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Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games

-One Week Later-

Peyton POV:

Jane's bedroom light has been out the whole week. Almost every night I hear her screams, most of them aren't real; they just replay in my head over and over. But sometimes I'll hear new ones. Our windows face each other, and her shades are drawn.

School starts today. Senior year. Then we're done. Nobody knows for sure what happens after that. Some might go to universities in the Capitol, or smaller campus colleges in the districts. Some might just get a job here and start living.

Katrina's leaving this morning. So is Grayson. They're both off to the Capitol. Katrina is attending Starlight's University of Arts. Grayson is doing his residence at Trinket Memorial Hospital, in honor of the woman from mom and dad's past in the games. She had been captured as well by the Capitol when mom blew up the arena but kept alive and eventually let go. However, right before the rebels took out the Capitol her home as well as other district guides homes were bombed. They were not very strong bombs, but they did a lot of damage. She was the only one who died. Most had injuries, but none fatal.

After breakfast mom and dad have a hard time keeping themselves composed. Both look like they might start crying at any moment. Which is a little ridiculous since this is Katrina's 3rd year of college. One more year and she'll be a graduate. Unless she pulls off something amazing and fits the rest of her classes in one year like she did in Elementary School. Mom and dad had her start a year late cause they couldn't 'let her go'. And they're not the only ones sad about her leaving. Finn always tries to act tough when she leaves each year, but he can't help but cry. Katrina never does. I've only seen her cry twice: once when she thought Finn wasn't interested in her, and when she broke her arm from falling out of a tree. Both were over five years ago. But Finn graduated college a year ago, so now he just helps out at the school to take up free time. I'm not entirely sure what he studied, but like Katrina he was born smart. Other than helping out he goes up to the lake to swim. And if I heard right, it sounds like Finn will be our new swim instructor at the school. Not that we have anyone else to compete with, but just for fun.

My mom was encouraging me to take up swimming as an actual sport earlier in the summer, but I never thought much about it. I was already working at the bakery with dad and then I was out hunting on my free time.

"Mom, I have to go now." Katrina says while being suffocated by mom's hug.

"I know." She sniffles. "We won't see you for so long." She pulls away.

"I'll be back at winter break. It's not even 3 months mom."

"Yes but-"

"Katniss." Dad says. Mom looks up at him. "She's going to miss her train." Mom looks defeated.

She sighs. "My little girl is leaving. It's going to be so lonely in the house."

"Yep, I'm still here mom." I say sarcastically. She looks over at me and lets out a small laugh. Dad hugs Katrina, and he looks like he's going to cry now.

"Call us every day?" Mom asks hopeful. She asks this every year, and every year it's the same answer.

"I'll call you when I get there." Katrina answers. Of course she's not going to call mom every day. The only person she calls every day is Finn.

"Ya, bye Trina." I smile at her. She blushes. I know that's Finn's pet name for her. He let it slip once that he only called her that when he was feeling friendly.

"Trina… I like it." Dad says. Katrina blushes even harder. "Peyton, did you come up with that?" Dad looks at me. Katrina looks pissed.

"No, I heard it somewhere. I don't remember exactly where, all I know was that whoever was saying it was enjoying themselves at the time." Mom looks at me questioningly. Dad just nods and smiles. Katrina looks like she could kill.

"Trina." Dad repeats. "Wonder why I didn't think of that? I'm good with names. Trina Trina Trina." Dad continues to say in different tones.

"I think we should call her that more often." I say smiling at her.

"Yes! Katrina can finally have the nick-name she never had!" Dad says enthusiastically. Katrina looks like she could die.

"Anyway, I have to go to school now. By Trina." I say passing her. She sticks her tongue out at me. I laugh. "Real mature." I swear if mom and dad weren't standing right next to us, she would strangle me. I'm taller than her, but I don't doubt she could take me down.

"Uh, Peyton."

"Yea mom?"

"Aren't you going to hug your sister?"

