AN. Okay, so here is my new story! Read and review, please.
[Ivy PrimrosePOV]
I sit down on my bed, my curly hair in braids. Thunder is heard throughout the town and lightning colors the sky. My name is Ivy Primrose. Mom tells me that the second half of my name was her sister's. She never says more. Dad has told me more, but he never gets far. My parents don't tell me anything. I know that my Aunt is dead, but I don't know why or how. I know that mom and dad have been through trauma. Dad has that look in his eye. He freaks out a lot, and mom sends us to Aunt Annie's. Leo is nice, and I always enjoy my time there. He's Aunt Annie's son. But I'm always afraid of if Dad is okay. He always is, but I'm scared. It's terrifying to see your parents so vulnerable, so scary. Seeing your parents as threat is the most terrifying thing in the world.
Today is my sixteenth birthday, the day mom told me that she'd tell me everything about what happened to her and dad have been through. Today mom is going to tell me what the Hunger Games is.
The door opens. I know it's going to be Dad. It's been a tradition for years. Dad always brings me breakfast in bed on my birthday. Same with Matrix, my little brother. Everyone says I look like Dad. I have my Mom's hair color and and mouth, but I have dad's eyes, nose and head shape. I also have tons of freckles, but neither of my parents have them. Matrix doesn't have them, either. He looks a lot like Mom. He has Dad's hair color, though. He's lucky. I've always wanted blond hair. My hair is brown, almost black. My hair is curly. Matrix has gray eyes, straight blond hair and Mom's face, almost.
I turn around and smile at my Dad.
"Hey Ivy" he says. He always calls me that. Everyone calls me that, even though my name is Ivy Primrose. My Mom sometimes calls me Prim. I like both.
"Hi Dad" I say. Dad puts a tray down on my bed. It contains my Dad's baked bread. It always tastes amazing. He told me that his family owned a bakery when he was younger. Mom used to tell me a bedtime story called the Boy With The Bread. It's about a starving girl who was dying, and she was close to death. Closer then she ever was. And one day, when she was outside a bakery, almost at deaths doors, a boy appeared, holding burnt bread. The boy threw the bread to her. The bread that saved her life. She never told me the rest of the story though. I don't know what happens after the girl eats the bread, but I'm certain that the boy was Dad. And mom must have been the starving girl.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart. It's impossible to think that you're already sixteen. My little girl, my baby!" Dad says, happily. He says that every year.
"I'm just as surprised as you, I don't feel like it's possible. I still feel like I could be thirteen" I say. Dad laughs.
"I wish I had the luxury to feel like that when I was sixteen" Dad says.
"Why didn't you?" I ask.
"Oh Ivy, I'll tell you in the future" dad says.
"Dad! You said that you'd tell me everything that happened to you and mom when I turned sixteen! Dad, I'm sixteen now! I know, Matrix is still only fourteen but I'm not! Please daddy! You promised!" I cry.
"Oh sweetheart, you are just as feisty as your mother, but you make a good argument. But your mom needs to be here if I tell you. And tonight, after your friends leave. Leo is here already, so I can't tell you now. But tonight, I promise" Dad says. He stands up and pats my shoulder. "I'm gonna go get Katniss, Matrix and Leo." He walks out of my room. I eat the food (toast, soup, salad, etc.) and get out of bed. I take my hair out of my braid. My hair flows around my shoulders. I wonder if Aunt Annie is coming as well? She comes every year, so I'm guessing she is. And Aunt Johanna. Aunt Johanna is so funny! Someone knocks on the door.
"Come in!" I call. Mom walks in with a smile on her face, and a bundle in her hands. Mom almost never smiles. But of course, it is my birthday. On Mom's shirt is her Mockingjay pin. She rarely wears it. Only on special days.
"Ivy Primrose Everdeen Mellark!" Mom says. "I have a present for you. This is a dress that was very important to me. This was your grandmothers dress when she was young, and she'd be happy if you wore it. I know that she'd be here if she could."
Mom puts the the bundle on my lap. I lift it up. It's a blue dress. It's very pretty but simple, and a little worn out. She sits down beside me and takes my hands.
"I want you to wear it today. It does bring back memories, but I'd really love if you'd wear it" Mom says.
"Like when I turned twelve and you gave me the outfit that your sister wore?" I ask. Mom smiles.
"Yes. Prim wore that. That outfit used to be mine" Mom says. "I love you sweetheart, happy birthday. Change into your dress now, our family is about to come in and sing you happy birthday" Mom says, hugging me and kissing my cheek. She leaves the room. I smile and put on the dress. Someone knocks on my door.
"Come in!" I call. The door opens to Leo Cresta Odair, my cousin, practically. He's almost eighteen. He has two years on me, and five on Matrix.
"Happy birthday, Ivy" Leo says.
"Hey Lee" I say, giving him a hug. I've known him forever. It's impossible for me to think of him in a romantic way. It would be weird too, because I've known him ever since I was born. Even though I'd probably find him very attractive if we weren't cousins. But, I don't, and I never will.
"Happy birthday!" He says, again. "So weird cause I barely feel like I'm seventeen and then you're sixteen...seriously? If I don't feel this old, you can't be!"
"Believe me, I can't imagine being sixteen. Which is strange because girl mature much faster then boys" I say.
