Hey guys! Time for the next chapter! Girls day out! :) I know it's been over a week, I was traveling so I didn't have time to write. But now I'm in India so hopefully I'll have a chapter out every few days, or at least once a week. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this next chapter!

America POV

The next morning I woke up to see the bright sunlight filtering through my window and heard birds chirping beautiful melodies. I looked next to me for my sister but the other side of the bed was empty. May must have woken up early to continue her new piece. I smiled when I was reminded of last night. May and I had stayed up for hours just talking and having fun together as sisters, it was really a breath of fresh air for me- a pleasant change from my months at the castle.

As I got up and made the bed, the delicious smell of pancakes drifted towards me. Suddenly my mouth watered and my stomach grumbled as if I hadn't eaten in days. In a way it was true. I hadn't had much of an appetite for the past few days, memories of Maxon and the events of the Choosing Ceremony plaguing my mind. The only real meal I had eaten was when Ethan had taken me to that delicious Italian restaurant. Guilt panged in my chest when I realized how things had been left off between the two of us. His sad smile and the sound of his tires zooming away from my house. I promised myself that I would make it up to him.

Abandoning my task of fixing the bed, I dropped the sheets and pillows on the bed and rushed downstairs. When I made it to my kitchen I found my mom at the stove flipping pancakes and everyone else seated around the table, full plates in front of them. I saw how they stared greedily at the hot food, barely holding back their hunger in order to be polite. When they saw me in the doorway relief settled in their eyes when they realized the wait was over. I chuckled under my breath and went to take my seat next to May.

"Good morning sweetheart", my mother said from across the room, piling a couple pancakes onto her own plate. "Good morning Mom", I replied.

"Hey sleepyhead", Gerad teased, a smile on his face. "Hey yourself, Gerry Berry", I said while ruffling his hair. Gerad squirmed under my grasp and when I removed my hand from his hair he anxiously rearranged the tufts to make them look perfect again. I rolled my eyes at his childish antics though I was secretly glad he still had some time to be a kid.

"How long was I out for?" I questioned. "Over twelve hours", Kenna replied with a smirk. My mouth fell open in shock. I had never slept so long! I knew I had slept early last night but I didn't think I would be asleep for so long. I checked the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearly 10. No wonder everyone was starving.

Mom turned off the stove and carried her plate to the table, taking her own seat next to Gerad. "Bon appetit!" she exclaimed and everyone dug in excitedly. I cut off some of my own pancake and put it in my mouth, swooning at the fluffiness and sweetness. It was then that something caught my eye. An empty seat.

I stared longingly at the empty seat next to Mom which Dad used to occupy. My eyes stung with tears but I pushed them back. Everyone else seemed to have noticed the empty chair as well, their gazes darting over there every now and then. Mom stayed strong, her eyes dry of tears but I noticed the slight shake of her hand as she brought a forkful of pancake to her mouth, the way she hunched over slightly as if there was an unbearably heavy weight on her shoulder.

Kenna's reaction was quite the same as Mom, though I could see her eyes glistened with unshed tears. James put an arm around her, pulling her against him in a comforting embrace. I sensed the love in her eyes for him as she gazed up at him, the same emotion in James' eyes as he held her closer. James didn't know Dad for very long but he even he realized the impact of his loss. He kept furrowing his eyebrows in worry, lines creasing his forehead- and I knew that most of the worry was for Kenna and the rest of us. How we would fare in light of such tragedy.

Shaking her head as if to clear the bad thoughts Kenna put a bright smile on her face and went to put a spoonful of food into her daughter Astra's mouth. Little Astra was the only person at the table with a joyful expression on her face, as opposed to the somber look the rest of us wore. She giggled and gripped the spoon in her chubby fist, trying to put it in her mouth. She wound up getting most of it on her face but Kenna just wiped it away and guided the spoon to her mouth.

May seemed heavily affected by Dad's death, more so than the rest of us. I understood why though. Her and Dad were the painters of the family, always spending time together in her studio creating masterpieces. She must miss his presence in there while she was painting, the assurance that he was always there if she needed it. I felt terrible that every time she walked into the studio and started to paint, which was what she loved, she would be haunted by memories of him. I remember how he would always perfect May's pieces, adding a brush of paint there or changing the hue slightly. He would always walk out he door with paint in his hair and Mom would playfully scold him before lovingly brushing it out.

I felt absolutely heartbroken when I saw Gerad. His head was down and he shoved piece after piece of his pancake in his mouth, as if he couldn't wait to get out of here. As if he stayed any longer he would break down completely. His head was down to hide his face but I detected the tears that fell into his plate once in a while which he desperately tried to brush away.

Gerad hadn't known Dad for very long and it was terribly unfair that he was taken away before he could grow up. He was without a father figure in the time that he needed one the most. I supposed Kota was somewhat of a replacement but he wanted nothing to do with us anymore. And I was perfectly fine keeping it that way. When I glimpsed the fatherly look James gave him as he observed his internal struggle hope blossomed in my chest that he might have a worthy father figure after all.

I directed my attention back to my own plate, my heart aching. I was debating just leaving the rest of it when my stomach growled. Loudly. Everyone chuckled once and I blushed. At least this happened at home and not at the castle where proper etiquette was a must. I had just finished my meal when there was a knock at the door. I looked up in confusion but May stood up, leaving her food at the table. "That must be Celeste", she said, as she strode over to the door to open it.

