Hey guys! This update was going to happen earlier today but my internet has been out all day. I actually went o Starbucks just so I could update for you all, I love you that much! I also started a new story called "Infinity: Sea Glass" and it is a Finnick and Annie story, but includes all the characters. It is also the first in a series I have planned so please check it out and please leave a review.
TARDISRose: Poor Annie, right? She has been through a lot!
MiaBelles: I'm glad you liked! I thought it was Gale's turn to have a moment of weakness...
MahoganyMagic12: Her birthday is passed and she is just 17, sadly. I'm glad you liked Jo and Gale and thanks!
MewWinx96: Good okay or bad okay? That confused me...? And I'm glad you liked Finnick and Annie!
Catching Fireflies: Easily the scariest class of my life! He was a '"rapist" as well. I'm glad you liked it!
TurtleThompson: XD
MeaganOneDirection: It was awesome! And yeah... it was real. The Annie in love with superheros thing... me too! The Batman thing is also a true thing about me because I was ten miles away when the shooting happened and it freaked me out.
TheWomanWhoCodesAndWrites: I'm glad you liked the Johale moments and I don't know what extremes she would have to go to... Couple more chapters for Coin and the climax and I have a plan for them... ;)
HP-LotR-SW-HG: I had to call people over here to figure what your pen meant... got it :D I don't think anyone will be disappointed with the outcome of Annie.
Sarah7821: I can try to add them in :)
Guest: I swear I saw a picture where Sam had an anchor tattoo! I'll look it up again though...
axes tridents and snares: I'm glad you liked Johale! And I'll keep that in mind...
RunnergirlI: Who doesn't hate Coin? She is a jerk!
Addicted2-Your-Story: Ikr! It is so sad! :(
Anarchy Girl: Glad to know I'm flamer protected :)
FallenPetals712: I don't hate you mini... :'(
hungergamesgirl999: I'm glad you like it!
Chapter 19- Costumes
Annie
I am able to get to sleep, but it is restless and filled with nightmares. I just see my mother coming at me with the knives and tools of torture. I wake up, screaming, my head filled with the pain of a migraine. I am drenched in sweat and the morning does nothing to relieve me of my terror. In a few short months, I will belong to my mother once again. Finnick rushes to my room. I'm sure my screams woke him up. He knocks on my door, but doesn't hesitate to enter my room. "Annie?"
I am under the covers of my bed, my tie-dye shirt and green fleece pants offering no warmth to me. Nothing brings me comfort like Finnick's hugs. I am crying. I can feel the warm tears roll down my face and the salt of them stinging my cheeks that I have rubbed raw. "Finnick!" He holds me in his arms and speaks to me in hushed whispered tones. He doesn't say conversation; he just says what he wants to do. Take me away. Keep me safe. Protect me. He loves me. "Finnick, she can't take me!"
He nods. "I know. I will not let her. I have a plan." He reveals his plan to me in the dead of night, and I cannot help but relish the smile that is on my face. He lulls me back to sleep, not leaving my side until we both wake up the next morning.
At school, no one knows of our problems at Graceland. The court date was released for later this month at a time during school, so we will miss a day of school to go to court, to win Graceland back. The premiere of Les Miserables will happen at the end of October, in two weeks and if the judges like our show, we will perform it in front to the International Thespian Society in Florida. I cannot hold back my excitement. It almost makes up for the fact my mom has come back. Almost.
"Our costumes came in today! We are going to have our first dress rehearsal tomorrow, but today's rehearsal will be devoted to trying on costumes and knowing what scene the outfit is for." Clove announces to the cast. We cannot conceal our excitement. Even the guys like costume day. "When I call your name, go to the back to get your costumes. Gigi is checking them out in the back." She looks us over. "Annie and Finnick, you go first for the High School students and Prim and Rory, you go first for the younger students." The four of us nod and head to the back.
Gigi smiles when she sees us. "Annie, let me see. These are your costumes," She passes me a bag with what feels like five costumes in it. "Go change in the stage right dressing room. That will be the high school student's dressing room."
I start to walk away and turn around. "You mean, just girls or boys and girls?"
She smiles. "Boys and girls, for today at least." I can feel the blush spread across my face. I'm going to have to change in front of Finnick.
I walk to the dressing room and pull out my first costume, admiring it. It is beautiful, too beautiful for Eponine and I assume it is my costume for the first scene I appear in, the rich woman in the crowd of the poor. The costume is yellow-gold with a corseted bodice and a skirt that puffs out. "Wow." I breathe.
"You'll look stunning in that." I turn around and see Finnick looking at the costume with me. He pulls out his first costume, a patchy outfit covered with dirt stains and a newsboy cap. He's playing one of the poor people.
