AN. So here is the second chapter! Please, please, please review this one!
Chapter Two
The story is terrifying. I shiver at the beginning, and it chills me all over. The shiver doesn't disappear. Mom explains death is the worst and cruelest way possible. The Hunger Games. And when they say Hunger, they mean power. They mean that they will take power in any way they can, even if it means destroying the lives of children. When Aunt Johanna explains how President Snow said it would be a great honor to win the games, but I think it would be a horrible thing. Something that would haunt you in the middle of the night and never let you sleep. Taking lives. Taking someone's life. A child's, a person who was only twelve years old could never win the Games. I imagine Matrix in the arena, and I almost through up. As much as I resent Mattie, I would miss him so much. I would be traumatized, watching my fourteen year old brother die right in front of my eyes, in the most brutal way possible. I start to understand why Mom never told us. Leo looks just as shocked as me. Aunt Annie starts to wipe tears from her eyes when she explains her Games. She talks about her District Partner. How he was kind to her. How neither of them were Careers, and how she had to watch him die in the Bloodbath. How he told her he was sorry. Aunt Annie makes it very clear that she didn't kill anyone, because everyone drowned. Aunt Johanna describes how she was a Career. How if she could take it all back, she would. She actually wished she had never killed anyone. She never wanted to do it, but she was trained to. How her parents taught her how to kill, and taught her that she needed too. My mind spin faster. I can see dread and hurt in Johanna's eyes. Like she really would take it all back. Then Mom talks about her games. She describes her little Sister, and how she volunteered for her. I had never thought of Mom as such a huge Hero. She would sacrifice her life. I start to wonder how her sister died in the first place. Dad hasn't said anything. But after a few minutes, he explains how he was reaped. He talks about fear. How much fear he experienced. How the only emotion he felt was hurt and being terrified because he believed he was going to his death. Mom took his hand, but he pulled it away. He's triggered. Mom explains Cinna, her stylist. Dad says his was named Portia, but he doesn't go into detail. Soon, they talk about the Games. Mom skips the bloodbath. She tells be about how thought that Dad had betrayed her, when he was actually protecting her. She talks about Tracker Jackers, and Dad leaves the room. Mom explains a girl. A girl a little younger then Matrix, who had been reaped. A clever girl who reminded her of a bird. Her name was Rue. She tells me about how the girl died because she was captured. Annie starts to cry. Johanna sighs and starts to talk to her. Mom shuts her mouth tight, and Johanna tells me about how Mom had killed the boy who killed Rue. I look at Mom in disbelief. She had...killed someone? I mean, I could have guessed Johanna, but Mom? I look at Leo, he looks scared and shocked. Mom looks terrified at the memory. I can almost feel her fear. She shivers. They skip to a part about Mom going to look for Dad. She talks about how she found him dying, and she healed him over time. Tears stream down my face when she had to drug him, because she was so determined to save him. He really loved her then, so much that he'd try and make her stay with him so that she could survive, when leaving was the only way he'd leave. They skip to a part about Mutts, and how they tried to destroy them, and how one of them was Rue. She tells me about how she was so sad and angry at the Capital for making a Mutt out of something that was so sweet and harmless, and how much she hated the capital for doing that. Pure hatred is now taking her over. She talks about how at the end, she had to kill the boy. Cato. And when that happens, she chokes up, and Annie jumps in. She talks about Mom pulling out berries that would have killed both her and Dad. Annie talks in a triumphant voice about Mom defying the Capital. For the first time in the whole time we've been talking, Annie has a smile on her face. She talks about Mom as if she were the worlds biggest hero.
"We'll tell you the rest of this story next year" Mom says. "Annie, Johanna, do you think you could stay over?"
"I got nothing better to do" Aunt Johanna says.
"I'm fine. Is that fine with you, Leo?" Annie asks. Leo nods, still in shock.
"Prim?" Mom asks. I nod. I stand up, and hug my Mom. I had no idea...I sit down beside her. Mom doesn't say anything. She is completely silent.
