Author's note: A longer chapter to make up for the short one last time. :)

It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

"Just a Dream", by Carrie Underwood

Chapter 6: The Heartbroken

Name: Hydra Livingston

Age: 16

District: 5

Fate: seventh Bloodbath victim

A six-year-old girl hides behind a tree on the playground, when a boy her age comes and taps her on the shoulder.

"Shh!" She hisses. "I'm tryin' to play Hide and Seek!"

The boy, however, just keeps talking. "I'm Wyatt. What's your name?"

"Hydra," the girl replies in annoyance. "Now go away! They're gonna find me!"

"Can I play?"

Before Hydra can reply, another girl comes around the tree. "Found you! You guys talk too much."

Hydra scowls. "Thanks a lot," she says to Wyatt before following her friend.

Three years pass, and over and over, Wyatt tries to befriend Hydra, but she never accepts him. His plans never seem to go the wrong way, and often, he gets the both of them in trouble without even trying.

In fourth grade, they have the strictest teacher of both of their school careers. Mrs. Canterbury is about sixty years old with graying hair, piercing gray eyes, and a pointed chin. She has many rules, but two of the most stressed are to not speak unless spoken to by the teacher during lessons, and to never leave one's seat. Wyatt wants to follow those rules, and normally he does, but this was an emergency.

"Can I borrow an extra pencil?" he whispered to Hydra during math class. "Mine broke."

"No. I don't have any extras." Hydra replies. She does actually have one extra, but for a reason even she doesn't know, she doesn't want to give it to Wyatt.

"Ms. Livingston! Mr. Wilson! Detention during recess for disrupting class!"

Hydra glares at Wyatt before turning back to the board. Now here they are, stuck in the classroom during nice weather working extra math problems. Ten minutes into recess, Mrs. Canterbury reaches into her purse and takes out a ten dollar bill, intending to pay a fellow teacher for the lunch they bought her earlier that day. Suddenly, there is a light rapping on the door, and the principal enters the room, calling Mrs. Canterbury out into the hall. The teacher gives the two students a stern look before leaving the room.

Hydra eyes the ten dollar bill longingly. Her family is struggling, and even ten dollars would help them a lot. So, as quickly as she can, she dashes to Mrs. Canterbury's desk, snatches the ten, and slides back into her desk, placing the money in her desk. Wyatt's eyes widen. He knew Hydra's father had died in the devastating nuclear explosion at one of the power plants and that her family was desperate for money, but he never thought she'd do something as drastic and risky as stealing Mrs. Canterbury's money.

The teacher reenters the room and freezes when she reaches her desk, seeing her money gone. "In all my years of teaching, I have never seen something as terrible as having a thief in class! How dare you! Which one of you took it?"

Her eyes dart angrily back and forth between the two. Hydra, avoiding her eyes, is about to speak, but Wyatt beats her to it. Hoping to save Hydra from punishment, he says, "I did! I gave it to Hydra because her family is starving! She didn't want to take it, but I made her. I put it in her desk, and then you came in before she could say something."

Now it is Hydra's turn to widen her eyes in surprise. She knows they'll be severely punished. Why would he take the blame when he had nothing to do with it?

As it turns out, the punishment is even worse than Hydra expected. Mrs. Canterbury hands them over to Peacekeepers who whip them as a punishment for stealing. The first thing Hydra does when they both return to school is confront Wyatt.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you tell her you took the money? You didn't have to get in trouble."

Wyatt sighs. "I was trying to save you. But it didn't work. And I was trying to be a good friend. Because I am. I promise. I don't mean to get you in trouble… it just… happens."

Hydra is quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry. I should've been your friend before. I was wrong." She pauses. "Can we be friends now?"

Wyatt smiles. "'Course we can."

Five years fly by, and Wyatt and Hydra become good friends. Wyatt affection for Hydra grows stronger by the day. He knows that to him, she's more than a friend. He can picture him kissing her, and even them getting married. He's known this for a while, perhaps since they became friends when they were nine and ten, but he's sure Hydra doesn't feel the same way. He barely got her to be his friend!