A smile plays its way onto Katrina's face. "Yea little bro. Aren't you going to hug me?" She asks playing up the innocent act. She holds her arms up in anticipation.

"Sure, I'll hug you Trina." I say. She doesn't seem fazed. Actors.

Mom lets out a sigh and turns to dad. "Are they watching?" Katrina whispers.

"Wait for it… okay now." I say. We both break apart instantly and compose ourselves. We don't usually hug, it's just something we do for mom and dad's sake. Katrina and I have a different kind of brother sister relationship. I nod to her. Then head out the door.

"Hey Peyton." Katrina calls after me. "Let me know how it goes with Jane." I nod again, and head out.

I walk up to the Hawthorne's house. Ever since we were little, all of us walked to school together, but all that's left is me, Greg and Jane. Everyone else is done with school, well besides Maggie who starts next year.

The house is eerily quiet. All the lights are off, and there is no sign of life. I walked up to this house every morning and every night for the past seven days to ask how Jane was doing. But whenever Mr. Hawthorne would see me he would tell me to leave. I respected that, so I walked away. But he couldn't turn me down today, not unless he was pulling Jane out of school. Dad came over a couple times too, just too personally give them bread or other goodies. He tried to give dad her cake that was supposed to be from her birthday party, but he refused it.

Before I can knock on the door, it opens and Grayson walks out with Greg right behind him. I can see Mrs. Hawthorne struggling over her morning coffee. I don't however see Mr. Hawthorne.

"Peyton." Grayson says.

"What's going on?" I ask. Grayson looks sad. "Is everything okay?"

Grayson glances down at Greg. "Why don't you start on ahead of us buddy? I have to talk to Peyton about something."

"Okay!" He says cheerfully. When is that kid ever not happy?

Grayson starts talking in a low voice as we start down the street. "You have to watch out for my dad man."

"Where's Jane?" I ask.

"She left early. As per dad's request."

"What? Why?"

"To avoid seeing you." What?

"To avoid seeing me? What did I do?"

"It's not what you did, it's what your dad did."

"You know he sometimes can't help it."

"I know that. Dad knows that too, but, there's another reason." His voice trails off.

"Which is?"

"Right after Jane gained consciousness, she was all ready to start back in her daily routine and she seemed happy. Anyway, I told her to rest for a bit because of her injuries, but she's always been tough so I wasn't too worried. That's when you knocked at the door the first morning. Jane became more alive than I've ever seen her. Mom went to answer the door and when you asked about her, mom said that all she knew was that she was healing quickly." I remember that. Mrs. Hawthorne didn't look like she got much sleep that night. "Jane pulled me aside and told me she needed to talk to you. She sounded so excited. Okay, now don't pass out or anything, but she told me she wanted to tell you that she's in love with you." My tongue is in my throat. My head just blew off my body, and my entire being was being set on fire. Suddenly I feel very light headed. I stumble. But Grayson catches me. "I thought I told you not to pass out."

"I didn't." I say breathlessly.

"That's why I added the 'or anything' genius." He said.

I composed myself. "Then what happened?"

"Well, she heard mom about to close the door on you so she pushed passed me to run down the hall but she was stopped by dad. He overheard her."

"And?"

"And he started yelling at her. Asking how she could love something produced by 'that bastard'?" That bastard he's talking about is dad. "He kept yelling at how he would not allow a slut in his house. And how she was to never see you again. Of course Jane yelled back, and then…"

"What?" I ask. I have a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Then he hit her." No. That can't be right. Mr. Hawthorne is crazy about his daughter, he would never hit her. "She was yelling back and he hit her again. Not a punch, just a smack across the face. Then he locked her in her room. Mom tried to protest, but dad smacked her too. So I jumped him and we threw a few punches, that's how I got this." He lifts up his shirt revealing a yellowing bruise on his ribs the size of a squirrel. "Then dad hit me upside the head and I don't remember after that. All I know is that I was confined to my room until I left for school, meaning I couldn't go see Maysilee off when she left a few days ago." He says tearing up.

