Hey guys. I am SO, SO, SO, SORRY! I feel terrible that I haven't updated for a while. It is just that I had slight writer's block with a portion of the chapter, and I was busy with going back to school. I hope you forgive me. The good news? Hey- I'M BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER! (maybe? am I better than ever? Answer: IDK (i don't know)) Guess what? My Honors English class is reading Hunger Games!

Ok. Sorry for the rant. Anyways read and review.

I do not own the Hunger Games, as Suzanne Collins was the brillant author who wrote it. I do however own my own created charaters like Rose or Sirius.

"Rose Mellark! You are late, young lady!"

Rose groaned when she walked inside number three Victors Village that night. She told her mother that she'll be gone from 7 until 9, right? Oops, it was 9:35 p.m. Crap. Perhaps some good old fashioned reasoning would work.

"My dear mother," Rose thought about fluttering her eyelashes and talking like a little girl, but that would be too much. "I was late because I was the last person in line to audition."

"You could have contacted me saying that earlier," Andromeda stated. It was hard for Rose not to roll her eyes. Her mother was paranoid. Perhaps because in her mother's early childhood she was taught about the war, the Hunger Games, how to assemble a rifle, and who was willing to purchase a shotgun in these parts. Not the best combination. "And didn't your teacher know the correct time?"

Rose bit her lip. "She asked me to sing a little extra. Ah… apparently I was pleasant enough."

"Pleasant?"

"I was… ok."

Rose's mother's expression softened. "Honey, I bet you did well, just… tell me next time. That's all. Here," she pointed to a plate of cold spiced vegetables with marinated chicken. "Warm this up."

"Where's Sirius?" Rose asked through a mouthful of peppered carrots and tomatoes.

"Upstairs in his room doing his homework." Rose suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"You don't believe that, do you?"

"Well, there must be some reason why he gets Bs on his report card. Now, you young lady," Andromeda turned her attention to her daughter once more," is your homework done?"

"Yes. Just need to look it over once more." Rose lied. Truthfully, there was a paper on leaders and dictators due the next week that she better start on soon, but who cares? "I'll just be going upstairs, thanks Mom."

She slipped upstairs before her mom could ask her anything else.

"Hey Butt Head." Rose poked her head inside her brother's room.

"You should really knock you know? In case of awkward moments."

"Awkward moments?" She laughed. "Like what?"

Sirius looked up from his desk, where he had been on his computer gaming in the new thriller 3D world of Cyclopes VS Mountain Trolls. "Like when I got me a girl over and we want to have our privacy." He wiggled his eyebrows to suggest something specific.

Rose snorted. "As if."

"Who knows? And I wouldn't make fun if I were you, so if it's ever vice versa…"

Rose stared at her brother, curious as to what his answer might be. "Vice versa?"

Sirius grinned and leaped up from his chair. "Oh its nothing, just you always hang out with Apollo like you have a chance."

"Excuse me! I do not have a crush on Apollo!" Rose became defensive.

"Who ever said you have a crush? I just said have a friend over who is of the opposite sex. Gosh Rosie, you have such a dirty little mind, don't you?"

Rose sputtered. "But… that… I never said – Sirius! I am not the one with a dirty mind. No, I don't have a crush on Apollo!"

"Look me in the eye and say it then."

"I do not have a crush on Apollo!"

"HA! You blinked!"

"Whatever." Rose left the room, grumbling under her breath about how big brothers aren't to be trusted and why couldn't the world be full of girls and guys who fully matured (at least the age of 25… maybe).

Looking at the contents of her bag, most of her homework was done; it just needed to be returned to the appropriate folders. The science paper on genetics was mixed with Rose's speech on forest ferns while data based on baking soda reactions somehow mysteriously shown up in her notes of landforms and terrain of the past. There was no telling where her math homework ended up; therefore she was anything but organized in areas that her mother didn't touch.

She sighed and plucked the dictators paper instruction sheet from between her social studies folder and language arts notebook. Looking at it, the directions read:

Our nation has been through a lot to get this far. History shows what has been accomplished and lost to be able to live the way we do today. However, there was once a period of time after the Time of Ruins and Lost Continents where it has been bloody, dark, war, rules, fear, and finally dictators with a fight for power and confidence.

In class we discussed this time period. Now for a final grade to judge what has been learned, you will need to either:

*interview someone who has lived through a piece of this time

Or

*do research on a specific person of importance by using resources and records to gain information

You will need to find out

*What feelings does this person have about the Capitol

*how had the events of that time period affected her/him

*did the current events of that time period affect her/ him throughout life

*Are there any interesting facts or opinions you found

The finished paper should be at least 4 pages

Any questions? Come see me.

-Madam Dixon

One answer came to her already: talk to the grandparents. But that piece of their life was so closely guarded. It seemed hard to Rose to figure out what they were hiding. Sure, they were interesting. Grandma sang so sweetly and welcomed walks in the woods, much to her children's disapproval. Grandpa baked the best bread, and celebrated the holidays with scrumptious treats.

However, when it came to the Hunger Games, the rebellion, and the war; all secrets were kept out of sight. What Rose did know is that they were victors of the 74th Hunger Games, but that was obvious. After all, her family was living in the same house that her grandfather won when he became a victor. She knew about the book, a family heirloom that she was introduced to at the age of 12, the same age unfortunate children entered their names for the Hunger Games. She read the names of the dead, and learned about poor Prim, the great-aunt she never met. And she read of her grandmother's talented friend's unfortunate fate; the one that her father got his middle name from, Cinna. But when it came to the actual fighting, if Rose or Sirius asked about the battles and the blood spilled, her grandpa would leave the room and her grandmother would quietly say, "Not now, child, Grandpa may have a flashback." By the way, how did Grandpa get his flashbacks in the first place?

Even her other grandpa, Grandpa Gale, had a dark history. Whatever had happened seemed to be the reason he was strict about eating everything on his plate, and wasting nothing.

She sighed and walked over to her window. The stars were brighter than ever with the North Star luminous in the November sky. Across a field of dandelions, Rose saw the house. Her grandparents had left the lights on in a second story window and below there was candlelight and a warm glow, which was probably the fireplace.

It was inevitable for Rose to learn the truth. Of course she could just do research at a library on some war veteran, but to be a true Mellark, she would have to know her family's history.