Hunger Games 2

Mackenzie smiled lightly as she watched Willow go, but then she looked up at Tyson seriously. She wanted to know what happened to his father, but she wasn't going to ask. It was such a personal question. Besides, she could just infer from what he told her. "I'm really sorry Tyson. I mean, I guess you could look at it the bright way and see that she is really optimistic," she said quietly. She smiled when he spoke, and she gave him a small nod. Was this a guy's way of asking a girl out or was it just him being casually nice? Oh how she hated mixed signals. "Yeah, if you want to that is," she told him. "I mean, you don't have to if you won't want to," she said after a moment.

Tyson considered it and nodded slowly. Maybe she was right. He sometimes wished he were young and naive like her. But he had been older when his father had died. He knew the concept of death. When she agreed, he cracked a half smile and leaned back slightly on the couch. "I want to," he assured her. He then thought to his friends. They would crack some wise pickup lines. Should he try that? "Let's have history and make a date...," he said, then paused. No, that was not right. "I mean, let's make history and have a date," he corrected. It still sounded stupid. "Uh, forget I said that."

Mackenzie smiled lightly when he said that he wanted to. She was happy for some reason. Was it because she was actually feeling something for this guy, or was it just her feelings toying with her? What was going on? She couldn't help but giggle when he messed up the lines, and she took his hand. "Let's make history and have a date," she repeated him, looking up at him. She loved how he seemed nervous and jittery, and she couldn't help but laugh, but that was all because she thought that it was cute. He was cute. Wait, did she just say that? No way! Was she falling for this guy? "So, when should we have the date?" she asked him.

Tyson mentally slapped himself. His friends would be gawking at him and not in the good way. They had encouraged him time and time again to hit on a girl. And just when he does, he couldn't even get a pickup line right. Yet, she didn't seem to mind. Actually, she seemed like she was open to the idea, especially since she took his hand. Well, that helped just a bit. Her laugh was beautiful. She was beautiful. Focus, Ty. "Right," he began, refocusing. "How about this weekend?" he suggested.

Mackenzie smiled lightly at him, and she nodded. She would probably laugh if his friends were right there. They would probably be staring in shock that he misworded a pickup line. "Yeah, that sounds great," she said, and she thought about her father. He would probably kill her if he knew what she was doing. She would probably have to get Drake to cover for her. What would she do without Drake? He really was a life saver.

Tyson smiled lightly when she agreed. He didn't think she would. Actually, what girl wanted to date the history geek who not only cringed away whenever a father was mentioned but also mis-words a pickup line. "Uh, great," he said awkwardly. What exactly did someone say after they asked someone else on a date? For once, he was glad his mother interrupted. Grace stepped out from the kitchen and hung near the hallway. She asked, "How is your homework coming along?" By the look she was giving him, he knew she knew they weren't discussing the revolutions, unless it was the revolution of Tyson asking a girl out.

Mackenzie smiled, and she couldn't ell bit laugh a bit at how awkward he is. "You do realize that I'm not going to bite right," she told him with a smile. When his mother walked in, she quickly let go of his head and smiled. "Oh, it's going along quite well. Thank you for asking," she said, and she started to write a bit more. Hopefully she didn't catch her taking his hand. She would be so embarrassed if she did. She probably looked like a lovesick girl.

Tyson didn't reply; he looked away to hide a blush. He was such a dork, and Mackenzie actually accepted to go on a date with him. Now he would have to take some advice from Dayton- or more commonly known as Nate, his friend. And it would be his luck that the guy would douse him with cologne and made him wear a suit and tie. He was the school flirt after all, and he knew all about dates. Tyson didn't. Grace grinned lightly when Mackenzie answered and nodded lightly. "That's good to hear," she commented. She once again recalled how much she looked like Jaycee. "Hey, Mackenzie," she began, "who are your parents?" She had to know, and this spiked curiosity in Tyson. Why would his mom want to know who Mackenzie's parents were?

Mackenzie was trying her best to hide her blush as his mother came by. She probably looked like a tomato, and that wasn't what she waned. Not in front of a boy! She was being so self-conscious about how she looked. When his mother asked the question, she grew a bit pale. How was she supposed to answer it and deal with their reaction. Her parents were in the history books for crying out loud! And it didn't help that they were both history buffs on the very topic. She couldn't lie. She took a deep breath before answering her question. "Dustin and Jaycee Crawford, ma'am," she said, glancing at the ground.

