I'll get right to the point, because I know none of you want to wait for a chapter any longer. There were so many excellent, wonderful, fabulous entries for the contest! Every one that I received was by far astounding. But there was only one winner, and you will see their entry in this chapter. The winner is...Obviously Annoyed! Congratulations! I want to thank everyone who entered, lilylunakatnisspotter, dogalena, CatchingFireChick, hello55522, shimmergirl109, and Mellymellark. If I forgot you and you entered, feel free to PM me. I want to give you credit for this if you entered. And now, on to the chapter!
Luke POV-
My head is pounding, my throat is raw as it could be, and I feel like crap. Today was the best day I have had in a long time.
My friends and I partied our butts off. Not like Liz and all her friends, though there was a bit of that kind of stuff. Drinks and hanging out and being loud, most definitely. But hey, I'm a teenager. I'd be anywhere I go.
The night before I had slept over at Scott's house, not feeling like going to my house. Logan was stalking me and following me everywhere and being his adorable, perky, eager to help little self, but I found I was able to take his antics a lot better than his brother, who mentioned to me just how often he has to hear things about me from his little brother. "It drives my parents insane," he had said. "I know it. But they pretend like it's the most sweet, adorable thing they have ever seen in their lives."
We had sat up all night practically, just talking and recalling childhood memories and laughing our heads off, remembering things we hadn't remembered in a long time.
It all started when we went to the bakery. Naturally, my dad wasn't there, and so that meant my grandparents, my dad's parents, were there working everything until he got home. They don't like me...like,at all.
"Hey grandma." I say, walking through the door with Maya and Scott behind me.
Both of them are all smiling and looking lovingly at each other and looking generally happy. My grandma is getting loaves of bread out of the oven, her dirty blonde hair pulled back in a bandanna, her apron covered in flour that looks like it's been there for a lot longer then just today, but that doesn't stop her from scowling back at my friends and I. "Oh...Luke. Your home...when did you get home?"
Scott snickers behind me, and I'm sure he's thinking the same thing as I am- Witch. It's a term that my grandmother has been called behind her back for as long as I can remember. My mom even told me some people called her that when she was a bit older than I am now. I guess some things never change, no matter how much time passes.
"I got here last night, grandma..." I respond.
She looks at me, her face fixed in a glare. "Are you staying here for long?"
I shake my head. "I'm leaving tomorrow around noon, so no. Just today and part of tomorrow."
I can tell that is exactly the answer she was looking to get from me. Maya tilts her head to the side, examining the scene. I'm kind of embarrassed that my grandma is talking to me like this in front of my friends, but then again, they do already know that she is evil, so at the same time, I don't care too much. If they were people I wasn't so close with, things would probably not be the same.
She sighs. "Thank God. If you were staying, I might have just lost it. It's bad enough your dad insists on working here without you being around all the time as well."
Scott rolls his eyes. "Nice to see you too, Mrs. Mellark."
My grandmother seems to remember that I am not the only one standing in her midst. She switches from glaring at me to glaring at Scott, which I am not quite sure if I am grateful for or not.
"Aghhhh. Your back. I hope with money this time." she snickers.
I turn to look at Scott, silently asking him what happened before, but don't say a word. I see Maya clasp his hand, giving him a reassuring look. Meanwhile, my friend is blushing, red as a tomato, but I can see it in his eyes he's trying to contain it and calm down again so he can reply. He won't let her get the best of him.
"Yes, I have money this time. But I'm not sure I'm here to buy anything yet. I'm here with Luke. Maybe I'll get something later." His gaze falters from her face, looking down at his shoes. Maya rubs his shoulder.
"How about you, girly? You here to buy something?Sorry, we don't sell baby food here."
Maya shakes her head. "No, ma'am."
My grandmother puts her hands on her hips. "Well, at least you have respect."
My uncles burst out from the back. "Luke! Hey, little dude!" My uncle Ryen,my dad's oldest brother,comes and claps me on the back, then he's pulling me into a bear hug. It hurts really bad, considering he's more muscled then my dad(which is saying something in itself), and taller, and hugs harder. Sure, he's tall and blond, and to girl's he's sort of attractive, but he is older than my dad.