"You'll look completely handsome." He comes in to peck my lips and I allow him to. I start to take off my clothes, hoping Finnick isn't watching too carefully. I have my visible stomach and my scar covered legs. I take off my blue jeans and my shirt off. I'm just standing there in my black female boxer briefs and pale purple bra. I turn around and see he has taken off his shirt and jeans as well. I can feel his eyes linger on me. He has never seen me this undressed. I always wear a one piece when we go swimming.
"Annie?" I brace myself for his response. He probably is thinking like my mother. How could someone be so ugly? I ask myself that question all the time. "You're beautiful." The response catches me off guard.
"What?" I can feel my heart beating faster in my chest. Did I hear what I think I heard?
"You are beautiful, Annie." He pulls me close and kisses me. We stand like that, me only in my underwear and bra and him in just his boxers. Finally we break apart, both of us saddened we had to do so. "We should get dressed, shouldn't we? More people will be coming in soon."
I nod. "I guess you are right." I pull on my dress and ask Finnick help me tie my corset. He has always been good with knots. "Are you sure you want me to? I mean, it ties in the front and I will be over your," he pauses and has a huge blush over his face. "I'll have to get close to your chest area."
I suppress a giggle and look him in the eyes. "I trust you, Finn. Just help me into my costume." He nods and ties my corset. We walk out in our costumes, having to go onto the stage to display our costumes in front of everyone. Prim and Rory are heading back upstairs to try on their next costumes and Marvel and Glimmer have their costume bags in hand. The pause when they see us though. Everyone looks shocked at us.
Clove is the first to speak. "Finnick, you look great and all, but your girlfriend looks too good for you right now." The cast starts to laugh and I feel myself blush.
"I know! How did I get so lucky?" Everyone is commenting on how pretty I look and how perfect it is.
"Go show Gigi. I'm sure she will want you to keep those costumes for the show." Clove says. We nod and head to the back where Gigi is waiting.
"Those two costumes are perfect! Go try on your others and show me those too."
We try on our others. Finnick has four other costumes: a comedic green striped suit and feathered top hat that makes him look like a comedic villain, which I assume is the costume he will wear at the end when he sneaks into the wedding, an equally comedic retired looking military suit and a patchy yet colorful peasant's outfit.
I have four other costumes as well, a red corset that is obviously meant to be undergarment in that time with a red skirt, a blue tired looking dress that has a belt and a patchy shawl to go with it, my main costume, a men's light brown trench coat, khaki pants and white blouse with a newsboy cap, which I assume is the costume I die in and a lovely blue dress that I assume is my finale costume. I'm happy with the results of today and wish everyday could be like this so I wouldn't have to go back to my mother in Colorado. Still, I know Finnick will not let that happen.
Peeta
I walk back into Graceland after rehearsal, everyone laughing and smiling, the girls showing off selfies to one another of their costumes. It is a great way to be put into an instantly better mood. We walk up the stairs and I gasp when I see there are two people who are there who aren't there normally. "Asher! Ryan!" I cannot help the joy in my voice at seeing my brothers who are now nineteen and twenty-one and in college. "What are you two doing here?"
Asher comes up to me and engulfs me in a hug. "Hey little bro!" Ryan, taller than Asher but shorter than me, then comes up and lets himself in the hug. When they let go Asher and Ryan look at me with serious eyes. "Graceland is going to court, right?"
I nod, letting myself become suddenly nervous but Ryan and Asher are glancing at one another. "We came to testify. It's going to be in court on Thursday and Friday, right? Well, we're going to help you guys out. It is still our home, after all." Ryan says, running his hand through his buzzed blonde hair.
I nod and smile. "What are you going to tell them?"
Asher puts his hand on my shoulder. "We want to tell everyone how you lost your leg and how Graceland paid to get you a fake one and how they took care of all of us after mom beat us." I gulp and nod.
Asher and Ryan start to pull out a binder filled with notebook paper and notes they took over the case. "Guys?" They both look up at me. "How exactly did I lose my leg?"
It's cold outside at the funeral. There is a sheet of fresh white snow and the flowers look too bright and red against the black of the coffin and the white of the snow. It was honorable how father died, fighting until his last breath over the cancer that overtook him. He was happy until the end too. He was an amazing dad. Asher and Ryan both have red noses and cheeks and puffy eyes from crying. I'm sure I don't look much different.
We bury father and get back into the black suburban that we drive. Asher is driving us. He got his license not too long ago and the suburban was a gift to him from father. The last gift father gave to him. Mother stayed at home declaring it was too much for her to go to her husband's funeral. I know father would have wanted her to come, but we all know the reason why she stayed. She didn't like father. She never did. She hated how all of her sons look like paper cut outs of her husband. She never got the daughter she wanted.
