Note: I'm so sorry I haven't updated at all recently. I hope to update more, but with my ADD, who knows how that will work out. I hoped you guys liked the last chapter. Anyways, your songs for this chapter: Dissolved Girl – Massive Attack; Tear You Apart – She Wants Revenge; I Like It – Moby.
Ivory and I walk through the Capitol, hand in hand. She said she wanted to show me my new home, although I'm not quite sold on this yet. I don't like the idea of living in a place I've hated my entire life – even if it's in Niseno not Panem. But she still tries to prove to me that this is paradise.
Ravius left us hours ago. He just walked away from us, laughing while pulling out a pack of cigarettes. We took that as our freedom to roam the city. It's darker out now, just at sunset, although the endless lights simulate daytime. Colourful advertisements plague every building. The ground is completely free of litter or even dirt. I think they actually groom their sidewalks. This entire country is like a rainbow on crack.
Ivory walks me in and out of stores, each one decorated elaborately. On looks like a crystalline cave, while the next looks like a melting pot of tar. Ivory clearly loves the boutiques, so I patiently wait for her as she picks up her crazy outfits, I'm sure to see in the near future.
She does make an effort to show me everything this Capitol has to offer, but I am still wary of it all. Although, I do enjoy the large open park they have. Well, park is what they call it; it's more like a contained oasis. It has sand all around it – carefully groomed to look pristine – and in the center is a deep lake with clear water that gradually becomes a pale turquoise, and fish of every colour.
Ivory and I sit on the edge of the lake, dipping our feet in it. She smiles at me.
"I wanted to show you that, even though you probably hate it here, it's not that bad." She grins and looks back at the clear water. "I know it's not what you're used to, but hopefully you'll stay here. With me." She blushes and looks down at her lap. She looks embarrassed. Cute.
"I guess I can stay," I tell her after a moment has passed, "I don't really have anywhere else to go."
She instantly snaps her head up and beams at me, "Wonderful!" she says, "Absolutely wonderful!"
We stay at the lake for a while, just talking. She tells me how she has known Ravius since they were children. I tell her very little of my past. I'm not a very open person. I want to trust her, but I'm not so sure I can yet. I don't mention Katniss to her at all.
Ivory stands up, and I follow her lead. I brush the sand off my pants, and look at her. She looks beautiful in the moonlight. Her hair is now messy and some of her waves flow in front of her smooth childlike face.
"Let's go home," she says to me, taking my hand. The bright and colourful streets aren't as full anymore, so we make it back to the house relatively easily. Ivory unlocks the door by punching in some numbers to a screen. We enter the house, and are greeted by lonely darkness. She turns on the lights, illuminating the neon living room.
"I'll be right back," she tells me. She walks to her room, so I take a seat on the black couch. I look around, and I'm not shocked when I see Ravius staring at me from the corner of the room. He has a glass filled with a clear liquid – presumably vodka. He smirks at me and strolls over to me, then sits down on the couch, and kicks his feet up on the coffee table. He gulps down his drink and looks over to me. His lazy eyes are dilated, and he smirks again.
"I'm sorry," he says, "for earlier."
I remain silent. I can't believe him.
He leans over to me. "I should have at least asked if you were interested." He winks at me. "But I mean, who wouldn't be interested in this?"
I try my hardest to not let my irritation show on my face. Ravius gets up off the couch and slinks away to a cabinet containing more alcohol. He returns with a bottle of vodka, and drinks straight from it.
"You know," he says, with a slight slur to him words, "when I was little, I thought I was going to marry Ivory." He looks straight ahead, avoiding my eyes, "Yeah. I actually thought we'd have a future. We were perfect. And I'd become President once my father died. I could give her the entire world." He turns over to me again, and moves closer than comfortable to me. "But you. You are something." His smirk tightens. "You are just what she needs." Then he says quieter, "What I need."
He drinks from the bottle again.
"Alcohol builds up my courage." He says with a shallow laugh.
"For what?" I ask, fearing what he'll try to do to me next.
He laughs softly, "You'll see. Soon enough."
Just then, at that moment, Ivory returns. He hair is blonde again, and she is wearing only a short, loose cotton dress. He face is clear of makeup. She looks so good like this. So real.
"Oh, Ravius," she says quietly, "you're here."
He smiles at her, "Here I am. The one and only."
Ivory looks around, uneasily. Strange. Were they actually together? Shit. If they were, I have completely fucked everything up.
"I take it that we're through." Ravius slurs, after gulping down some vodka.
Shit. They were together.
"Ravius," Ivory says, trying to soothe him, "We've been through since we were fifteen."
Okay, then I'm still good.
"Really, Ivory? Really?" he snaps back at her, "Then what have you been doing this whole time?"
Ivory clenches her fists, and looks gravely at the floor. "Ravius. That's in the past."
