I was right. They're still there, where I left them. Except Tristis is not there. He was 5. An orphan. Too underfed, under clothed, too fragile. He went to sleep one night and didn't wake. Hunger, cold, sickness? The cause of death was vague. He never was very happy in his life. His death was more of a blessing than anything. For him, relieved from life and for The pack not needing to feed and care for him. Though they didn't mind and did it without questioning.

Aggelos, the leader of the pack was still watching lovingly but sternly over his 'kids'. From the top of his 19 years of age as well as experience, everyone admired him. Including me. He led The pack faithfully, always caring for the others before himself. He never showed it but I knew he loved every single person he cared for. He was like an angel, healing the wounds the Capitol had left behind. He understood every action a person made whether good or evil, always giving the right punishment or praise to the right person. He had an eye for it. He was fair and square, everyone had the portion of food or clothing or anything else they needed. And if there had to be someone with no food for the night it would be him. He wouldn't allow anyone to suffer if he could help it. He was tall and handsome, but never played around with street girls, never took advantage of it.

The street girls had their own pack. Their own leader. A 19 year old girl too. Wise and right too. Lavinia, I liked her. Respected her greatly. She was beautiful, red flowing hair, deep green eyes, tall, strong body. But she was the exact same person as Aggelos. Respectful, loving, kind, knowing, wise, fair. They had frequent reunions the two of them to assess their losses, gains, needs. Every month. If one of the packs needed something very badly, the other would provide it. They helped each other out in difficult phases and had socializing meetings three times a year between The packs. At first it would be awkward but then they couldn't wait until the next meeting to see their friends again.

Aggelos and Lavinia made a perfect pair. I knew there was something deep between them, but I didn't know quite what. The younger kids were at one side of the room, the older kids at the other side. There was no rule separating us, well, them, it was more of a natural thing, little people felt more comfortable amongst each other and reciprocally with the big people. The older teens talked about girls, the Capitol, the districts and much more. I don't know what little people talked about. Aggelos was usually with the older teens but was sometimes alone. It was evening so free time. No digging in trashes, roaming streets, seeking new hiding places. They didn't beg here. The Capitol had no such thing as beggars. Well theoretically… If w-they ever got caught… I don't want to imagine that.

As I entered the room I tossed the bag in the middle of the room and flopped down next to it. Aggelos welcomed me warmly, we were about the same age and each had deep respect for each other. The smaller kids rushed to the bag, not possibly fathoming the surprises I had brought them. As they opened the bag, squeals of delight rushed through the room.

The teens showed more restrain but I could see the excitement bubbling in their eyes as they watched the bottle of honey, the pieces of hard colored candy, the delicious just baked brownies Jez confectioned, the packaged dried fruit and the strips of dried meat passed through avid hands. Then came the clothes. The OOs' and AAs' as the new fabric of every size for every boy and the stylish clothes toped it off. This was a special night for them. From the corner of the eye I could see Aggelos giving me a thankful nod. They were in serious need of something exciting to break the routine.

"This must have cost a fortune!" Aggelos, always needing to pay a debt. "No, the food I had, the clothes I made and designed," I counter." You made these?" general surprise.

"Yeah, I guess it's my calling," I smiled.

"Wow, it's beautiful! What can we do for you? We can't ever," Aggelos is short of words for once.

"I just need to talk… Can I sleep here," I ask hesitantly.

"Of course!" a chorus of voices replied. Well, being wanted feels good.

So all the teens flop back in the circle where they were but now each of them is sucking on a piece of

bright colored candy. And I'm there as well. The little ones – 11 and under talk excitedly and run

around the room, trying on the clothes and acting like Capitol citizens. The accent, the posture, the

mimics, the false gossip; even the teens laugh a bit at their plays'.

