Well, would you look at that, I am alive! Even I was starting to question it, I've been off of here for far too long. For the past several weeks (it's almost been a month, actually) I've had an unusual abundance of homework and projects for school (I have exactly five projects due within about five weeks of each other for English alone); an unusual lack of abundance in sleep, so I've been exhausted consistently; and I've also had an unusual lack of enthusiasm in any and all things, including writing. And reading as well. I don't know what's wrong with me to be honest. I have been in the middle of a brand new book for about a month as well, and another brand new one waiting for me on my shelf. And the weirder thing is that I don't jump for the chance to read it when I do have the time. :O I'm seriously shocked.

When I started this story, I promised myself that I would finish the story, and I promise you guys that I will keep my promise for all of you and for myself. It just might take me a long time, and I might need some encouragement because I'm not always that… determined. But it will get done.

Long of the short is, I'm sorry it took so dang long to write this next chapter.

And the sad thing is that it's not even finished. I just wanted to post this so that you all would know that I haven't given up on the forest or anything, and that I'm still working on it. There will be more of this chapter coming out as soon as I can possibly get it done!

Anyway, here is the portion of the next chapter I've managed to write. It's quite pitifully short. This atrociously long AN is close in length. Unfortunately.

-Kai Taka, District 3-

Tap. Tap. Tap tap.

A rapping on my bedroom window startles me, pulling my attention momentarily away from the mess of wires and gears piled on my little wooden desk. I've been trying to make this clock work for days, but so far it's still dead to the world.

I roughly toss my tools back onto the desk and walk over to the only window in my room where I find Ren standing, poised with her fingernail pecking away at the glass.

"Open this thing up!" Her call is muffled from the glass in between us.

My eyes narrow in confusion at her request, but I don't question her. With a lot of elbow grease, I manage to shove the unused windowpane up far enough to allow Ren's slim frame to climb through. After more tugging, and some light cursing, though, neither one of us can get it to close again.

Sighing in defeat, I sink to the floor, resting against the end of my bed.

Now I question her. "Why the window, exactly?"

Ren's jaw works for a moment, and then she seats herself cross-legged opposite me. She doesn't meet my eyes when she utters, "There were Peacekeepers walking around outside the front of your house."

I press my lips together and take a deep breath. Of course that would be why.

When I first met Ren, I was a mess. A sobbing, delirious mess. I had been wandering aimlessly down the street with the sole intention of just getting away from it all.

I had been exhausted from staying by my father's bedside the entire night. I had only nodded off for a short moment with my head on my shoulder. When I finally woke up again, blinking fast, eyes wide… he was already gone. I couldn't reconcile with myself after that. I was devastated that I had let him go. I had made a promise to myself and to Father that I would stay with him the whole time and that I wouldn't let him leave me. I failed, though. I broke my promise. I fell asleep and hadn't been able to keep him here.

Later that evening, on the brink of night, I was fed up with the house, with my mom, and even with little Scotty who only tried to comfort me. Me. I should have been the one that had to comfort him. He was only ten years old then.

I had blindly torn out of the front door with only my feet stumbling forward to keep me going. My heart wasn't doing anything to help me move. It was too broken.

That's when I ran into Ren for the first time, literally. I accidentally knocked the sack of fruit she had been holding out of her arms. Apples, oranges, and tomatoes rolled out in all directions. I hastened to pick them all up while muttering apologies, but she just shook her head and told me that they probably would taste like [crud] anyway. So, instead, with a knowing glance at me, she grabbed an apple so bruised it was basically pulp and took a tiny bite out of it.

"Yup," she said, after making a show of spitting out her bite, "it's toast."

It wasn't until she started laughing that I realized she wasn't mad.

Not wanting to get any Peacekeepers on our case, we shoveled all of the mushy fruit into the sack and dropped it in a nearby trashcan when nobody was paying any attention. That was when Ren started to tell me a story.

A story about her life.

Suddenly, mine didn't seem so bad.

She told me how she lived on the streets and had to fend for herself. How she can't stand the sight of Peacekeepers. How her parents were both killed by some.

That night, we became friends. Since then, Ren is the closest — and the only — friend of mine.

After a moment of silence, Ren coughs, hauling me out of my reverie.

"Are you okay?" My voice is dripping with worry. A cough could mean anything here. It could be completely harmless, or it could foreshadow your oncoming death. Without much more than a handful of amateur doctors, it's almost impossible to tell.

Her smile comes easily. "Yes, I'm okay, Kai." At the play on my name, her smile widens to a beam.

I chuckle.

-Wylie Freeman, District 3-

I'll have the rest of the chapter as soon as I can. :)

-Tasting Raindrops-