Hey, Everyone! Well, this is the third installment of my little series! You're going to watch Ivy, Alex, Phoenix, Lilac, Finn, Liam, and Ash as they move through some more crazy journeys. They'll find love, heart break, and strength they never knew they possessed. Trust and love will be pushed to its limits and true love will be lost and discovered. Do I have you absolutely reeling yet? Ladies and gentleman, without further ado, I present you with "Live a Little"! Read on!


Chapter One

Ivy Mellark's POV

"Alex, stop it. I have to study," I chastise my boyfriend of almost four years, Alexander Abernathy. Yes, Abernathy, as in, son of Hunger Games Victor, Haymitch Abernathy, and former Hunger Games escort, Effie Trinket.

"You, Ivy Mellark, are no fun," He tells me with a smirk that I swear his father taught him. I roll my eyes at him as I continue studying for my anatomy and physiology class.

Alex and I are both seniors at Panem University in the Capitol, along with my twin brother, Phoenix. My younger siblings, who are also twins, are sophomores. Lilac is majoring in music and theater performance. Finnick, we all call him Finn, is majoring in sports medicine, but we're all pretty sure he's just here because of the football scholarship he got.

I am majoring in biology and I plan on attending medical school here in the Capitol next fall. Alex has changed his major three times since we started here but he's chosen biochemistry and has been sticking with it so far. Phoenix, my twin brother, is majoring in Art and Art History. People always say that I'm left brained and my brother is right brained.

These last three and half years have been pretty crazy, with school and taking my MCATs for medical school and making time for Alex and friends and going to see family. Alex and I try to go home at least once a month on a weekend. It really means the world to his mom. We all thought Effie was going to die of heartbreak when Alex left for college.

I flinch when I feel a piece of paper hit me in the back of the head. I turn and see my brother Finn pointing accusingly at my boyfriend. I roll my eyes as I close my textbook and turn around to face him.

"Can I help you?" I ask him.

"Nope," He replies. "I just really like your couch." He tells me as he bounces on the futon that mom and dad got me for my senior year.

"Hey, now that you finally stopped studying, we should go grab something to eat." Alex says as he starts getting up. "And no excuses; you need to eat something." He adds on after he sees I am about to object. Well, I guess he is right.

"Alright, let's go." I tell him as I grab my coat. "Get out," I tell my brother, pointing to the door. He mumbles under his breath, something about "never being welcome anywhere". I roll my eyes as Alex and I head for the diner that is a few blocks off campus.

"Several of the lab rats that have been on methamphetamines have developed insomnia and irregular heartbeat. It's interesting to see how they are reacting to withdrawal of the drugs. Alex, are you okay?" I stop my rambling when I notice Alex seems to be . . . falling asleep.

"What? Oh, sorry, I guess I'm a little wiped out from classes this week." He tells me. Of course he's wiped out! He's taking at least twice the workload of a regular student.

"You're working too hard. You need to give yourself a break." I tell him.

"Nah, I'm fine," He replies.

"Ethan found you asleep at your microscope in the lab last night," I state.

"I just fell asleep while I was looking at some microbes. I'm fine, really I am." He attempts to assure me.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to make sure you catch up on your sleep while we're on break." I tell him. A week from now, we'll be on break after finishing up our final exams for the semester.

"Oh, but before the rest, comes the cramming," Alex says. I am about to say something when Alex's phone interrupts me. I smile when I recognize the ringtone he assigned his dad. Haymitch, the summer after our freshman year at Panem University, had bought us both IPhones so that we could all keep in touch better. Let's just say that Effie loves her IPhone way too much.

"What was that about?" I ask Alex after he hangs up with his dad.

"Oh, he just wanted to know what I thought he should get mom for Christmas," Alex replies with a chuckle. "That man has never been the best at Christmas shopping."

We spend about another hour in the diner, eating dinner and some desert together. So far, this year has started out pretty stressful. We're both working hard on our graduation projects. At the end of the year, the week before graduation, there is an open house where all the graduation projects are showcased.

My graduation project is a study on how chronic use of stimulant drugs, such as amphetamines and cocaine, can have short and long term effects on lab rats. My professors have all been really intrigued and supportive of my project, which has been a great help. I love spending time in the lab and conducting all my experiments.

Alex's graduation project is comparing and contrasting how penicillin, the superhero of antibiotics, works against common illnesses, such as pneumonia, and uncommon illnesses such as scarlet fever. I have to say that I do love hearing about his progress in his experiments and observation.

"I love you," Alex murmurs against my lips as we stop outside of my dorm room to kiss each other for the millionth time since we left the diner.

"I love you, too." I sigh, running my fingers through his curly, reddish-brown hair. He cups my face in his strong hands and runs his tongue over my lower lip. I allow his tongue entrance into my mouth and our tongues duel for dominance. I reach behind me and fumble with the door handle.

Finally, we manage to get into my dorm room, never breaking our kiss. Fireworks are erupting inside of me. Alex makes me feel . . . just absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, we have to break our kiss, our need for oxygen going against our carnal desires. I am about to resume our kiss when I notice Ethan and Faith making out on the couch.

Ethan is Alex's roommate. They've been roommates all four years of college. Faith is my roommate and we've been roommates all four years, too. On our first night of freshman year, Ethan and Faith totally hit it off. They dated for a few months before breaking it off. Then, about three months after they broke up, Alex and I walked in on them . . . well, you know. Since then, well, they've been in a sort of "friends with benefits" relationship.

"Of course," Alex grumbles when he notices what I am looking at. Ethan and Faith have . . . interrupted Alex and me on more than a few occasions. Alex finds it incredibly annoying. I think that maybe we were supposed to be interrupted. We haven't . . . been intimate yet. I guess we're just waiting for the right time in our lives.

"We could go to my room," Alex suggests.

"Nah, I have more studying to catch up on anyways." I tell him. "Love you," I say as I kiss him once more on the lips.

"Love you, too, babe." He tells me. He then proceeds to grab Ethan away from Faith and drag him home.

"I have to say this, Ivy. That boyfriend of yours is pretty damn hot." Faith tells me as she watches Alex drag Ethan out of our dorm room.

"That he is," I agree.

"We didn't totally interrupt you and him, did we?" She asks me.

"Oh, no," I assure her. "We're . . . we're waiting,"

"For what, a written invitation?" She asks me.

"No, just for the right time," I tell her.

"Well, if I were you, I would jump his bones before another girl does." Faith says.

"What do you mean?" I ask her, a little confused.

"I'm just saying that you're not the only girl on campus that finds that man of yours attractive. If you aren't going to put out, well, someone else will." Faith expands before she heads into her bedroom.

That can't be true, can it? I mean, of course other girls find him attractive. He is hot. But, they wouldn't . . . put out. I mean, basically everyone on campus knows we're dating. They couldn't all be that . . . that immoral, could they? And, certainly, Alex wouldn't . . . do anything with them. Would he?


So, I might be slightly bipolar. I totally went from complete happiness to some serious doubt . . . o.O I guess we'll have to see what happens. Also, what do you guys think of Ethan and Faith? They might become pretty important for this story and my next! I kind of like them, they're a bit different and I think that they will add a certain . . . twist . . . to Alex and Ivy's relationship (as you sort of saw above). Also, another question: I wanted to know it you guys wanted to maybe see some . . . M stuff in this story? It's totally up to you whether you want it or not. Honestly, I've never written that kind of stuff before so it might suck a little until I get the hang of it. Let me know what you guys think about . . . well, everything in your reviews! Thanks for reading! I think we're continuing quite a fun journey!