Avery

I couldn't sleep so I had climbed the stairs that led to the roof. I had stood there for a while throwing berries at the force field that kept me caged in on the roof. My thought had turned tortuous after a while and I didn't even hear the door open and Gage come onto the roof with me.

"I was looking for you," he said and placed his jacket around my shoulders. I wrapped it around me to ward off the shivers that my mind had brought forth. Before I could stop it words slipped past my lips that I couldn't stop.

"I didn't think my life would end like this." My voice quivered and I didn't even try to care. I had no one to talk to and limited days to live.

"How did you think it would," Gage asked sounding remotely interested.

"I thought I would be old. I thought I would have traveled and had adventures…" I continued on letting it all out.

"I thought I would have a family, one of my own. I wanted to be married; I wanted lots of kids, unlike my mother. I wanted to be in love, to be loved. By someone who didn't have to. Who chose to….love me?" I had completely bared my heart to him. To the boy I barely knew but so desperately wanted to care about me. I had strong feelings for him but I wasn't yet ready to admit them to myself let alone him. I so wanted him to care. I don't know why I was telling him all of this. It would just scare him off.

"I'm sorry. You have problems of your own. I don't know why I would think you would care." I said and let out a shaky breath.

"No, you're wrong. The thing is Avery; I care more than I should. The truth is….I love you. I've loved you since the first day I laid eyes on you. I fought it…because of our situation. But I can't fight it anymore." This coming from Gage shocked me into momentary silence. Is he crazy? Oh I so wanted him to love me. Could it be? Could hot n' cold really care about me? Maybe I could believe if he had said that he just 'liked' me but he had said love. Love was a very strong word. How could he love me just after a few short days? But wait. He had said he loved me since the day he had laid eyes on me. When was the first time he had? I'm immediately taken back to the boy staring at me in the school cafeteria. That was him! How long had he gone to my school? This must be a trick.

"Did Haymitch put you up to this? Because if he did I'm gonna kill him. Or was it one of the other tributes?" I asked.

"No….No Avery listen to me." he pleaded as he came forward arms open to hold me but I escaped his grasp not willing to let him touch me no matter how much I wanted to be in his arms.

"Since the day I met you….I knew there was something different about you. I had never been so attracted to a man in my whole life. But you kept me away, going from hot to cold. One second I thought we could be friends, other times worst enemies. How can I believe you?" I asked him as he came forward and placed his fingers on my face. I leaned my head into his hand because I had to.

"Look at me Avery," asked Gage and I did so after a moment. Could I believe him?

"I could make at least one of your dreams come true." He said then slowly ever so gently he leaned down and place a feather light kiss on my lips. An electrical current shot up my spine and as soon as his lips left mine I wanted more. I wanted him to really kiss me. Before I could really sort through it all he said something that confused me even more.

"Marry me." I gasped. Marry him? Yes! If I had been in another place in my life, like back home I would have said no, let's wait a while. Finish high school. But with limited time left could I at least have one of my dreams be fulfilled? Could I marry Gage and take those last days and turn them into a lifetime? There would be limitations, of course; like I would still never be able to have children. But I would get my adventures and my traveling, though they would be in the arena. And I would get a chance to be married. To be loved. Could I? Should I? Marry him. Should I speak to Haymitch? No. Did I love Gage? I suppose I liked him well enough. Okay I'll admit it. I care for him more than just like. It wasn't like this would be long term, for either of us.

"How?" I asked.

"I can arrange for it. It wouldn't be a problem. Say you'll marry me?"

I looked down and tried to reign in my excitement but I couldn't and I flung my arms around his neck and hugged the daylights out of him and said "Yes I'll marry you."

I barely slept that night and at 5 the next morning I was woken up by Haymitch.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" He asked me. I didn't care about his opinion but I asked anyway because he was my crazy uncle.

"Why? Do you think this is wrong?"

"No. Only one person gets out of the Arena. Are you prepared to be that one?" That would mean Gages death.

"You have to try Haymitch, to get us both out, like you did mom and dad."

"You forget I had a lot of help, like from a whole other district."

"You can do it Haymitch. I know you can."

"How deeply do your feelings go?"

"Not very far," I lied.

"Good because I can't make any guarantees. You and I both know what would happen if I don't get you out alive."

"My parents would kill you."

"It doesn't matter; they'll kill me when they hear you're married." I dressed quickly for the day, not for the wedding I had imagined and went down the hall where a man in a white peacekeepers uniform with salt and pepper hair and a long scar in front of his ear waited, a few words later, a peck on the lips as quick as the last one and a sign on the dotted line made me married. I could barely take it in. Was it even legal?

"If anyone asks, you two were already secretly married back in 12, got it?" said Haymitch. I didn't ask questions but just nodded my head. Just a few seconds later Effie's click of her heels echoed down the hall and she entered.

"You're all up, before me? That's highly unusual. Did I sleep late?"

"No Effie, we just couldn't sleep. We have so much excitement for the day." I said.

"Oh I could imagine," she said then continued on through breakfast about the day's plans. I caught Gages look across the table and smiled but he didn't smile back. Guess cold's back. I need to give his extra personality a name. Maybe Parker, Phil, Psycho? Or Bi-Polar, but just call him Bill for short.

I'm glad this marriage isn't long term, I thought.