"Ivy, Lee, why don't you two leave for a few seconds? Annie and I need to talk to Katniss, alone" Johanna says. I nod and stand up, and Leo follows. I walk to my room and sit down on my bed, and lie down. Leo sits at the edge. Neither of us speak. I go to my dresser and walk behind it, where a small area is. Dad built it in, in case friends were over and I had to change. I put on a pair of pajamas. I go to my bottom shelf, which is where Leo's clothes are when he stays over. He always forgets to ring things when he has a sleep over, so one time Annie came over with a lot of his clothes. She knew we had an empty shelf, so now it's here in case Leo ever decides to randomly pop by, which happens a lot. I hand him a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt, and he changes when I turn away. We've gotten used to this. It's a routine we do. When we're done changing, I sit back down on the bed. I'm sixteen. It's a new year for me, a new opening full of possibilities and adventures, and happiness, but I've never felt more empty. Knowing Mom, Annie and Johanna had to go through that...knowing your parents have been through so much pain and fear...it terrifies me. I have complete respect if Mom or Dad ever have a panic attack again. How could they be through so much pain, and I never even knew? I feel ashamed at myself for getting mad when it was Matrix's birthday and Dad had a panic attack. I feel like I should have been kinder, and yet I wasn't. I resented him for months, and now knowing about everything...I shiver.
"So...that's the Hunger Games" Leo whispers.
"I guess" I say.
"My mom...she watched her friend drown" Leo says.
"My mom killed someone" I say. Leo looks at me.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay. At least...we're not in the Games" Leo says, but it seems he's trying to reassure himself more then me. I nod. Someone knocks on the door, and before Leo or I could answer, Matrix trots in.
"Why are you two such sad turtles?" He asks, eating the half sandwich Fish gave me for my birthday.
"No reason. Just tired" Leo says.
"Are you staying over?" Matrix asks.
"Yeah" Leo says. Matrix smiles and walks over.
"Okay guys, what's the Hunger Games? Mom refuses to tell me. I'll give you my puppy that I have hidden in my room. I'm give you my room! I'll give you my savings! In fact, I'll give you back you're diary!" Matrix says.
"No! You...you stole my diary?! You have a secret puppy?! You..."
"Not the point! But please guys, I know they told you" Matrix says.
"Mat, I thought I wanted to know what the Hunger Games was, but when they told us, I regretted it. It was horrible! Ask Ives. If you learned, you'd regret ever wanting to know" Leo says. I nod.
"Oh, you're being dramatic! It can't be that bad! I've probably seen worse. I hang out with Fish, guys, I hang out with the boy who hangs dead beavers on his walls! No, not anything else, just beavers. Not even anything interesting! Isn't that weird? I mean, why beavers? Why not something cool like otters or hedgehogs or..."
"Shut up! Oh jeez Matrix, stop! Get out!" I say. He always talks like that. I don't know what's wrong with him.
"Come on, Iviprose! I tell you about everything Fish and I do!" Matrix says.
"Yeah, I know...but I'm not telling you!" I say. Matrix sticks his tongue out at me.
"Okay, come on Leo. Seriously, when dude to another! I'll give you my house! I'll kill my family and give you my house!" Matrix says.
"Mat!" Leo and I yell at the same time. Matrix gives me the death stare and huffs out of my room. I roll my eyes.
"Don't get mad at him, Ivy, he's just how we were" Leo says.
"Ha! If you had him, I'd be the one telling you that!" I say. I growl and lie down.
"You know what?" Leo asks, sitting up.
"What?" I ask, annoyed with my head in the pillow.
"Come on" Leo says, pulling me up. He opens the window, jumps on my dresser, and jumps on the windowsill. He pulls me up by my arms.
"What are you doing?" I giggle.
"It's a surprise!" Leo says, pulling us both through the window.
"Leo! I'm in my pajamas! I can't go anywhere!" I say.
"Yes. You can" Leo says. He takes me by the elbow and drags me along behind him. He runs far from the house and goes the opposite way of the town, into the forest. He lets go of my elbow and I run beside him. We run deep into the forest, with the trees getting taller the deeper we go, making the sky impossible to see. Bushes get bigger as the path disappears, and we end up running through them. Animals whine and yell. It doesn't make us stop. Raspberry bushes cut my pajamas and get in my hair. The sky is gone. The trees make the forest get darker. We're seriously far deep into the forest. Strange noises and cracking of sticks is heard everywhere. Leo and I suddenly reach a clearing. An old run down shack is standing here, and a pond. Leo grins. I look around, and realization hits. Leo and I used to come here when we were kids. One day when Mom and Aunt Annie were mad at us, we ran into the forest and didn't stop no matter how much they yelled. We ended up spending the night in a run down cottage with a pond outside. This was the place. Our parents found us the next morning. Mom seemed slightly shocked and angry at the cottage. I thought she was mad at me when I was younger, but now I realize that her anger was directed at the house. They brought a picnic, and we ate there, and went swimming afterward. After that, Leo and I had gone here all the time, and came back before Mom or Annie noticed. I can't believe I forgot! This was the secret place! This was Leo and my hide away. We even had a name for it. A name, I regret saying, I have long forgotten. I can't believe Leo remembers. I look at him and hug him.