"Hey, uncle Rye." I laugh. Maya smiles, and Scott playfully glares at him. Ryen laughs.
"Sorry Scotty. Seems your lady has found someone else to smile at." He jokes, ending my hug and going to hug Scott. In his mind, any friend of mine is a friend of his.
After hugging Scott he moves to Maya. "Hey, how's the baby doing in there?" He asks, genuinely interested.
Unlike my grandmother, he seems to not be judging Maya, even though he could. I mean, she's a teenager that got pregnant. Some people aren't so nice about that kind of stuff. I'm glad he's not giving her a hard time. I know, from knowing Maya a long time, that she hates that kind of stuff.
"The baby is fine, the mom is good, and the daddy is jealous." Maya laughs, returning Ryen's hug. "Oh my god, you're getting so big!"
My other uncle Nick(short for Pumpernickel), comes over, smiling big, to me, hugging me almost as tight as Ryen. "It's been too long, man." My uncles are a lot nicer then my grandma,which is weird, because they probably should be bitter and hateful, living with their mother.
Ryen is married to the daughter of a coal miner, named Francesca. He also has two kids, Poppy and Samuel, which I guess is why he's so fun-loving and nice to everyone. Nick, however, does not have kids, nor is he married. I have not yet figured out what the source of his happiness is. I don't intend to find out really.
"Ha ha. Thanks. That's the only part I don't like." Maya laughs, rolling her eyes and placing her hands on her stomach."Oh, it'll be fine, sweetie. You look adorable." Ryen comments.
"I hate to interrupt, but I have to interrupt," In all the fun I was having with my uncles and friends, I had forgotten my grandma is still here. "You boys have work to do." she says, pointing at Ryen and Nick. Ryen looks at Nick, Nick looks back at Ryen, and they both look at their mother. "Can we have a little more time with our nephew, please? We don't know when the next time he'll be here is."
My grandma sighs. "Fine. 15 minutes. But I want you back in the kitchen by then."
Nick nods. "Sure, mom. We'll be there."
My grandmother walks away.
Ryen rolls his eyes. "So Luke, and friends, what brings you here?
What did I come here for? I forget. I know I wasn't here to be criticized by my grandma, or bear hugged by my uncles. That was part of it, but not the main reasoning. Oh yeah! Now I remember!
"I wanted to know if you and your parents would make the cake for my wedding." I smile.
Nick and Ryen high-five. "Knew you would ask! And the answer is yes."
"Shouldn't you ask your dad? Doesn't he own this bakery?"
Nick rolls his eyes. "Of course, but he'll approve. And if he doesn't, Nick and I can just do it."
Ryen nods his agreement. "Anything you want to specify before we make it? Any specific kind? Colors?"
I think it over for a minute. What do I want? There are so many things to decide, or at least it seems like it.
"I have an idea." Maya pipes up.
I turn to face her. "What is your idea, Maya? I would love to hear it."
"Well, you said Liz wanted a black wedding dress, right?" Maya asks.
"Oh yeah! You could make the cake partially black. Oh, Liz would love that." Scott comments.
I nod, thinking it over. "Can you make a black cake?" I ask my uncles.
Boam th of them nod. "We can make black sugar molds and place it over the real cake." Nick comments.
"Do you just want it to be a black cake?" Ryen asks.
I think it over. Liz likes black...but would she want our cake to be completely black? I don't think she's that in love with the color. But I have o incorporate black in, because if Liz can't have her dream dress, she sure as hell will have a beautiful cake.
"Hmmmm...just black would look kind of depressing. Maybe black and white?"
"That might be a good idea." My grandpa comes out from the kitchen, flour all over him, a small smile on his lips.
"Hi grandpa." I say, smiling. If my uncles are the cool ones, and my grandma is the strict and evil one, my grandpa is the neutral one. I never quite know what he'll say or do.
He comes over and wraps me into a hug. "Your dad told us you'd be coming. Glad to see you, boy."
I nod my agreement. "Thank you. I'm glad to be home."
"How long are you staying?" He asks, already back to all business, letting go of me and taking a step back.
