Chapter three

Murphy's Law

Nearly two months had passed, all my bandages had been stripped away leaving a few thin scars on my upper arm where the wild dog had punctured the skin with its teeth.

I never really ended up sitting with Peeta at lunch after we talked, we'd see each other wave and smile then go about our own business. Sometimes we'd spend time together after school, mostly in the spot where he had found me but sometimes we would go to the bakery and sit out back, until his mom yelled at him to get inside.I told myself it was best that way, after all I knew his fate and that was to be reaped in the next coming year and confess his love for Katniss and eventually after a long two years end up together.

I wished there was something I could do, but I knew that in the end it worked out...for some people anyway.

It was about that time I realized I was living a pointless life in district twelve, and that I didn't know if I would survive the fiery death that claimed the life of many or if the girls I lived with would survive. After all we weren't the main characters in this story, I wasn't supposed to even be in it.

So in the past six weeks I decided to do what I could for those around me.

Diara had started teaching me how to stitch and patch up clothing and in return I had started teaching her how to fight and defend herself, it was strange at first and I worried that if the peacekeepers found out there would be consequences. But our activities seemed to go overlooked. After awhile I taught the younger girls different skills. Amya who was twelve had wanted me to teach her how to bake, Nia who was ten had joined in after seeing how much fun Amya was having. The youngest Greer was only seven so mostly I helped her with her school work, and had started reading to her each night. The community home had become the one place where I actually interacted with people, in a way it had started to become my second home with my second family. The first being far out of my reach.

"You know, I never asked." I stated after correcting her form, then watched her do a round house kick on the dummy I had strung up in the lone tree of our bare backyard.

"Asked what?" she asked panting as she switched to punching and blocking attacks that weren't coming, again I stepped in to correct her form.

"Why you wanted to learn to fight." I stated furrowing my eyebrows, obviously I thought it was a good skill to have and that in the upcoming war it could mean the difference between life and death, but just because I knew that didn't mean she did.

"It's a good release." She stated stepping back away from the dummy I had stuffed with straw, "besides never know when it might come in handy."

With a small smile I nodded reflecting on how my dad taught me to fight, "my dad taught me." I stated after a brief silence, "told me that I didn't know what the future would hold and it could save my life, or someone else's, someday." It was strange knowing how right he had been, though I was sure he hadn't had this life in mind.

Diara was silent as she studied me, "your dad sounds like a smart man." she stated her face showing the same venerability as it did when she spoke of her parents, "can I ask you something?" She spoke up again trying to hold my gaze. "Your parents...they're dead, aren't they?" She asked hesitating, it was obvious in the moment she knew she was entering what was possibly dangerous territory at the very least an emotional one. Blinking at her I stared silently, almost wondering if she'd take the question back like Peeta had to a similar one. But she didn't.

Swallowing around the lump that had formed I decided to answer her honestly, "I don't know. I think so." My voice was quiet, weak in my moment of doubt and grief.

"How can you not know?" I could hear the accusation, feel the burn like a slap to the face because it was the same one I threw at myself every night, how could I have left without being sure? So I explained how I couldn't find my family after the crash, and how because a bear showed up I had to flee. "Do you think about going back?" Diara asked, our training session long forgotten. Grimacing I nodded, of course I thought about going back but a part of me knew even if they were alive my family wouldn't have stayed at the wreckage site. No, they would have sought out civilization like I had. And if they hadn't survived, that wasn't really something I wanted to see. "It's probably for the best that you don't." Diara stated looking far off, "not if you want to come back anyway. I don't think they'd let you cause a scene like that twice." There was a tilt to her lips telling me how amusing she found my initial apperance.

Shaking my head I caught a glimpse of the fence that I could see from our yard, beyond it the woods where I knew Katniss and Gale were probably hunting, when a thought occurred to me. "The kids don't eat well," I stated barely above a whisper, but still catching Diara's attention.

"None of us eat well," she stated frowning at the sudden change in conversation.

"Could I ask you to cover for me?" I asked feeling a little more excited then I had since arriving, confusion crossed her features as she crossed her arms and fallowed the line of sight my eyes had traveled in.

"You're going to leave. Now?" I caught her eye and the disapproval that went with it.

"To hunt." I stated so she didn't think I was running away to try and find my missing, more than likely dead, family.

"To hunt..." she repeated slowly, "you have a death wish. You know that, right?"

I shrugged, "if I get caught, or killed it's on me. Just if anyone asks, say you haven't seen me since I went for a morning run?" I asked again, to only receive a nod in response. Without wasting time I jogged into the house and our room where my knife was hidden away and slipped it into my boot.

I had only entered the forest a few minutes ago, navigating silently through the underbrush I tried not to over think the fact that I was hunting with a knife or that the last time I was in these woods I had almost lost my life.

I kept my knife drawn and stayed crouched as I spotted a rabbit eating its grassy breakfast. Taking three even breaths I steadied my nerves, trying to convince myself this was just like shooting a bow at target practice even if this was a breathing and moving target, with a flick of my wrist I released the knife and watched it glide through the air with ease and find purchase on the rabbit.

The same time an arrow embedded into its skull.

I knew right away without moving, that Katniss and I had placed our sights on the same rabbit. I should have found it odd and have been mystified at the odds of us targeting the same animal considering how vast these woods were. Of course I didn't. Go figure. I thought rolling my eyes, this whole thing was starting to feel like the universe was pushing us together. Taking me to Mrs. Everdeen's place when there are other medics in the town, Peeta being the first person to befriend me...

Maybe I was making something out of nothing, or this was a case of Murphy's Law.

Standing I walked out from behind the bushes to find Katniss and Gale examining the rabbit that had both our weapons embedded in it. I took a few steps before Gale looked up and within seconds Katniss had her bow trained on me. Putting my hands up in a surrendering manner I stopped moving, "I just want my knife. The kill's yours." I stated waiting for her to lower her weapon. Only she didn't.

"Only you butchered it, it's not even worth half the original price." She was aggravated, which was easy to tell since she kept her bow trained on me. Frowning I started to wonder if she was serious, but of course this was Katniss Everdeen, hunting and trading was her lifeline.

"Well are you going to shoot me then?" I asked raising an eyebrow and dropping my hands, sending me one of her best death glairs she lowered her weapon. In the brief silence I moved and pulled out my knife, making a mental note to bring something to clean off the blade the next time I came out, I grimaced and wiped in clean on my pants. Neither made any move to stop me as I walked away, which came as no surprise, ignoring their stares that caused the hairs on the nap of my neck to raise I decided to search for a dry and dead branch laying on the forest floor to start carving a bow from.

Hunting would go much smoother with a bow and arrow in hand.

So perched up in a tree I sat, carving the branch with long even strokes from my blade then bending the branch to find its natural curve that would later guide my arrows to their target.

Authors note: Thanks for reading! I'm half way done the next chapter so hopefully I will have that up for you soon! :) Leave a review if you enjoyed what you've read so far a simple smiley face will do so I know that this isn't completely horrible! Also if there is anything you would like to see let me know and I'll see if I can fit it into what I have planned! updated spelling/grammar errors 9/13/2014