"Thank you, Lee" I say.
"Welcome, Ives. And also, welcome to the Livy Ieo Cottage, Kids Only!" Leo says.
"You remember the name!" I say, hoping in joy.
"You don't?" Leo asks, surprised. I shake my head. Leo laughs and rolls his eyes. "I've decided that we are going to re-live the night we found this place. It was my birthday and we spent it at your house. We ran into the forest, and spent the night there. And I checked last night, both beds are still intact! Later we shall go swimming, and this shall be your best birthday ever. Or we shall attempt it to be."
"Thank you so much!" I say.
"I brought your bathing suit out here when I said I was getting a sandwich. I brought mine, as well. I also brought out your blue shirt and those jeans...not sure what you wanted to wear, just found the first thing I saw, cause it'd be kind of creepy to go through your draws...but anyway, the parents have no idea. So, I don't know about you, but I'm going to change into my swimsuit" Leo says.
"I don't know if I should be totally creeped out or if I should hug you" I say. Leo smiles and gives me a small hug. I squeal once and walk into the house. Sitting on a chair is my bathing suit. I quickly change and then walk out. Without warning, I jump into the lake. I fall deep into the water. I smile and keep my eyes closed. I only just remember how much I miss the water. The way it feels against my skin, so amazingly cold and wonderful. I fell something beside me, and I yell, letting out the air, and opening my eyes. I just see Leo, smiling. I roll my eyes and shut them again, swimming up to the surface. I walk out of the water and sit down on a rock, and brush my fingers through my hair, and squeeze it to get the water out. Towels are sitting on the side of the rock, and I rap one around myself, feeling very, very cold. I shiver, then lie back and look up. The sun is setting in the sky, and the colors are beautiful. It is such a treasure to me, sunsets. It's the first memory I have. Mom told me that when I was a baby, she and dad used to sit outside they're house at sunset, every single night without fail. I'd nurse most nights, because I was only a few years old. It was when Matrix was born when the tradition stopped. I didn't mind, though. Nowadays, I go out by myself and watch the sunset. A few times my dad came out and watched with me, but not all the time. I always love watching the night sky, too. Finding shooting stars, and making wishes. Though most never come true, but it's always nice to dream. I close my eyes as the sun goes down, and through my eyelids I can see the light difference. I can hear Leo getting out of the water, and then sitting beside me on the rock. He and I are really best friends. All my other friends never would've done this for me. Even Lani, and we're very close. But Leo cares about me, and I care about him. Our parents are also best friends. It's nice being friends with him, because we have a lot of the same interests. I feel lucky to have him as my best friend. Yes, we've had countless fights, and every week or so we hang up on each other on the phone, and once in a while we even threaten to not be friends anymore, but we always make up seconds afterward, and everyone fights once in a while, because otherwise it wouldn't be a real friendship if we never, ever fought. But anyway, I can feel bugs biting me now, and I think it would be better if we leave now, and possibly talk for the rest of the night, or just go to sleep. I open my eyes and walk back inside, Leo following me close behind. He's practically jumping up and down, asking me if he likes the birthday present which is this almost vacation.
"It's seriously amazing, and the best gift I could have possibly been given" I say. Leo's smile grows a lot and hugs me, then walks into the house before I can get there.
"I need to change, you know. You come in when I'm done, and I'll wait outside" Leo says. He shuts the door in my face and locks the door. I scuff and roll my eyes. I start to giggle, because I'm very cold. I usually laugh when I'm cold, tired, confused, for other things like that. So does Matrix. Seconds later, Leo opens the door and lets me in, then walks outside. I change into my pajamas and open the door for Leo to come back in. We talk for a few minutes, then go to sleep. I know that I am far to tired to do anything, but in the morning, we'll talk.
End Of Chapter.
AN. So there it is! I hope you enjoyed! PLEASE REVIEW!