"But you'll see her in the Capitol. She's going to Katrina's university so you'll have plenty of time with her."

"But I told her I would see her off. And I wasn't there. I made her a promise, and I never break promises. What's she going to think of me now?" He's almost crying. He really loves her.

"If she knows you as well as I do, she'll understand."

He sniffles. "Thanks man."

We reach the school and Grayson says goodbye. I still feel like there was something more he wasn't telling me.

I walked into the building and saw students gathering in their groups as always. I spot my group, but don't walk over to them. Jane is my main focus right now.

Then the bell rings. I still need to get my schedule.

Over in the office a small line was gradually getting smaller, until finally I got to the front.

"Hey Peyton." My friend Zane walks up to me. Besides our families in the Victor's Village, Zane is my best friend. We've been together for as long as I can remember. However, one of the only things Zane and I have in common is our eyes. We both have the old Seam trait eye color. Other than that, I bake, he sells blankets and furniture. I hunt, he does sports. I study, he procrastinates. I focus on Jane, he focuses on any girl who will accept him. Zane has the full Seam look. Midnight hair, olive skin and gray eyes. He has an older sister like me, but she works at their family's store now. I hardly see her. Almost nobody does, but there's a rumor going around that she got knocked up and is marrying the guy in a few months. She's over 21 so it's legal. But I refuse to believe it unless Zane or his sister tells me themselves.

"So Pey, senior year. Living the dream." He says dramatically.

"Yea, the dream." I repeat.

"Oh come on! You might have classes with Jane! Maybe she will even go out with you this year. That is if you have the balls enough to ask her."

"Trust me, I have balls." I say back to him.

"Really? Prove it." He's smiling.

"Fine, this summer I told my sister I knew about her and Finn, you know, being together, and this morning I used his sex name for her in front of our parents." Zane looks flabbergasted. Then he bursts out laughing. "Then, I suggested that we call her that from now on. And dad liked the idea! The glare on her face was priceless."

Zane gets down on his knees laughing. Then he bows down to me. "I am not worthy. Not worthy." He repeats laughing. Then he gets up. "Man, I didn't know you had it in you. One glare from your sister could get me hard and killed at the same time." Now I start laughing.

"Watch it. She's still my sister, and if Finn hears you talking that way about her, you'll have nothing left to get hard with."

"Isn't he going to be the new swim coach this year?"

"That's what I heard."

"Damn, now he's going to attract all the girls. That was my job!" He pouts. I laugh.

"Don't worry. He's not interested in them. He and my sister plan to get married the second she turns 21."

"Thank goodness. Now if we could just get all the girls to understand that that means he's unavailable." The second bell rings. "Gotta go. I have Ms. Yana first period." He acts like he's throwing up.

"Good luck with that." I yell after him.

When I get to the front of the line I tell the lady my name. And she hands me my schedule. "Peyton." She says.

I look up. "Yea?"

"Peyton, I couldn't help but over hear you and Mr. Tanner (Zane) talking about your classmate Jane. About if you had any classes with her. I'm sorry to tell you this, but Mr. Hawthorne came in early this morning with Jane and asked specifically to have her schedule changed so that you had no classes together. I know it's none of my business. I just thought you should know."

Why doesn't Mr. Hawthorne kill me and get it over with? Why does he insist on torturing me? I will see Jane. I have to. We have lunch together. Don't we?

Wrong. In first period our teachers explained to us that due to the increase in student body they have two lunch periods. Which one you have will depend on the location of your 4th period. If it's in the west side of the building, you take the first lunch. If it's in the east side of the building or in the gym you take second lunch. My 4th period of history was in the south east corner of the building. Second lunch. I heard from Jane's friend Ronette that Jane had chemistry 4th period, which wouldn't you know is in the north west corner. First lunch.