"I leave tomorrow afternoon." I say for what seems like the millioneth time. Why does everyone care when I'm leaving? Do people not want me there that badly?
"How is your fiance?" He asks.
"She is doing well, I'm sure. I haven't heard from her since I left the Capitol." I answer honestly.
It's true. Ever since Cato banished me from the hospital, I have not heard a word from Liz. Or anybody else, for that matter. I can't honestly expect Liz to be doing anything, considering she's probably still in treatment and not really able to use the phone, or maybe she's just not allowed to use phone. It's probably the second thing.
I really hope she is doing well. What am I saying? I know she's doing well. My fiance isn't weak. She is doing great, and if she isn't now, she'll do everything she can to make sure she is by the time I get back to her.
I can only hope that she's doing well. Otherwise I might never see her again. Or worse...wait, that was the worst. I need Liz to be better, or Cato will not allow me to marry her. Though I'm not sure how that is possible, considering Snow's orders kind of overthrow Cato's orders.
In a way, I do respect Cato's opinions more then Snow's, when it comes to Liz. Cato does know her a lot better then Snow, obviously. He knows what his daughter needs a lot better then Snow, who is a stranger basically, even if he has been met before. But then again, Snow is the president...worse things happen when I disobey him then when I disobey Cato.
"Well, I'm sure she's doing very well." Maya says, coming up beside me.
"So we'll be receiving our invitations soon, right? I mean, isn't it in like...2 and a half weeks?" Scott asks.
I nod. "Of course. Liz and I will be sending invitations as soon as possible. If she's better when I get home tomorrow night, we'll start then."
"BOYS, COME BACK IN HERE! Your break is over." My grandmother's voice comes blasting out of the kitchen.
"Quick, one of you buy something so we don't have to leave!" Nick shouts.
"Can I get a dozen cheese buns?" Maya asks.
"You can have anything you want, baby." Scott says, kissing Maya's neck, making her giggle.
"I'll pay." he says, nuzzling her.
"Awww. That is so mushy adorable." Nick says, laughing and getting the buns, putting them into a box.
"Yeah. It's sweet to see you too so passionate." I say.
"Luke, you better be that passionate, or your totally gonna get it." Ryen laughs.
I burst into laughter like everyone else. "Not to worry, I'll be as passionate as I can be."
"But-" Scott starts.
"So passionate that Liz will groan and tell me to stop." I conclude.
Nick hands Maya the box of cheese buns and Scott pulls the money out of his pocket to pay for it.
"Well, we have to go now. Serious teenage party stuff to plan." I smile, and Maya squeals behind me.
"We're having a party?" She exclaims.
"We are now!" Scott laughs. "Luke said it, so we totally are!"
We all laugh a little more before I hug my uncles and my grandpa, and they all head back toward the kitchen.
"Tell grandma I said goodbye!" I holler at Nick.
"Will do!" He replies as he disappears, a burst of heat exiting the room as he enters.
Maya, Scott, and I head out head down the street.
"Where are we heading?" Maya asks.
Scott scoops her up in his arms.
"I was thinking of kidnapping you, actually, Ms. Dawson."
Maya giggles. "Oh, that's fine. Just, I need to be back here in 5 months."
Scott rolls his eyes.
"That's hardly enough time to spend with you!" He complains.
"Oops. I guess I'm just in high demand, Mr. Maverick."
In a way, Maya reminds me of Liz. They both are funny, and sweet, and pretty, and both of them have a thousand different qualities that a guy could fall head over heels for. Not that I think about Maya like that at all. She is Scott's girlfriend, and I don't think about my friends girlfriends like that, just as a principle. It's common sense. But anyway, I look at Maya, and I see Liz. I'm not sure why I do exactly. I miss Liz really bad, so that might be it.
"Luke, you alright, man?" Scott asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. We should get Meredith and Daniel and Austin and go swimming or something."
"That is a great idea!" Scott puts Maya back down. "I'll get Meredith." she says.
"I'll get Daniel." Scott adds.
"Oh great. Leave me to get Austin. Thanks, dude." I sigh.
