Uhh… I feel so lazy for not updating! Finals and school are finally over so I should be able to update more often now!
There has been a lot of talk about killing Gale and well… you'll just have to read to find out.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games
Italics are flashbacks
Jane POV:
The bruises died down after the first few weeks. Dad hasn't hit me since then. It almost feels normal around here again, besides the fact that Peyton and I have to pretend that we don't know each other in public. But every day after school we meet up in different areas of the school where we're alone. Most times we just sit and talk. And sometimes we kiss, sometimes it goes farther, but every time we start to get out of control, Peyton breaks away and tells me we need to stop which makes my heart hurt like a bowling ball was just dropped on it, and if that spot between my legs had a voice it would scream and cry in frustration, but my brain tells me it's the right thing to do, only after Peyton says it first. It's a good thing I have Peyton as a boyfriend, any other guy would just let it happen. I probably would too. But Peyton told me he wants us to wait. I remember the day he asked me if I had ever done it before. He looked so uncomfortable, but I just laughed and said no. I'm a virgin. In District 12's High School, virgins are an endangered species. Especially among seniors.
When we were freshman a junior dropped out because she was pregnant. She was the first pregnancy in five years. But gossip here spreads like a wild fire during a drought. Dad confronted Grayson and I when we got home about it. We confirmed it and he sent Grayson up to his room. Before he left Grayson gave me a wicked smile. That confused me, but afterwards dad sat me down in the living room and started to explain something to me.
"Janey, there is something we need to talk about."
"What?"
"Um… The girl from your school is going to have a baby."
"That's what being pregnant means dad." I say.
"Yes of course. Do you know how the baby got there?" Yes I did, but dad looked so uncomfortable I took advantage of the situation and had some fun with it.
"Magic?" I ask in the most innocent voice I can muster up.
"Well, sort of. You see, when a girl and a boy, no no. When a man and woman love each other very much, uhh, and they're MARRIED, they have children."
"With magic?"
"Well, there's no spells that can make a baby appear, it's a time consuming process and hard work." Oh this is gonna be so much fun.
"They have to work for it? What does that mean? Like exercise?"
Dad turns red. "Yes it takes work. Uh-"
"How much? What do you have to do?" I cut him off.
"Have you taken health class yet?"
"No." I was in it right now, we were just in the middle of sex ed.
"Well, you know that men and women are different right?"
"Yeah. Girls have a cat and guys have a baguette." Katrina told me that was how her dad described the guys anatomy, but the girls I came up with on the spot.
Dad looks confused. "A cat?" He asks.
"Something like that, kitty cat, kitten, or um… oh I remember pussy cat!" I nearly scream. I can barely hear Grayson holding in a laugh from upstairs. Dad looks like he'll have a heart attack.
Just then the door opened with mom. She takes one look at dad and knows what's going on. "Crap Gale did you try to have the sex talk with our daughter?"
"I had to, a girl at her school got pregnant! She has to know."
"And you think the best course of action is a repeat of what happened with Grayson?"
Dad pouts. "It didn't go that bad."
"Gale you failed at telling your son and scared him forever."
Dad gets quiet. "I thought being upfront about it with him would work."
"You grabbed your junk! That's being more than upfront about it."
"I wasn't going to do that to Janey! That's why I tried to talk it out but it's not working. I asked her what she knew, and she said that a boy has a baguette and a girl has a PUSSY cat!"
Mom freezes. Then starts howling in laughter. She falls to the floor she's laughing so hard, and soon tears start running down her face. Dad has one of his unreadable expressions on. It's a mixture of frustration, embarrassment, and amusement.
After mom finishes laughing she composes herself. Turns to me and says. "Janelle, boys have a dick while a girl has boobs. Boys have balls and girls have vaginas. To make a baby, the boy has to be turned on which can happen like the flick of a light switch. All boys are different, you just have to find out what your guy likes. For example, if I were to walk up to your father and lick his ear, he's turned on. Watch." I then proceeded to watch as my mother strutted over to my father who is eyeing her questioningly and gives his ear a gentle yet sharp lick. Dad shudders, and then his pants bulge. Mom looks down as dad shuts his eyes waiting for what happens next. "See? Instant turn on." She smiles to herself.