"No, Ivory. It's not. Otherwise you wouldn't be so goddamned pissed right now!" Ravius yells, while standing up. He looks a little dizzy, so obviously, the alcohol has made its way through his veins.
But what is going on? I feel so awkward just sitting here in the middle of this. And what does he mean? Did they stay together or something? Am I just a reject option number two? Dammit, Ivory!
While a war is going on in my mind, I remain silent as I watch the anger between the two unfolding.
"Go ahead, Ivory," Ravius taunts, "Tell Gale all about us. I bet he'd love that! He would just love you so much more when he knows how quickly you can change your mind. How you use people like toys, and how once they break you throw them away. Just like you threw me away." He turns to me, a smirk on his lips, "You're next, Gale."
Okay, seriously, is this real? Is he telling the truth? Or is he just a drunk lost in the past? I'm swarmed with questions, yet I remain silent through it all.
Ivory looks ashamed. So it must be true, right?
Ravius laughs, sarcastically. "Tell him, Ivory." He taunts, "Tell him everything."
"That's enough, Ravius." She has tears brimming at her minty eyes, and her face is flushed. She gasps, ready to start sobbing, and she runs to her room.
I'm so lost by what just happened. All I know is that, either I just ruined everything, or she did – or that whole Ravius is drunk theory. I'm so confused, yet angry. I'm furious, because if what Ravius said is true, then Ivory is probably just going to change her mind about me. She won't even care about me. I won't matter to her in a matter of days. I'm so pissed, I could scream. But still, I bite my tongue. I hold my head in my hands. Ravius must be lying. He has to be. Ivory isn't like that. Is she?
After all, I've only known her for, what, 3 days? I can't fall in love with someone that fast. But, I realize, I can forget about someone. Just like Ivory forgot about Ravius, I've forgotten about Katniss. But is that really bad? Is it bad to want to be happy? I don't think so.
I'm snapped back into reality, when I hear Ravius laughing to himself.
"Gale," He says, now sitting next to me again. He sounds unusually kind, "You look down. Here –" he passes me the bottle of vodka "–This will help, trust me."
I take a sip of the drink, hoping for it to help calm my nerves. Ravius smiles when I drink.
"Is what you said true?" I ask him. I can feel the liquid burning in my throat.
"Yeah," he says, kicking his feet up on the table again.
I look down at my hands, which are holding the bottle with the clear liquid inside.
"Look," he says to me, "I know I'm an ass. A fucking sexy one." He laughs to himself. "But," he says, serious again, "you needed to know. And Ivory can't forget me that quickly."
I sigh. The anger has passed. The anger I had moments ago has passed, now turned to sadness.
"On the plus side," Ravius says with a smirk, "you still have me."
Despite myself, I laugh at this. Strangely, Ravius joins in my laughter. I take a gulp of the burning vodka, and it makes it easier to laugh. Ravius and I laugh as if we'd just heard the best joke ever. It's strange, but comforting.
"Hey," he says, starting to lean in to me, "it's either me or my sloppy seconds."
I roll my eyes at this, but we continue to laugh.
I've never seen Ravius as comfortable as he is now. But that's probably just because he's so drunk.
What he said to Ivory was harsh, and I don't even know if it's true. There's only one way to find out: I have to talk to her. Maybe is it true; maybe I did mess everything up. But… Maybe I didn't. Maybe things were already broken beyond repair.
I can begin to feel a bit of the effects of the alcohol, so I hesitate before getting up. Ravius is slowly leaning into me, and so I stand up, quickly, even though that causes a moment of disorientation. I look back, and Ravius seems perfectly content with just his bottle. Such an alcoholic.
I find her room easily, although I've never been inside it. The door is solid white, fitting with her name. All the other doors are neon, aside from on black door – easily Ravius'. I knock lightly on her door three times, but she doesn't answer, so I call her name.
"Ivory please," I say, after a long silence, "I just want to talk to you."
"Gale," she calls back, through the door, "Not now. Please?" I can hear the tears in her voice.
"Please Ivory?" I ask, "I just want to talk to you. That's all."
After a long silence, she opens the door and quickly turns her back, retreating to her bed. Her room is so pale. The floors are a fluffy white carpet and the walls are white with gold stripes painted in. Her bed is huge with gold pillows stacks everywhere. I enter her lavish room. She sits on the edge of her massive bed. Her eyes are red and puffy and her breaths come out shallow and uneven. She looks even more fragile than she usually does.
Poor Ivory.
"I bet," she says in between soft sobs, "that you never want to see me again."
"No." I say, stepping closer, "I just want to know what's true."
"Well. Ravius and I." she looks down at her hands. "It doesn't matter, Gale. Really. It doesn't!" She looks down at her hands. "Who are you going to trust? Me? Or an alcoholic?"
Point.
"I don't want Ravius." She says. "I want you."
