Hoi hoi hoi, NyanToDaMax here, and welcome back to Tribute Tales! I kinda put off the District one Reapings to write for Kio, so here we are! We also get a little bit of exposition here, so… yeah. Not sure what to say XD

Name: Kio Stone

Gender: Male

Age: 17

District: 2

Appearance: Short black hair, brown eyes, slightly tanned skin. Not too skinny or fat.

At the time of this story, Kio has just been rescued from Harriet.

"... some damage to his wrist bone, and the bullet only grazed his skull, so he's okay. Thank goodness that girl wasn't a good shot whatsoever."

"Sh-she's in jail, right? She won't be coming for my baby anymore?"

"Hey, man, y-you'd better wake up… okay…?" So many voices… none of which are clear. My head is throbbing like crazy, and it felt like my wrist was on fire. I groan softly.

"Kio?" I force my eyes to open. There's a bright light above my head. My eyes are unfocused. I turn my head to the side. Two people are there. Slowly, my eyes come into focus.

"...Mom…? G-Garret….?" I murmur. I look past them and see a shimmering shape.

Kaynah… I blink and try to prop myself up.

"Don't try that, Kio. You were badly hurt." I look over at the doctor, holding a clipboard. Garret's face looks very worried, which is uncharacteristic of him. My mother is wringing her hands, tears in her eyes.

"Thank goodness you're awake, Kio!" she sobs. Garret smiles, relieved.

"Hey man, I'm glad you're okay. Who knew that Harriet was capable of such a thing…?" Garret tries to joke. But the memory of everything comes rushing back, and suddenly, I'm back in Harriet's basement, and she's laughing insanely… again…

"No…!" I cry, sobbing. Garret panics.

"Shoot, I'm sorry, Kio! Y-you alright…?" he asks. I hear the doctor again.

"Kio might have post-traumatic-stress disorder… he might need years of counseling to get over it, or he might never."

"What?! But… my baby! He's gone through so much already!" my mother cries. The doctor shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." Garret pulls my attention away from their conversation.

"Hey, Kio. I'm really glad that you're alive, okay? I just hope that you're not too… you know." I close my eyes and try not to think about that terrible experience.

"Thanks Garret… Thanks…"

"Kio? Dear, are you alright?" I look up from my tablet at my mother. She's standing in the doorway, holding a tray of food for me. I nod slightly and set my tablet down.

"The doctor says that you'll be able to stand in a couple of days, alright, sweetie? Then, maybe you and Garret can go to the park or something… you know?" mother suggests. I eat slowly, not really listening.

"Yeah… thanks mom." Mom smiles and leaves, gently closing the door behind her. I've been trying to get that experience out of my head for days now, but I keep dreaming about it. Every detail. The time she cut my eye, the time my wrist broke from pulling on my chains to hard… everything.

You'll be okay, Kio. I look up at Kaynah. She's hovering beside my bed, a worried expression on her face.

"I know… I know." I close my eyes and curl up.

If only there was a way to forget…

"Dang, the Homecoming dance is crazy, huh?" Garret laughs. I can't help but agree. Colored lights and streamers decorate every part of the room, balloons are tied in gigantic bunches, the DJ is going full blast, and so much more. The lights and sounds are almost suffocating.

"Wow, so many couples. Looks like we'll never be one of them, huh?" Garret jokes light-heartedly. I nod slowly, keeping the memory of Harriet locked away. Garret glances at me, worried that he might have set off another hallucination.

"Hey Garret," I say, "I don't think I want to have a girlfriend. Ever." Garret is silent for a second. Then he gently slaps me on the back.

"Me too, man. I mean, not really worth all the emotional strength, huh?" I laugh at that. The music becomes slow, and all the couples go out onto the dance floor. I glance at Garret, contemplating.

"Hey Garret, let's swear that we'll never have girlfriends, okay?" I ask. Garret is silent for a moment. Then he places his hand on his chest and raises his right hand. I shrug and do the same.

"I, Garret Williamson, swear to never have a girlfriend."

"I, Kio Stone, swear to never have a girlfriend either." We high-five and start laughing as the absurdity of what we just did hits us.

"Dang, now everyone's gonna think we're gay." Garret jokes. I roll my eyes, because it's so obvious that he's joking.

"Hey man, just glad you were there for me." I laugh.

And there you have it! I'm sorry I postponed writing the District one reapings for this, but Kio died, so I just decided to do this. Honestly, it was kinda rushed. I hope you like it!

So thank you guys so much for reading, and me, NyanToDaMax145, will seeya guys next time! BOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIII!

PS: KIO IS NOT GAY. OKAY? I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LISTED HIS SEXUALITY AS ASEXUAL… OR AROMANTIC? IS THAT IT?