Both of them go off on their own ways, and I head into the inner part of the Seam. It's the poorest part of District 12,and I don't go there that often anymore. I feel really bad every time I come through here. Just...I have so much, and they have so little, even with the rations the district got with me winning the Games for the year. Well, the half a ration, since there were 2 Victors this year.
I know which house is Austin's. I went there all the time in years past. He used to be my best friend, before I knew Maya. She and Scott more replaced him, and he hasn't been too friendly with me ever since. I tihnk he's gotten bitter, and honestly, if I were him, I would feel exactly that way, and extremely pissed off to add to it.
I knock at the door, seriously hoping it isn't Austin himself that answers the door. Otherwise he'll just slam it in my face and that'll be the end of it. I know that if his mother opens the door, like I'm hoping, she'll invite me inside and make her son talk to me. And then she might also listen in and make him come with all of us to go swimming.
Luckily for me, his mom opens the door, smiling. "Oh, hello Luke. What a surprise to see you here! What can I do for you?"
I smile back. "Is Austin home?" I ask.
She smiles even wider. "Yes dearie, he's out back with his brothers. I'll just get him for you. Why don't you come in, and I'll get you some cookies."
This is the same woman I remember from years back when I hung out with Austin all the time. She's so kind, even though I'm sure she knows her son and I aren't exactly chummy anymore.
I walk inside when she moves away from the door and sit down on the small couch she motions to.
"Austin! Luke's here to see you!" she calls out the back door before getting a plate of cookies and bringing them in to the room, setting them on the table in front of me.
Austin comes into the room, scowling. "Oh...Luke...your here. In my house. Why?"
Definietely should have seen that coming. "I...um...wanted to invite you to come swimming later."
His mom smiles even brighter. "I'll just leave you two to talk."
"Thanks mom." Austin replies, smiling until she's out of earshot.
He tilts his head. "Me? You want me to come swimming with you?"
I nod. "Well, me, and Maya, and Scott, and Daniel, and Meredith."
He seems to consider it. "Why would you want me to come?" He asks.
"You don't like me."
"That isn't true, Austin, and you know it!" I reply defensively.
"Ooh, don't charm me to death!" He mocks.
I jump up, standing over him.
"You couldn't hurt me if you tried. And you know it. You don't hurt anyone. You didn't kill anyone in the Games either."
That came out of nowhere! Why the heck would he say that? To mock me? I think it's more then that.
"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask.
He snorts. "Just making sure you know that you did nothing but stay with the rigraiht people." he answers.-"
"What do you-"
"All you did was stay with Elizabeth Hirsch. She was the one who knew how to kill. You did nothing. Absolutely nothing! And your getting all this attention, all this praise!"
Oh, now I get it. He's jealous. I can't say I blame him. If I was him, I'd be jealous too. But his hostilityis still uncalled for.
"Austin...are you...jealous of me?" I ask, astonished.
He snorts again. "Of course not!" He exclaims.
"I just wish it hadn't been you going in those Games as the boy from here."
He says it in practically a whisper, so soft I can barely hear it. But everything else was silent, so I still hear him.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
He looks down to the floor.
"You already had everything, Luke. Two Victor parents, oppertunity to get out of the district. Fame and adoration just for being alive. You didn't need those Games. You had everything you could have needed. There were people who had so much less, that could have used the money and fame, people who had nothing! And those people didn't get the oppertunity because you had to be the cool guy that volunteered."
In a way, all of this is making sense. But then again, I don't know who he could be talking about by people who need the fame mor e then me. If people wanted that, why the heck didnt they volunteer? District 12 doesn't have volunteers that often. My mom, and me. We're the only ones ever, in all the years the Hunger Games have been going on. We aren't like District 2, where everyone is obsessed with winning the money and the fame and the fortune for themselves.
"If someone wanted to be in the Games, they would have tried to volunteer, like I did." I point out.
"You can't volunteer if you were already Reaped." He retorts with a sneer.
I tilt my head, confused. "Enlighten me. I'm confused."
He rolls his eyes. "Do you even know who you volunteered for?" He asks me, still sneering.
I shake my head. "No...I guess I wasn't really paying much attention to it. I was focused on volunteering...who was it?"
