And now, Grace, Hopes, & Chances Chapter One has come out. Sorry for keeping you readers waiting, I haven't been up to writing for a little bit. Just feeling lazy and trying to relax after all this school work (first day of 8th grade means 4 sheets of homework and a book to read). Also, since my first or second chapters always seem to be short (always under 900 words, not including author notes), I'm trying to make this and the second chapter long.

For people reading this and not the prequel, Take a Chance 54th Hunger Games, I suggest you read it or this will make no sense at all. I am doing some explanatory things as usual sequels go, but it won't be enough. Especially why I choose the title for the sequel (hint in Take a Chance Introduction, FF1.)

And now I present, Grace, Hopes, & Chances.


Chapter One

My name is Alanna Grace McLee. Two years ago, I had an older brother. His name was Aaron Chance McLee. He was reaped for the 52nd Hunger Games. He placed 2nd, only to the District One boy, Marco el Brice. I was reaped for the 54th Hunger Games, the same time Antonio el Brice, the brother of the boy who killed Aaron, volunteered. I won without killing anybody. I was able to make it back home in District 5 alive as the victor.

You can expect my little 12-year-old sister, Amy Hope McLee, to be happy and excited that I was able to make it home.

No. When I stepped off the train and saw my sister on the shoulders of my one-armed dad within the crowd, she was mad. My parents were smiling, but Amy was fuming.

You have no idea how much that hurt.

After the official home-coming of the victor, me, I was taken back to my home to pack up. Tomorrow my family would be presented with a house in the Victor's Village. Only four more victors and their families occupy that part of the District.

Amy smiled when my parents were around, but once their backs were turned, Amy avoided looking at me. She packed up her belongings and when she finished, she opened up a book and read in the corner.

"Amy?" I asked.

Amy kept reading.

It wasn't like her. Amy hates reading, the only one in our family who dislikes reading words off anything. Actually, when she was little, every book she would find would be torn up if you didn't catch her. She's always had this hatred to books. I've never seen her read a book without distaste in her face. But I didn't see it.

"Amy, you don't know how much I missed you," I said.

Amy glared up at me. She didn't say a word. Instead, she threw her book across the room and slammed the door to the bathroom.

My mom got caught up in the situation. She appeared and yelled, "Amy, you better come out here and at least hug your sister!"

The door opened. Amy stepped out slowly, her eyes in line to the ceiling. She wrapped her arms around my neck as my arms stretched around her waist. There wasn't a comfy feeling in it, as Tawnya Dinkey, my escort, retreats from hugs to avoid wrinkles. Amy was restraining from me. But for a second, there was a warm feeling to it.

Then the hug ended. Amy jumped away from me and slammed the bathroom door. I was surprised the wall didn't crumble.

My mom sighed. She wrapped her arms around me and I actually began to hear her crying.

"I missed you sweetie," Mom said, "I was afraid I'd lose you."

"I missed you too, Mom," I said "I missed all of you."

Mom pulled back and wiped away tears. She kissed my cheeks. You have no idea how much I missed my parents and Amy.

Amy. I asked, "Whats wrong with Amy, Mom?"

Mom sighed again. "I don't know. Everyday she was crying, but she still watched closely. Then, that day with the mutts resembling those past tributes, she stopped crying completely. She cried when Wade… died, surely she would, but not when you were in pain or upset. She became very sullen. She would read a book to sleep. I don't know what it was, but I don't know."

"I don't know what I did," I said. I was shaking. I figured something that happened that day of the Gamemakers' Torture bothered her, something that made her that way. Amy is lighthearted, a bit naive, and cries a lot at times. She's never angry. Sometimes stubborn, but never angry.

"Alanna, I really don't know. Let's not dwell on it now. I'm making your favorite tonight for dinner, okay? We'll talk about it then."

But once she left to get together dinner, I knocked on the bathroom door. Amy didn't respond.

"Amy," I said to the door "Amy, please, I want to know whats wrong. What happened when I was gone?"

But Amy was giving me the silent treatment. Mom and Dad were able to force her out the bathroom to eat. The main dish was my favorite, salami salad with a lot of salt and chili powder, but it seemed that my family was already given a lot of food from the Capitol. The whole time, we tried getting my sister to talk about her feelings. She didn't say anything directly to me. She asked Dad, "Can I go over to Sarah's?" But he said no, as long as Amy talked to me. But she didn't. She fumed and went to bed.

While Amy slept that night, I stroked her hair. Then strangely, I had the feeling to get paper and a pencil. When I did, I spent until midnight drawing my sister wrapped up in her blankets in the dim candlelight. Under the drawing, I wrote, "At least something of my sister is the same."

