It wasn't a complete smile. Just a quirk of the lips. But it was still more than what I would've given anybody.

Now I'm in sixth period English, and Mrs. Fletcher is droning on about the basics of essay writing. I look out of the window to my left and stare at the mountains on the outskirts of the District. There have been so many instances that I was so close to running away and never looking back.

But I know that it's not even an option. It's not even something that I should be thinking about.

"Katniss!"

I snap out of my thoughts.

"Huh?"

I face to see Mrs. Fletcher staring at me with a raised eyebrow. She's never liked me that much. But I suppose it's because I keep phasing out when I'm in her class.

"Thank you for paying attention. Now, as I was saying…" she faces away from me and turns to the rest of the class, her eyes scrutinizing each student, "I want you all to write me an essay. An essay about the hardest thing that you've had to overcome in your life so far. Tell me about yourself. Don't hold back, because I want each and every one of you to open up. Whatever is on that paper stays with me."

Mrs. Fletcher strides down each row of students, handing out the assignment sheets. And when I get mine I see that it has to be a minimum of three thousand words and that we have two months for it.

"I know that it says you have two months to work on this paper, but I don't want you guys to slack off. This is a very important part of your grade."

I look over to Sean Carter, he's the butcher's son. He doesn't talk to me in school but we make casual conversation whenever I pass the butcher's to go to the bakery. He happens to love English. And I know that he won't slack off for this assignment. Like as not, he'll probably be the first one finished.

I think about Peeta as well. He's in this class. I wonder what he'll write about – his mother? Mrs. Mellark's tendencies do not go unnoticed, and it's obvious that she doesn't give a damn about what anyone thinks.

I'm pretty sure that the teachers know where Peeta's bruises come from.

They haven't noticed mine yet.

It's one of my mother's tactics that hasn't leaked out yet. And something that I wish never will.

But I guess that it's something that Peeta and I have in common. Who would've guessed?

I look down at my assignment sheet as I walk to the cafeteria. I think of all the things that I could write about – the possibilities for this paper are endless.

I remember when I was thirteen Greasy Sae gave me a diary for a present. But I felt like it was too late, so I didn't write in it. Too much had already happened. So it wouldn't be the whole story. I feel that way again, and I'm sixteen. Nobody would believe it. Ain't got nobody to tell. A girl falls in the woods, but nobody sees it. Did it happen?

So I decide to ignore the assignment. I don't know what rumours are circulating around town but Mrs. Fletcher doesn't need to share it with the entire District. It's not like anyone would care anyway.

The thing is with people, is that when they hear something terrible they'll go, "Oh that's horrible," but then they'll go on eating their dinners.

They don't really care. They just want good gossip.

I don't pay attention to them.

I push open the cafeteria doors and walk over to my usual spot in the corner of the room. I forgot to pack myself a small lunch today in my haste to get out of the house. But I left Prim some money on the bedside table so I know that she at least is going to have something to eat.

But when I get there, I see Madge hunched over a book. It's unusual for her to get here before I do.

Madge is alright for the mayor's daughter. I wouldn't call her my friend but she's the closest one that I've got apart from Gale. I don't know why she doesn't hang around the townies, but I guess it's because she's ostracized from being more privileged than any of us. But she doesn't brag.

We don't talk – it's not something we're really comfortable with. We eat in silence.

But today is different.

As I sit down she looks up from her book and wrinkles her nose.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"Why are you asking?"

She shrugs, "Nothing. It's just that I've heard things around town."

"Like what?" I narrow my eyes at her.

Madge shakes her head and focuses her attention on her book, "You don't need to know."

I rest my arms on the table, "Probably not."

Time passes slowly, slower than usual. I don't know if it's because I have nothing to eat or today's just a bad day.

Madge is eating strawberries behind her book and she looks at me weirdly when she catches me staring at them.

"Gale came by early this morning. He's been wondering where you've been."