He points at himself.
"You?" I ask.
He nods. "And I wanted to be there, too."
"I can't believe that...why would you want to be in the Hunger Games, Austin? That's insane!"
"Then I guess I'm insane!" He shouts. "I could have won! I trained. I would have been able to do it!"
Tears spring to his eyes. "My family could have used that money..."he weeps.
Austin has a huge family. Himself, 5 brothers, 2 sisters, and his parents, ten members in all. His dad is a coal miner, his mom is a housekeeper. I can sympathsize with him pretty darn well.
"My dad died three days after you left the District." Austin whispers.
Now that I didn't know. I had seen Austin's dad a few days before I got Reaped, when he was on his way to work. He had offered me a smile and waved in a friendly way and then gone on his way. He had always been kind to me, never making assumptions or ever uttering a cruel word, no matter what I did, or what kind of trouble his son and I had gotten
"I'm so sorry." is all I could say. I was too surprised to say anything else. I had no idea his father had died, and not one of my friends had told me that useful fact.
"It's alright. It's not your fault. He suffocated off of coal dust down in the mines...none of us knew what to say about it...we've adapted though. Things have started to go back to normal. We don't talk about my dad much anymore...it makes my mother so upset when we do..."
I nod my agreement. "My grandma was like that when my grandfather passed away." I say softly, trying to make a common thread between us.
He nods. "She's still like that." he smiles.
"So...will you come swimming with us?" I ask.
He nods again. "Down at the lake?"
I smile and nod. "Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun."
"I'll meet you all there." He says cheerfully, and I stand up. He walks me to the door, and I head down the street, back toward Scott's house.
When I get in there, Meredith and Daniel are on his living room couch, kissing away. I swear at that second if I ever kiss on Liz like the way Daniel was kissing on Meredith in the view of other people, I would stop. Because I was thoroughly grossed out.
"MEREDITH!" Maya scolds, coming into the room and pulling the two love birds apart so they weren't kissing anymore.
"What?" Meredith giggles, leaning in to kiss Daniel again.
"Nuh uh! Hell no." Maya says, plucking Meredith off the couch and throwing her over her shoulder. "We're going to get dressed."
Meredith kicks at her, but Maya just keeps carrying her.
"Nice ass." Daniel says, and Meredith squeals.
"Put me down!" She shouts at Maya.
By this point, everybody is laughing.
"S.O.S! HELP! DANIEL, HELP ME!" Meredith continues screaming, and everyone is laughing their heads off, including Daniel.
"Sorry baby. I can't do anything. Just do what she says and you won't get hurt." He calls up the steps.
We all hear a door slam upstairs, and then very fake maniacal laughter. Poor Meredith. Maya is probably going to make her wear a bathing suit, and not the pair of shorts and a t-shirt she usually wears when we go swimming. Anyone who knows Meredith knows she is not a girly girl with anything. Her hair is always messy, and she's perky, but that's about all.
"NO FREAKING WAY!" We hear upstairs.
"Oh god," Daniel laughs.
"Yeah, that would be Mere." Scott finishes.
We hear a scream coming from wherever the girls are.
"What is she doing up there?" Scott exclaims, running up the stairs. Almost instantly, he's running back down, breathing heavily.
"I barely escaped with my life!" He pants.
"Let me guess," I laugh.
"They threatened you with makeup?"
He shakes his head. "No..." he looks at Daniel. "But you should see what my girlfriend is doing to yours."
Both of them chuckle, and I'm left to imagine what is going on up there.
"So...you guys have your bathing suits?"
"I'm just going in my shorts." Daniel says. "I can keep them since Mere isn't using them. Usually I have my bathing suit because she's wearing my shorts and her shirt."
Scott nodded. "Luckily, she doesn't literally take them off of Danny," Scott laughs.
"That's after the day is over."
Daniel punches Scott in the arm. "Shut up!"
Before Scott can respond with another comment, we hear the door open upstairs.
"I AM GOING TO SLAP YOU, MAYA! SO HARD YOU'LL MISCARRY!"
Nobody seems to bat an eyelash at it, so I know that this isn't the first time Meredith has said something like that. And then there's the fact that I can hear both of them laughing.
