We have finally reached chapter 10! This is so exciting. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. I know this chapter is a little shorter than the last couple, but it's got a bit of a surprise in it.
Disclaimer: Today I woke up and, guess what, I realized I don't own the Hunger Games. Oh well, maybe you can enjoy my fanfiction even though I'm not Suzanne Collins.
Please read and REVIEW!
The rest of that day was completely boring. All Lavinia did was sit up in her room and read. She wasn't even sure what book she was reading anymore, but she couldn't let herself stop thinking about something or else she'd fall asleep. And he was always in her nightmares. Feeling a little lonely? The Voice whispered gently. I'm here. We can . . . talk. But first you have to do me a favor. You must make it stop. We can only handle so much. You're reaching your limit. You could end it all right now.
She shakes her head, fighting away both sleep and the Voice and the chill in the air around her that accompanies it. "It's not real," She whispers to herself. "It's not real. It can't hurt me because it's not real."
Then a dark, humanoid figure of shadows appears in front of the door to her bedroom. It's faint, but it has a glow around it that pulses a faint blue color. Of course I'm real. The Voice tells her softly. I'm a part of you. I'm your conscience. I've just never had the chance to speak to you before. It comes closer until it's only a foot away from me and the air is even colder, almost freezing. I take a shaky breath as its hand reaches out to me and I jump back as it makes contact with my skin. She expected it to be cold too, but it wasn't. It was warm, but not hot. I'm here to help you, don't be afraid.
For some reason, though, that doesn't help her and when the creature senses her hesitation, the aura (if that's what it is) turns to a crimson red. What do you think I'm here for? To pick up the mess you've been making? It hisses, but then the aura turns into a light, silvery green and the voice becomes slightly calmer, yet slightly agitated. You have to fix it on your own. Then it disappears suddenly and she feels a warm touch on her back. She looks behind her but nothing's there. Do you want me to leave?
Lavinia nods and whispers, "Yes," The voice is scaring her more than she can say.
Then you have to promise something. It whispers. You have to listen to what I say. She doesn't say anything, but she knows she just wants to get rid of the Voice. Just sleep for now. It says, everything has only just begun. And then it's gone, leaving Lavinia wondering whether or not she really is sleeping right now, but she's pretty sure she's not. Either way, she puts her book to the side and finally gives in to sleep.
The next day by about noon, she'd figured out that her brother had told their parents everything after Delly left. They had been a little mad, until she explained what was actually going on. Now they want to meet him, but she's not so sure she could handle even more things that could end badly. Her brother is out with his friends again and she's pretty sure he just doesn't want to stay here. After all, she's ready to use any excuse to her get her out of the house and away from the tension.
"Hey, dad," she says, standing in the kitchen doorway. "Can I go and hang out with some of my friends?"
"Which friends are they?" Her father asks.
"Frost," she answers truthfully.
"Is he going to pick you up?" He asks and Lavinia subconsciously rolls her eyes. "I don't want you wandering around alone. And I want to talk to him before you go anywhere."
She sighs, "Okay, I'll call him and ask. But if he says okay, can I?" She asks hopefully.
"Okay, just be careful." He says. "And if anything happens, come back here. I want you back here by five." She dials the number, partially ignoring her father because he was getting annoying. Just minutes later, she had worked everything out and she was waiting. Her father is baking something, although she doesn't know what it is, and the scent fills the house after just minutes. "So, you really love him?" Her father asks after a short silence. That shocks her, but when she looks back on it, she realizes he'd probably heard her side of the conversation.
"Yes," She says, "Of course I do. Why would I lie about that?" Then she takes a deep breath. "I think I do at least. I don't know. I've never actually been in love with anybody before. But when I'm with him and he just looks in my general direction, my heart feels like it stops beating and my brain stops thinking and I just want to be with him and beat all his high scores in all his favorite video games."
Her father looks confused, trying to figure out what she just said when the doorbell rings and she doesn't give him any more time to respond before she goes and lets Frost in. "Hey," She says, closing the door behind him, knowing that the sooner he talks to her father, the sooner she'll be out of the house.
He examines her face carefully, "Hey, Vin, did you get in a fight?"
She shakes her head, "Just my brother. It's fine, doesn't hurt unless I touch it." Which was her warning for him not to even think about touching it, and he seemed to understand that. "My dad wants to talk to you before we go," Although neither of them know exactly where they're going.
Lavinia lingers in the doorway as she watches her father size Frost up. After a second Frost holds out his hand and Peeta shakes it. "It's nice to meet you," he says, "You must be the one I've heard so little about."
Frost laughs and smiles, "I guess so. It's nice to meet you too."
"Where do you think you're going to be?" He asks, probably knowing that we don't exactly have plans for anything in specific.
"Probably at my place, I need to make sure my little sister doesn't bother my mom while she's working." He says, not leaving any room for misinterpretation. Lavinia can't help but wonder how he could do that. Just say something and have it come out right. She's never really been able to do that. It always sounds confusing and dumb when she says anything.
"Okay," Peeta says, "Be careful." Lavinia is surprised by how quickly and easily that went. Still, it took about two minutes to actually leave with her father reminding her over and over again to be home by five and not get herself killed (not in those words, but it was close enough). They do end up at his house and Frost's mother glances at Lavinia, but just for a second before looking back at her papers.
Frost leads her down into the basement, "So, how are you doing?" He asks softly and Lavinia shrugs.
"I'm okay; I just got in a fight with my brother. No serious injuries, though." She says, "I guess I just have really bad people skills."
"That would explain a lot," Frost says lightly. "Seriously, though, why did you guys fight? I thought you got along."
She shakes her head, "We did, but things have been really weird around my place recently." She hesitates, "You know, with all the stuff going on." And of course all the 'stuff' was pretty much her fault. "So, how are you?"
He takes a deep breath. "I don't know. I mean, obviously, I'm not bad. My life is going really well, but I've been thinking a lot about . . . things." He sits down on the couch in the center of the room and Lavinia takes a seat next to him. "I've been doing a lot of thinking about you, and, well us."
Lavinia bites her bottom lip, hoping he isn't about to break up with her. That's what it sounds like. She half expected the Voice to make one of its appearances, but it doesn't. For that, she's glad. "Like what about us?"
He shrugs, "Just everything, I guess. We've known each other for ten years now and we've been together for, what, three of those years?" He asks and she nods silently. "And I couldn't imagine loving anyone but you."
"What are you trying to say?" She asks, smiling a small smile.
"I have no idea. You asked what I was thinking about, that's what I was thinking about." He says, "But I've also been thinking about, you know, that you're, um," He can't seem to say the word "pregnant" and that makes Lavinia laugh a little bit, but just a little. "Yeah, but I just . . . kind of hard not to think about, and so, I had been thinking really hard, especially over the last week, actually. Before all this, too, and I know this probably isn't the best time, but I kind of…" He visibly hesitates, making Lavinia wonder what he's talking about. "I was wondering if you would maybe possibly marry me."