I shake my head at her, and look down at my hands, "Oh, nothing. I've just been busy with Prim lately."

She nods her head, "Want a strawberry?"

I almost refuse until I hear my stomach growl. I reluctantly take one off her.

The rest of lunch goes by normally, no other words are expressed between the both of us.

Prim comes bouncing up to me at the end of the day.

I laugh as she almost trips over a rock.

"Slow down little duck. Why in such a hurry?"

She crosses her arms and scrunches up her face at me.

"What's wrong, Prim?" I ask.

Prim begins to tap her foot and she places her hands on her hips.

"Where were you this morning?"

She doesn't usually ask me where I go in the mornings. But I guess that given the circumstances lately she has the right to ask.

"I just went to school early, that's all. I had to finish some homework."

Prim cocks her head to the side, "Are you sure that it wasn't because of that argument with mom this morning?"

I can feel my mouth gape, and I'm about to retort but she cuts me off.

"I'm not stupid, Katniss. I know what's going on. And you don't have to hide these things from me. I'm perfectly capable of understanding our predicament."

I kneel down on the ground and take her hands into mine. I stare directly into her blue eyes. They're so filled with maturity that it unnerves me. My little duck is growing up too fast. But I suppose that it's what life does to you. This little girl before me is so strong, stronger than I'll ever be.

She doesn't let our circumstances get in the way of her studies, and she still continues to smile and laugh like she did before our father died. But she trusts too easily, and I'm afraid of what people might do to take advantage of that.

I squeeze her hands as a form of reassurance, "Promise me that you'll go over to the Hawthorne's after dinner every day? I don't want you there. And if something ever happens before dinner, get the hell out of that house."

She sighs, "Katniss-"

"Prim," my voice is firm, "promise me that."

She nods slowly. "Okay, I promise."

I smile at her and stand up, "C'mon then, let's go home."

The Hawthorne's don't live very far, it's about a ten minute walk from the Everdeen household.

The sun doesn't set until well after six o'clock, so I'm assured that Prim doesn't have to walk there during nightfall.

I enter and leave the house as I please, and when I get past the front door I am hit with a delicious aroma of fresh bread and pheasant stew.

The inside of the Hawthorne household is significantly better than my house, the furniture is relatively clean and patched up. Gale has a knack for fixing things up.

"Hi Hazelle," I greet.

She gives me a curt wave, "Hello Prim. Hello Katniss. Are you looking for Gale?"

I chuckle at her accusation, "No actually, I'm not. But now that I think about it, I would like to speak with him."

Hazelle gives me her signature warm grin, "Well he's in the bedroom."

I take Prim's hand in mine and lead her to the boys' bedroom. Like our house, the Hawthorne's only have two bedrooms as well. But Posy shares a room with Hazelle, so Gale, Rory and Vick are forced to share one.

I bring my hand up and knock lightly on the wooden door, and it creaks while being opened up by a tall Rory Hawthorne.

Prim's eyes light up as she pounces on him, "Rory!"

He laughs and gently pries her off, "Hey Prim."

The two soon scurry off into the far side of the room, seemingly talking about the new school activities that are coming soon for the middle school students.

My eyes find Gale's and he's situated beside the small and lanky old window which has partial bits of cracked glass adorning it. Probably from the storms that came with last year's winter. That winter was particularly harsh.

I take small steps and shuffle in beside him, twiddling my thumbs. I know that it's going to be hard to tell him, he'll surely be enraged and will insist that I should get out of there. But he doesn't know, he doesn't know the consequences that come with that choice.

"Hey, Gale," my voice comes out hoarse and raspy.

His eyes wander and look into mine. Grey and grey. Stormy to silver.

"Hey, Catnip."

I take in the people occupying the room – Vick is busy taking a nap while snoring lightly, Rory and Prim are too busy caught up in each other's words and Posy is nowhere in sight.

"Can I talk to you?"

Gale nods his head, "Yeah, always."

I purse my lips, "Can I talk to you outside?"

