Chapter 2

"Good biscuit, Dad," Tahmo complimented. Peeta winked.

"Hey, hand me one, will you?" Rose asked, shoving down a spoonful of porridge. Tahmo tossed her one, but it landed in her bowl.

"Thanks," she snorted, sarcastically.

"You're welcome," Tahmo smirked. Rose rolled her eyes and wolfed down her food.

"Come on, Tahmo, before we're late for school!"

Tahmo shoved the last of his biscuit in his mouth.

"Maybe today I'll succeed in killing Gayo," Rose joked. While the 2 teenagers laughed, worried glances were shot between Peeta and Katniss.

"See you, Mom and Dad!" Rose hollered from the front door.

"Bye!" Peeta and Katniss shouted back.

Rose shut the door.

#####

At lunch period, Rose sat with a 15 year old girl named Lily, short for Lilian.

"That bread looks good," Lily said.

"My dad made it," Rose replied. "Want some?"

"Yes, thank you."

Rose broke off the end of her loaf and gave it to Lily. Lily smiled as she munched on it.

"This is so good," she mumbled.

"I'll tell my dad that you said that," Rose grinned. Lily grinned back.

"What are you two girls doing?"

Lily and Rose looked over to see Gayo. The way he said 'girls' sounded as if it was supposed to be an insult.

"Eating," Lily snorted. Gayo sat at their table, eyeing them.

"What?" Rose hissed, obviously irritated. Gayo rolled his eyes and ate while glaring at the girls.

"Leave us alone," Rose said.

"You can't tell me what to do," Gayo snorted. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Come on," she sniffed. "Let's go eat somewhere else."

#####

"Well, I'm home!" Rose announced. Seeing that neither one of her parents were home, Rose set her school bag down on the sofa and grabbed her bow and arrow off of the mantel. Good thing Tahmo is gone, Rose thought.

Rose walked into the forest. Looking around for an animal to shoot with good meat, Rose got low to the ground, putting her ear to the earth. I just hear stupid mocking jays, Rose told herself. Rising onto one knee, Rose searched for an animal to hunt. Not much longer, Rose's eyes fell on a duck. Cooked, roasted duck would be really good for dinner. Pulling back the arrow and the bow string, she released the arrow. Dinner was shot down. Rose felt like shouting for joy. She ran to the dead duck and pulled out the arrow.

"It's still useable," Rose said, putting the used arrow back in her quiver. Picking up the duck, she ran home.

#####

"Wonderful dinner, Mom," Tahmo said.

"Thanks to Rose," Katniss said. She looked tired with circles under her eyes.

"Didn't get much sleep?" Rose wondered.

"Yeah," Katniss replied. Rose nodded.

"Where's dad?" Tahmo asked.

"He has to work late at the bakery. There's a wedding this weekend," Katniss said.

"We better save him some duck," Rose said.

"I wouldn't bother," Katniss grinned. "When he gets hungry, he'll eat up the whole bakery."

The 3 of them laughed. "He'll probably have my favorite biscuits," Tahmo said.

"Oh well," Rose smiled.

The rest of dinner was eaten in exhausted silence. After dinner, Rose turned on the evening news because she was bored. Tahmo sat down right next to her on the sofa.

"President Gale has had some big plans for a while," the reporter reported. "After meeting up with an old friend, Katniss Everdeen,—I mean Mellark—President Gale has finally decided to start up the Hunger Games again. An arena is being built right now and should be finished by next year. 'The games are being started up for a good reason,' President Gale says. He says that it'll put all of Panem back in order after all these years."

Rose sat up and got off the sofa.

"Mom?" she called. "Mom!"

"I'm in the kitchen!" Katniss hollered back. Rose trotted into the kitchen.

"Mom?" Rose asked.

"Hmm?"

"What are the Hunger Games?"

Katniss dropped the bowl that she was drying. Rose bent down and picked it up. Part of it was chipped.

"Where did you hear that from?" Katniss tried to ask casually, though her voice was shaky.

