It's quiet, so quiet that I can hear my own heartbeat. The loud busy baking I once knew is now quiet. I sink to the white tile now coated in dried blood. This awful noise escapes my throat before I get the chance to stop it. Then there is a single tear rolling down my face as I feel a strong hand grip my shoulder, it's not my father so I turn to see Riley looking in the distance but still gripping my shoulder. He notices me staring at him and we make eye contact. I see sorrow in his big blue eyes and my own reflection. Riley keeps his stare till he noticed me crying, wiping the tears from my eyes he helped me up. He doesn't say anything only takes me out of the room to the front were he sat me down at one of the waiting tables we have for customers. He looked deep into my eyes and spoke, "Are you sure you can be here Grace we can always leave and just walk around take your mind off things." At this point his eyes made me feel something inside me and I had to look away "I'm fine really, I just needed a moment." Riley nodded then stands up holding out his hand which I don't grab because I don't think I'm fine, I can't even move. Instead of standing I start to cry with my hands over my face on the table. "I had a feeling you were going to do that," I didn't look up just mumbled between crying "Shut up!" He giggled but stopped when he realized I wasn't kidding. With my head still down Riley sat next to me, he reached his arm over my back and I just sat there with him holding me not even thinking about any contact that he is giving at this moment. 5 maybe even 10 minutes pass before we get up. But he never let go, he keep his arm wrapped around me as we walked out the bakery. My mother and father were outside talking to a peacekeeper who must have been at the bakery yesterday because my father his shouting at him with a fierce, angry voice I have never heard from him before. Riley holds me tighter as he feels my body tense up, I relax, comforted by his strong, firm body pressed against mine. My mother looks at us but nods as if she is accepting something. The peacekeeper is standing right in front of me tall and heavily armed with a knife and gun on his belt and a whip in his hand ready to strike at any time. There is something about this man that is not right I recognize him from somewhere but I can't remember, but then right there when I'm shaking his hand I realize its Keeper Resh the same man that yelled at Riley only a couple of days ago. Was it him? Is this the man that shot my Aunt? Anger runs through my veins as I squeezed his hand with such force he had to pull away. At this point my mind is filled with so many emotions I think I might scream, cry and kiss Riley all at the same time. Keeper Resh looked at me making contact with my eyes and I saw something, not sorrow or anger, but nothing as if my emotions meant nothing and as if he didn't even has any emotions to start with. I shook my head then turned away as I started to walk down the street. My body so tense and stiff, my hands in such tight fits I could feel my nails starting to puncture the skin in my hands. So many thoughts run through my head some about ways I can just turn around and kill Keeper Resh because I know that he has to be the one with the gun, the one that gave me nightmares, the one that is on my now starting kill list, his name the first and only one. The foot steps behind me made me jump up as he stopped in front of me, his face confused about my anger. "Move" My voice is shaky
"No, I can't, you're not thinking straight. You're going to do something crazy." Riley was right I didn't know what I was going to do but it would have ended terribly. "Please Grace, listen." His voice was calm as if to talk to a wounded child with a scraped knee, which in this cause that's what I am a wounded child with a wound that needs someone to care for and I think Riley might have the perfect medicine. I relaxed my hands grabbing his and pulling him forward. He didn't protest but was confused so I turn and gave him a slight smile to reassure him that I'm not doing something stupid. Well I hope it's not. "Where are we going?"
"To the park I need sun light and flowers to cheer me up," I hope this works. "Come on your so slow." Riley, being his funny self, released my hand and dashed forward. Not even thinking I started to sprint towards him. We raced a good couple of blocks before reaching the park. Before hitting the grass I gave it my all and ran passed him stopping at a tree gasping for air. Once again I see this stunned look on his face as he stands at the line of grass and dirt looking at me. "What?" I said as I walked towards him grabbing his hand.
"Your just so damn fast, how do you do it?" I laughed and dragged him to the tree. "So tell me again why we're here?"