His lips part in realization that this is something major.

"Okay."

I shuffle outside the backdoor and into the scruffy backyard of the Hawthorne household, noting that Gale had built a new swing-set for Posy.

The sun-set behind us gives an overcast of fiery streaked colours along the sky of the District. Almost like a painting. A really beautiful painting.

But looks can deceive.

I notice that Gale has stopped trailing me and when I turn around I see him with his arms crossed and his faced has plastered on a stern look.

He swipes his right hand through the air, gesturing me to tell him what I'm planning too.

"I'm not moving until you tell me why you're here. You never come here after dinner."

I let out a huff of breath. Gale was always stubborn.

I run my hands through the loose hairs that have come out of my braid.

"Well, I need Prim to stay here after dinner for a while."

He gives me a questioning look. "You know that she's always welcome. Mom loves her. Why are you even asking?"

I shrug, "Just in case it becomes a bother."

He scrunches up his face, "Why are you asking me this Katniss?"

I throw my head back in exasperation and let out a sharp sigh.

"Katniss, what's wrong?"

I comb my fingers through my hair, progressively messing my braid up until I'm pretty sure that it's a complete mess.

"Katniss, you're making me worried," Gale says.

"The whore is selling herself out," I inform.

"You mean your mother..?"

I snarl inwardly, "No, I mean the whore."

He wrinkles his nose and gives me an unknowing look, "I don't get what you're trying to say…"

I grind my teeth together, "Cray has managed to coax my mother into prostitution!"

Gale's jaw drops, his eyes wide in the realization of my predicament. Then the surprised look in his eyes switches to fury. And Gale Hawthorne's fury knows no bounds.

"What?" he shouts.

Suddenly he's panicked, and looking back at the house through the small window leading into his shared bedroom.

"So…Prim?"

I nod my head, "Yes. That's why I need her here. Not only that but he's also managed to convince my mom to turn our house into his new business setting."

He glowers at me, "You can't stay there either, Katniss."

I shut my eyes tightly and sigh, "I have too. I have to make sure that things are kept under control. Who knows what's going to happen there."

"You have to get out of there, Katniss," he demands.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

I rub my face with my calloused hands, "Gale –"

"Dammit why won't you just listen to me?"

I growl at him, "Do you think that this is easy for me? It's never been easy! I have to give up my own hard work to feed that bastard or else he'll rat me out to the Capitol authorities! And then what'll happen to Prim? If I rat him out too then who knows what he'll do to her? The home is awful, you know what happens there, Gale. I have to do what he wants or else we're done for."

Soon, tears begin to pool in my eyes and Gale brings me in an embrace.

He whispers into my hair, "It's going to be okay, Catnip. I promise you that it'll all be okay."

I shake my head, "You don't know, Gale."

You don't know anything.

He releases me after I finish sobbing and looks at me with his head tilted over to one side.

I sniffle, "What?"

He chuckles, "You know I think that the Mellark kid likes you."

I crinkle my eyebrows, "Who? Peeta?"

He nods his head.

"Hah. No way. He doesn't."

When I look at Gale he seems about fourteen years old, with his head down and his feet squirming on the ground.

"Do…do you like him?" he asks.

I laugh, "No, Gale, I don't. I don't even know him that well."

He shakes his head slowly, "Okay."

I take a small glance through the window and see Prim playing with Posy.

"Just tell Prim that I'll pick her up in the morning, it's Saturday tomorrow anyway."

Gale gives a curt nod and gives me another hug.

"Be careful."

I stomp through my front door and yell out, "Cray! I need to talk to you!"

The ferocity of my voice is so high that it's enough to make a wild dog tremble and hide.

I storm through the living room, ignoring the distinct smell of alcohol and smoke. I shield my eyes from Cray's 'friends' and other hopeless and desperate teenage girls.

When I find him I see him mauling the face off of my mother. I grab him by his shirt and slam him against the wall – my adrenaline pumping.

