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I still couldn't get the fact straight in my mind. Ryan Hawthorne was...Gale Hawthorne's son? The man who my parents had barely ever spoken a word about?ThatGale Hawthorne? I had to do my best to not let my bottom lip touch the ground. Ryan was...Gale's son. I was right.
Meanwhile, the young man was looking at me with a confused look on his face.
"Rose?" he asked in a quiet voice, touching my arm. "Rose, are you okay?"
My arm tingled and got electrified in the place where our skin made contact, and that was what jolted me back into the present. "UH? Oh, uh, yes, I'm fine, Ryan Hawhorne...*cough*...Hawthorne...thanks," I stammered.
He moved his hand back, and nodded. "Okay," he said, unsure. "Well...what are you doing here, anyway, Rose?"
"Oh, I just fainted during a dance performance because of low something in my body, I guess," I said, relieved for the change of subject.
"That's terrible!" Ryan said seriously. "Are you all right now?"
"Yeah, I'm much better, thanks," I smiled. "I actually came out to get some fresh air. I've NEVER been outside my District before, have you?"
"You haven't?" he looked mildly shocked, yet I could tell that this boy could keep his feelings under control. "I have, multiple times. I live in 7, but I've come to 4 a lot because my aunt Posy works here at the hospital. Which District do you come from?"
I knew that I couldn't reveal any more about myself because I had the feeling that something would go wrong if I did. Maybe he wouldn't want to talk to me anymore if he knew I was Katniss Everdeen-Mellark's daughter.
"I'm from...uh...Ten," I lied. "It's really cold there, so we don't go out much. Well my parents do, but I don't." I gave him my most charming smile to affirm my brilliant untruth.
"Oh, I see," he said brightly, obviously falling for it. I felt really bad, but I really didn't want to give up any more information. "So this might sound a bit weird, but with a pretty name like Rose, one might wonder what your last name is...?" he asked, trailing off.
"Oh that's right, how stupid of me!" I smacked my head. "My last name is..."
But then I remembered that if I told him my last name, who knows what might happen.
"It's Mel...on?" I said, more in a whisper. "OH NO...I mean...I mean...Melton, yes, Melton," I smiling sheepishly.
"Melon? I love it!" Ryan laughed. I realized how wonderful I thought his laugh was.
"Ha ha, very funny. It's MelTON. With a T," I said, grinning.
"Rose Melon," he said, ignoring my comments. "That would be an awesome nickname."
"Oh all right fine whatever you say," I said rolling my eyes, giving in. "You can call me whatever the heck you want, Ryan."
He laughed again, and my happiness just went to a whole new level. NO! my mind scolded me. STOP! Rose! You can't do this! He's GALE'S son, for god's sake!
"So...Rose...I kind of have to go home now, but I hope I'll see you around? I'm staying at that hotel right over there with my family for the next couple of weeks. Maybe we can hang sometime...or something," he barely said this above a whisper.
I, of course, was never fazed by what my conscience told me. "Well, I'd love to see you here some time! I'm staying in that hotel, too. I think...I think we can definitely hang...and stuff. I hope to see you soon!" I waved at him as he smiled one last time and left.
Not even Amore could question the intense happiness on my face all through that day.
Me always accepts constructive criticism. xoxo
