Hunger Games 2

Maria had just picked up Willow and was taking her to the park to meet up with one of her friends. She thought that Willow could use a friend - besides people from ten to forty years older than her. "So, who is she again?" Willow asked as she colored in her coloring book. Maria spared a glance over at Willow before she turned her gaze back to the road. "He. And he is my friend's son. His name is Apollo," she informed her. Willow had paused in her coloring; she wrinkled her nose and muttered, "Boys are gross." Maria arched a brow. "You like Dayton all right," she inquired. Willow replied with, "He isn't a boy my age. Boys my age fart and laugh about it." Maria laughed and said, "Honey, I am sorry to tell you they still do as they get older." She parked at the park and got out, opening the door for Willow.

Madison cracked a small smile and shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. At his question, her eyes widened in shock. She awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck as she thought it over. Were they? She knew she at least liked him a little bit; otherwise, why would she still be talking to? As he continued, she slowly smiled and flushed. "Well, I suppose....as long as I get to be the girlfriend," (yes I did just make a Drake and Josh reference there) she joked, nudging him. She then grew serious. "I would like that too."

Apollo was sitting in his seat as his mother came to the park. "Mommy, I don't want to go and play. Girls have cooties! I'm going to get sick and die," he complained dramatically. His mother rolled her eyes and sighed to herself. "Apollo, you know that Maria is very good friends with me, and I didn't think that you would want to play by yourself, so she brought along a friend that is your age," she said, and Apollo shook his head. "She has cooties though," he complained, and he soon got out of the car. Aspen's mother smiled and hugged Maria. "It's so good to see you again! I am guessing that this is little Willow. Well, this is my son, Apollo. Apollo, say hi sweetie," she said, and Apollo looked down at Willow,"Were you forced to come here too?"

Felix laughed at her words, and he rolled his eyes. "Yes, you can be the girlfriend, and I will be the boyfriend. I think it sounds great," he said. He couldn't hide his smile when she really agreed, and he hugged her tightly before kissing her. He really did want to be in a relationship with her. She was just so beautiful and smart. He had a crush on her, but he was too afraid to way anything.

Maria returned the hug and smiled lightly as she pulled away. "It is good to see you too," she greeted with a grin. Willow scrunched up her nose when she saw Apollo. "You don't fart and laugh about it do you?" she inquired. Maria quickly scolded, "Willow, be nice." Willow glanced up and muttered, "What?" Maria sighed and shook her head; maybe it wasn't such a good idea for Willow to hang out with Dayton so much. Not only was she blunt, she was pretty sarcastic for her age too. Willow turned back to Apollo and grumbled, "Yeah, she said I could use some friends. I have a bunch 'of friends.'"

Madison grinned lightly at his words and hoped she wasn't blushing as much as she felt that she was. She hugged him back and couldn't help but smile slightly under the kiss. As she pulled away, she cracked a small smile over at him. "So, uh, are you free, uh, next Saturday?" she asked after a pause, rubbing the back of her neck. She had never asked someone out before. Was she even doing it right? Probably not.

Apollo looked down at Willow, and he sighed to himself. He had plenty of friends! Why did he need more? His mother kissed his head and ruffled his hair. "Go on and play while Maria and I talk to Maria," she said, and Aplo was quickly shooed away. He sighed, and he went to a place on the playground. "You have pretty hair. Do you think I can touch it?"

Felix thought about  his plans, and his bit his lip. "I'm actually  going to the fair with Noah and Josh and all of them, but I was thinking that maybe you could tag along. I'm sure they wouldn't mind," he said. He wouldn't tell them but he was sick of seeing them  ring together and kissing in fruit of him.

"Yeah go on and play while Maria, your mom, and I talk," Willow repeated, adding herself into the loop. Maria sighed and nudged Willow. "That means you too, Willow," she insisted. Willow huffed and dropped her arms by her side. "Fine," she grumbled as she walked over to the playground and sat on a swing. She hadn't sat down for more than a second when she heard Apollo. Who was this kid? "No, I thought I had cooties," she sneered.

Madison grinned at his suggestion and nodded in agreement. "That sounds great. It has been a long time since I've been to the fair. Jax would take me every year when I was little. He stopped a year or two ago," she said sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders. "But yeah, I'd love to go...as long as they wouldn't mind," she continued.

Apollo rolled his eyes at her words. "Oh shut up," he said. His mother heard him, and she narrowed her eyes. "Apollo! What did I tell you about using bad words like that?" She asked, and Apollo sighed. "Sorry," he muttered. His mother sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "It's so hard raising him alone. I don't get how he can be just like his father when he has never met him." Apollo looked up at her, and he smiled lightly at her. "Well maybe your hair doesn't have cooties."