Dad opens his eyes and realizes I'm still here. "Johanna!" He yells. But mom ignores him and continues with her lesson.
"You also need the girl to be turned on which takes more time than it does for a boy. If boys are like light switches, girls are like a tea kettle. They're slowly heated up until they ring, then they take time to cool down. Once they're both turned on they undress and the boy inserts his dick into the girls, how did you put it?"
"Pussy cat." I say.
"Drop the cat and your golden." Mom says and pats my cheek. "Anyway, after a period of time, could be minutes or even seconds, they boys dick releases sperm. That means he's the most turned on he can be called an orgasm. Those sperm then travel up the girl's vagina and find one of her eggs, then the sperm attaches on, and it grows inside the girl until it's a baby and ready to be born."
Mom turns back to dad. "That wasn't so hard."
Dad who looks uncomfortable in more ways than one mumbles something back and moves to the stairs and goes into their bedroom.
"And now your dad is going to sit on our bed frustrated and pouting until I come up and apologize and help him release." Mom says, then skips up the stairs. Within the next few hours came a few shouts, some of dad's grunts, mom screaming twice, and a lot of moaning.
The snow has started to fall outside. January is the coldest month here. The most snow, and the most ice, obviously the two go together. Katrina, Grayson and Maysilee are home for winter break. From mid-December to mid-January. While we only get the last two weeks of December and the first week of January off. When they got off the train Maysilee was glued to Grayson who looked happier than I've ever seen him, and Katrina didn't take two steps before she was swooped up by Finn who kissed her passionately for over a minute with everyone watching. Mrs. Mellark sighed dreamily. Mr. Mellark stiffened a bit. Finnick just smiled, and Annie cuddled into Finnick. For every second Katrina was outside her house, Finn clung to her lovingly and protectively. Every time I see them together, I feel a small pang of jealousy rise up from my toes to my ears. Okay, maybe not a small pang. They're so free to be together, while Peyton and I have to sneak around my dad. He never apologized for what he did. But that's just him I guess. Mom says he doesn't like to show weakness, but Peyton told me he cried like a baby when I got hurt that day. Dad's just a hard case to crack.
With the past few months five birthdays have passed: Finnick's in early October, Mrs. Mellark's late October, Greg's in mid-November, mom's in late November and Annie's in late December. Ever since my birthday incident, the parents have cooled down on the party extravaganzas, which we are all thankful for.
But now that it's January, the school has a winter festival. During the day, they have workshops for younger students in the classrooms, and at night they have a winter dance for the older students in the gym. The school has a total of two dances each year. The Winter Ball and an old tradition done by our ancestors in the spring right before school gets out called Prom. But the Winter Ball is a girls ask guys with semi-formal attire.
I talked to Peyton when we met up in the woods a week before and told him about my plan. I know his friend Zane has the hots for Ronette and that's why she's the only girl in the school he hasn't tried to make a move on. He doesn't want to get turned down by her. Ronette won't admit it but I've caught her glancing at him every now and then. I told Peyton that I will ask Zane to the dance, and have Ronette ask Peyton, then when we are out of parental sight, we switch dates. But we have to make sure it's okay with Ronette and Zane. When we did ask them, they had no problem agreeing. They were the only ones who knew about us anyway.
Ronette and I went shopping for a dress at the only dress store in town. These dresses are dresses from the Capitol, then simplified by our district tailor. Girls go here to get dance dresses and wedding/toasting dresses. Any other's they need are made by parent, or by themselves. Mom and dad give me $60 dollars for a dress and shoes.
