymore cupcakes."
Gale studied him for a moment. He wanted nothing more than to tell him that's exactly what he wanted him to do, but then Posy might get upset. She was only nine but she was smart; she would notice if this guy suddenly stopped being "nice," as she had described him. He didn't want to hurt his sister. "Just don't make it a habit," he concluded, reluctantly.
Mellark's eyebrows rose under his fringe, as if he was surprised by Gale's concession. "Anything else you need? You want me to let Rory go? Maybe when my business goes down you'll finally accept that I had no ulterior motive when I hired him," he added.
Gale did not appreciate the sarcasm-- at least not when he wasn't the one dishing it out. "Your business would not go down," he scoffed, dismissive. "Everybody needs bread."
Mellark gave an equally dismissive shrug. "Yeah, well, they're not going to get it if I can't make enough," he said, pulling lightly at his apron so he could get his hands inside his pants' pockets. He sounded so dejected about his chances without Rory, it was hard not to believe him. Even for Gale.
Alright, so maybe he did need the help that desperately. Still, the fact that his business would do better with Rory helping didn't imply he had to become the new best friend of the entire Hawthorne clan, or soon-to-be Hawthornes, or sisters of soon-to-be Hawthornes. It was still hard to swallow that a merchant could be so comfortable around so many Seam brats. Tolerant? Perhaps. But altruistically nice was a stretch. And there was only one reason Gale could think of for anyone to be that nice to an entire Seam family. "Is it Katniss?" he asked, point-blank.
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i still have a couple more extra posts to get around to today (the usual end-of-the-year surveys), but i wanted to let you know i'll be on vacation with the family to texas from the 2nd until the 14th, so i don't know how much i'll be able to post during that period. still, i wish you all a happy start of 2012! wish me luck with the weather. you know i never do well in the cold. ;)