I've always thought Meredith could be from District 2. The girl is fearless, and nothing makes her feel embarrassed, except being made into something she doesn't want to be, like now.
Maya comes skipping down the steps, giggling, and she looks back up the steps. "Come on, Mere."
I know Meredith is hiding at the top of the steps. She's probably really embarrassed about what Maya did to her...whatever it is. Poor Meredith.
"Meredith, come on. You look awesome."
Meredith groans. "I look like a frilly cupcake." she moans.
"No, you look like a girl, which you are."
Maya goes up the stairs and pulls on Meredith, and I guess Maya is stronger, because Meredith comes down the steps after her.
And then we all get to see what Maya did.
Meredith's brown hair, which is usually pulled into a messy bun that falls out, is loosely fastened into two smooth,even ponytails, the light pink, frilly ribbons tied around just under her ears. Her eyes are outlined with bold, black, thick lines that show off their luminous brown eyes.
And she isn't wearing a shirt and a pair of Daniel's shorts. No, she's wearing an actual bathing suit. And it's pink. A on.e piece that has a strap that goes around her neck and ties in a bow on her right shoulder. I can see part of her cleavage, and no, I'm not looking in that way. Just making an observation, I promise. She blushes and covers her chest with her arms, looking even more embarrassed then she was before.
"What the hell did you do to her?" Scott asks, looking grossed out.
"Oh god! Maya, I told you I looked bad." Meredith says, plopping down into a chair.
"No, no, no. You look awesome," Maya says. "Danny, tell her!" She gives Daniel a stern look.
"You look awesome, baby. Come here."
Meredith gets up from where she's sitting and scurries over into her boyfriend's lap. She lays her head on his shoulder, and he strokes her hair. "If it makes you feel better, your boobs are looking very nice today."
His hands start moving.
"Don't even try." she hisses, and he stops.
"Busted!' I exclaim. "Now let's go swimming."
Maya jumps up and down, looking adorable in a blue polka dot one piece bathing suit, maternity sized of course.
"You excited there, Maya?" I ask.
She nods. "I think the baby is excited too."
She smiles and takes Scott's hand.
We walk out Scott's back door, which leads into the woods, which leads to the lake, where all of us go swimming pretty often. We always have so much fun together, no matter what we are doing. I can not tell you how happy I am to be home right now. Not that I have anything against staying with Cato and Clove and Haymitch and my parents and Liz, but I do miss my friends on some occasions, and it's nice to be able to see my friends, considering I haven't seen them in a pretty decent amount of time.
Shockingly, I am pretty comfortable with being in the woods. Alright, it isn't so shocking. My mother is Katniss Everdeen, and Gale Hawthorne is practically a fourth uncle to me. Loving the woods is in my genes, and I can not be more happy about that.
Scott tests to make sure the fence isn't electrified by throwing a stick at it. It's not huge disappointment at all when it isn't. Scott ducks underneath first, lifting it so Maya can get through(even when she's larger than usual, she gets through pretty easily. Security sucks here.). Daniel ducks under, but Meredith is eyeing the top of the fence.
"Thinking of jumping over?" I laugh.
She nods, saying nothing.
"Do it!" Daniel exclaims.
"What?" Meredith asks. "Climb up, and maybe...flip over to the ground?" she continues, smirking.
She grabs the fence with both hands, propping one foot up on a hole in the fence. She jumps, testing it to see if will hold her weight, which it does, so she puts the other foot up next to it, then picks up that first foot and steps up a little more. She does that a few more times, moving her hands when she needs to, and then, she takes a step where the fence snaps, right where she had placed her foot.
"Oh, please don't die, Meredith. We do not need you dying today." I call up to her. She turns her head, sticking her tongue out.
"Trying to concentrate so I don't." she snaps, one foot dangling off. She moves her hands, and places that foot in another spot.
I think we all audibly sigh in relief, seeing that our friend isn't going to die and fall off the fence. Another pull, and she'll be at the
I duck under the fence, waiting on the other side with my other friends.
Meredith sits at the top of the fence, taking deep breaths.