The school day goes surprisingly fast. But it is the first day and we don't really do anything anyway. In 5th period I start making a plan about how I'm going to see Jane after school. I have to. If she told Grayson she loves me, then I have to hear it from her. And she has to hear it from me. The bell rings. Time for the last period of the day.

I walk down the hall towards my last period which is English class, and there, just down the hall, one classroom from me, Jane enters the Calculus room. Well, we might not have the same schedule, but our last periods are next to each other, so, that's a start.

I try to get her attention by waving to her, but she doesn't see me. She and Ronette are talking about something. But there's something different about her. She doesn't look as life like. She doesn't walk so tall, and she's hiding in her hair. This is not the Jane I know. Something else is wrong. Her clothing. It's 65 degrees out, sunny, and she's wearing a long sleeved shirt and pants. Most girls are wearing tank tops and shorts.

The bell rings and I'm knocked out of my trance. Just then a girl runs past me trying to get to her class. I don't recognize her. She turns to look back at me as she says sorry, she stops and stares at me. Her clothes are not new, and her red hair needs to be brushed. She has bright green eyes and framing her face are a simple pair of glasses. "Sorry Peyton." She says, blushes and runs into the classroom Jane went into. She knows me and I don't know her? Now I feel like a jerk. I know everyone in the school, or at least their names. And if she knows mine, why don't I know hers?

A laugh sounds behind me. "Did she do the bump into a guy just to get him to notice her move?" That voice will always send shivers down my spine. Isis.

"You tell me." I say turning to her. Just as I suspected. Extremely tight mini skirt and revealing tank top. Just the type of thing Isis would wear. "What's her name?"

She just laughs. "Her name's Bethany. She's originally from District 8. Her family moved here over the summer. Seems like she already knows your name." She says. "You know Peyton, she's not the first girl to 'oogle' over you today. I was watching at lunch." Of course she was. "You had about half the girls drooling."

"Does that include yourself?"

"Only if you want me to." She says seductively. "Looks like we have English together." She says then walks into the classroom strutting.

Oh brother.

School ends quickly. As soon as the bell rings I rush out the door and wait at Jane's class door. People file out slowly. Jane is one of the last ones out. She still hangs her head. Ronette keeps talking to her when I approach them.

"Jane." I say. Ronette sees me, says goodbye to Jane and leaves. Jane turns to face me but she doesn't look at me. Her fists are clenched and she's shaking. "Jane what's wrong?" She shakes her head.

"Don't talk." Her voice sounds strained like she's been crying. "Not here." She glances over her shoulder then grabs my arm and pulled me into the classroom. The teacher's it seems were also excited to get out. Jane closes the door and stands there with her back to me.

"Jane." I say and touch her shoulder, she flinches and whimpers. Is she hurt? "Are you okay?"

"No." She says sadly.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't see you anymore."

"What? Why? Is that what your father said? Is that why he hit you?" She freezes.

"How-?"

"Grayson told me."

She takes in a deep breath, then turns to face me not hiding in her hair. Her brown eyes once filled with light are now filled with day old tears. Her left cheek is red from being smacked. And one of her eyes looks like its recovering from a black eye. Without thinking I grab her shirt and yank it over head. She lets out a small yelp in surprise. She's wearing a black camisole underneath but up and down her arms and visible skin are bruises of all shapes and color. I think I now understand how my dad feels when he's having a flashback. Pure 100% anger and hatred. It must show too, because Jane backs away from me into a corner.

"Please don't tell anyone." She whimpers.

"What? Why? Your dad has no right to hit you ever!" I scream at her.

"If he finds out you know it will mean more trouble for me."

"What else did he do?"

"Nothing. Just hit."

I calm myself down a bit. "Do you know why?"

She nods her head. "Because of how I feel." She sits in the corner. New tears forming in her eyes and her body shakes.

She looks broken. As angry as I feel towards her father, I feel sad and protective of Jane. And right now, she comes first, as she always should. I walk over to her and slide down the wall so that I'm sitting next to her. She snuggles into me and lets out a long sigh. "Not to push the subject, but how do you feel?"