"So I can show you this," I kicked the tree with the end of my boot causing 3 red apples to fall to the floor right by his feet. He picked one up looked at it then tossed it to me. I barley caught the apple, and made a weird noise with made Riley laugh as he picked up an apple bit into it and said, "OK so maybe you're not so perfect after all," I pushed him and said, "Oh shut up." We both laughed and sat down at the trunk of the big tree. The sun spilled down on us from between the branches so I tilted my head back, closed my eyes and absorbed the suns heat.
Riley must have been staring because he whispered, "You're beautiful you know that," I nodded and said, "I know." This caused Riley to laugh again and then he pushed me with a light touch. He started to scoot closer to me so I let him wanting him to be as close as possible. When our waist and shoulder was touching I opened my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder taking a deep breath smelling the sweet air that surrounded us. We sat there in silence before he spoke, "Grace I'm sorry for everything and I'm always here for you OK?" I tilted my head back looking at his face then kissed his cheek. He looked at me, shocked at my action, "There we are even." He hugged me and I hugged him back wanting to just stay like this for the rest of the day. But he just then pushed away. I was so confused I thought he wanted this. He read my mind and said, "I can't take advantage of you like this, your upset and I'm taking it to my own needs."
"What, I'm fine and I mean it." He looked at me searched my whole face before saying, "So you are seriously hugging me back because you feel something for me," I nodded, "You're not just upset."
"Riley I like you OK, now come here." He came back over to me then kissed the top of my head. Before Riley did anything else I grabbed his hand then intertwined my fingers with his. Again we sat together waist and shoulders touching each other both taking deep breaths of the warm, sweet air. Kiss him, I think, it's the perfect time and he wants to kiss you back. So I do what my mind wanted tilted my head back once more and lend forward. The kiss was warm and even though his lips press against mine, his lips were soft. After his tongue played with my lips I opened my mouth to give him what he wants. This kiss burned my stomach I thought it was nerves but then the feeling spread out as if the fire from his lips was spreading to my stomach, then to my heart were my heart pumped the feelings through my body by my veins. If it wasn't for a rock hitting Riley's shoe I don't think I would have ever pulled away. I look in the direction of wear the rock was thrown to see on of Riley's friend I've seen in the school yard.
"So dude enjoying your Sunday?" I hear him shout across the park laughing and looking at both me and Riley. Riley didn't move from me but did get a little tense as if he didn't want him to see us.
"Go away, Brandon," Riley has a hint of blush and I can't help but giggle. Brandon looks at me then winks before saying, "Nah, I'm enjoying the show." Riley then picks up the apple 3rd apple and throws it at Brandon. He jumps out of the way just in time before it hit his head. Brandon laughed then sat next to me by the tree, Riley automatically pulled me closer to him forcing the whole side of my body to press against his. Brandon noticed his action then looked at me to search my face. "Nice one you have here. Its Grace right?" I nodded then he continued, "Oh wow you are so right dude her lips are like perfect there nice and so is she." Riley's body got really tense as Brandon scooted closer to me. For some reason Riley is not saying one word and it's scaring me a little so I looked up at him to stare into his eyes. There angry, and his lips are pressed together as he bits the inside of his cheeks. I didn't understand why he was acting like this until I looked back to see Brandon's face only a couple inches from mine.
"Well hello there." I say making sure my voice is strong and confident. "Can I help you?" by my comment Riley's body starts to relax. What if he's jealous? That's it, Brandon is usually the one that every girl talks about, well except me, and he's not that bad to look at, Riley must have thought I would fall for his games and go for Brandon instead of him.
"OH I guess I'll take one of those kisses from you." Brandon says as he licks his lips. So I reached across the floor grabbed the apple Riley bit into hide it behind my back and said, "Ok hot guy close your eyes." He did what I asked and licked his lips for a kiss but then I shoved the apple in his mouth. His eyes opened automatically as he pulls the apple out of his mouth. "Oh I see playing hard to get."
"No, if I was playing hard to get I would have to like you in order to do that." He looked at me in disbelief then I hear Riley laugh and he kisses the top of my head.
"You've lost this game Brandon." Riley's voice says proudly. Just then Brandon gets up wipes the apple with his shirt and takes a bite out of the part were Riley bit it, "Thanks for the apple, babe."
