"Is that all you can do tough boy?" I say wiping the blood from my lip.

Army training began a year and a half ago for my lovely opponent, and somehow I am kicking his butt, with only a week and a half of Army Training.

My opponent falls on the mat with a thump.

"Count!" He says giving up.

"One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen." I say smirking.

"Who is next to fight Ms. Rosie?" Jonny asks.

Jonny is the self defense teacher, he started this job a year ago when my mother got admitted.

He started wrestling matches every Friday in class, and for the longest time there was this one champion who was never beat, that was until I came along and beat him on my first try.

This isn't the only class I have excelled in though, I have also excelled in weapons training with Gale, traps also with Gale, and wildlife and camouflage training with Max. He is basically our homeroom, he helps us with any issues we are having in our other classes, and then works on camping skills, such as building fires or making weapons with little resources, and teaches us camouflage skills. Camouflage class belonged to my dad as of a year ago... But when mom got admitted and Dad got worse, that clearly changed.

"And Rosie is again our champion." Jonny says a little bit rudely.

I smirk and walk towards the doors as if reading Jonny's mind when he says,

"Class dismissed." I laugh as I throw the doors open and walk towards my home.

Once I was released they moved Dare and I into my old house, amongst the other bomb shelters now occupied with generals and their families.

I walk calmly down the stairs and through the different hallways.

When I reach home I find Auntie Melony eating at the table and Dare covered in spaghetti sauce.

"Hello Rosie!" Melony says through a smile.

"Rosie!" Dare says through a mouthful of noodles.

"Hey Dare!" I run over to him wiping his face with a napkin and then kissing his nose, "I'm starved!" I say grabbing the milk from the fridge and gulping it down from the carton.

"How could you eat in a place like this?" Says a female voice, with a thick capitol accent.

"It made me lose my appetite before I even got inside." A male voice also with an accent that makes my ears ring.

I turn around to find Effie and a man I don't recognize standing in the hallway.

They both run towards me hugging and air kissing my cheeks.

"Hello Effie!" I smile squeezing her extra tight to annoy her.

"Not so tight! I am not wearing a corset!" She says worriedly.

That is when I notice their clothes, plain.

"Am I dreaming or is Effie wearing gray?" I say laughing.

Effie is wearing a plain gray V-neck T-shirt, a green jacket and a plaid skirt. Her real hair is showing for once, and it actually is quite stunning, she has long blond curls that reach past her shoulders and bright turquoise eyes, obviously messed with in the Capitol.

The man actually could pass very easily for one of us in his button down gray and white striped shirt, brown canvas vest, and worn down gray dress pants, if only it weren't for the silver eye-liner that still lines his eyes. That is when I realize the silver is actually sowed into his skin, much like a tattoo.

"She is, and let me tell you she fought. But after weeks of traveling from the almost ruined capitol to this district, her metallic green pant suit was ruined." He laughs.

"It isn't funny! Not only was my pant-suit ruined, so were my green stilettos, and my solid gold purse!" She pouts, "Do you know how much it was worth?"

"Well that coyote really seemed to enjoy chewing on it when you freaked out and started wacking it with it!" The man giggles again as Effie makes a frowny face, "Now back to the important part! Your house needs a complete makeover, and lucky for you I am skilled when it comes to the eclectic look I know you are looking for you!"

"Um, before you go all crazy on me, I believe we must have a proper introduction. So you are Effie's boyfriend or just accomplice?" They both stare at me as if I am mad.

Effie is the first to laugh.

Then he joins in.

Their laughs eat at my soul, familiar but too Capitol-like, I feel like screaming.

"Please stop!" I say about to burst.

Melony comes quickly wrapping her arms around me, tears sting in my eyes but I blink them away, not wanting Dare to see me cry, he has seen too much already.

"Well that elevated quickly." Effie says blushing.

I push Melony away once I am calm.

"I am sorry if I once knew you. I do not know you any more. You see I suffered serious brain trauma, it caused me to forget everything past a few days before the Reaping." Their expressions change.

"Oh you poor thing! I am Zeus! I was your stylist for the games." He says sympathetically.

"Nice to meet you Zeus. Thank you, but no thank you. I am comfortable with my house as it is. In fact I didn't agree to get a bigger bed or move coloring pages from my room's walls until yesterday." I smile, gesturing towards the pink room.

It now has a queen sized bed covered in handmade quilts with pink accents sown into them to go with the walls, a small nightstand with chipped paint and a small lamp on it, a cozy chair with several rips from my parent's old room and a small wooden desk in the corner. Where there once was a small table for tea parties there now is a dressing table with trinkets and pictures in frames on it. The only thing that hasn't changed is the window drawing, still hanging on the same wall.

"My brother now owns my parent's room, I switched beds with him, to scared to get a new one, because change makes the memories harder to grip." I say staring at the floor, "Now I hate to push you out, but really you all must go." I look at Melony while saying this, "Thank you for everything yo did for me when I knew you, and thank you Melony for watching Dare while I was gone. I am here now and would like some quality time with my brother." I walk them towards the door and open it, "Now goodbye!" I push the three of them out the door and slam it before they can say "Goodbye" back.

I slide down the surface of the door and plop on the ground.

For once I laugh, and Dare joins in.

"Well that was an event." I say walking Dare to his room.

I help him dress in pajamas and brush his teeth.

"We'll bathe you tomorrow before you go to school, alright?" He nods and climbs into bed.

I tuck the blankets in around him and kiss his forehead.

"Goodnight Dare." I whisper.

"Rosie?" He says innocently.

"Yes?"

