Ollie

One Month Later

I see Willow coming across the Atrium and jump to greet her. "Well?"

She shakes her head and shrugs. "Not pregnant. I didn't think I would be though considering it is so soon. The doctor said something about ovulation and cycles, I had no idea what he was talking about."

I pout a little. "Boo. I was hoping for a fellow pregnant friend."

She rolls her eyes. "It will happen eventually Ollie. Plus, we can still be friends even if we aren't both pregnant."

I link my arm through hers and we head up to the second floor track. We meet here every afternoon during free time to walk and catch up. Willow has quickly become my best girl friend here –really my only girl friend here-, which was funny to both of us considering we barely talked back in District 12. Sometimes Willow would talk about her former best friends, the ones who happened to be here at the Breeding Center just in different Sectors. And even though Stosh and I were getting along much better, he still seemed distant and withdrawn most days. At least I could be happy for Willow and Coda who were developing a relationship with each other. Apparently Coda wasn't as serious about his girlfriend back home as he originally said. Willow was much more open about their physical relationship now and starting this week would be going in for weekly pregnancy tests at the Med Center.

"Has Stosh said anything about Katniss?"

I shake my head. "No word yet."

Stosh wasn't clear on the details of what happened with Peeta and Katniss. All we knew was that something big happened and Peeta is still here counseling, while Katniss is gone.

"I don't really want to talk about it though…"

Willow slips her arm around my shoulder and gives me a light squeeze. "I'm sorry. I know you really enjoyed talking with her."

I shrug. "I guess it had to happen at some point. I didn't expect either of them to stay here this long. But at least Stosh still has Peeta. I really hope he is helping him work through whatever is bothering him."

"Still acting weird, huh? I tried bringing it up to Coda since the two of them seem to have become best buddies, but he just changes the subject."

I nod. "Something is definitely going on, but I don't think it is worth it to worry anymore. I would rather just move forward, get on with the pregnancy, our lives, and just get back to District 12."

"Don't move forward too fast! You can't go back without me."

I sigh. "And what happens when we go back Willie? What happens to you and me? To Stosh and I. To you and…" I don't want to say his name.

"Coda?" She takes her arm off my shoulder and clasps them together at her waist. "Honestly, I don't know Ollie. I would like to believe that you and I would still be friends, that you and Stosh will still be dating, and that somehow Coda and I will be able to stay in touch. Life will go on. We'll have to make it, no matter what happens here."

These are the conversations I enjoy with Willow. The type of conversations I used to have with Stosh before he changed. Now our conversations consisted of going over what I learned in my pregnancy classes, what the doctor said at my check ups, and what he did with Coda that day. This all happened too fast. Being forced into a relationship and forced to be together. Maybe on our own free will we could have been great together, even married and had children in our own time some day. With the way things were going presently, our relationship wouldn't survive the first child, and we were expected to have two.

We walked through free time and then it was time to go our separate ways. I had one of my pregnancy sessions now, which was filling up fast, and I could only hope that Willow would be joining me soon. When we first starting there were only a handful of girls in my class, now there had to be almost 100. But considering there were supposedly almost a little over 400 girls in Sector A, we had a long way to go to be full. Our teacher talked about how it could be months before other girls would become pregnant. About how they expected an influx of pregnant girls in the first two months, those of us more motivated and willing to help Panem. Or as Willow and I put it, those of us more motivated to go home.

We met twice a week and just started getting into real pregnancy discussions. We talked about the trimesters, the development of the baby, and how we should expect to feel. Starting the course meant that it would be closed to other pregnant girls. Once the next influx of pregnant girls came in, they would start the course over at a different time. I was thankful for this aspect of the session because I didn't want to learn about morning sickness and round ligament pains ten times over the next several months. Today we would cover changes our body would undergo during pregnancy and I zoned out almost immediately, my mind wandering to tonight.

Stosh promised he would come to dinner. Promised he would come back to our room after dinner. Promised he would spend some time with me. He claimed he was going to extra sessions for expecting fathers, and meeting with Peeta on the side. He even had a schedule on his arm to prove it, but something about it seemed off. He couldn't look me in the eye when he spoke, his jaw clenched. Actions I came to understand as "Hey, I'm lying!" in Stosh's world.

Tonight was his last chance to come clean. If he didn't I had a plan, one that would hopefully get to the bottom of his lies and force out the truth. Willow and I spent all week going over the details and she was more than ready to help me. I was excited for the prospect of an adventure, some spontaneity in this schedule-oriented community. Part of me hoped it wouldn't come to this though. That tonight I could convince Stosh to open up to me, but I definitely wasn't counting on it.

I went over the plan over and over again in my head until the bell rang, signaling the end of the sessions for the day and the start of dinner. I fell in line with the crowd of people headed toward the cafeteria, my heart beating loud enough I could hear it in my ears. No, feel it in my ears. I was definitely nervous. Once I walked into the cafeteria I would know exactly how tonight would play out.

I took a deep breath and entered the cafeteria, scanning my schedule and receiving my tray. I pushed through the crowd to our regular table and felt my heart skip a beat. Coda and Willow were already there, whispering and smiling about something. And the seats across from them… empty. I filled up one of them, dropping my tray with a loud bang. Willow and Coda looked up from their conversation, startled.

Willow's eyes meet mine. "Give him a few minutes, Ollie."

I nod and start to pick at my roll, watching the last few stragglers enter the cafeteria and get their trays.

5 minutes pass. I have shredded my dinner roll completely. 10 minutes pass. My soup has gone cold. 15 minutes pass. I tear up my napkin. I look at Willow and I give her a nod, a signal that tomorrow we put the plan in action. She nods back and I leave, discarding my tray up at the trash bin and heading back to my dark, and empty, room.

