(A/N: Here is Chapter twelve! Enjoy!)
CHAPTER TWELVE
As soon as I emerge from behind the front door, my body is tackled by one of my mother's bone-crushing hugs. Obviously, she was pretty worried about my sudden disappearance. My mother has always been a bit overprotective of Asher and I, but she as a good reason. I mean, if I was unwillingly forced into a game were I was expected to fight to the death not only once, but twice, and fought in a major rebellion of the country, then I would probably be a bit protective of my family too.
"Where was she?" asks my mother while pulling away. The question was directed towards my dad.
"The meadow." he replies laconically. She just nods and embraces me once more.
We all walk into the kitchen, where Asher, Annie, and Everest all sit. Annie for once is actually smiling, along with Everest and Asher.
Everest's face turns serious when he acknowledges my presence. "Where did you go Tree?" he asks. As usual, the overly used nickname brings on a scowl. This time though, he doesn't laugh.
When I don't answer, he continues on with his actions including Asher, whom begins to giggle shortly after. I take a seat at the table next to them.
"I'm going to start dinner." announces my dad. Everyone agrees and Annie walks over to help.
My mother suddenly approaches me. "How's your ankle?"
"It's getting better." I reassure her and then turn my head towards Asher. "Though, not getting pushed off the bed for a while would help." Asher grins impishly at my vague reference.
"That's good. It must not have been as severe as I thought it to be, if it is already healed this much." she says while examining the injury. "But then again, I'm not a doctor."
"You mean never was a doctor." Corrects my dad with a chuckle. My mother glares at him somewhat playfully, somewhat real. Her actions are only the cause of more laughter.
"So does this mean I can go hunting again?" I almost plead.
My mother grins. "Possibly." I celebrate silently in my head.
"How did you hurt your ankle?" asks a voice beside me. It's Everest.
"I fell out of a tree." I reply apathetically. Everest starts to laugh again. "What's so funny?"
"Tree fell out of a tree!" he replies, gasping for air.
"Way to be mature." I retort sarcastically. I swear he acts like a kid sometimes, but I suppose he is... well, at heart anyway. I smile and try to think of an offensive comeback. Even Everest's stupid jokes can't ruin my mood, I get to go hunting!
"Well at least I didn't look funny as a baby." I shoot back at him, my voice only audible to his ears. Everest abruptly turns serious.
"You have seen me as a baby?" he asks hesitantly. I nod, a smirk stretched across my face. "Where?" he exacts. I laugh at his abashed expression.
"My dad showed it to me." He stares at me accusingly before ending the conversation. I must have won, I think with slight victory.
I then realize Everest's lack of speech about his so called bride-to-be. "So, I heard your getting married." I bring up the topic casually.
"Yeah, well it's true." he mumbles avoiding my gaze.
"What's her name?" I press.
He turns to me. "Leah, why?"
"Uh... I don't know."
Suddenly Annie enters the conversation. "She is a very nice girl. Perfect for Everest." she informs while setting some napkins down on the table. I stand there wordless. That is the most opinionated thing that I have ever heard Annie say.
I glance at Everest who just rolls his eyes irritatingly. "Are you okay?" I almost whisper. He waits for his mother to leave before speaking.
"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just most people I know back in District Four are," he puts his fingers in quotations and begins to speak in falsetto. " 'Supremely shocked that Everest is making such a large commitment'." To be honest, I was shocked about his marriage, but this seems unworthy of saying so at the moment.
"Well, you did say that you would never do such a thing and accused those who did of acting extremely foolish." Everest simply glares at me. "Okay, not helping."
"You think?" he mutters under his breath.
"Well Mountain, I have nothing to say to that." I test out the foreign nickname.
"What did you just call me?"
"Mountain." He looks at me questioningly. "A long time ago," I emphasize the word long, just to get my point across. "There was a famous mountain called Mount Everest. I read it in one of my history books."
Everest scoffs. "Sure Tree." A small grin appears on his face. Yay, I got him to smile!
"It true!" I protest. He just shakes his head disapprovingly.