"Shut up!" Leo laughs. Leo and I've always gotten along really well. Everyone thought that Matrix and Leo would be best friends, and everyone was surprised when Leo and I became better friends then Matrix and him. It's because I'm a girl, and Leo is very much a guys guy. And I'm not, most of the time. But of course, there are always surprises. And I like being friends with Leo, because I don't have many others. Oh course, I sometimes hang out with Leo's friends, but I have to say, Leo has a lot more class then his friends. Plus he's so much smarter then them. I don't know why boys hang out with friends like that, I'll never understand.
"So how's life?" I ask, sitting down on my bed. Leo sits on the other side and and hugs one of my pillows. He does that a lot. He pretends to be one of the girls, which is really weird because otherwise he's always very much a guy.
"Pretty good. Johanna is being herself, mom's had a few panic attacks now and then, but pretty good. What about Katniss and Peeta? How are they? Have they had any panic attacks lately?" Leo asks.
"Not really. Mom had one the other day, but none after that" I say. "And Dad hasn't had one for a really long time. Not since Matrix's last birthday" I say. Leo nods. We both remember it. It had something to do with this show on the TV. It said something about Tracker Jacker poison, and Dad flipped. I remember how scared he seemed, and how venerable. It was scary. He were sent to Annie's house. Matrix was upset the whole time. It was his fourteenth birthday. He celebrated when we got home, but the thing with our family is we always celebrate our birthdays on the day of, almost never afterward. Matrix was so upset. I don't blame him at all. I'm be, too, if that happened to me. We never make plans on Leo's birthday, because we always go to Annie's house on his exact birthday. No matter what. Dad hasn't had a panic attack since. I hope he doesn't have one today. It's really special, because I'm sixteen. There used to be this thing about having a "Sweet Sixteen," it happened before the so called "Dark Days." It's supposed to be sacred to girls, and it is to me. So I really hope nothing effects Mom or Dad today.
"Well, that's good. You're lucky, when your parents have fits, you go to Mom's house. When Mom has a fit, I go to Aunt Johanna's. Not that I don't love her and all, but it's scary. Seriously scary" Leo says.
"Oh, is lil' Leo afraid of his mean, mean lil' Auntie?" I ask, using my baby voice.
"Shut it, Ivy, you know how scary she can be!" Leo laughs, throwing the pillow at me.
"I know, I know! I've known her just as long as you have...you know!" I say, laughing.
"Yeah, yeah" Leo says, falling off my bed. He jumps up quickly, blushing. "Jeez, we laugh to easily."
"Yes, we really do" I say. Leo, Matrix and Dad are the only people who can make me laugh...except Aunt Johanna, but she makes me laugh because she's so crazy. The door opens and Matrix walks in, and yawns loudly.
"Iviprose" He says. He always runs my name together, because he finds it hilarious. He never shuts up about it, either. "Mom says that you have to come out cause it's your birthday and stuff. Conner and Milo are here. Why do you only have guy friends? Seriously, you have more guy friends then I do! Gah, how depressing. Anyway, Lani is going to be late. Is she the only friend you have who's a girl? Seriously, Ivies, you're practically a boy..."
"Shut up, Matrix!" I shout. Matrix grins.
"Oh yes! Another check-mark on my list for things to do during today! Annoy my sister until she shouts at me! Yay me!" Matrix cheers. I through another pillow at him. "Yes! Two check-marks!"
–
The day goes by fast. Milo and Conner (who are twins) played plenty of tricks on Matrix and me. Leo and I planned to play one on them, which worked, surprisingly (though they were probably expecting it, Leo and I are not subtle at all.) My friend Lani (who is 15) and her younger brother, Fish showed up a few hours later. Fish hung out with Matrix and kept him occupied. Lani, Conner, Milo, Leo and I talked and played useless party games for hours. Mom and Dad checked up on us a few times, but they were in the basement most of the time. Dad said it has something to do with my birthday. A few hours later, we ate cake and opened presents. Milo and Conner's presents were always interesting. They got me a tree trimming kit and an ax. They have given me gifts like that forever. Sometimes it's a joke or a gag gift, but this time I think they were just lazy. I did say thank you, though. They answered with a large pat on the back and nothing more. Lani gave me a necklace and Fish gave me a half eaten sandwich. That's Fish, alright. Leo actually gave me my favorite thing this year. He gave me a framed picture of all of us, even Fish and Matrix. Matrix gave me a pair of socks and a teddy bear. I said thank you to all of them, and soon Lani and Fish left. Milo and Conner went three hours after that, and what's happening now is Aunt Annie and Aunt Johanna arrived.
Mom walks up behind me and gives me a hug. She pulls me over to a couch, and sits across from me. Leo sits on the floor. Matrix is in his room, watching a TV show about murder or something. Dad sits with Aunt Johanna, who look completely straight faced. Aunt Annie Has her arms around Leo and is sitting on a chair. Mom turns to me and says the following:
"Alright, Sweetheart. Johanna and Annie are going to be here too. We're going to tell you. We're going to tell you what really happened in District Twelve. We're going to tell you about the Hunger Games."
AN. So there it is! I shall be write more soon! If I get no reviews, I won't continue. SO review!
Coffee