"Oh don't thank me, thank Riley." He realizes what I said and spits the apple out. Brandon is not wining today. At this point Riley is so relaxed he is really getting comfortable sitting on the ground. But I'm not I really can't feel my butt anymore and I better get back to my house before my family goes out searching for me. So after Brandon stomped away I get up and grab Riley's hand. He starts to walk but then stops me, "Grace you're so amazing, most of my friends say that when Brandon sees one of us with a girl we like he usually goes after them and most of the time he wins." I shake my head and replied, "He's just as jealous as anyone is when they see a happy couple, that they want that same thing." Riley's faces gets excited then I realize I just called us a couple.
"So couples now." Riley's voice is happy and somewhat annoying.
"Yes, did you really think I was going to let you kiss me like that and not want more?" My words take effect and he hugs me before we start to walk. At my house I invite Riley in but then I notice my father on the table with his head down staring at his lap and decide this might not be a good time so instead I kiss him goodbye and promised to see him tomorrow. Taking a deep breath I open the front door and walk in. Trey is the first to greet me at the door followed by his friend and my friend (Sage). Sage is my age and is skinny and tan with blue eyes and has long blonde hair that she always braids or curls with our new curling technology. Sage hugs me then notices how happy I am so pulls me to my room, shuts the door then demands to know where I was for 2 hours.
"Ok so tell me that you running off with Riley were true and not just a rumor." Sage asks me jumping up and down.
"I wouldn't call it running off with him but yea I guess we did that." By my words Sage has gone completely crazy as she yells at me to give her all the details. "Ok, Ok calm down. After leaving the bakery Riley followed me because he knew I was going to do something stupid, so instead I lead him to the apple tree in the park were we sat there under the tree for a while until, well we kissed." Sage nearly hit me with my pillow that she tried to throw at my head but I continued, "Then after Brandon tried to kiss me, we got up to leave but before we did I called us a couple by mistake and now here we are a new couple. Please don't hit me again."
"Oh sorry I just can't believe it my best friend is dating one of the hottest guys in school, oh I can't wait till tomorrow when you too walk down the hall holding hands every girl is going to faint." I haven't really thought about the other girls at school till now and I wonder what they're going to say. "OK, so now on Monday I'm coming over here early in the morning to do your hair and makeup, is that good with your mom, and you have to wear a really hot outfit to impress him."
"I don't think he's the type to care." I say not wanting to have to get up early tomorrow just to get all dolled up.
"Of course he cares and he's going to like you even more if you look hot." Maybe Sage is right, I should get all dressed up on Monday and maybe for the rest of the week just to show him how much I care about him. I nod leaving Sage really happy. She runs to my closet and grabs a dress that I have only worn once and never again because it is way to show off like. It's a tight fitting, dark blue strapless dress with a ribbon pattern tided in the front. It's good for school a lot of girls wear a dress like this all the time, but I just don't think it's me but to save use both from fighting I agree to wear it. My mother calls for Sage, telling her it's time to go home so she hugs me and tells me to get a lot of beauty sleep for tomorrow. I just glance at her and then shake my head. Sage would be a great mother one day when dealing with this kind of stuff. After Sage left I go to the kitchen were my father's head is still leaning down looking at his lap. "Dad," I say with a hint of the small little girl I use to be. "I'm sorry about everything. Would you like me to get you anything?" He nodded and lifted his head showing a large whip mark across his face. I grabbed his face with both of my hands twisting his head side to side examining it. "What happened? Was it Him? Did he do this to you?" My father's face looked hurt and scared by the way I'm speaking; he took my hands off his face and rubbed them.