"It's ok. We'll catch you." Daniel calls up to her.
"Nah, I'm alright I think." is her reply, and then she leans forward, throwing herself off and into open air. She does indeed flip, over and over, until she lands on the ground, on her feet, I might add.
Everyone applauds, and Daniel plants a kiss on her lips. "Your such a dare devil! Your name should be Meredith Dare, you know that." he kisses her a few more times. "I was so scared."
Now that we're all sure Meredith is alright, we go back to walking to the lake, which isn't too far away.
We're walking along, perfectly peaceful, nothing wrong, and then suddenly, Austin pops out from behind a tree with a loud "BOO!"
Naturally, we all start screaming, like normal people, but then we're all ughing, because it was pretty funny, and none of us expected it.
And that's how the fun started. We all went swimming. There was dunking and splashing, and dunking, and general teenage recklessness, but those details are highly confidential, considering we broke like...a lot of rules, never mind how many.
And I hope Liz is having just as much fun.
Liz POV-
I'm bored. There isn't anything to do around here, except sleeping, and counting the tiles in the roof, and nd even more sleeping. It is starting to get kind of tiresome, and there isn't anyone here to talk to either. Luke is in 12, mom and dad are fighting in the hallway, Katniss and Peeta have left to God-knows-where, and even Effie isn't here. I'm bored, and I don't want to sleep anymore.
Mom is screaming something at dad now, solmething I can't quite comprehend as I can't hear her words through the closed door. But I'm used to it; they fight all the time. I just hope they won't do their usual make-up routine here, which is sex.
Sighing, I pull out the IV's from my arm, knowing I really shouldn't be doing that, but not really caring. I have decided that I'm going to find something to entertain myself with. Then I get out of bed, wincing the slightest as my feet hit the cold hospital floor. My parent's fight't grows in volume as I near the door, and I can hear my dad's voice yelling back at mom. As I open the door, they both come into sight, and they look at me for a short time, before my mother starts yelling again. I can't do anything but roll my eyes, slipping seemingly unnoticed past them, and down the hallway.
The hospital is unusually quiet, and I'm expecting to run into a nurse at any minute who will yell at me for not nd being in bed. I hope none of them will come around and act like it is the world's end that I'm just stretching my legs a little.
I don't have any specific goal in mind as I walk, just wanting to move my body before I'm forced back to my room. But my aimless wandering leads me to a part of the hospital where I'm not sure I want to be, or if I'm even allowed to be here. A heavily pregnant woman is at the end of the same hallway as I, obviously in labor, as she clenches her husband's hand for dear life every time one of those contractions hit her.
The sight scares me, as that might as well be Luke and me in a year. The thought scares me, but I still want to move further in, knowing just what lays ahead. I turn right, and that is when I see the window which covers the whole wall, and what lays on the other side of the glass.
I have walked into the maternity part of the hospital, where there are pregnant woman, and babies all over the place. It is scary to see the small bundles laying in their cradles on the other side of that window. It is a baby; a small, breathing human being. I'm expected to create one, to carry it in nine months, before then giving birth to it, while I'm only fifteen,soon to be 16. Then I will have to take care of it the next eighteen years.
It is strange how such a small creature can cause so many emotions in my chest; fear, confusion, frustration, anger, and a tiny tad of excitement. What will it feel like actually making the baby? What will it feel like finding out I'm pregnant? What will it feel like feeling the baby move, and kick? What will it feel like giving birth? And what will it feel like to hold it, and know that little baby was made by me, and Luke, that he, or she will be dependent on me to manage?
My hands are pressing against the glass, having moved there without my consent. The noise of one of the baby's cries hits me strongly, and it is utterly terrifying. I have accepted the fact that happiness isn't for me, but it still angers me how I'm not able to decide when I should lose my virginity. How I'm not able to decide to have kids when I want to have them, if Iwant to have them.
The pregnant woman from earlier is now cursing out in pain, and that would usually have been enough for me to smirk, but I can't, as my face as frozen in a mask of complicating emotions. But there is something about those tiny babies. I don't know why, but something about them makes me think that creating a family with Luke might not be that bad after all.