Grace wasn't surprised by her answer; she simply smiled and nodded. She moved to sit down across from them. She clasped her hands together and cracked a small smile. "You take a lot after your mom," she whispered, letting out a long sigh. She then shook her head, knowing she possibly sounded like a creep. "I knew them once. Your parents," she stated, standing once more. She picked up Tyson's empty glass and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Tyson, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. "Wait, wait, wait," he began, bewildered. "Your parents were apart of one of the greatest Wars known to history as well as the revolutions, but you don't know anything about it?"

Mackenzie was surprised when his mother didn't seem phased at all by her reply. Her explanation made sense, but she was still a bit shocked. She had been told that she looked like her mother before, but she wasn't so sure how much that was true. She didn't think so. She wanted to think that she looked like her father. "How did you know my parents?" She asked after a moment. The only way that someone was close with them was if they were in the revolution as well. When Tyson spoke, she looked down at the ground, embarrassed. "Yeah, my family and everyone around me sort of kept it a secret. I guess it was bad memories, I didn't know about my family and everyone around me being in it until today. After school, I talked to Drake. He told me a bit more. I plan on talking about it with my dad tonight though."

"Chill out," Dayton muttered. Tyson could smell the stale cigarette smell on the guy. Why was he friends with him again? Oh right, they were cousins. It was inevitable. And to add on to that stupid cigarette smell, he was nervous. So nervous. Dayton patted him on the back once the tie was fixed into play. "I swear, I did a good job," he said with a satisfied smirk. Tyson frowned and grumbled, "I look like you." Dayton then lazily ran a hand through his hair. "Which is why I did a good job," he stated. And just as he would expect from the guy, he pulled out a cigarette.

Mackenzie was so lucky to have Drake in her life. He was covering for her and letting her get ready for her date at his house. She glanced at herself in the mirror, and she bit her lip nervously. Did she look good? Her blonde hair was curled, and she was a little bit of makeup. She used a bit of eyeliner and eye shadow to make her blue eyes pop. She sighed to herself before she stepped out of the bathroom with her heels on. "Do I look okay?" she asked Drake. When it came to guys, she just couldn't tell her father. He would go all investigator on them and do a full background check. He would probably even go down the family tree. She would have to turn to Drake.

Drake was flipping through his photo album again. He hovered over pictures of Dimitri and Ann as kids. He glanced up when Mackenzie stepped out and cracked a half smile. "You look beautiful. Just like your mother," he stated, standing and pulling her into a quick hug. She also looked a lot like Livia, but he didn't add that in. As he pulled away, he offered her a small smile. "You have fun, all right?" he said with a half smile sliding onto his face.

Mackenzie smiled down at Drake, and she hugged him back. "Thank you so much. I honestly don't know how to thank you enough," she said, and she smiled lightly. She glanced at the time nervously. Tyson was supposed to pick her up. "What if he doesn't show up?" she asked her nervously, beginning to pace. It was a habit she had unknowingly picked up from being around Drake so much. "I'll try to," she replied when he told her to have fun. She was just worried that she would be stood up.

"Want one?" Dayton asked, offering Tyson a cigarette, which he immediately declined. "Suit yourself," he muttered, sticking it into his mouth and lighting it. Tyson muttered, "Why do you have to smoke in my room?" He was in no mood for a smelly room because of Dayton. He didn't reply. He just puffed out the smoke. Tyson grunted and headed off with Dayton following. "Bye mom," Tyson said, hugging her. He could see the disapproving look on her face as she looked at Dayton. He knew she had nothing against Dayton, just his mom. His aunt Caroline and her had had their differences from way back when. He shrugged and headed off. He was borrowing Dayton's car, because he didn't have a car. Dayton had a Volvo. Tyson walked- not because he couldn't afford a car, mind you, he just preferred it. Which was another reason Dayton got all the girls. Tyson drove to Drake's house and let the car idle as he knocked on the door. As a last minute thought, he fixed his collar. Drake cracked a smile. "Your boy is here."