"Calm down Grace I'm fine just getting me ice." I do what my father asked me to and when I return I asked him what happened. "Keeper Resh got angry at the fact that I was yelling at him so after you and that boy, Riley I think, left he grabbed his whip and got me across the face." My hands turned to fists again and my body felt fire this burning sensation to go after Keeper Resh and damage him. But I know I won't last long. Instead I run to my room shut the door and head to bed early. I'm glad I went to sleep early because only 4 hours into my dreams it turned into a nightmare. Keeper Resh is running towards me but then after I stop to take his blow he goes right through me as if I was a ghost, when I turn to see where he is running I see my Aunt. I run to her and to Keeper Resh screaming her name but she can't hear me. Right when I get to my Aunt I run into a wall made of glass. I pound and pound on the glass that just won't break, Keeper Resh pulls out his gun and I know it's over so I bend down the glass cover my ears and close my eyes to wait for the shoot. I hear her scream then I wake to the bullet going through her. I'm glad to be wake and when I notice the clock says 5:00 I decide trying to get anymore sleep is a waste of time. The bathroom is dark and the shower is getting colder the longer I stay in here, so I finish my shower and dry off. Just as I'm getting my dress on I hear Sage at the front door knocking so gently not wanting to wake anyone up. Sage looks tired and is still in pjs. "What are you doing?"
"I decide to save time so I brought all the stuff I need and you need to get ready." Throughout the whole thing I don't protest. My make-up is easy and my hair is simple it's just when she wants to shave my legs I get nervous. "It's not going to hurt Grace now just don't move." She's right it doesn't hurt; it just tickles so I let her continue making me beautiful. By the time she's done my parents and little brother is awake.
"Ok Sage you have to get ready I'll make us some breakfast." She nods then headed to the bathroom to get ready. I made everyone eggs and toasted bread it's almost 7:00 before Sage comes out of the bathroom and she looks pretty like she always does. After eating, Sage fixes my make up a little before letting me look. I don't recognize myself. With curly brown, hair half up and half down, blue eye shadow to compliment the dress, light pink lipstick that looks natural, and every scar or blemish is gone by her make-up, I look great. My mother hugs me and my father kisses my head as they both whisper something to each other. I grab my brother and all 3 of us head for school. "Sissy you look pretty." My brother says with a smile.
"Thank you Trey it's all because of Sage." I hug her as she blushes. Since we get there at 7:30, 30 minutes before the bell, Sage walks me around with her head high so I smile and do the same. Every guy looked and every girl gasped as I walked down the hall to Riley were he doesn't notice me until Brandon pushes him to my direction. I acted like I was just walking not even going in his direction but when I tried to turn left Sage grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. Riley looked at me and smiled and because Sage pulled me so hard I blushed when I smiled. "Hey Grace." Riley said as he looked up and down my body.
"Hey Riley" I can't help but blush at how pleased his face looks. Sage and Brandon both push us at the same time causing me to fall into his arms. He just hugged me as if I never fell making this moment perfect. Every one of his friends and Sage all walk away together I can hear Sage giggle when Brandon talked to her. "So Grace how was your night?" Riley asked as we pulled away from our hug now holding hands. "It was great, how was yours?"
"Every dream was about you." He says looking into my eyes and I smiled really big.
"Well you're so sweet."
"I'm only telling the truth." He now is smiling as big as I am. Walking down the hallways was extremely fun. Every girl looked at our hands as we walked down the hallway together. The bell went off and it was time for class.
Every class without Riley was boring and pointless and every class with him was fun and happy. Holding hands under the desk and him stealing a kiss or two when we worked at the computers. Only in hacking did we get in trouble because someone shouted "Eww" and Mr. Beetee saw us. He asked us to stay after class and we did.
"So Riley and Grace I understand you are dating now but please don't let it distract you from your work." We both nod and as we walk out Mr. Beetee ask me to stay for a moment. Riley kisses me goodbye and I take a sit. "Grace I heard about your Aunt and I'm very sorry. I know this is going to be hard to understand but me and your Aunt was working on that plan she told you about."
"How do you know my Aunt's plan?"
"I and your Aunt have been working together on it for many years and now that she is gone I need your help." I nod so he can continue, "You're a great hacker and the rebels are planning on taking over the Capitol and I need your help when the time comes." I looked at him thinking he was joking but he wasn't he was serious. Before he could say another word I ran out of the room. Looking both ways for peacekeepers that never came then grabbed my brother's hand to go home. I didn't say one word to my parents when we got home I just washed the make-up off my face and went to my room to think about the rebels, the Capitol and Mr. Beetee who now wants me on his team.