"Dinner!" shouts my dad, even though everyone is pretty much maintaining a distance in which he wouldn't have to yell to get our attention.
When we all receive our food, we take our seats at the table. Two extra chairs have been added for our guests. The air is fraught with an excessively boring silence, so I begin to speak my mind (something that I am positive will be unfortunate on my part in the future). I glance down at my plate. "I see the peas have made a reappearance.'' I haven't even realized the words had escaped my mouth until I am granted with two puzzled expressions from Annie and Everest and 'The Look' from my mother.
She grasps my plate, scrapes off all of the previously mentioned vegetable, and replaces it with an extra serving of carrots; all in a matter of seconds. I can still launch these, I think mischievously, though decide against it because my mother's eagle eye is still present.
Again nobody talks despite my repeated attempts to spark conversation. I want to ask Everest more about Leah, but withhold my curiosity since he got so upset before.
When we all finish eating, I accompany my dad in cleaning the kitchen.
I am washing a plate, when I hear his voice, "Willow, why did you say that during dinner?"
I look up from my work and answer, "I didn't mean to, it just, well, slipped out." I pause. " Has that ever happened to you?"
He nods and chuckles. " A lot. And most of the comments where about your mother. In fact, one time she was skinning a squirrel on the counter and I just so happened to mention how it would be difficult to remove the gut stains."
"What did she do?" I ask suddenly drawn to his story.
He sighs. "She threw the skinning knife at me. Thankfully I dodged it just in time, so it hit the wall instead." He points to an old slash in the wallpaper. "The mark is still there today." Huh, I've always wondered how that got there.
"Where was I?"
"You were there."
I scan my memories. "I don't remember though." If I was there, I am sure I would have noted that particular incident.
"Wouldn't expect you to." he says. "You weren't born yet."
"Then how was I – oh." I understand now. I was still in my mother's womb. To be honest that explains quite a bit.
"You about done there?" asks my dad.
"Yes sir." I gently put away the plate, careful not to break or chip the ceramic.
"Come on then." We enter the other room, in which everyone else is sitting.
I take a seat next to Asher while my dad lays a protective arm around my mother. "Can we play bakery?" asks Asher. I nod.
I am about to order when a loud high pitched beeping noise coming from the television eradicates the peaceful quiet. My mother's face becomes worried and her body tense. My dad squeezes her shoulders gently. "It's okay Katniss. Remember when we were in the Capitol civilian's house? It's just an emergency broadcasting." he whispers reassuringly. I hear a sigh of relief and my mother loosens up.
I turn my gaze by to the television right as they show the seal of Panem. The image changes to a woman wearing professional attire. It appears that she is at a press conference, for there are camera's, microphones, and people everywhere. "Attention citizens of Panem, I bring with me news in which I will regret announcing and you will not be too pleased with. President Lacey Paylor has been reported missing for over thirty-six hours without any trace as to her whereabouts. Officials of Panem are holding and preforming search parties all over the country. If you have any tips, please contact us below." A contact number appears at the bottom as the anthem plays. Shortly after, the screen goes black.
I look towards my mother who is staring blankly in front of her. Everyone is quiet including Asher.
My dad finally rises, and walks toward Asher and I. "Time for bed." he almost mutters. He picks up Asher and grabs my hand.
By the time we reach Asher's room, the child is fast asleep, his head on my dad's shoulder. We gently tuck him into bed. When we are done, we make our way down the hall to my room.
After I am under the covers, my dad and I exchange our good nights, and he kisses my forehead.
When he leaves I find the idea of sleep impossible. Too much is going on inside my mind. Half of it is about the strange disappearance of the President, and the other half is completely overcome with excitement about my birthday tomorrow.
I soon hear a raucous blood curdling scream erupt from my parents' room. Thankfully the guest bedroom is downstairs, not that it would make much of a difference.
I have now learned not to let it bother me, after all nightmares can sometimes be the best kind of dreams, they're the only ones that bring happiness when they end.
I still try to drown out the noise by making a mental list of all the things that could have possibly happened To Paylor. Of course, as it would be on most peoples', number one is death.