Then I closed my eyes and slept.

It hadn't occurred to me later that me and Amy didn't spend any Our Time together. I woke feeling upset about it. I was up earlier than anyone else, so I wrote a note that I had gone walking and did so.

It was warm as I walked along the streets. Usually workers would be out but two things would happen today: The presentation of my new Victors' Village home and Wade's funeral at dark.

Thinking about it made me stop in my tracks. Rumor was that all the deceased tributes were allowed to be buried or cremated on this day. It wasn't proven, however, because its not televised or even recorded, but every year it happens.

The thought of the funeral, of Wade being buried, reminded me of his death. The cruel weapon of the Capitol, the Hunger Games. Antonio right behind him, lurking in the fog, shoving the spear right through Wade's stomach...

I fell over on the hard concrete screaming. People came out their homes and tried to help me, or, like most of them, just watched. Eventually they got me up and started guiding me to my house. I didn't let them. Instead I burst out running to the Woods.

I stumbled right into the place, out of breath, looking around for anyone. The Woods is one of the reasons District 5 lacks tesserae, we sometimes get our provisions from the Woods, a patch of forest left untouched during the development of District 5. However you have to give the meat or plants to any shopkeepers, who are forced to put it on a very high price. Trying to smuggle some food from the Woods is a result of how much you take. Little amounts might case a long period of prison time but higher amounts could be death or death of those close to you. Me, Amy, and Aaron were never caught because we always made it seem like we were trading away a lot of food when really we kept some to ourselves.

I lean against a tree and breathe in the air. The arena may have been a bunch of ringed pieces of land with different kinds of tree-like landscapes on each one, but nothing compared to the Woods. Me, Aaron, and Amy usually spent Our Time in the Woods, so it gave a comforting feeling to it.

Bug and animal sounds, the rushing water of a nearby stream, and wind whistling through the leaves calmed me down. I tried thinking of something good, nothing that will cause me to have small or slightly-major breakdowns. It would usually be my sister, but she won't work out in my mind right now. I don't want to think about what made her tick. Then my mind wandered to any topic until just nothing...

Noises of feet on grass shook me awake. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I looked around and saw Josh rush right past me.

"Josh," I called "Josh!"

He stopped and turned. He looked so much like Wade, except for the blue eyes in which Wade had gray ones. Looking now, I could see Josh a bit smaller and thinner than Wade was, not much but a little. Josh and Wade were twins, a 17-almost-18-year-old brother of Keith, and both parents.

Now that I see Josh now, I'm reminded of the promise me and Wade made to each other. If one of us won, the other would care for the deceased family. Now I must take up on that promise.

I know I must. I see the sadness and worry in Josh's eyes and I try to comfort him.

"Josh, I'm still me," I say. I take a step close to him and he takes a step back.

"Josh I-"

"No, Alanna," Josh says and turned around "Its to complicated."

"No its not, I know how you feel. The same when I lost Aaron."

"Yeah, and you avenged him, when you said that you don't take revenge."

"Avenging in the death of your brother."

"No, I don't take revenge."

I blink at the flashback. Josh is looking at me now with contempt.

"I-"

"Yeah right, you're still you."

"Well, I didn't mean it to end up like that. But, really, I didn't just avenge my brother, I avenged yours."

Josh looks upset when he says, "So?"

"How could you even think of saying that!" I yelled.

Josh steps back in shock. I'm somewhat of glaring and looking compassionate at him.

He says coldly, "You don't know what you've caused."

"Caused?" I get desperately confused. "What have I caused?"

Instead of answer, Josh says, "This isn't over," before he runs off.

I run the other direction, trying not to cry. Amy and Josh have rejected me, and I just don't know why.

And what's this about causing something?


Celebrate, the first chapter of GH&C is finally out and done with.

Now Chapter 2, wait, WHAT? (I don't mean it) "yes, you do." shut up "you-" you suck at seeming menacing whereas I can growl.

Oh yea, the flashback was first Josh when Alanna talking in Chp 4 of Take a Chance. I feel like titling the chapters whereas I didn't do it in the prequel. Maybe I'll try for this story. This one might be "Rejection." I don't know. I'm tired 'cause this is late at night and I had a soccer game earlier today. Nearly had an asthma attack (not really). "yes, she-" NO. I hate you, not my readers, 'cause you are all amazing! "No, you're-" stop acting like a squid and please don't abuse your freedom from my profile or I'll take it from you. "You no got the power!" Yes, 'cause I'm not sure if you really are my subconscious but I CONTROL you, mostly.

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