"What the hell are you doing to my house?" I sneer.

"Calm down Katniss-"

"Calm down? That's a bit of an unreasonable request don't you think?" I spit out, my face inches from his.

"Katniss get off him!" my mother screeches.

She pulls my loose braid hard and throws me off him.

Her hands grab me by my shirt and she whispers venomously in my ear, "Get inside the bedroom."

I snatch my shirt away from her and return her snarl. I twirl on my feet and stride to the bedroom, whilst ignoring the shocked looks of the other revolting occupants of this house.

After Cray enters, my mother shuts the door with a loud slam and locks it.

She turns to face me and puts her hands on her hips.

I mimic her.

"Well," I look at both of them, "do you want to tell me what's going on? Why are they here already?"

"Katniss!" my mother scolds, "watch your tongue."

I fold my arms and give her a piercing look, "Why should I? You don't. You're too busy sticking it down his throat!"

"Is that any way that you should talk to your mother?" she asks, horrified.

"You're not my mother."

"Yes, I am!"

"Well you sure aren't acting like it!"

Her mouth gapes, "You will talk to me with respect!"

"I will once you earn my respect," I retort.

We stand in the middle of Prim and mine's bedroom, sizing each other up with nasty looks.

"Now, are you going to tell me why they're here already? Why so quick, Cray? Hm?"

He takes a sharp look back to the locked door and back to me.

"I told them when they came by this morning that they were to come here at seven every evening."

"What if someone new comes along? How will they know where to go?" I ask.

"I'll be at the house during the mornings and afternoons, if they come there I'll ask them to come here."

I shake my head at him, narrowing my eyes, "You're one sick bastard, Cray."

If looks could kill – then he'd be dead a long time ago.

"That is enough!" my mother roars.

She prances on me and pushes me against the wall. I can feel my braid being tugged back hard to face her and she slaps me with her free hand.

Because I was pushed against the wall when my mother slapped me; my face catapulted back into it with such force that it made me dizzy.

I groan in pain.

"What happened to you, mom?" I ask with my face pressed against the wall.

"I saw that being weak gets you nowhere," she sneers venomously against my ear and knees my back.

The pain is too much and I slide to the ground shrieking in agony.

Salty tears begin to stream down my face as my mother knees me in the stomach and slap my face again, which forces my head to slam down onto the floor.

The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth.

And when my mother brings her hand up again I hear Cray shout.

"Stop! That's enough."

My arms are defending my body as I stare up to my mother, her eyes scrutinizing my body.

She drops her hand and walks out of the room, locking it behind her and leaving me to cry and bleed under the moonlight that's straying from the small window.

I can't bring myself to crawl up onto the bed so I curl up into a fetal position on the floor in the same spot and continue crying.

Soon, I find myself falling asleep.

And that night I dream of a boy with blue eyes and blonde hair that are as golden as the dandelions that surround him.

But all things truly wicked start from an innocence.

I hated the first part of this chapter to be honest. But I slept on my frustrations and when I wrote the second half I was quite pleased (:

I know that Mrs. Everdeen is extremely OOC but she's incredibly corrupted by alcohol and by Cray and she's guarding her heart to the extent that she's beginning to hurt other people.

Well I have a favour to ask you lovely people.

And I hope that you don't mind answering me.

But which of my multi-chapter stories do you like best? (the ones that are in process right now.)

1: Kingdom Of Glass?

or

2: A House Of Cards?

It'll just help me figure out which one I should be updating with. I'll still update both at a steady pace (every 4-6 days) but I just want to know because if I get an overwhelming response then I'll definitely update one more than the other.

And just a heads up to my Kingdom of Glass readers: KoG officially has FOUR more chapters to go! It's coming to an end guys! –tear-

But if you don't read Kingdom Of Glass then that's fine (:

But anywayss, I hope that you liked this chapter and thank you for reading and reviewing!

And like always….reviews are most welcomed and appreciated :D