When I meet Ronette at the store she only has $30, so I tell her if needed I'll help pay. She thanked me as we walked inside. When we do look around, there are racks with dresses of all different shapes, colors and sizes. Hardly anyone ever buys any so they just keep stacking up I guess. The woman working behind the counter gives us a warm smile and shows us the semi-formal dresses. There's got to be at least a hundred of them. Most strapless and mid-thigh length. To help us out a bit, the woman measures us, and points us to different racks. For my size 6 there was one wall, and two racks of dresses. For Ronette's size 8 there was a half a wall and three racks of dresses. We go a bit crazy and each grab about fifteen of our top dresses and run to the fitting room modeling each dress for one another. Ronette tries them all on in a flash and narrows it down to two different dresses. The first is my favorite of the two on her which is a single strap iridescent aqua blue that matches her blue eyes perfectly that fits tight up top but flows down to her knees with grace. The second is a golden honey color that matches her hair that looks like it was dipped in a pool of sparkles with a red sash under the bust. While she is busy deciding I pull on the next dress from my pile, and zip it up. I walk out to show Ronette when I see the woman employee stop and stare at me as though she saw a ghost.
"Oh my goodness." She gasps.
"What?" I ask.
"You're Johanna Mason's daughter aren't you?" How long has she lived here? Everyone knows that.
"Yeah. But her last name's Hawthorne now." I correct her. She rushes out of the room. When I'm about to go back to the changing room she rushes back in holding something. A picture frame. The picture inside makes me stop and stare.
15 year old mom on her victory tour posing with the late Mayor Undersee, when she visited District 12 all those years ago wearing the same dress I wear now. Strapless, charcoal color dress that stops at mid-thigh. The overlapping layer is a shimmering purple intertwined with small clear gems and a pearl like ribbon that is laced into the back like a corset's back just looser and more noticeable. I buy the dress. With it I get a pair of charcoal colored 3 inch heels with a few gems interlaced.
Ronette decides on the blue dress, and with it buys a pair of 2 inch silver heels. The woman stared after us after we left, and it was only then I realized that there was another person in the picture, an older version of the woman in the store. It must have been her mother, I wonder if she made the dress and that's why it's still here. There were no other copies of it in the store, but I remember hearing that back then, whatever the Victor wore or did was in style. But everything in the Capitol always needs to be made more complicated than it actually is.
The night of the dance approached quickly. Ronette came over to my house to get ready. Then at eight sharp, the boys came over to pick us up. Mom and Mrs. Mellark went crazy with taking pictures. But when mom first saw my dress she started crying. I went to hug my mom to comfort her, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Peyton's silver eyes watching me. Dad spent about ten minutes sizing Zane up and deciding if he liked him or not. When we left the house dad watched us with a beady eye, and Mr. Mellark watched in disbelief as his son escorted Ronette. I have no doubt he suspects something since Peyton told me his dad knew that he liked me.
The ride to the school was short and smooth. We switched dates and to pass time Zane told us some of his famous stories about how he choked on an onion or gave a squirrel a heart attack. Ronette looked like she could never get tired of him. I don't think I would last more than a few hours. But Peyton likes him, so I could learn to tolerate him. Peyton once described him as a drug. It takes you a while to get used to him, but once you do, you never want it completely gone.
White lights were hung around the gymnasium as well as broken shards of mirrors hanging on the walls to reflect more light. Speakers were in every corner of the room for maximum noise. The ground looked like it was covered in a layer of snow. But in reality it was just a dusting of artificial snow and glitter. A banquet table sat at one end along with a few tables and chairs, and on the other end was the D.J's station which was cranking music to the loudest point.
I scan the room for more people I know but it's so hard to see with all the flashing lights. Peyton squeezes my hand in reassurance. I look up at him. He looked so handsome tonight it was unbelievable. Black dress pants as most guys here, shiny black shoes no doubt once his fathers, a black button up dress shirt and a silver tie around his neck that matched his eyes. Plus it didn't hurt that his blonde hair was hanging just above his iris to give him a mature but mysterious look. A smile plays on my face.
"Come on!" I say and pull him towards the dance floor already crowded with people. Songs play ranging from Domino, to Scream, to the classic Thriller. Then a song comes on that switches the mood from teens having fun, to teens getting it on. The "Grind-Fest" as I call it starts up. I've been dancing before but I never liked grinding. Peyton recognizes my discomfort.
"Want a drink?" He asks smiling. I smile back and take his outstretched hand.
"I would love a drink." I reply.