Mackenzie was pacing a bit more, but then she heard the knock at the door. She let out a sigh of relief, and she kissed Drake's cheek. "Thank you so much. I honestly have no idea what I would do without you. I promise I will make this up to you," she said, and she gave him one more hug before she walked to the door. She took a deep breath before opening it and smiling. "Hey," she said. She wasn't really sure which scent was more overbearing; it was either the cologne or the cigarette smoke. "I am guessing someone helped you get ready. The cologne is a bit much. You smell like that one guy in history class," she told him with a laugh before she hugged him. "But you sure do look sharp," she told him. She glanced back at Drake for a small moment, offering him a smile.

Drake returned the hug and patted Mackenzie's back lightly. "Stop thanking me," he told her softly, standing. "I could never accept Aspen and Ann being together. I see you as a daughter, but I don't have the responsibility of a dad. So, I can support it so long as he is a good guy." Tyson wound his hands together quickly. Did he stick? Did he look bad? It was too late to turn around now, however. Because Mackenzie opened the door. He hugged her back before he pulled away and cracked a small smile. "Yeah, Nate helped out," he said sheepishly. Only close friends and relatives called "Nate" Dayton. His first name was Nate, but Dayton preferred to go by his middle name instead. He dipped his head to hide his flushed face. "Thanks. You look pretty nice yourself," he told her. But she looked better than "pretty nice." She looked amazing. Beautiful.

Mackenzie smiled over at Drake. he was like a second father to her. She loved him like one too. When Tyson spoke about who helped him, she couldn't help but laugh. She had heard rumors about the guy being a total player, and she didn't really want to get involved with him. "I thought people called him Dayton. And I didn't know you were friends with him," she said. She he commented on how she looked, she blushed lightly. "Thank you, Tyson," she said, and she looked at the ground. "So, should we go?" she asked him. She was so awkward, and she hated every bit of it. She managed a small smile. Was this how awkward a normal first date was?

Tyson arched a brow at that. "Oh, I didn't know you knew about that. Most people at school call him Nate," he said with a shrug. "But yeah, I am friends with Dayton. It's....complicated," he continued with a chuckle. Despite what a jerk Dayton was, he was helping out more than Tyson could explain. So, he basically owed him one. "Yeah, let's go," he agreed, taking her hand and leading the way to the Volvo. He had never been so nervous before. Did it get better?

Mackenzie smiled lightly, and she nodded. "I haven't heard much about him really. What I have heard isn't the best," she said with a laugh, and she smiled lightly. "Okay, I'll be right there," she said. She raced back inside once more and hugged Drake tightly. "I'll see you tonight after the date. I'll get out of your hair as quickly as I can," she said before she waved and ran out the door, closing it behind her. She followed him in the car and got on her side. She was really nervous about saying something wrong.

Tyson couldn't agree more with her there. He knew his cousin, and he did things he shouldn't. He smoked, and he even heard that Dayton drank. But that could be something said down the rumor mill. He got into the driver's side and pulled out of the driveway. "So," he began, cracking a small smile. "Dayton told me first dates should be something simple. Like the movies and dinner." He then chuckled and leaned one arm around the back of her seat. "We are going to do that, but my way," he added on. He didn't elaborate as he parked in the local park's parking lot. He was out the door and opening hers as soon as the car's engine was killed.

Mackenzie looked out the window a bit as he drove. She was going to ask where they were going, but then again, she wanted it all to be a surprise. Plus, she had a feeling that he wasn't going to tell her what they were going to do. When he spoke, she rose a brow. "You aren't going to murder me right?" she said jokingly, and she got out with him. "Thanks," she said as he opened her door. She looked around, and she tried to see if she could find anything that he had laid out. He was making her more and more curious by the moment.

Tyson smirked lightly over at her and left. He returned with a picnic basket in his hand and a laptop under his shoulder. It looked insane, but that was just fine with him. With his free hand, he took hers and lead her to the blanket he had already lied around near the bank of the river. "I hope this is nice enough. I don't really know what, uh, girls like to do," he said sheepishly as he opened up the lap top and lied it before them. Then, he lied out all the food he, well okay his mom, had made, which consisted of sandwiches, chips, and cool drinks. At the bottom, he tugged out all the movies he had brought.

Mackenzie looked up at him, and she rose a brow. Now she was getting really curious. What did this boy have in store? She followed him, and her eyes widened when she saw the blanket and all the food that she guessed his mother made. "Tyson...," she said quietly, and she looked up at him. After a moment, she tackled him with a hug and giggled. "This is amazing," she said, and she looked up at him. "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me," she said, looking into his eyes. Tyson sure was something. She was just glad that she didn't decide to bail on the date.