Felix smiled, and he nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, they will be totally fine with it. Maybe you will get along with my cousin and Noah's girlfriend," he said, and he kissed her lightly. He was hoping that maybe everything would go smoothly. He took her hand, and he looked at the door. "Maybe we should go back out."

Maria couldn't help but crack a weak smile as she listened to Apollo. She had missed out on a lot of her own son's life. She regretted ever leaving him with his father. She whispered after a moment, "I guess some things can't be explained," she said after a moment. Willow frowned and grumbled, "You aren't touching my hair." She began to swing on the swing and sighed. "Why did Maria do this to me," she complained.

Madison considered it and then nodded in agreement with his suggestion. "Maybe you are right. Uh," she began, then paused, rubbing the back of her neck. What if they didn't like her? She was thrown out of her thoughts when Felix spoke again. She stood and managed a smile. "Yeah, let's go," she agreed as she headed out of the door.

Apollo looked over her, and he smirked. "Maybe it's like one of those stories where the princess and the price are supposed to be married every since they are little. Maybe they brought us here to break it to is!" he said, but then he thought about the idea. "Wait, no! You have cooties!" he said. Apollo's mother looked over at them, and she sighed to herself. "I just wish he could get to know him, even though he wasn't the best person. I don't want him to make the mistake I did. I want him to be smart and not go off partying all the time."

Felix looked down at her. He took her hand as he walked with her out the door and down the stairs. He saw Noah looking lost and confused. Once he saw him, Noah ran to him and pulled him in a tight hug. "You scared me so much!" he said. Felix was a but shocked, but he smiled back at him.

Willow frowned and glanced over at him, shaking her head all the while. "I am not marrying you," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Maybe Day could fix it; Day could fix anything, and he certainly wouldn't let her get married to some boy, right? She threw a glance at Apollo and smirked. "I would shut up if I were you. One day, I might be able to save your life. I am going to grow up to be like Maria," she said with a satisfied smirk. Maria nodded and sighed, sparing a glance at the two of them. "Willow only just got her father back recently. Even though he had made some mistakes too, he seems to be a good father," she murmured, then shook her head.

Madison was taken aback when Noah hugged Felix. "Er," she began sheepishly. "I am guessing this is your cousin?" she inquired, furrowing her brows. Although she had heard of Noah - some of her friends were even friends with his friends, she had never met him before. She paused before sticking out her hand. "Uh, hey. I'm Maddie," she murmured.

Apollo, of course, had to be the sarcastic little child he was. "Oh yes you are," he said with a smirk, and totally avoiding her cooties, he hugged her. "You are going to have to deal with me forever and ever," he said with a smirk. Morgan, his mother, sighed as she looked back. "Well that's good. Sometimes I really wonder how it happens. He even looks like Marcus!" she said, and she watched him as he hugged her. "Is he actually hugging her or is he strangling her?" she asked as she watched them.

Noah looked over at Maddie when she asked about him, and he gave Felix a look. "You haven't told her about me? Felix, I am disappointed in you. I talked non stop about you with Astrid," he said. He smiled, and he shook Maddie's hand. "It's nice to meet you. Noah Sherwood if you didn't already know," he said. Felix rolled his eyes, and he went back to Madison.

Willow frowned and was about to object when he hugged her. "Let go of me you weirdo!" she muttered, trying to push him away from her. "Help! He's going to suffocate me!" she exaggerated, scowling at him. Maria glanced over at where Willow and Apollo were and let out a long sigh. "Oh goodness," she muttered. She then called out, "Willow, it's okay honey. It's just a hug!" Willow glared and snapped in response, "But he's a boy!"

Madison laughed softly as she shook Noah's hand and cracked a small smile. "Yeah, I know you. I've seen you around school before," she replied sheepishly before she reached out and took Felix's hand. "So, uh," she paused as she rubbed the back of her neck. "You wouldn't mind if I joined you guys when you go the fair...uh right?"

Apollo smiled as he hugged her. He loved causing the little kid discomfort. Morgan sighed, and she glared at her son. "Apollo, let her go if she doesn't want to be hugged. I brought you here to play, and if you don't behave right, I will ground you," she said. Apollo huffed in disappointment, and he looked over at Willow. "So why do you think you are going to be like Maria?" he asked her. Willow was different than the girls that he knew. They all liked playing dress up and trying to put makeup on, but Willow played with little chemistry sets.

Noah listened to her question, and he smiled. "We don't mind at all. Besides, I think Felix needs a little friend," he said, and he ruffled his cousin's hair. Felix rolled his eyes and pushed his cousin playfully. "Shut up, Noah. I don't need you scaring away my girlfr-" he stopped when he noticed what he almost said. He would have backtracked himself, but Noah was on to him. "So you kept that from me too, Fe. Goodness, when will they end," he said jokingly, and he smirked. "Boy will your mom get a kick out of this!"