"On the news. They said an arena is being built for it for next year."

"Oh, it's no big deal," Katniss said. "The Hunger Games is just an annual play for all of Panem to watch."

"Then why were you so startled when I mentioned it?" Rose asked, looking at the bowl in her hands.

"It's been so long since then. I've heard about it. It brings back so many memories," Katniss replied.

"Oh, okay," Rose said. "Thanks for telling me. I was just curious."

Katniss nodded and smiled as Rose skipped out of the kitchen. If only the games were only that.

#####

"You monster! You killed me! You let me die! And for what? So you could be with you loved one? You selfish jerk!"

"Rue, wait!" Katniss yelled. "I'm sorry!"

"Sure you are," Prim said, walking up to Katniss. "You watched me die, too! You didn't bother to save me."

"But I couldn't! There was no time!" Katniss sobbed. Prim and Rue glared at her. In unison, they sneered, "YOU MONSTER!"

"Stop! Please! Rue! Prim! I didn't mean to!"

"Katniss!" Peeta said. Katniss shot a look at her husband, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I can't do this," she whispered. "I can't go through the nightmares again."

Peeta held Katniss. "You won't go through this alone. I'll stay with you. Always."

Katniss smiled and shared a kiss with Peeta. Then she sighed.

"Rose heard about the games on the news tonight and asked me about them."

"What did you tell her?" Peeta asked.

"I told her that it was a play for all of Panem," Katniss replied. "Peeta, she must never know the truth. We can't ever tell her!"

"She's gonna have to know sooner or later," Peeta explained. "She can't go her whole life living through a lie. Especially when the reaping comes next year. How's she going to know anything about it? She'll think she'll just be in the show."

"But that's pretty much what the games are! They're just a horror—well, to some it's entertainment—show for Panem!" Katniss snapped.

"Katniss," Peeta said. He took her hands in his and looked deep into her eyes. "I need you to think wisely about this."

Katniss hung her head. "When the time comes near, we'll tell her about it, but for now she mustn't hear another word about it!"

Peeta sighed. "But by now the whole district will have heard about it."

"I'll speak to our neighbors and tell them about our situation," Katniss replied.

"So, are we all good?" Peeta asked.

"Not all good," Katniss replied.

"What more could you want?"

Katniss gave him a playful smile. "A kiss," she said. Peeta returned the playful smile and gave her a light kiss.

"There," he said.

"Thank you," Katniss giggled. After kissing goodnight, the 2 fell back asleep, dreaming good dreams.

#####

"Rose, are you still awake?"

"Come in, Tahmo," Rose replied. Tahmo walked into Rose's room. Her lamp was still on and she was sitting up, reading. Her golden hair was out of its usual braid and it was all scattered on her shoulders.

"Watcha reading?" Tahmo asked, sitting on the end of Rose's bed.

"An old book called 'The Water's Limit,'" Rose answered. "It's quite good."

Tahmo sighed.

"What is it?" Rose wondered.

"It feels as if Mom and Dad are hiding something from us," Tahmo replied.

"I know what you mean," Rose said. "I asked Mom about the Hunger Games and she told me it was a show for all Panem. I can't tell if she's lying or not with the way she acted. She's never lied to me before and she was so convincing."

"That's what scares me," Tahmo whispered. "Mom and Dad are so good and honest to us that it seems like they never lie to us at all. But maybe they do! I can't ever tell. Especially these last few months.

"I think we need to be more careful and listen carefully to what they say," Rose said. "I think that if we listen hard enough and think about what they tell us, then we can tell if they're lying or not."

"It seems a bit tricky, but it's worth a shot," Tahmo yawned.

"It sure is."

Tahmo yawned again.

"You better get going to bed. So should I," Rose instructed. Tahmo nodded. He got off of Rose's bed and headed for the door.

"Night, Rose," Tahmo said.

"Night, Tahmo," Rose replied.

Tahmo left her room.