Hunger Games AU 2

It didn't take long for Clay to find Aspen. He had plowed these fields, worked on these acres, since he was a boy himself. So, he knew the best places to hide out. The best ones to get away. He stopped in front of Aspen and frowned. "What did we tell you about smoking?" he snapped, snatching his cup from him and pouring the alcohol out. "And liquor?" he grumbled, fixing him with a hard gaze. He shouldn't be surprised; he wasn't.

Aspen leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Maybe he could just have a moment of bliss. That moment was stripped away from him when the drink was grabbed from him and poured out. he narrowed his eyes at him. "What is wrong with you! I paid for that!" he said. It was that and the fact that it was the only liquor he had. He had none now. He would probably lose all of his cigarettes too. "And why do you care what I do? You aren't my dad. Dad never cared about anything anyway," he said.

Clay crossed his arms over his chest and snapped back at him, "You are underaged drinking, which could put us both into trouble. And it is unhealthy for you. Your liver is going to go bad if you keep it up in the next few years," he grumbled. Then, he took the pack of cigarettes he had and his frown deepened. "You already broke the first rule and you ain't been here even an hour," he muttered. His comment about his father made him sigh. "You are right. I am your grandfather. Which means you should be treatin' me with respect and listenin' to my rules. And your dad was a dirtbag northerner who fooled my daughter. Never liked 'em."

Aspen rolled his eyes as he carried on with how it was bad for him and how it was going to get in trouble. "Old man, why do you think I do it if I know it's bad for me? I'll die young, and no one can change that," he said. When he spoke about his father, he narrowed his eyes. He hated his father, but he knew that he acted too much like him for comfort. He had a short fuse, and he didn't know when to stop. He planned on getting rid of himself if the running plan didn't work. At least then no one would suffer because of him. "And what about me? As far as I'm concerned, my father and I act just alike. So what am I? Another dirtbag who's going to be dead by age thirty. I think that sounds pretty accurate," he said.

Clay glared at his grandson and shook his head. His perspective of life was really insane. As he continued, his glare continued. "No, you aren't. Your mother cared enough about your health and wellbeing to send you here to get better. So that is what you will be doing," he snapped, glaring at him. "And you stay away from that Sherwood girl, you here? She is a good girl, and if you keep going down the road you are heading, well...you won't be getting anywhere. Besides, her dad will give you a bit of sense into you if working can't."

Aspen shook his head as the man continued to talk. He had no idea what he was saying. He didn't know what Aspen had lived through, and he didn't really know his home life. He had no room to talk. When he banned him form going to see Ann, he rolled his eyes. "Oh would you just shut up. I know by the end of the week you are going to ban me form the whole town. Just leave me alone," he said, and he walked off. He hated this so much. He hated every part of everything. Maybe his running plan would have to happen earlier.

Clay glared after Aspen and muttered a few obscenities under his breath, which he only reserved for times he was angry. He called after him, "You will be starting work early tomorrow." He narrowed his eyes and shook his head before he headed inside. Ann stepped back into the house as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. The talk with the new boy had went worse than she would have wanted.

Aspen sighed, and he rolled his eyes as the man spoke. "I won't be working if I'm gone by sunrise," he muttered under his breath before he walked inside. He then began his search for anything that contained any alcohol. He needed it, no matter what anyone else said. "Don't you southerners have anything?" he said, sighing to himself. Dimitri had just gotten home when Ann came in. "Hey, how are you? How did it go with that new guy?" he asked her. He would tell her that he would be working with him, but that was a story for it's own time.

Ann fixed her some orange juice before sitting down at the table. She sipped at the juice before speaking. "He is rude, crude, and a smoker," she named off, wrinkling er nose. "Don't even mention the drink he had. I am pretty sure it wasn't water," she grumbled, resting her head in his hands. "I don't like him," she added on with a long sigh.

Dimitri rose a brown when she spoke about how bad he was. It looked like they weren't going to have to worry about Ann being with him. "Well, that just sounds lovely. I have to work with him. Well, I don't have to, but I offered to," he said, and he leaned back, sipping his coffee. "I am guessing that he is a jerk too. I heard that he has to go to school with us too," he said with a small sigh.

Ann shook her head and muttered, "I wish you some luck. Didn't talk to him for five minutes, and he decided to act as if I were a pest. I was just trying to be friendly." She shook her head and stood. "And don't get me started on the tattoos," she added on with a sigh. She wouldn't admit it but she thought the tattoos were actually cool. The mention of him going to school with them, she groaned. "Spare me. He should be going to alternative school."

Dimitri couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I'm going to need some help. Maybe I can use some of his "water" to help out," he joked. The guy sounded horrible. He just didn't want to talk to him too much. He seemed like a real jerk. When Ann mentioned alternative school, he couldn't help but laugh. "Oh Ann, I'm sure he's already gone there, and I'm sure it didn't work," he said. "So, from the way you rant about this guy, you either really like him, or you really hate him. He really did hope that she hated him.

