A/N: As with "My Little Flour" (my other fic), here are the names I am using for the unnamed characters. Lillian is Mrs. Everdeen, Eric is Mr. Everdeen, Grant is Mr. Mellark and Agnes is Mrs. Mellark. Also, Emmeline Donner is Madge's mother. And, although he won't be a main, Mayor Undersee's first name will be Walter. Also, expect a few cameos from Hazelle and maybe Greasy Sae or Darius. And don't worry, Haymitch will definitely be in it – just not this chapter : ). Thanks for clicking everyone!

Quick, insistent fingers hit Lillian's shoulder. With a sigh, she realized it must be Maysilee. Maysilee was the only one who could achieve such impatience over every little move.

"Lilly," she said, doing a pitiful job of whispering. "Can Emmeline and I come over after school?"

Lillian glanced hurriedly up at the teacher, Mr. Bode. Any lapse in attention during school had recently been considered a direct offense of the Capitol's educational plan. You never knew when a whip or a lashing could come flying at you, seemingly from nowhere.

Once she made sure that his eyes were directed the other way, she nodded as discreetly as she could. Reckless Maysilee might have had the nerve to speak during class, but she certainly didn't. Of course, her little nod caught Grant's attention.

"What?" he whispered, tugging her sleeve.

She panicked without meaning to, her mouth seizing up in fear that they'd be caught. Her friends were far too intrepid to leave her feeling comfortable during school hours.

"They're coming over," she mouthed back, moving as little as she could. Luckily for her, Grant was very good at reading lips. He could understand her classroom communication better than anyone. There was a beat, as he nodded, and then she asked the inevitable. Would he like to come as well?

Grant nodded, grinning the way he always did for her. Only recently had their friendship begun to tighten its hinges into something more mature. Now, every stray comment sounded as if it were romantic and exciting. Lillian could tell that Grant liked it, but her own feelings were still a bit confused.

The lesson continued at a lethargic pace, Lillian wincing every time she heard paper rustling behind her. The twins had the noisy habit of passing notes, and she couldn't for the life of her understand why they would risk it.

It was about five minutes from the end of the period that she noticed Agnes Brower glaring at them. Not at any one of them, but more at the group as a whole. Her eyes were narrowed, in the way that an animal's are before it pounces.

Straightening her thin lips into a line, Lillian kept her own gaze pinned on the girl. Agnes was violent and angry, prone to lashing out when her mood was sour. Once, when they'd been very small, she'd hit Emmeline in the jaw. She was passed off as a harmless bully by most of the class, but Lillian always watched for her. In addition to her fits of aggression, she seemed to be unusually calculating. The swipes and jibes that her classmates received were often the result of grudges.

At last, the bell rang. Lillian let out a sigh of relief, scribbling down the last bits of homework. She and her friends often waited behind for a few minutes, until the crowds dispersed. Otherwise, they would get swept up and never find their way out.

Once Mr. Bode left – whip in hand – Lillian turned to her friends.

"Thanks for letting us come over," Emmeline said, her tiny teeth parted in a smile. They came over nearly every day, although Lillian could never understand why. While none of them lived in the Seam, the Donners were marginally wealthier than she. Lillian could never understand why they would want to spend any of their time away from the sweetshop.

Grant swiveled in his chair, blue eyes twinkling. "Only two more months until the end. I've been keeping count."

Emmeline and Maysilee tittered with delight, but Lillian felt her stomach acids whirl in discomfort. The end of school meant the reaping. Her friends barely worried, figuring the odds were in their favor, but she got sick with nerves every year. There was always a chance, no matter how slim it was. And whoever was chosen, it was usually someone they knew.

"Should we go then?" Maysilee asked, glancing to the window. "It looks like everyone's gone."

"Yes," Lillian agreed. As she watched the way Maysilee's eyes remained glued to the students out front, she gave a fraction of a smirk. It was common knowledge that Maysilee wanted to go with an upperclassman to the District festival. Ballsy and attractive, she made a sort of sport out of chasing the boys she couldn't have. It didn't matter whether it was the most pathetic event of the year; she would be going with the most desirable date.

Shoulder to shoulder, the four left the building with smiles on their faces. Another day was over. It was only once they made it through the sprawling doors of the school that they found an unwanted surprise.

"You shouldn't have done that, today." Agnes stood stretched in front of them, hands on her hips. Her lank hair fell lamely down from her scalp, making it look almost as if it were a wig.

"Done what?" Lillian asked, surprised.

Maysilee grabbed her arm. "Come on," she hissed, just loudly enough for Agnes to hear, "We don't need to listen." Emmeline nodded in agreement, frowning.

"Been so rude!" Agnes continued, ignoring them. She was speaking directly to Lillian, it seemed. "You could have gotten us all in trouble, for talking the way you did."