We enter our bakery, our home as well as our business and we start to head upstairs. "Where do you three think you are going?" We all look up at her, Asher is putting himself between mother and Ryan and I. She backhands him and hits his face when we don't answer. "Where are you going? Where were you? Why were you gone so long?"
Asher gulps but looks mom in the eye. "We are going up to our room. We were at Dad's funeral. We were gone so long because that is how long a funeral takes." He pauses and looks at her once more. "Any other questions?"
She slaps him across the face again. "Don't smart off to your mother. You don't have your dad here to protect you anymore. You three all go get changed and come back down here. You are all going to work."
Ryan looks like he is about to protest, but Asher turns around and shushes him before he gets the chance. When we get up to our room Asher sets out three shirts with the Mellark Bakery logo on it, a blue one for him, a red one for Ryan and an orange one for me. In a whisper he says, "We can mourn dad tonight. He wouldn't want us to disobey mother if we are going to get hurt."
I pull off my back suit and dress pants and put on some jeans that once belonged to both of my brothers. We go downstairs and she puts us all to work, Asher working in the sink, Ryan baking the bread and myself putting frosting on the cakes while mother manages the front, pretending to be bright and happy for customers. We hear a crash coming from the sink and see a shattered plate in the sink. Mother comes back and sees the shattered plate in the sink. She looks around and grabs a rolling pin and beats Asher with it and ignores his screams. I run to my brother by Ryan holds me back. "She'll just beat you too."
I nod and let tears roll down my face. Asher always protected Ryan and me and we cannot return the favor for him. When mother finishes beating him she returns to the front as if nothing happens. We look over to Asher and see his cheek is completely caved in and see him swelling up. He looks over to us and smiles, but winces as he does. "Don't worry guys. We'll be alright."
Ryan shakes his head. "Asher, your face is completely caved in! We have to do something." He looks at me. "Go put the bread in the oven for me. I'm going to go get something for Asher's face."
I watch Ryan as he risks going to the icebox, where mother is and see him take out ice for Asher. Mother catches him and slugs him, giving him what looks like will become a black eye. I gasp and drop the bread I was holding into the oven. Mother sees and rushes to me, leaving Ryan forgotten. "Did you just drop that bread, Peeta?"
I look at her terrified and nod. "I- I'm sorry." She picks me up like I weight nothing at all and throws me against the wall, causing me to black out.
"What happened after that? I don't remember anything until I wake up in the hospital." I ask quietly and nervously.
Asher is the first to speak up, after moments of silence. "Mother tried to throw you into the oven, but I grabbed you and refused to let her. She then charged at me with a butcher knife. Ryan was already on the phone calling 9-1-1. Mom threw the knife and it got your leg, causing it to bleed like crazy. She then started to beat us with the rolling pin again. She clomped me on the head and I became dizzy and dropped you. She charged after you again and was beating your leg. The police and ambulance and even the fire department showed up. They loaded us onto the ambulance and got us away from mother as fast as they could."
I nod and gulp. I'm glad I don't remember that. Ryan and Asher both pull me in for another hug, but I smile at them. "If we tell the court that is what Graceland rescued us from, there is no way we will lose."
Thanks to: MeaganOneDirection, MiaBelles, Mikey Jacquez, Natura Nature, SecretsandSugarCubes, SibunaChika1227, StarBright18, StayAlways, axes tridents and snares, Anarchy Girl, Catching Fireflies, TARDISRose, Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades, Kyranoel, Fire Kitty 12, MewWinx96, babymcflurry, ThaliaFairbain, cutegirlems, Y.O.L.O So do it right, lole12312, Cinna's Bird, MahoganyMagic12, Random person in wonderland, RiderArya103, SparksFly'SkyHigh, Addicted2-Your-Story, AnotherDawnLikeOurFlag, TurtleThompson, messygreenroom, PerfectionIsFlawed, come burn with me, hyllia14, Lizzie6410, Steven Garrett, Kirihito Mai, RunnergirlI, hungergamesgirl999, UntilTheCannonSounds, Yasie, Purplespartan, HungerGamesAddict3, Amitytribute, DomiHearts1497, likelife, sarah. , ExplodingAaron, gomez-girl, 1DandBobsyouruncle, Wolfie-V, nolengthoftime98, Naanal, eadricson, kittybelltheory, smileywiley, Peetagorean Theoerem Is Here, DaughterFromApollo, RedandCalico, Justseeingyou and dogpawz for adding this to their favorites! Thanks!
Thanks to my 85 followers as well!
-Juliet