Ann rolled her eyes and reached over to nudge his shoulder lightly. "And you think he'd share? So far, I didn't get too far with getting on his good side," she said with a shake of her head. His comment made her half smile and sigh. "It wouldn't surprise me if he had," she stated with a shake of her head. But why here? What he said last made her pause. "There's an option?" she countered. "I hate him," she stated. However, despite her words, she had a slight interest in Aspen. He was different. A different she doesn't see often.

Dimitri shrugged, and he looked over at his sister, sipping his coffee. "You know that saying. Something about fish in the sea. Anyway, there are plenty of guys. I only want you to date the ones I approve of though," he said, and he smiled lightly. "So, I what will you do if you have any classes with this guy?" he asked her. He would probably sit as far away form him as he could, but he knew that his father would want him to welcome they guy, even if he didn't like him.

Ann arched a brow and took a small sip of her orange juice. "Why am I not surprised you would say that," she said with a small shake of her head. When he asked the question, she hesitated, considering it. "Ignore him. I doubt he will even go to school," she muttered. He already seemed keen on breaking the rules. She wouldn't be surprised if he kept it up.

Dimitri couldn't help but smirk when he heard Ann. He knew that she was completely right. "Well then that's good for us. I'll probably end up doing most of the work that he is supposed to do anyway," he said with a laugh, and he took a sip of his coffee. "Hopefully the guy will be out of here within a few months. I can't wait until then," he said. Oh how he hated the guy. He wanted him t be gone as soon as he could, and if that meant doing some of his work, that was fine with him.

Ann rolled her eyes and tried to imagine it. "Maybe so. But make sure he is busy. I don't think I can stand another minute with his Yankee demeanor," she muttered, letting out a long sigh. She nodded in agreement at his next comment but there was a part of her that hoped that wasn't true. She was sort of lying. She wanted to talk with Aspen again. She could never tell her family that though.

Dimitri laughed, and he smirked a bit. "Oh, I pan on working that boy until his back is broke. He thinks that he is in for a world of hurt, but he isn't even close to what it's really going to be like. I'm sure he'll be a man by the end of all of this though. He better be. I'm not wasting my time on him," he said, and he thought about how cocky and arrogant he was. He probably needed a little bit of work to get him into shape.

Ann smirked lightly as she listened Dimitri talk about Aspen. It was obvious he wasn't very fond of him, and even though she knew she should feel the same way, there was just something that intrigued her. "You haven't even had a conversation with him, and you already hate him," she said with a soft laugh. Well, some people just had the effect on others.

Dimitri smirked a bit. "Yeah, but it's kind of hard to like an arrogant jerk. Heck, his accent alone is the most annoying thing I have ever heard. I'd rather muck stalls than hear him read me a bedtime story," he said, and he took another sip of his coffee. This Aspen guy was going to be a handful, but it could be worse.

"Yeah his accent...I hate it," Ann lied with the best poker face she could muster. Okay, so his accent was somewhat attractive. But the smoking and drinking were not. She smirked lightly as she imagined Aspen being told what to do by Dimitri. But that only resulted in her thinking about his muscles and biceps and....Ann get it together. "He will be leavin' here talkin' as if he were from the South all his life."

Dimitri laughed as she spoke. "It's going to suck when he goes back up north," he said before he set his coffee down. "Ight, I got to go to work. I promised Mr. Dean I'd help with his cattle today. Make sure Dad knows where I am," he said, standing. he smirked lightly, and he ruffled her hair. "Stay out of trouble, Missy," he joked to her before he walked out of the door. Aspen was sitting down in the room that was considered his for however long. He hated every moment of being in this place. Okay, those moments with that one girl were pretty good.

Ann huffed and did her best to get her hair back into order. "Yeah, yeah. I'll think 'bout it. See ya!" she called after Dimitri before she grabbed a bottle of water and glanced out the window. Finally, she decided to pay the neighbors a visit. Okay, so it may or may not be to check out the new guy again. But she wasn't going to tell her father that. She poked her head into his office. "Hey daddy. Dimitri is off to work. I am going to pay the neighbors a visit!" Before he could protest, she was already out the door and knocking on the neighbor's.

Amanda, Maria's mother, looked up at the door as she heard a knock. She opened it and smiled when she saw Ann. "Annalise, how are you?" she asked, moving to let her inside. Aspen heard talking through the closed door, and he slowly opened it, trying to get it to not creak as he opened it. He poked his head out and began to look and listen for Ann. She was very beautiful, and her voice was like music to his ears. She was perfect.

Ann offered Amanda a small smile as she stepped inside. "Hey, Mrs. Amanda," she greeted. She twiddled her thumbs before she spoke. "Would you like any help?" she asked, trying not to seem as if she were looking around the living room for Aspen, even though that was what she was exactly doing. She forced to return her gaze to Amanda. "And, I would like to, uh, formally welcome your....guest. I tried before, and it didn't end exactly well," she said sheepishly. "So I would like to apologize."