"Are you sure you want to do this Ollie?" Willow asks, her arms crossed.

"I don't have a choice Willow. He didn't come home until after bedtime last night and when I questioned where he was he apologized and said he had a late counseling session with Peeta. But he was lying, I know it."

She sighs. "What if he isn't lying? What then?"

"I guess we'll find out today."

"Okay, and if he is. What if you don't like what you find?" She asks.

I look down at my hands. "I have to know Willie. Then I can stop worrying and move on from this."

She nods and links her arm through mine. "Well, then we have a mission to complete, and only one hour to do it. We better get started."

"And you are sure Coda has no idea?"

She shakes her head. "Nope. What would I tell him? Hey Coda, tomorrow when you and Stosh head out for free time, Ollie and I are going to stalk you." She gives me a big grin and two thumbs up.

I roll my eyes and start walking forward, pulling her along side me. "We have to hurry if we are going to catch them."

We make our way into the housing wing and peer around the corner, getting good view of Willow and Coda's room. Just like Willow mentioned, Stosh and Coda were already outside, whispering in low voices. We watch, waiting for the next move. From the other end of the hall walks a tall man in a white lab coat. I immediately recognize him as one of the nurses from the Med Unit. He walks up to Stosh and Coda, nods his head, and walks back the way he came.

"They are going to the Med Unit. Should we follow them?" I turn and look at Willow.

She shrugs. "This is your mission Ollie. I'm just here for support."

I sigh and stand up straight. "We'll go the less direct route. I can pretend I am there for a check up for the baby. Or maybe a meeting with Garth." This would be easier than I thought. They were going somewhere accessible.

We wind our way through the Atrium, taking a direct route into the Medical Center. The receptionist, a small woman named Lily, greets me as I enter.

"Well hello Ollie. Here for a check up?" She gives me a sweet smile.

I stutter for a moment, not sure what to say. Willow jumps in. "She hasn't been feeling well, she has had some… cramping. I convinced her to come get checked and told her I would come with her."

Lily flashes me a concerned look. "Of course. I'll call up to your doctor right away. Please, go ahead and make your way to the waiting room."

We hurry to the waiting room and I look at Willow. "Thanks for covering for me. I should have planned an alibi BEFORE entering the Med Center."

"No problem." She leads me into the waiting room and jolts to a stop. "Um, hey… Coda."

I look up and see Coda sitting in the waiting room, building a card house on one of the end tables. He freezes when he sees us, his mouth hanging open. "What are you two doing here?" He casually sets his cards down, the movement knocking down his 3-story house.

I clear my throat. "Just here for a check up. Willow thought she would come along, give me some company."

Coda relaxes. "Oh, everything okay?" His voice holds genuine concern.

I try to smile. "I think so."

Willow moves toward him. "What are you doing here Coda?"

I hadn't even thought about the fact that he had no real reason to be here. That just a moment ago he was walking the halls with Stosh.

He shrugs. "I guess they wanted to do an evaluation on me, make sure I was still in good health, especially not that our relationship progressed."

It sounds like a valid excuse, but is obviously a lie. I wonder if Stosh coached him to say that. Whatever he was trying to cover up, he had gone to great detail to keep it a secret. Willow moves to sit beside him and shoots me a look. "You should sit down Ollie. You know, in case something is wrong with the baby. You wouldn't want to overdue it."

Coda picks his stack of cards back up and starts rebuilding his house but he is having trouble keeping his hands steady. It takes him ten minutes to build the first level and just as he is moving on to the second level Nurse B comes and calls my name.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Willow jumps up, obviously expecting me to bring her along.

"Yes, I would love that." I wait as she says goodbye to Coda and she follows me down the hall into one of the exam rooms. She presses a small circular device to my arm that automatically gives her my blood pressure. She writes it down on my chart and tells me that Dr. Weaver will be in shortly. As soon as the door shuts and I am sure she is moving down the hall I turn to Willow.

"Go find Stosh, this is our only chance."

She gapes at me. "Find him where Ollie? We don't even know what he is doing here. He could be getting an exam. He could be in a meeting with a counselor."

I moan and jump off the table. "Fine, I'll go. Just tell them I went to the bathroom. I'll take a quick look around the floor and if I don't find him, I'll come right back."

Before she can protest I let myself out and creep down the hall. Most of the exam rooms are empty, the doors open and the lights off. Most of the exams take place in the morning, leaving the afternoon for special cases. I get to the end of the hall and frown, no Stosh. I think I could possibly make it up to the counselor's floor when the elevator in front of me dings. I jump into an empty exam room and press my back against the wall.

"… and remember what I said Mr. Thorner. She'll be taken care of as long as you follow the rules."

Stosh!

Stosh speaks up, his tone is resentful. "No problem Garth. She means a great deal to me, which you have figured out, so I expect you'll keep with the agreement."

She? Who is she?

Garth laughs. "I can do whatever I want Stosh. It just seems easier to get good results with some leverage."

"Can I go now?" Stosh asks.

"Sure Mr. Thorner. You wouldn't want to be late for your date."

Date?

I hear footsteps but they stop suddenly. "Oh and Garth. Can you pass on my congratulations to Posy."

"Will do. I hear she is quite ecstatic about the baby. Your baby."

The elevator door closes, taking Garth back up to office. Stosh's footsteps disappear down the hall and probably out into the waiting room, where he will meet back up with Coda. But I can barely concentrate. Somehow another girl is pregnant with Stosh's baby. I struggle to catch my breath, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with a pressure in my head. Black dots appear in my eyes and grow until I can no longer see. The next thing I know I am falling, and someone is calling out my name.