Gale needs to get off her first in order for her to move away, only compounding the amount of awkwardness she feels about all of this. She could use the flat plant of her feet on the ground to push herself forward but that would all but erase whatever good the salve did to her back. She chooses to sit up halfway instead, if only because it gives her time to distract herself before what is probably going to end up being an argument.

"We're friends. Can we please just leave it that way?" she sounds tired, weary to the bone. Her voice drops and softens, because the last thing Katniss Everdeen needs right now is a fight. "I could really use a friend, Gale."