"When are Mommy and Daddy coming home?"

"I don't know Dare. But all that counts is that you have me and I will never leave you and the fact that I love you!" I tickle his stomach and he laughs, I smile.

I walk towards the door and flick the light off.

"Goodnight Rosie." I hear him mumble as he falls asleep.

***********************************************************************************************************************

I wake up to something jumping on my bed.

"Buttercup!" I shout the cat gives a big purr and than flops on the bed.

"Thought you'd miss her." Max smiles from my doorway.

"Max! Get out of my room!" I shout but instead he walks over to me and kisses me passionately.

A girly giggle escapes my lips.

I can feel myself losing control so I pull away, smiling.

When I pull away I find that I am leaned against the head of my bed and Max is on my bed hands around my waist.

That is when I realize I was so tired I slept in my bra and underwear instead of my pajamas.

"Close your eyes, while I get my clothes on!" I shout.

Max laughs harder then I have ever heard him laugh.

I throw on his old T-shirt and a thermal, than I toss on some home cut shorts and tie my combat boots into place.

"Okay you can look." I say blushing.

"You really think I cared." He pulls me onto my bed.

"Max I am not your Rosie."

"That is true. My Rosie would've been like 'you should make this less awkward and take off your clothes too!'" I throw pillow at him.

"You have a dirty mind!" I shout and stand up.

Max tickles me so I fall onto the bed.

Once I am down I am down for good. He sits on my thighs and pins my arms down.

"Get off of me! If my brother sees us he will start asking questions." I say laughing.

"Your brother is at school! I took him!" He says also laughing.

"Did you bathe him?" My face goes stern and I stop laughing.

"No."

"Dang it, the one thing I have yet to master is the 'don't get the soap in the eyes trick.' You could've saved me from having to deal with a screaming child." I frown, "Now get off of me before I start screaming."

He does as he is told and gets off.

He kisses me forehead as I move so I am laying with my head on his shoulder.

"You know I was thinking. I mean I only live right next door, so it wouldn't be that big of a move, and you need all the help you could get. And your parents were our age, or my age when the shared houses. I mean we have shared a house before. Well kind of... You don't remember." He mumbles.

"Max if you are trying to ask if you can move in, be my guest, just as long as you are alright with sleeping on the couch." I smile.

"Few I thought I was going to have to repack my bags!"

"What?" I ask running towards the living room.

I find the futon out and covered in blankets, the drawers in the dresser filled with clothes and Max's favorite boots scattered about the floor.

He runs out and picks them up.

"Sorry." I fall onto the futon laughing.

"You are going to pay!" I jump on his back and start pulling at his hair.

I am in mid smack when the door opens.

"Dad?" Max says looking concerned.

***********************************************************************************************************************

"Me? On a mission? You are kidding right?" I ask as Max grabs my hand from under the table.

"No I am not kidding. You leave tomorrow for the capitol. As far as the capitol knows we were holding you and your parents captive, and they are rescuing you from the rebel camp in District Two." Gale says getting up from the table, "Be ready at dawn."

"How long will I be gone?" I ask.

"I don't know. But I do know you will be attending a Game Makers ceremony. We will tell you more on the train." He says walking towards the door.

"Dad she got out of the hospital less than two weeks ago." Max asks.

"Yes and that is why you will be the Sargent in charge of the mission, after all The President trusts you." Gale turns around.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing." Max replies.

"Max what does he mean?" I say calmly.

"While you were in the coma Max was in The Capitol. Or should I say was the Capitol."

"What?" I look at Max.

"Max didn't join the rebels until your thirteenth birthday." Gale says smirking.

"Dad!" He says now shouting.

I run towards my bedroom. How could Max betray me like that? How could he just leave me lying there all alone?

I slam my door and fall to the ground.

I hear shouting and what sounds like a fist hitting skin then I hear the door slam and footsteps walking towards my door.

"Rosie open up." Max says calmly.

"No!" the tear sting in my eyes once again and I let them free, each one blurring my vision, "You are a traitor! You left me!"

"You are right I left you, but only because I had to." We both fall silent, "Rosie they threatened to kill you."

"Who?" I ask.

"The Capitol." He says calmly and starts telling the story, "It was about half way through your surgery, the T.V. screens in the hovercraft went from showing the news to showing our faces. A voice came on and said that if one of us didn't get handed over they would kill us both. Rosie, my dad talked me into it. I wasn't going to, but he kept saying, "Act the part. Don't trade just act the part." Rosie I was gone for a year and everyday I was gone I could only think about you. As far as the Capitol thought, the rebels took us from the arena and dropped me in their possession. They were going to prosecute me on live T.V. and then blame it on the Rebels. Rosie they poisoned my brain. I was in therapy for month's when I got back."

"How did you get back?" I ask.

"One of the guards walking me towards wherever or however I was supposed to be prosecuted, and then I punched him and made a run for it." He says calmly, "They put a tracker in my neck and luckily in twelve I ran into some rebels who figured it out and removed the tracker. Rosie I walked hundreds of miles for you, and you call me a traitor? I risked my life to save someone I love and you call me a traitor? Rosie I love you. I would never leave you unless I had to."

Something catches my eye.

I walk towards my dressing table and stare at the small little brown box.

My present.

I shove it into my pocket and open the door, tears still dripping down my cheeks.

I jump into Max feeling like a bomb ticking and ready to explode.

"I love you too." I say digging my face into his neck.

He starts humming and I start singing.

Eventually I go back to bed even though it is no later than noon and Max reads a book on his couch.

For right now life is perfect, but it won't be this way for long.