DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Hunger Games. I do, however, own this story. Don't steal it.

This is the sequel to All Over Again: A Hunger Games Story by me.

Aster's POV

"9:00 a.m. tomorrow at your house, right?" I ask Storm. He's grown two and a half inches in the past four months, and it's almost time for us to go back for our Victory Tour. Yay. What fun.

"Right," he nods. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah," I yawn. "Tomorrow."

I wake up at eight and get ready for the day. It only takes me forty-five minutes, but I know Storm's up and ready, too.

"Going to Storm's, Mom!" I call to my mother, who is currently reading the paper.

"Mhm," she says, not looking up.

I sprint over to the big house right next-door. I rap my knuckles against the side door, and then I wait a second. Nothing. Wait a second.

"Storm?" I call as I knock again. Still nothing. Okay this is weird. He always opens the door the first time I knock. Oh well, I'll just grab the key they keep under the potted plant next to the door.

I turn the key in the lock and swing the door open wide to see – nothing there.

I run through the house just to make sure. Nothing is there. No furniture, no posters or decorations, and most of all, no people. It looks like they just packed up in the middle of the night and left. But he told me to meet him here tomorrow!

The Capital took him. That's the only explanation.

The Capital stole my best friend.

1 month later

I won't say that he's dead. That's what everyone thinks, but he's not. He can't be dead. I'd just know it if he was.

We've been looking for Storm and his family for the past month. To no avail. We've look in every nook and cranny of every district in Panem. They're just not there.

Everyone, including my parents, has given up. They all assume Storm and Calla and Katniss and Peeta are dead. But I don't believe that.

My one fear is that they left on purpose. Katniss and Peeta wouldn't have left, and Calla and I became really close after the Games. My one fear is that Storm is mad at me. I don't want him to be mad at me. We're best friends. We tell each other everything. But now he's gone, and I don't know where he is or why he left, and let's face it. He could be dead right now. I could be in total complete denial while Storm's corpse lies in a forest somewhere over the rainbow.

And now it's time for my victory tour. I have to do it alone.

It's the usual: smiles and waves and pretty dresses and scripted speeches and dinners and people to thank, but in the end, all that's left is heartbreak. Heartbreak for the families that had to watch their children be ruthlessly murdered. And the worst part? I murdered a lot of those children.

District 2 was the worst. I had to face Riegan's family. And David's family. And Chryssi's family. And Titan's family. I almost cried onstage.

Looking out among the audience members, I see a familiar face at the back of the crowd. But no, it's not him. Storm couldn't be here. He wouldn't do that without telling me first. He just wouldn't.

But I can't take my eyes off of him. He's like… Gorgeous… He's my best friend, and I never told him, but I think I have a pretty major crush on him. Major. And then he left.

3 weeks before Hunger Games

The Reaping is today. I have to give a speech in honor of Storm, who is not next to me. This is a more traditional reaping for District 12. All the children of the district are rounded up and placed in different sections of the town square according to age.

As I speak out over the audience, I notice a cute looking young couple running in the square. They check in just before the late bell rings. Whew. That's good. If you haven't noticed, I'm not really paying attention to the words I'm saying. I was forced to memorize the speech I'm saying weeks ago and recite it at least twelve times a day. Believe me. I'm not going to mess this speech up.

My eye continues to follow the couple until I can't see them anymore in my peripherals.

Soon enough, my speech ends, and I'm sitting back in my chair.

Camellia goes to the dreaded glass balls and makes a big show out of picking a girl's name out of the globe. "Jay Lightfield!"

To my utter horror, the girl from the couple I saw early walks defiantly up to the stage. Her dark brown hair looks silky. Probably the best it's looked all year. She has pretty eyes though; chocolate brown and giant with long curly eyelashes. Poor girl. Poor, poor girl.

"Darren Redburn!" Oh, shoot. I totally missed Camellia picking from the boy's ball.

"I VOLUNTEER!" someone yells. "I volunteer as tribute!" Someone volunteering? Not unheard of – see Storm's mom – but still rare.

I turn in my seat and see – oh no – the boy from the couple I saw. He wants to protect his girlfriend.

Whoah. He's actually kinda… Well, he's sorta maybe really hot.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Camellia asks, still maintaining her bubbly composure.

"Ari. Ari Glass," the boy says bravely. He's a good half a foot taller than me. No surprise there. But he has dark eyebrows and dark hair, but his eyes are blue.

Soon enough, just as the ceremony comes to a close, the mayor – Mayor Topear – gets up to speak, but instead of his usual boring speech, he says five words.

"Storm Mellark has been found."

And that's all it takes. The crowd goes wild.

Bear with me guys! It's going to get better. Had to get some time out of the way in the middle there.

Review! Also, the schedule of updates is on my profile now. Go read it.

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