"So, let's get down to it, what did you come here for? We all know that you're well settled, with cute agirl on your arm… What can we possibly give you?" Aggelos insists on the 'we'. "Well, well, doing some spying, are you?" my tone isn't accusing and Aggelos catches on. "Well, we are permit ourselves to spy on your dazzling fiancée once in a while," he counters. All though the term of fiancée saddens me, I don't let it show. I raise an eyebrow

"I hope you haven't been placing bets, she's taken," on taken my voice kind of cracks. There's no hoping they've all noticed it. "You know we aren't good advice on that kinda stuff bro'," one of the guys says compassionately when nobody else makes a sound. "Yeah, I know, but…" I my voice ends in a strange way. "Now, now. What's the problem?" Branfus. I like that guy, a little shy, but coming in at the right moment. "I'm probably making a big deal out of nothing, but you see, this girl she's my life," They nod in understanding though none of the guys really understands except Aggelos and a few others – probably fell in love at one of the socializing meetings, "Well this guy is so on her and he was off for a few months and then he comes to me and says that overall he likes her freckles," I'm making very simple, true, but I don't feel like into getting in the details of how much I love her and how much I'm in pain. So I continue with the shortness, "The only way you can see her freckles is if you're close enough to kiss her. I don't think she even knows she has some," I let it sink in. They know there's more to it than that but they don't push it, they get how I feel.

Slightly embarrassed murmurs' hit the circle. I know they must feel uneasy, not knowing how tocomfort me, knowing that really, there's nothing to say. They kissed. Period. Nothing more than that. Nothing more awful than that. Then there's one guy that has the best idea on earth. And the stupidest as well.

"Do you have some money?" he asked, hesitant.

"Uh, yeah…" I say puzzled, not getting the idea.

"Okay, then, you're paying us a round of Spirit in the Club next door!" He says mischievously. "You're on," I agree.

Of course Aggelos stays to look over the kids. Ordinarily I know he would have said 'no' but he saw I needed it badly, so he let it go. So we all head down to the Club.

We enter and multicolored lights flood us as well as overloud music. Freakish people dance around us, drunken to the bone. This is just what I need. So stupid, so carefree.

So we go over to the bar and order whatever alcohol the bartender proposes us. Dranim. Something made out of fabric, some kind of fermentation, I don't really listen to his little speech. I just let him talk. So do the others. He asks us where we're from. Certainly surprised by our normal looking bodies. As the others babble something intelligible, I say we're on the outskirts of the Capitol. The bartender just nods thoughtfully.

Losing the others I just go in the crowd, soothed by all the noise and people – even if they're abnormal creatures I still kind of count them as company. There are multi colored pills in a large bowl, so I just take one – lime green – and pop it in my mouth as I saw other people do. It melts on my tongue with a taste of sweet. Then my vision becomes silver and shiny. Lervs. I should have known. Hallucination pills. The Capitol people are bezerk for them. Shoot, now I'm gonna be seeing weird stuff all night. I sigh in resignation.

Overall I think I had a fun night. Can't remember most of it. What I'm sure of is that I didn't sleep with anybody. I never did so I would remember. Then I wouldn't do that to Ariane. Sleep with a girl behind her back. Never. If I was going to sleep with anybody for the first time, it would be her. Ugh. Ariane. Ouch. That brings back awful memories. God, I'm such a coward. I left her like that and went and got drunk for the first time of my life. I'm such a great boyfriend. But then again SHE's the one who cheated on me. Now I'm dramatizing it. I'm going overboard again. My brain won't work properly, it's on overload. Dozens of sketches of clothes I just created and different perspectives of her face swirl before my closed eyes.

Now I can see Aggelos coming in the club. Crap, I'm gonna get lectured. Then I remember I'm not under his charge anymore. Aggelos comes to me, tells me that it's time to go home, it's 4 in the morning. He collects the other members of my pitiful crew and when we get outside, the fresh air cuts violently its way into my lungs and I pass out. Well I think so.

When I wake, I'm in my usual space in the hideout with a blanket over me. What luxury! A blanket! I half sit up, holding myself up with my elbow. I learn that I'm the one who passed out since the others had already gotten drunk before and were more resistant to it than me. It was 7 and I was dizzy and felt like puking. So I thanked them for everything and left.

:)