Sure enough there was Celeste standing there with a bodycon dress, straight as a pin hair, and a knowing smirk on her face. She took in my ragged appearance, my hair down and in tangles and wearing a ratty pair of shorts with an oversized t-shirt with the words MUSICIANS KNOW BETTER printed on it, and frowned.

"Couldn't you at least have worn something a little more decent?" she asked with a sigh. A grin spread on my face at her words. "How can you be sure that this outfit isn't red carpet worthy?" I shot back. "Musicians do know better", I said, gesturing to the lettering on my t-shirt, a victorious smirk playing over my features.

Celeste laughed at that, but not in the genuine way that she would if she were amused. Nope, her laugh sounded more as if she was mocking me. "Oh America. It seems like your sense of style isn't the only thing that needs help. Your sense of humor is pathetic as well." I laughed at that, giving her credit for the quick comeback. I marveled at how the times had changed. Just a couple of months ago Celeste and I were at each other's throats. Now, we were cracking jokes and exchanging easy banter.

"Anyway girl, we have got to get you into something sexier. Plus that bird's nest you call hair needs some taming. I wouldn't be surprised if there were actual birds buried in there." I blushed at her comment about the clothes but it was to be expected, Celeste was nothing if not blunt. I shook my head and laughed quietly under my breath.

"Honestly Celeste, we're going for a girls day out. The whole point is that by the end of the day they will make me look amazing. Why does it matter what I look like before?" Celeste sighed in annoyance as if she thought my perspective was completely wrong. "Appearance is everything America", she stressed. I would have laughed but for the seriousness in her expression. Celeste was the type who would wear a ball gown to go the grocery store.

"Besides you've got to take care of their raw material. If you go in looking like you just walked off the streets they're not going to want anything to do with you. But walk in like a 10 and they'll work miracles. Trust me, I know this stuff. Getting primped is my specialty" she said with a grin. I laughed at the truth in her statement.

"Well come on!" said Celeste in mock irritation. "We haven't got all day. Lead the way!" she said, gesturing wildly to the rooms in the house. I chuckled and padded through the hallways to my new room. Celeste followed me, studying the house- the furniture and the artwork on the walls. "Nice place. Haven't seen many Fives living in houses like this" she commented airily.

And just like that, my heart plummeted. Not at her words, but at the meaning behind her. No regular five could afford this. This house..it was more meant for Twos and Threes, possibly Fours. Not for my family, not for me. I felt like an imposter in this house. In the house that was now my home.

And of course her bringing up the topic of the house reminded me of who gifted it to me. Maxon. At the time we had been engaged, about to get married the next day. I remembered his words at the Choosing Ceremony the next morning. He said I could keep the house but he wanted his letters back.

That reminded me of the letters. Damn, those letters. They showed me how deeply he loved me. Just a few pieces of parchment meant the world to me. I felt a pang in my chest as I realized I had to give them back.

I wondered if I could maybe copy them, a product of my wishful thinking. I immediately dismissed the idea. What made the letters special was not only what they contained but the fact that they were written by him, in his familiar scrawl- a mix of regular print and the elegant cursive he had learned during his schooling. I couldn't copy them, that felt wrong on so many levels. As if I was breaking some type of rule. Besides, the letters were meaningless if I had to read them in my own messy handwriting. They would lose their meaning, they would become meaningless scraps of paper.

Suddenly I felt pain in my right shoulder. I rubbed it absentmindedly as I came back into reality, my eyes blurry until they focused on a figure in front of me. Celeste waving her hand in front of my face. "Ow! Why did you punch me?" I asked angrily. "Well you were off in la la land and I had to make you come back down to Earth. What else was I supposed to do?" she asked indignantly. "Whatever", I said shaking it off. "

You punch hard Celeste", I said, half annoyed, half impressed. "I would hope so. I took karate classes before the Selection." "So you could scare the other girls into letting you win?" I teased. "Why else?" she said with innocence in her eyes. I laughed.

"But seriously, how'd you get the house?" she asked curiously. "Why? You want it?" I asked, avoiding the question. "No. It's too...cozy for me. I'm more into mansions. Seems totally your style though. Now, quit the bullshit and tell me who gave it to you?" It was strange why she was pressing the question so much, as if she knew I was hiding something.

"Someone gave it to me", I said lamely. Celeste waved me on as if to say who. "The prince", I squeaked out, my voice barely audible. I refused to say his name. Though my words came out as mush Celeste understood me. Her expression immediately contorted into one of rage.

"That asshole! How dare he give you a house for your family to live in and then not pick you! Does he enjoy hurting you? Enjoy making you live so close just so that you can see how happy him and his new wife are?" she snarled.

"Celeste, please, it's not like that", I said weakly. "The hell it isn't", she said, still livid. "Go get dressed and meet me down in five. I've got some planning to do", she said maliciously and I could practically see the gears turning in her head. "Please don't hurt him", I protested. I may hate him but I still cared about him too much to see him harmed. "By the time I'm done with him he'll be lucky to be alive", she said, her eyes alight and her voice sharp.

Done! Sorry it wasn't the girls day our but the story needed this. This chapter just poured out of me, I loved it. An extra long update. I promise next chapter will be the girls day out. How did you guys like protective Celeste? Of course she was as feisty as ever but I loved writing about the side of her who would do anything for her friends. Hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up soon. Bye!