Chapter Four:

I refused to look at my parents' expressions. Cedric frowned to himself slightly, looking down at my hopefully demanding and powerful expression. Effie giggled nervously, walking to her room. Haymitch paused to listen.

Cedric shrugged a little. "I dunno...I felt like it."

So, there went my demanding expression. Pure shock. I didn't even have enough mental power to change my wide eyes in to a glare. I know my mouth popped open in a highly unattractive way and I stared at him in shock.

"You...you felt like it?" I hissed, somewhere near hysteria.

He nodded, a powerful look coming over his eyes that would've made any normal person cower. I'm not normal, probably because I stepped up to the challenge, narrowing my eyes in to a glare. "I felt like it," he growled.

"Well, never do it again," I snarled.

"Let's watch the video of it," Haymitch said, interrupting our disagreement.

Cedric followed Haymitch in to the other room.

"Mom, Dad, why didn't you say something?" I whispered, hoping Cedric didn't hear.

My parents exchanged looks. My Dad turned back with a slight smile, saying, "I can't. I did something similar to Mom."

"M-mom?"

Mom looked at me, her gaze full of fondness. "I had the same reaction. Shock, irritability, anger. But let's try to get through this. If I know Haymitch, he's coming up with a plan right now."

"Get in here!" shouted Haymitch's surly voice.

We walked in, my arms folded crossly with anger. I sat down next to Cedric, not bothering to pay attention to the stares I earned from every person in the room. The first chariot was nice. The second, third, and fourth were fine. I started to get nervous. 8, 9, 10, 11...12. It was fine at first. Fire girl, I was. I looked like I had stepped right out of a fire.

At first, we appeared kind of nervous, and then we both started waving. I caught sight of Cedric's hand moving from mine to my waist, and I knew what was going to happen. I almost felt like a little kid, wanting to hide my eyes, but I forced myself to glue my eyes to the screen.

The video me turned and looked up at video Cedric, looking slightly perplexed. That's when he leaned down and kissed me. All cameras zoomed in on us.

The cameras stayed on us when I melted in to him, not pulling away. They stayed on even after we broke apart. I felt my stomach turn upside down when I realized my afterward expression.

Cedric said to me, voicing my own thoughts, "You liked it."

"No, I didn't," came my reflex response.

Cedric snorted. "Yeah, right." He took the remote and backed it up a little to our kiss again. "Look, you melted right in to it. You wanted to."

I said, "I did not!"

"You can't deny it!" exclaimed Cedric.

"Yes, I can!"

"No, you can't!"

We stopped yelling for a moment, seething and glaring.

Cedric growled, "You cannot deny it. You liked it."

My voice squeaked as I spoke the truth, the truth I hated. "Maybe I did."

Cedric looked shocked that I had agreed with him. I turned my eyes away from his expression, to Haymitch's, and then my mother's. My Mom gave me a reassuring smile. My Dad assumed the look of a protective father. Haymitch started grinning.

"Hunger Games Romance number two," Haymitch said.

"No!" Cedric and I shouted at the same time.

Haymitch smiled. "It could save the both of you."

I was in deep trouble. No. It couldn't happen. I couldn't be chosen, Katniss Mellark's daughter, Laurel, for a tribute, and then fall in love with the other District 12 tribute. Yes. I don't think I'm very lucky. I looked up at his dark Seam eyes, and he kissed me again.

I stepped back once the short kiss was broken. It was true. Somewhere in my dense brain, I knew I liked him.

"I'm willing to save you," Cedric said softly to me.

I sighed. "I'm willing to save you." I paused, and then growled, "Don't kiss me again."

This brought a sad smile to Cedric's face. "Sorry," he said, walking away.

"You're going to break his heart with that," Dad said, with a knowing smile.

Mom touched Dad's shoulder gently. "Don't bother her about that."

Don't ask me what it was. Scared to love him? Scared to have my heart broken? I don't know.

"Go to bed," admonished Haymitch. "We've got a long way to go."

I walked in to my room.

It was dark and kind of late when I heard my door open. I sat up and blinked through the dark. I touched the lamp and turned on the light, sending a dim light through my huge room.

I was shocked to see Cedric. "What are you doing here?" I whispered. Tributes weren't allowed to visit other tributes at night.

"I don't know. I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I," I admitted. "But why are you in here?"

"I wanted somebody to talk to," Cedric said quietly. "Is that alright?"

I smiled. "Come sit down." I arranged my pillows so I could sit up in comfort.

He sat down at my feet.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"I'm really nervous. I'm really scared."

I was surprised someone so brave and strong admitted to nerves and fright. I gave him a reassuring smile. "It will be okay, Cedric. What are you scared of?"

He gave me those sad eyes that I was now scared to see. "Losing you."

"Are you really so sure that you will lose me?" I whispered.

"I'm not good at keeping people alive," he smiled sadly, and I knew there was more to it.

"Do you like me because you're scared I'll die? Is that the only reason?"

"No," Cedric turned his dark gray eyes to mine. "No. I love you because you are smart, strong, sweet, and beautiful. I'm scared to lose you because I've lost too many people in my life to lose one more."

I didn't understand, perhaps, but I did understand one thing. I was still scared. Scared to lose his love, or him...or...I don't know.

"Lie down," I offered.

He shook his head. "I can go to my room."

I gripped his hand tightly, causing him to look at me. "Goodnight."

He left, and I turned off the light, leaning back to fall asleep. He was scared to lose me. I felt my heart tie with mixed feelings. Happiness, sadness, grief, joy...Love?