Willow glared and tried to push him away, but it seemed almost hopeless. She sent a silent thank you to his mother when Apollo, finally, let her go. She let out a long breath and grumbled, "Hug me again, I will make sure you have no arms to hug with ever again." Maria had heard her, however. "Willow!" she snapped. Willow flushed and muttered, "It is his fault!" Maria sighed and turned to Morgan. "She spends too much time with Dayton Young. It is a wonder she hasn't started cursing yet with how much foul words that come out of that boy's mouth," she grumbled. Willow perked up at Apollo's question. Finally! Something interesting! "Because she promised me that she would teach me one day. I already have the periodic table memorized," she stated, grinning from ear to ear.

Madison arched a brow at Noah's comments. She would have asked why Felix stopped himself, but that was a question for another time. She, instead, addressed the comment about his mom. "Why do you say that, Noah?" she asked, raising her brows curiously. Jaxon wouldn't get a kick out of it; he would more than likely be trying to kick someone out of it. And that someone, obviously, being Felix. Her parents...well, if they even seemed interested in her life, might be happy for her, however.

Morgan cringed a bit when she spoke about Dayton. She was just a little bit older than him, but she still knew him, and she knew what he was like. "Last I heard of him, he was still living with his wretched mother. What in the world is Grace thinking letting Willow go around with him all the time?" she asked. Apollo listened to her, but he couldn't hide his confused face. "What? What is that. A whatie table? Does it measure when girl get angry. I heard my mom talking about that once over the phone."

Noah looked over at Madison, and he smiled. "Well, you see, our good friend Felix here has never had a girlfriend. His poor, sweet mother has been trying for years to get him one. And now he has one. She will bombard you with questions when you get home," he said with a smirk. Felix rolled his eyes, but he was mainly worried about what his father think. Sure, he had gotten a little bit closer with his father after everything, but not much.

Maria sighed at Morgan's comment and said, "He doesn't anymore. He lives with his father now." She then paused as she continued the last part of what Morgan had to say. "Maybe she trusts him. I've seen him with Willow, and he doesn't look like the type of guy who would be good with kids, but he is good with her. He treats her like a little sister," she murmured. Willow scowled at Apollo's comment. "You don't know what the periodic table is? Do we go to the same school," she complained, huffing. "The periodic table is a table of all the elements arranged by atomic number...duh," she explain.

Madison cracked a small smile and shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "Er, well, good luck with that. I think I would rather deal with an overexcited mother than an overprotective brother," she grumbled, shaking her head. She might just have to keep it from Jaxon from a while. Although he meddled in her life, he lacked common sense. He probably wouldn't be able to tell she had a boyfriend even if it was right in front of him.

Morgan nodded as she listened to her talk about Dayton. "Well, that's good. I always did like Levi," she said, and she looked over at Willow. "I have never seen a kid look up to someone as much as she looks up to you. I hoe she keeps all of it up," she told her with a small smile, and she looked down at her son. If only he was like most kids. He was smart, but he didn't want to embrace it. Apollo rose his brow when he heard her. "Yes, I know that. But why did you memorize it? There is a reason why we have it in our binder and in our textbook," he said. Sometimes she didn't make sense.

Felix looked over at her, and he sighed to himself. He remember her brother being very protective over her, and he didn't seem to like him one bit. He would hate him ever more when he finds out that he is dating Madison. "Are you going to tell him about us?" he asked, but he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

Maria nodded and watched the two of them. "Say anything about chemistry, and the girl lights up like a light bulb," she murmured, sighing more to herself. "I promised to teach her one day. At first I thought it was just a phase and that she would change what she wanted to do eventually, because you know kids. They will say they want to be a veterinarian one day and then an actress the next. But so far, she hasn't changed her mind. She is pretty dedicated." Willow rolled her eyes and began to swing once more. "Because there will be a time that I won't have the periodic table with me but I will need to know it," she insisted. "Anyway, I like chemistry," she continued, shrugging her shoulders.

Madison bit down on her lower lip and shook her head. "No, I wasn't planning on it," she replied, letting out a long sigh. "He won't take it well...at all," she continued sheepishly. She ran a hand through her hair and huffed. "But it will be fine. What he doesn't know, won't hurt him. He isn't the....smartest tool in the shed."

Morgan smiled as she took a look at Willow. "That's good. You at least know the girl has a good head on her shoulders. Maybe Apollo will mature soon. Girl do mature sooner than boys," she said, and she sighed to herself. She just didn't want him to be like her. Apollo shrugged. "It's not really my thing. Football is my thing! I love it so much! I'm going to go pro one day. I'll make millions and live in a big house," he said with a bright smile. He imagined a life completely different than what he had.