We make our way to the banquet table where the three different punch bowls are. Rumor was that one out of the three is spiked. With what we don't know. Peyton selects the more red looking punch and fills two glasses then hands one to me. I steal a glance at the clock. We've been here for over two hours already! Well, can't get tired yet, the dance isn't supposed to end until early morning. The Grind-Fest usually lasts about a half hour so we have time to talk, that is if we can hear each other over the music blaring in the room.
We take a seat at one of the unoccupied tables and sip our punch. It tastes like water. Suddenly Peyton starts laughing.
"What?" I ask.
"Look over there." He points smiling. I turn around and look to the dancers. Through the crowd in the middle of the grinding are Zane and Ronette. They both look extremely happy.
"Took them long enough." I say.
"You're telling me." Peyton says still laughing.
"What's so funny?" A voice asks. I know that when I turn to face her she will be dressed in a very skimpy dress. And I was right.
Isis is dressed in what can only be described as the bare minimum amount of clothing required for school approval. The peach colored dress makes it look like she's wearing nothing. The neckline isn't even a neckline, but more of a nipple line. The skirt that is fitted around her upper thighs is connected to the top only by a bit of material covering her bellybutton. I'm guessing there was nothing connecting the back.
"I asked a question." Isis says leaning over Peyton. He looks annoyed. I feel the blood beginning to boil under my skin.
"It doesn't concern you." I spit out.
"I wasn't talking to you." She says back. She sets down her glass of punch and continues to drape herself over Peyton's shoulder. "I was talking to this fine looking man." She ruffles his hair.
"Get off Isis!" We both yell at the same time. Peyton looks at me almost like he's trying to hide a smile. Yea okay, I'm jealous so what?
Peyton looks between the death glares we are shooting at each other and decides to take a drink of his punch while I ride out my rant. Isis snickers at me. Flips her hair, picks up her drink but before she leaves she whispers something into Peyton's ear that makes his face go white.
"What's going on?" I hear Zane ask from behind me. He and Ronette both have worried looks on their faces.
"Nothing." I say and walk over to a very stiff Peyton. "Peyton? What'd she say?"
At first he says nothing. Then he bolts for the door.
"Peyton!" I call after him.
Someone grabs my arm and pulls me off my path. "Hey slow down girl." The boy is obviously drunk, and his date doesn't seem to care that his attention is now on me.
"Let go." I command. He just laughs and pulls me closer grabbing both arms. I struggle but even intoxicated this guy is strong. With every molecule of adrenaline running through my body and swing my leg back and give him a hard kick to the groin. He lets out a howl and his face scrunches. I free my right arm and pull his face down to mine. "Let. Me. Go." I growl. He obeys. Then falls to the floor squirming in pain.
A few people stop to stare. Turning to them I yell "What?" They turn away and continue with their own business.
I'm running after Peyton as fast as I can, then I realize I'm in heels. Kicking them off I continue running. "PEYTON!" I call again. He's barely in my sight of vision up ahead. "Peyton stop! Please!" I beg running. I never realized how fast he was.
When I come to the first split of hallways, I lose him. I don't know which one he took. I take the hallway on the left. It takes me a half hour just down that area. I check every room and every closet, but I find nothing. "Peyton." My voice cracks. I'm on the verge of crying now. Where is he and why did he run? I return to the beginning and take the path on the right. Right away I hear something.
"Peyton?" I call out. Another noise comes from the room down the hall. Practically sprinting I run to the door. I hear a something that is a cross between a groan and cry of pain. "Peyton!" I scream pushing the door open.
Nothing. Not a single god damn thing in the world could have prepared me for what I was about to see. Peyton passed out in the middle of the room, laying on his stomach completely naked besides his boxers. If I wasn't in such a shock I would have taken time to admire his ass. But something else had caught my attention. Isis, pulling up her dress and fixing her hair and makeup for they look like she just wrestled gorillas. No. No no no!
"Wha-" is all I manage out before Isis turns to me and smiles devilishly.
"What's wrong Jane? You look confused." She says a sweet soulless tone.
"What did you do?" I grit my teeth.
"What do you think?" She replies.
"I asked you a question." I repeat her earlier statement.
She laughs her cold hearted laugh. "Well, I will give you this, Peyton is very… big." She says.