"Hey," a sudden voice sounds beside me, and I turn my head to face my mom.
I wonder if she is going to yell at me for being out of bed, grab me by the arm, and force me back into my room. But she doesn't, and there is a surprisingly calm expression on her face. Her gaze finds the same place as where mine is lingering, and she sighs softly.
"What were you and dad fighting about?" I ask, skipping the greeting.
Removing my hand from the glass I let it hang slackly by my side. I smirk at her, knowing well enough how often my parents fight about something absolutely ridiculous, and to cover up the slight fear still lingering in my body.
Mom turns her gaze at me, and smirks a little.
"Your dad's being a jerk," she says.
"You know, the usual."
I laugh; the sound sounding through the air easily, and blocks out the noise of the cursing woman in labor, but it isn't enough to deafen the soft cries of the babies.
"I hope you didn't go with your usual make up routine." I smirk at her.
She smirks back.
"Don't worry about that," she tells me, before her face turns serious.
"What are you doing here?" she asks softly.
And the fact that my mother is acting caring, and soft is shocking.
I frown at her sudden not hostile persona.
"Nothing," I say, and shrug.
"I got bored, and since you and dad were screaming I figured I'd go for a walk."
I smile at her, but her expression doesn't change from her serious one.
She laughs like she is mocking my truth, and I know she doesn't believe me. But her expression again turns serious, and a sigh escapes her lips. My mother takes a couple of steps forward, stopping before me. Her gaze once again turns to the crying babies, before then comes to rest on me again.
"You're going to have one of your own soon, you know." Her voice is unusually soft, and I want to know what this woman has done with my mother.
I nod. "I know," I tell her, and sigh.
A cry sounding more like a scream erupts from one of the tiny creatures in one of the cradles, while the woman in labor curses out even louder. I look at the tiny, crying baby, at the cursing woman, and then back at my mother.
"Mom," I say quietly, my lip suddenly trembling.
"I don't want to have a baby."
My mom's sorrowful eyes look down at me with a softness I didn't think she was capable of holding. Her arms reach out for me, and I'm soon in her embrace, burying my face in her shoulder. Tears are welling up in my eyes, but I know she will probably hit me if I cry, so I keep them back.
"What if I can't do it? I don't know how to raise a baby. I don't know how to give birth. And I don't want to, mom. I don't want to."
For once, my mom stays silent; not commenting on the tears which are staining her blouse, or hitting me for not knowing better. She simply stays completely silent, letting me ramble on about how I can't do this, while stroking my hair.
"I know you don't want to," she whispers eventually.
"And I know it's scary."
She stops there, probably because there aren't anything more to say. If she says everything is going to be fine, she will be lying.
"What if I mess up? What if my child will start hating me, or Luke doesn't want to be with me anymore?"
"I'll help you," she tells me, because that is the only thing she can promise me.
"I'll be there. I'll let you cry on my shoulder, if you want, when you find out you're having a baby. I'll buy you anything you're craving during the pregnancy. I'll come with you on every doctor's appointment, if you would like that. I'll hold your hand when you're in labor. I'm sorry I can't do anything else, Liz," she whispers.
"But I'll do that, if you'll let me."
I nod into her shoulder. "I'd like that, mom."
Drawing back from her embrace, she wipes the tears from my eyes.
"Don't cry," she instructs, some of my real mother coming back.
"We'll make it work. Don't cry."
A nurse picks up one of the babies, and I watch as she soothes the child. She makes it look so easy as the baby stops crying. Eventually, it seems to fall asleep, closing its tiny eyes.
"You know," my mother says.
"Having a baby can be nice too."
She smiles at me while squeezing my hand. And those words are the reason a small smile grows on my face too, as my mother, no matter how cold she acts, told me she likes being my mom. And if my mother, of all people, can have, and raise a baby, so can I.
Alright, there is the chapter. I hope that it was as good as you expected it to be. I know I kept you waiting a pretty long time for it, and I really am sorry about that. I promise, that will not happen ever again...or at least, I will try and not let it happen anymore. But alas, I am human. Thanks for reading. Please leave a review, I would love to hear from you. Until next time, may the odds be ever in your favor!