Chapter Eleven

Ian's POV

"Wanda?" Lily said, from the other side of the door.

Wanda stood up quickly, dusting off her dress and whipping her face clean of tears.

That dress really suited her, and I mean really suited her.

She walked over to the door.

My lap now felt very empty.

"Hi," Wanda said, opening the door.

"I was sent to tell you that dinner was ready," Lily said.

I was not able to see her. Wanda had only opened the door enough for Lily to be able to see Wanda.

"You're to come down now," Lily told Wanda. "You too, Ian," Lily leaned around the door and looked in at me, "Five minutes."

Wanda turned a bright shade of red. I just laughed.

"And get a new tie," Lily said and then disappeared.

Wanda quickly closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a deep breath.

I continued laughing. I saw Wanda smile and start laughing slightly, her cheeks keeping the same pink tint.

I took a deep breath letting the laughter disappear.

I looked down at my sad excuse for a tie.

"You know how to tie one of these?" I asked her.

She smiled and nodded.

I stood up and reached for her hand.

She looked at my outstretched hand, then my eyes, then back to my hand, and back to my eyes. She seemed to be contemplating whether or not to take it, whether or not to trust me.

She took my hand and I led her to my room.

As I rummaged through the drawers of my dresser trying to find another blue tie, Wanda sat on the bed watching me. I found another one, similar style, but a shade or two darker.

I held it out to Wanda. She took it carefully out of the box and set the box carefully on the bed. I stood in front of her, as still as a statue. She pursed her lips, considering.

Then she, tie still in hand, walked over to the small table in my room, and drug a chair over to me. She maneuvered the chair and herself so that by kneeling on the chair, her head was level with my head.

She began to tie the tie. Her nose started to scrunch up again.

"So where'd you learn to tie a tie?" I asked her.

"You know the lame dance things we have for school?"

I did. The capital forces everyone in District Four schools, to dress up, get a date, and go to the school and have a formal dance. They do it a month before the games.

"Of course."

"Every year, without fail, my date didn't know how to tie his own tie and apparently was always too afraid to ask anyone. After the second year of the guy and me being so embarrassed of my dates' non tied ties, I asked Uncle Jeb to teach me. He only knew very vaguely, but he was able to teach me the basics and I was able to modify it to my own way. I think it looks nice. None of my dates ever complained."

"Who were your dates?" I said in a tight voice.

"Just people Mel set me up with. I always hated the whole thing," she said looking up at me, "It was just another thing that the capital made us do, you know?"

The thought of someone else, dancing with her, holding her, was enough to make my blood boil.

She was finished and she tucked the back of the tie into the slip and climbed off the chair.

I examined the tie as she drug the chair back over the the table. The tie was...it was...very pristine. It was very precise. It was very...

"Wow," I said.

"Do you not like it?" She said nervously, "I could tie it a different way. I could-"

"No," I said stepping towards her, "It's perfect. I seriously have never seen a better tied tie."

"Okay," she said, looking down.

"I didn't get to tell you before," I started, taking her hand, "but you look beautiful."

She looked up at me, smiling and cheeks burning, "Thank you. You look very handsome." She told me.

The door opened.

"I always choose the wrong room first," Lily complained, "Come to dinner, lovebirds."

I laughed, and Wanda had turned a dark shade of red. She let go of my hand and walked out after Lily.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

I grabbed my jacket and hurried after Wanda.