A million things run through my head at once. She didn't. She couldn't have. He wouldn't have. It must have something to do with what she said to him earlier. My knuckles are turning white. Isis can see it too. Ever since this witch came back to town she has been throwing herself at Peyton and eye fucking him every chance she could get. I've ignored it, well, most of it for now, but this time she's gone too far.
Tears are welling in my eyes. "I swear, if you touched him I'll…"
"You'll what Jane?" She smiles at me. "Peyton wanted it just as much as I did. There's nothing you can do to change what's over."
"That's a lie and you know it! Peyton would never fuck you! He hates you!"
"Is that what he told you?" She replies coolly. We stare at each other. Then, Peyton lets out a low moan, like he's trying to say something. Is he conscious?
"He wouldn't. I know him. I've known him for my whole life, and I know that Peyton would never, ever be with a whore like you." I spit. Then I move over to Peyton. "Peyton? Can you hear me? It's Jane."
His arms twitch at my touch, then he moans again. He's hot and sweaty, and shaking. "Isfane." He mumbles.
"What?" I ask.
"I-sis." My world comes crashing out from underneath me. Isis? He wants Isis? "Isis…" He mumbles again but loud enough for Isis to hear.
"No." The tears are streaking down my face. "No, it's Jane! It's me Jane!"
"Isis." He repeats. In the background I can hear Isis's evil laughter fill the air. It wraps around my heart and suffocates it.
"Sorry Jane. But it sounds like he knows what he wants now."
I can't breathe. I have to get away. I can't be here. "I… I…"
"Get lost Jane. It would be better for everyone if you just left. Look at it this way, Peyton doesn't want you. Where would you go? Back home. No no no. We wouldn't want daddy finding out about Peyton and your secret now would we. Jane wouldn't want to get hit." I freeze.
"What did you say?"
"I said you wouldn't want daddy to hit you would you?"
"How did you know?" I ask in disbelief.
She just laughs. "Come on Jane. Who am I?"
"Bitch." I reply.
"Ouch, wrong answer. No, now I can tell everyone here about your relationship with your father, or you can just disappear."
"I don't care what people say about me."
"No, perhaps not, but what would happen to daddy?" She's right. She's evil but she's right. I can't have something like that happen to dad. He could get thrown in jail. But then again, I can't run from my fears. I have to face them straight on.
"Go ahead and tell people. But I'm staying." I stand firmly.
She sucks in a sharp breath. "I wish you didn't say that." She says then nods to something behind me. I turn just in time to see the drunk boy holding me from before standing in front of me now sober.
"What's going on?" I ask turning back to Isis.
"Jane, meet Damon my cousin. He came back with me to 12 and took an instant fancy to you, so I thought gee wiz why not put our skills together to get what we want. In the end, I get Peyton, and he gets you. Then we're both happy."
Damon laughs. Then he grabs my arms and pulls me to the ground. I squeak in surprise.
"Now hold still. This will only take a second." Isis walks towards me, with some kind of liquid and a syringe. It's a yellowish substance and it doesn't look friendly. She leans down next to me. "You might feel a pinch, and maybe some other pain. I wouldn't know, I've never felt it. Plus you're one of our test subjects so we're going to need to record how you feel after you wake up, but for now, nighty night Jane."
I suck in a breath to scream but Damon's big hand covers my mouth. The dark haired giant is staring at me intensely with his clouded brown eyes. He looks almost familiar, but that's not possible seeing as I've never seen him before. Isis giggles at my confusion. Then she plunges the syringe into my arm and pushes the yellow liquid into my blood stream.
At first I feel nothing. I just stare at her as she pulls away. Suddenly I feel my muscles starting to spasm. Isis and Damon smile. Spots are interrupting my vision. Then a horrible pain shoots through what feels like every single one of my nerves. I'm being burned from the inside out. My heart beat increases. I feel myself beginning to sweat. Suddenly the images start blurring, the colors mix until they're all gray. I make out Isis's shape as she laughs. That's when it all goes black.
AN: Dun dun duhh... So i didn't kill Gale, but what comes in later chapters might make up for it. If you have any ideas for what should happen to him feel free to let me know! Review!