Lillian flushed. That's what she had thought too, although she'd never admit it.

"Oh, give it up Agnes," Maysilee said. "You're just jealous because you don't have anyone to talk to you." Her pretty features were marred by anger, and she reacted with a shriek when Agnes lunged at her.

"That's enough." Grant stepped between them, batting away Agnes's hands with ease. "This could get us all in trouble." He frowned, first at Agnes and then at Maysilee. She was an instigator, even if she didn't mean to be. Emmeline rushed over, gripping her sister's hand and staring down Agnes with contempt.

Surprisingly, Agnes's cheeks turned red. She swung her shoulders away from them, glaring at one and all as she stalked off. Lillian nearly pitied her.

With a sigh, Grant patted Maysilee's shoulder. "You're alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Good. Then let's keep walking."

The sister's kept in front, hands grasped together. Without even hearing their words, Lillian knew they were making fun of Agnes.

"Her mother died this winter, you know," Grant said quietly.

"Huh?" Lillian replied.

"Agnes. Her mother died over the winter."

"Oh." She hadn't known that. "Oh," she repeated. Still, It didn't excuse anything. She did know it was hard, though. Losing a parent. One of their less-close friends had lost their father a few years back. It had been an awful year.

"She doesn't mean harm," Grant continued. "She just wants to make sure none of us get whipped. That's what her mom died of, you know. The Peacekeepers tortured her."

"Oh…" This time Lillian sounded much more sympathetic. That was awful, then. Agnes was only trying to protect them. But as she glanced over at her incensed best friends, she felt the pressing need to be loyal. "She's a bully anyway," she said, "She was before then."

Grant frowned, shaking his head. "You should know better than that, Lilly. It's not her fault." Lilly. Unlike with most relationships, he used her nickname when he was upset with her.

She refused too met his eyes. "Why do you need to protect her, anyway?"

"Because," he said, sounding impatient for once, "Someone has to!" He got this way, sometimes. He was passionate when he didn't mean to be, and it sometimes drew a rift between them. Lillian was not nearly as fiery.

At this point they'd made it to her house, and the arguing sunk into the ground. They could never stay angry with each other for very long.

"What's that noise?" Lillian mused, thinking out loud. It sounded as if there were forty people inside.

Emmeline's careful fingers peeled the door away from the frame, revealing the small crowd inside. It was only five people, including Lillian's parents. However, they were all shouting.

"Get the numbing!" her mother shouted, rushing towards the cabinet to get it herself.

"Please Mrs. Everdeen," Lillian's father said, trying to soothe one of the other women. "You're son's going to be just fine."

"He was hit so many times," she wailed, her husband's arm going around her. "All because he couldn't – couldn't - "

Finally, Lillian's father noticed her in the doorway. "Good, you're home. We need you in here." He winced, noticing the other three children. "You'll have to come back later," he said to them, sounding apologetic. "We need her help."

The girls gave Lillian a hug. "He was hurt?" Emmeline whispered, sounding saddened.

"Punished, I guess," Lillian replied into her ear. They'd yet to see the punishments themselves, but they'd heard just how terrible they could be. They were often for the slightest of things, and sometimes nearly deadly. She wasn't sure what had sparked it, but the Peacekeepers had suddenly achieved a new altitude of violence and cruelty.

"Who is he?" Maysilee asked.

"I don't know," Lillian replied.

"They said Everdeen…" Maysilee said, thinking. "Oh!" Her eyes lit up. "That must be the boy in eleventh year."

"Eleventh?" She didn't know the older grades the way her friends did. They were in ten themselves.

Maysilee nodded. "What do you think he got it for?"

Lillian shook her head uncertainly, catching her father's warning eye. It was time for her friends to leave. "I'll come by later, alright?"

"Alright," the girls replied. Grant lingered a moment longer, staring into the room. He looked as if he had something to say.

"What?" Lillian asked, her hand resting on the door.

There was a pause, and he shook his head. "Nothing. I'll see you later."

"Okay," she replied, hesitating. He turned and walked away from the house, and she shut the door behind him.

"Lillian!" her father called, above the din of the crying and rushing around. "We need you over here!"

She winced. Her parents rarely asked her to help, only in emergency. This must have been terrible. She raced over, going to her father's side.

With a gasp, she took in the sight of the young man before her. He hardly looked human, under so much blood.

Her gut twisted and squirmed, and at first she didn't understand the reason. Then, with a start, she realized the sensation was one of desire. Her eyes had suddenly registered his face, mostly unmarred by blood or marks. Even after the duration of punishment, he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen.

A/N: Lots more to come, with the other characters was well : ). Also, this is unrelated, but if anyone from HGT is reading this – my computer won't let me onto the site; is it my computer's fault, or is the site down? Anyway, thanks for reading, I would love it if you find time in your day to review!