She stands up and walks over to me. I hesitate before answering.
"I-I want you too." I say looking away, "but this is wrong. I mean, with Ravius and all."
"Please just forget that." She says, stepping closer. "He's not here anyways."
I sigh, and look down at the floor. Ivory touches my hand, and she keeps it in her grasp.
"I don't know, Ivory." I say.
"You're being irrational Gale." She says, pulling her hand away. "Besides, Ravius is drunk. It's not like he'll even care."
It really sickens me how fast she could forget about Ravius. Maybe he was right, she just uses people. But maybe… Maybe they're not together? And this isn't her forgetting him.
Ivory's hands have found mine again. She is slowly moving her hands up my arms until she has reached my neck, sending chills down my spine. I'm hesitant, but I can tell where things are heading. And I want to do so many things with her, that I don't object. Screw Ravius. I'm with Ivory.
Our lips meet very softy, barely brushing, but it quickly becomes more intense. I pull her close up to me, wrapping my arms around her waist. I want more.
As if she could read my mind, Ivory steps back, pulls my hand and leads me to her bed. More, more. She lays down on her back, and I lean over her, and our lips melt together again. I pull back to look at her. She has a blissful smile on her plump lips, her cheeks flushed, and her long hair spilling all over the gold pillows.
"This is wrong." I say, reminding myself of what might be going on between her and Ravius.
"No," she says, throwing her arms around my neck, "this is perfection." She pulls me back to her, and we kiss like this is our last moment on earth. We're both filled with lust, and we just want more and more of each other. Our kisses move away from our mouths; I begin to kiss her neck. She is giggling in my ears. We turn so that we are now sitting up. Ivory wraps her legs around me, sitting on my thighs. This feels so amazing. I want more. I want every bit of Ivory to myself. Ivory is who I need.
Ivory's hands are pulling at my shirt. We stop kissing only to pull it off. Ivory's hands run over my chest. She giggles, and I kiss her again. I playfully bite her lip, and she seems to love it. My hands easily slid up her short dress. I can feel every bit of her curves. I pull the dress over her. Underneath her clothes is a lacy pink bra and matching thong.
She starts to tug on my pants, which are quickly removed. All through this, I keep thinking I want more. We both know where things are going tonight. There's no turning back. She's all mine. I'm all hers.
Our lips meet again, as we feel every bit of each other. She has the softest skin, that feels amazing in my hands. Ivory pulls back, and looks into my eyes.
"Gale," she says, breathlessly.
"Yes?"
"You're not leaving this room tonight."
"I wasn't planning on that," I say with a devilish smile.
My hands easily find her bra hook, which I take off. She presses her bare chest to mine, as I kiss her neck. Both of us tug on the other's underwear, which are both quickly removed. We stop kissing only to look at each other. We are both entirely naked. She looks even more perfect and angelic than she ever has before – if even possible. Her long messy waves flow down her back. I don't know what Ivory sees, aside from my many hunting scars. My battle wounds.
She smiles at me, like she is hiding a dirty secret. It's happening.
She gets up off the bed, only to quickly lock the door. She returns to me, and she instantly embraces me. She jumps on the bed, and tosses over the pillows.
"Come here, Gale." She sings as she reaches for me. "I like this," she says once I'm leaning over her, staring into her mint eyes.
She throws her arms around my neck and pulls my lips to hers.
And then.
Both our lips and our bodies connect. And it feels beyond amazing. Ivory's nails dig into my back as we move. Our breathing is loud and heavy. I worry that I'm hurting, but that fear quickly dissolves once I can tell that she's enjoying this as much as I am.
"More Gale, more!" she urges.
We roll on the side of the bed as her hips dance on me. I can't even explain how good this feels. Ivory's nails sink deeper into my back, and her head swings backward and she makes a loud animalistic sound. Her lips are instantly back on my lips.
She bites my lips. Her breathing is heavy and sounds good in my ears. We move again, and she wraps her legs around my back. We keep trying to get closer and closer, as we move in snakelike ways.
Her hips are pressed to mine, and I make a sound that is equally as animalistic as the one Ivory makes. I stop moving by choice, and my body takes control, without me thinking. Ivory's smooth skin feels heavenly against mine. Her nails feel like they're breaking through my skin, but I don't care. She pushes me on my back as she rocks on top of me. Her long hair swings over her curves and she looks like she's lost in a delightful trance.
I can feel myself surge through her. I lean my head back, and Ivory separates up. She lies down next to me, and holds onto my chest. She hides her face in my chest. She sighs, and I wrap my arms around her. Her breathing steadily becomes softer, until she eventually falls asleep. I stay awake for a bit, just holding her. I can feel her chest moving with every breath she takes. She looks so peaceful. I keep thinking to myself how she looks like an angel. Finally exhaustion takes over, and I fall asleep.