She lets out a small laugh that ends in a choking sound. "Peyton Mellark interested in my life. Who knew?" She says sarcastically.

This time I let out a small laugh.

"I feel warm, safe and everything makes sense but only when I'm with you. When you're gone, I feel confused, empty. But every time you came over and I got beat, I reminded myself that the only reason it was happening was because I loved you."

Blood. Rushing. To. Areas. Inappropriate. Shake it off! "Wait, every time I came over he hit you?"

"Yea. Every morning and every night when you rang the doorbell, dad would tell you to leave then come upstairs at hit me."

"Why didn't you crawl out your window?"

"He locked it from the outside, which I didn't even think was possible. But apparently I was wrong."

"I heard you scream. Some nights I could hear you."

Another choked laugh escapes her. "I can scream pretty loud can't I?"

"You shouldn't have a reason to be screaming. He shouldn't do that just because… because…"

"Because I'm in love with you." She finishes. I look at her. Despite the bruises and red marks on her body, she looks alive again.

My breathing is increasing and my heart is pounding. "Jane." I whisper. I lift my hand up and caress the side of her face not bruised. Pushing back a strand of hair she missed behind her ear. Her skin is so soft, and her hair so gentle. She licks her lips slightly. I feel my stomach caught in my throat. My head lowers so that it's level with hers. Her breathing is picking up. Both her cheeks are now flush with a light bit of color. "I love you too." I say, and then before she can react, I press my lips against hers.

HOLY. FUCK. Why didn't I do this earlier! Her soft lips match perfectly with mine. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer. But I don't mind. I don't mind one bit. Her lips part slightly, and I can feel her breath on my face. Her sent is so sweet its killer. I part my lips and my tongue has its own agenda of getting acquainted with the inside of her mouth. I feel her body shiver and she lets out a soft moan when our tongues touch. I am so hard right now, just her moan about made me come.

I never want this to end, but I'm running out of oxygen. I can feel her heart racing under me. Wait, when did we get into this position? I open my eyes and break away. She looks back at me. I'm laying directly over top of her including my groin on hers with my legs in between hers. My hands are rested on her hips, but I don't dare move them without her permission. There's no way she can't feel me pressing into her thigh. I can feel myself blush instantly. She giggles at my realization. I don't know how much longer I can hold on.

"Um. Jane, I uh…" I turn away and move off of her.

She smiles then sighs. "I know." She says then moves to a sitting position.

We just sit next to each other hand in hand. Until I say, "So what happens now?"

She turns to look at me. "You mean with this?" She lifts up our entwined hands.

"Yea. I mean, I want to see you every second of the day, but with your dad it makes things harder." She laughs. "What are you laughing at? He'd probably castrate me then beat you. Personally I don't want to be castrated. And I don't want you getting hit because of me." She becomes more serious. "Jane, I don't want you getting hurt. If keeping you safe means for us not to see each other, then I'll stay away from you." Her eyes grow sad.

"I don't want you stay away." She says. "Plus I only get hit if dad finds out. If we meet like this for just a half hour every day or so, then he won't suspect anything."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Please Peyton."

This could be really good, but end really bad. "Fine, but if you get hurt because of me, and I find out, I am going to tell someone."

She nods her head. "Okay."

I glance up at the clock. "Come on, you should get going, otherwise he's going to get suspicious."

"Yea." She says. I get up and help pick her up. She then wraps her arms around me in a hug. She's so warm. My arms instinctively wrap around her back, and I rest my head in her hair. Her sent is so intoxicating. She sniffles. I pull away and see that she's crying again.

"What's wrong?" I ask wiping away a fallen tear.

"I don't know. I was just thinking about you, and our history and I just got upset that it took me this long to realize it. I love you so much Peyton." She says into my shirt.

This moment couldn't get any better. I squeeze tighter around her waist. "I love you Jane. I always have." And even though it's early on in this relationship, I know in my heart, I always will.