I personally don't like this chapter because I had major writers' block trying to finish it. It's just an introduction to life in District Thirteen along with the characters. Ugh, I can't wait to write the ending because that's the one I'm most excited to write about. Haha. Anyways, thanks to those who reviewed my story and put this on alert/favourites. Also, a great thanks to Caisha for helping me with the story. I truly appreciate it.

Chapter One – Edelweiss, Edelweiss

"There grows a white, white flower,

By the wild Alps of romance,

And who would reach its dainty leaves,

Takes life and death in chance,"

The rain had started as a mere drizzle but now as I run back to my house, it is pouring heavily. My worn thin shoes splash into a puddle and soak my socks. I inwardly groan as I continue to rush through the rain. As I near my house I feel a tap on the shoulder and turn around. Azalea Liss, my best friend who coincidentally is my neighbor, waves me goodbye and runs to her house. I turn back and continue running until I reach the comfort of being safe inside. Before I can make my way to my room, I hear my Aunt Wisteria's voice calling me.

Ignore, ignore, ignore.

"Edel, did you hear me?" she says.

I almost reach the doorknob.

"Edelweiss Biddens!" she calls.

I flinch at the sound of my full first name. I've always hated the way it sounded, even though the flower I was named after is lovely. Sighing greatly, I reluctantly turn around to face my scowling aunt. I've been living with her and my cousins, Leo and Rosemary, ever since my parents died twelve years ago when I was five. The Hastings are from my mother's side and my aunt refuses to tell me and my sister why and how they died. Even if I try hard to remember, I was just too young to know anything. My uncle died five years ago while he was "mining graphite" when actually he died out of overexposure to acid. Everyone here knows District Thirteen is secretly responsible for nuclear weapons. Why the Capitol wants to cover that up is just unknown.

"Why are you late? School ended two hours ago, where have you been?" she demands, arching an eyebrow.

I sigh dramatically. "Aunt Wisteria, why does it always come as a surprise to you whenever I come home late? Really now, there's nothing to worry. I was just walking around the city center with Azalea – where else could we go?" I roll my eyes. It's not as if the Peacekeepers would let us go beyond the boundaries of District Thirteen. The other twelve districts, we can only imagine how they look like.

"Well, your sister was worried about you."

I turn back around to the door and just before I enter, I add in jestingly, "Don't worry, I know not to ever be later than two and a half hours – in fact, I'm thirty minutes early than usual."

I shut the door behind me and gasp. I roll my eyes at myself, thinking that I had seen a reflection of myself on my bed. My sister, Sage, and I look so much alike that sometimes people need to look at us carefully to differentiate us. According to our aunt, we inherited all of our mother's features; we have her long blonde curls falling past our shoulders, her hazel eyes, and her thin face. We look like her in every bit and, as our aunt says, if she was still alive, one might think we're triplets. But Sage is a year older than me and her face looks slightly more mature than mine.

"Edel, there you are!" she says in relief.

"Why aren't you at work, Sage?" I ask, making my way to my small cupboard in search of dry clothes.

Ignoring my question, she says, "Do you know if you keep this up, one day you might accidentally be a bit too late and you'll be late for curfew? Do you know what the Peacekeepers would do to you?"

I think District Thirteen is the only district to have a curfew – 7 pm, to be exact – because from what I heard and learned from school, the other districts have their workers work until the dead of night. Here in Thirteen, any type of work must be stopped or finished thirty minutes before curfew and people must not be outside after hours. It doesn't bother most people for they never worry if they won't get paid enough to support their families; a person who works in the labs to help create the nuclear weapons get good money and at least one person from each family must work there. So, District Thirteen isn't as poor as most would think, but they still treat us horribly. Mining graphite is a must, only because the Capitol doesn't want any suspicions. In our case, Leo is the miner and my sister (who has very good knowledge in Science) works in the labs.

Though my sister and I are similar in looks, we are like a beetle is to a butterfly personality-wise. To put it short, she's everything I'm not. While the only thing I'm ever brave enough to do is come home late from school, she can stand up to the bullies in school or hang around with boys. She's protective over me, which is why as I change into dry clothes, she is currently giving me a lecture about the curfew. I almost say she's starting to sound like a Peacekeeper but decide against it; she hates them and the Capitol. Working in the labs, everyone knows how smart she is in Science. Oh, and did I mention she's a wonderful athlete in school? She's perfect in every sense of that word and I am not. But it still comforts me to know that whenever someone is hurt or sick, they usually come to me for my knowledge in medicinal herbs. Aside from working in the labs, my mother had worked in an apothecary. I want to be like her.

"Do you understand, Edel?" she asks.

Since we're all choosing to ignore answering questions today, I repeat my previous question in reply, "Aren't you supposed to be at work, Sage?"

She sighs. "Goodbye, Edel."

No sooner did she walk out the door does little Rosemary come in. She's only five years old and when she was born, me and Sage were already here, and that made her think we were here actual sisters. "Edel, look," she whines, showing me her pinky finger.

"What is it, Rosie?" I ask, kneeling down to her height. I take her finger and inspect it carefully. It takes me almost five minutes to realize there is a small splinter stuck in there. "Oh, well, that must be irritating, huh? Don't worry, I'll get it out."

Rose is one of the few people that never fail to make me smile when she comes to me for help, when she chooses me over my beloved sister to go to. I squeeze her finger gently before pulling the splinter out with my nails which I like to keep long – just in case I might have to pull out splinters just like right now (or maybe even scratch someone).She gives me a quick 'thank you' before running outside, me following behind her and shutting the door.

"Aunt Wisteria, I'm going to go over to Azalea's house, okay?" I call out before exiting the house.

It's still raining heavily and I have to run again next door. I open the door easily and walk in; the Liss don't mind me just barging into their home because they're used to me coming over often, just like the Hastings don't mind when Azalea comes over. As I had expected, I find her in the living room along with her little brother, Ignatius, who is eight years old. She's the only daughter out of three children, her oldest brother, Theo, being one of Leo's best friends. Azalea became my best friend the moment we sat together during lunch in our first day of school. Both she and I thought that since were neighbors, we might as well sit together. Who knew it could lead to me thinking her as a second sister?

"Iggy and I were talking," she says as I sit next to her on the floor. "He says he wants to be a graphite miner – says it seems exciting. He asked me when I'm going to work in the labs. And then I said, 'what if I want to work in the mines with you?' and he said, 'only boys can work there'."

I raise an eyebrow at the young boy in front of me. "Well, what do you think of the labs, Iggy? Do you think it's fun to work there? Let's say there wasn't such a thing as mining – would you like to work there making weapons?"

His face lights up. "Yes! I think it's fun to wear white coats!"

Azalea and I laugh. "What if I said 'only girls can work there'?" It worked; his smile falls. "See? Just because most of the men work at the mines, it doesn't mean women can't work there too. It's the same with working at the labs, too."

Azalea smirks, pulling her little brother on to her lap. "Why didn't you bring Rosie along?" she asks me, but her eyes are on her brother whose cheeks immediately turn pink upon hearing Rosie's name.

I gasp, leaning forward. "Does someone have a crush on Rosemary Hastings?" I ask, ruffling his auburn hair, which is the same as his sister's. "Ignatius and Rosemary Liss. Aww, don't you think that sounds like a happy couple, Lea?"

"Oh, look, he's blushing. His cheeks are so rosey!"

Iggy buries his wide green and red face behind his palms as Azalea and I continue teasing him. Rosie is a sweet, adorable little girl – who wouldn't have a crush on her?