Felix listened to her, and he nodded. He understood what she was talking about. "Alright. We will keep a low profile until then. He can be like spies," he said with a smirk. Noah rolled his eyes at his cousin, but a smile played on his lips. "There's my nerdy cousin back!" he said. It always felt strange without his dorky self.

Maria cracked a small smile at that. Maybe Morgan was right. Maybe it was actually a good thing Willow was so dedicated. Someone had to be. Besides, who would be there to save people when she was gone? Well, now they knew who. Willow arched a brow as she listened to him and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not good at sports," she admitted begrudgingly. Tyson wasn't the only one to inherit the clumsy trait. Willow was almost as bad.

Madison couldn't help but giggle at his suggestion. She cracked a small smile and nodded in agreement. "I think that would be fun," she said with a small laugh. That is, unless they got caught. At Noah's comment, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I actually like the fact he is a nerd. It is...refreshing compared to most guys."

Morgan nodded, and she ran a hand trough her hair. "He thinks he is going to be a pro football player. Sure, it's a nice dream, but it jut not likely. I can't break it to him though," she said, and she but her lip nervously. Maybe he would find a new passion. Some other than just sports. Not parties though. Apollo shrugged, and he smiled. "You don't have to be athletic to be a cheerleader. You can cheer me on!" he said excitedly.

Noah couldn't help but laugh at her words. "Why do I feel like those words are directed at me?" he asked, and he smirked. Felix gave him a look. "Nah, you aren't like most guys, Noah," he said, and he ruffled his hair. "Hey! That's my thing!" exclaimed Noah. Felix just smirked. Noah couldn't be happier that he was back to his old self.

Maria listened to her words and nodded in agreement as she watched the two of them. "I am sure he will find something more practical eventually. He is just a kid," she stated with a small smile. Willow frowned the minute he mentioned her cheering him on. "And why would I do that?" she inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

Madison rolled her eyes and stated, "I didn't necessarily say it was you, did I?" She cracked a small smile and attempted not to roll her eyes. She couldn't help but giggle as she watched the two bicker. "I've never been this close with my cousins," she said with a shake of her head. She barely knew people that were related to her who were outside her immediate family.

Morgan nodded in agreement. She hoped that Apollo would grow up and realize that his chances of going pro were very slim. Then again, maybe she just wanted him to grow up faster than he needed to. Apollo smirked, and she stood up. "Because we are best friends. I can see it now! The fifty, the forty, the thirty, the twenty! He's going all the way! Touchdown!" he said, and he started to dance. "Come on Wills! Do a cheer!"

Felix smiled at her words, and he shrugged. "I always thought I had Noah in place for my parents," he said. Noah smiled, and he looked down at the time. "It's Felix's bed time," he commented, and Felix's eyes widened. His face quick grew red. "I do not have one!" he said, and Noah gave him an odd look, but then he looked Madison. "Oh yeah. Whoopsie."

Willow frowned and was about to object to the "best friends" portion of his statement, when he continued. "What happened to me having cooties," she muttered under her breath. But maybe it wasn't that bad. She had never had a best friend before, and Day always seemed pretty happy with Mack - well, he was always the happiest with Aimee of course. When he called her by her nickname, she rose her brows in surprise. "How did you know about that? Only Ty, Day, Aimee, and Mack call me that," she counted off.

Madison nodded and thought back. She had always been close with Jaxon, and in a way, he took the parental role in her life. She was always staying with him while her parents were away on business trips - which was often. At Noah's comment, she couldn't help but giggle softly. She noticed Felix's face and gave his hand a quick squeeze. "If you need to go...that's fine. I am probably about to leave anyway," she assured him.

Apollo gave her an odd look when she spoke about her nickname. "Really? I just came up with it. I thought it was rather clever myself to be honest," he said with a smile, and he looked down at her. Even though she was a gross girl with cooties, something about her made him want to be around her even more. "Will you be my cheerleader? I'll buy you fruit snacks at lunch," he said with a smile.

Felix looked down at her, and he shook his head. "No, I don't want to leave you alone with all these people. I mean, I wouldn't want to be stuck here. I'll give you a ride home," he said. Even if her brother was there, he still wanted to take her home. He wasn't going to let her drive with those jerks she called friends.

Willow couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Ty did too," she muttered, letting out a long sigh. She didn't mind the nickname too much herself; she had been called it by Ty since she was around the age of three. She had just gotten used to it. At his question, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Can I have your fries when they have them?" she inquired after a moment, a small smirk slipping onto her face.

Madison's eyebrows rose immediately when he offered to take her home. "Are you sure that it is a good idea... I mean..," she trailed and shook her head. She didn't want her brother to start asking a million questions when she got home. It would be hard enough to explain why she was out so late. But with a boy?