That being said, when the fall dance comes along when they're fourteen, Wyatt invites another girl named Hannah. Hydra is surprised to find herself immensely jealous, and feels confused by this. It doesn't take her long to realize she returns her friends feelings, which sadly, are unbeknownst to her.

The dance is extremely awkward for the friends and Hannah. Hydra has no date and shadows Wyatt and Hannah. Hannah isn't even sure why Wyatt asked her to the dance, as their entire grade – excluding Hydra and Wyatt themselves – knows they are a match just waiting to happen.

Wyatt and Hannah move out to the dance floor, but he keeps glancing back at Hydra who sits alone. After the song ends, he and Hannah go back to her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Wyatt asks. "You look lonely."

"I'm fine." Hydra replies stiffly.

Wyatt is not convinced. "You sure? Maybe you should find Katie and Lucy."

Something snaps inside Hydra. "Fine. Maybe I will. Maybe I'm still of value to them." She says quickly, not completely sure why she is saying what she is. She then storms off down the hall, leaving Wyatt dumbfounded.

"Go after her." Hannah says softly.

"Really? Are you sure?"

Hannah nods. "Everyone knows you're perfect together. I only said yes when you asked me to the dance because I didn't want to be mean. So go get her."

Wyatt stares at her in surprise before nodding slightly. "Right. Thanks, Hannah." With that, he takes off down the hall. When he finally reaches her, he is stunned to find her leaning against a wall with tears streaming angrily down her face.

"Hydra?" He asks softly.

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

"No." Hydra replies miserably. "I'm not okay." She pauses, sighing heavily. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm acting like this. I shouldn't be jealous of Hannah. She's so nice and all. As your best friend, I should support you for liking her, and I'm sorry for not."

Wyatt hesitates. "You're jealous? Why?"

Hydra just shakes her head, unable to speak. After another brief pause, Wyatt says, "for what it's worth, I don't like Hannah. Not in that way."

"Then why did you ask her to the dance?" Hydra asks in surprise.

"Because I didn't think the girl I really like returns my feelings…" Wyatt replies quietly, avoiding her eyes.

"Of course she would!" Hydra cries. "You're… amazing! Any girl would be happy to date you! You're smart and creative, you're funny, you're caring, you're good-looking, and –"

Wyatt cuts her off with a kiss directly on the lips. Hydra freezes for a moment in shock before kissing him back just as passionately. When they break away, both are smiling.

"What were you saying," Wyatt asks with a twinkle in his eyes, "before I interrupted you?"

"And I think I'm in love with you."

Wyatt grins. "I think… no, I know I'm in love with you, too." With that he pulls her in for another kiss.

x.x.x.x.

Everything can change it the blink of an eye. She and Wyatt have only been together for about six months when Wyatt is taken from her and reaped into the sixty-ninth games. He has made it all the way to the finale, and Hydra is in good faith that he will make it home. She fiddles with the promise ring Wyatt gave her a mere week before he was reaped. Despite it being after the midnight, the finale should occur soon. The capitol has been waiting for hours. Meanwhile, Hydra tries to stay awake. It's difficult, however, because Hydra hasn't slept in days, and finally she loses her battle with sleep.

The next thing Hydra knows, her mother is shaking her awake. The television screen is black, and tears shine in her mother's eyes.

"What happened?!" Hydra asked frantically.

"He… he's not coming home. At least, not in the way you want him too.

Hydra buries her head in her mother's chest and cries. This has to be just a dream. It must be. But it's not. And one year later, Hydra is in the same spot Wyatt was. She runs to the cornucopia and swipes the boy from Ten's backpack, taking off towards the woods. Unfortunately, she chose the wrong boy to mess with, as Angus, like Hydra's fourth grade teacher, won't stand for being stolen from. He takes off after her, eventually catching up, and kills her on the spot. Heaven and Wyatt are waiting for her.