Hunger Games 2

Aimée looked up at Dayton, and she tried to play it off as if she was okay. She didn't need him to worry about her. "I'll feel better. Don't worry about me," she told him, and she gave him a quick kiss. She knew that he probably hated to see her like that, but what more was he supposed to see? Mackenzie smiled, and she took his hand. "You are amazing Tyson," she said, and she gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Dimitri looked over at her when she asked who Cameron was. "My apologies for not clarifying. Cameron is Eren's wife. She might have some more answers for you. You see, when she was growing up, her father was on the rebel side. She grew up with Xander, and I believe the two were good friends. I could call her if you would like," he told her, and he was already pulling out his phone. He would do anything to help her. She seemed like a nice girl, and Noah never brought home girls. All he ever brought home was his noisy friends. Sure, he loved those boys as if they were his sons, but they needed to learn the difference between inside and outside voices.

Dayton let out a long sigh and shook his head. He wasn't sure if he believed her or not. She sure did not look better. But it would take a bit of time, nonetheless. "If you promise," he said after a moment, sighing once more. He just wasn't sure what to expect. Tyson shook his head and cracked a smile. "You are just saying that. You are the amazing one, anyway," he said as he lightly reached out and caressed her cheek.

--

Astrid let that sink in and bit her lip. As much as she hoped that she could get more answers, she was worried about what it would be like if she got the wrong answers-- ones she wasn't looking for. She opened her mouth to object before she closed it again. "Uh, you don't have to if you don't want to," she whispered after a moment. She knew at least a little bit more than she did. She knew for sure who her grandparents were now, and why her father didn't let her see them. He probably hasn't seen his mother since he killed his father.

Aimée was glad when he let it go, and she shook his hand. She had to be okay in the end, right? She just had to. There was no way that she was going to be stuck in a hospital bed for who knows how long. Mackenzie laughed, and she shook her head. "Tyson, have you met me? I am no where near amazing," she told him, and she kissed him lightly.

Dimitri shook his head when she spoke. "No, I want to help you. The moment you step in that door, you are a member of our family. Family doesn't end in blood, you know," he said with a small smile. He quickly pulled it out and called Cameron. Once she answered, he started to speak. "Hey. One of Noah's friends came over. She wanted to know a bit more about Xander Matthews, and I was thinking that you had more accurate information than me. If you could tell her a bit about him, that would be great," he said before handing the phone to Astrid.

Dayton took her hand in his own and held it tightly. He was still worried but what could he do? When she looked like she was in so much pain there wasn't much that he could do. Tyson chuckled at Mackenzie's comment. She was insane if she didn't think she was amazing. No, she was insane. He leaned in and kissed her softly in returned. "I have met you, and you are pretty amazing."

--

Astrid wanted to object. There was no way she could be a "member of the family." She wasn't even supposed to be here; she couldn't think Piper enough for helping her out, but it was still unsettling. She sighed as he handed her the phone. "Uh, hey. I just wanted to know what Xander was like, and how you knew him," she said. She listened quietly as Cameron spoke. He didn't sound like he had been that bad of a guy, but once he had been possessed it must have changed him. She thanked Cameron and handed the phone back to Dimitri. "Thank you," she said as she clasped her hands together.

Aimée kept a tightly grip on his hand. When she felt pain, she would squeeze it as if it would help with the pain at all. It was probably just a mental thing, but it seemed to help a little bit, so she continued to do it. Mackenzie laughed along with him, and she shook her head "You must be insane if you think I'm amazing," she told him. He probably was insane, but then again, so was she.

Dimitri took back his phone when she was finished, and he placed it in his pocket. "Hopefully you got all of the answers you were looking for. Is there anything else at all that you would like to know? I'd be glad to help," he said, and he leaned back on the couch. He didn't really care what she asked as long as it wasn't too too personal. He was rather open compared to the others, but he still had his limits. Noah took a glance over at her, and he bit his lip. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable while she was over at his house.

Dayton offered her a small smile and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Just tell me if you get to feeling bad again. You should probably rest," he suggested, leaning back in his chair. He didn't want to bother her, and maybe it would all be better soon. He sure did hope so. Tyson rolled his eyes and reached out to tousle her hair. "Well, aren't we both just a bunch of insane people then?" he said jokingly. {should we timeskip?

--

Astrid offered the best smile that she could, but she still felt uneasy. She wasn't sure who to trust, and who not to trust. It was all rather confusing. "I am not sure. I have a bit more digging to do, but I will try to get back to you if I find something else," she replied after a moment. She was worried about what she would find. She twiddled her thumbs and tried to calm her nerves down. "Thank you, again," she whispered before turning to Noah. "Should we...uh...go?"

{yeah, when to?

Dimitri nodded, and he gave her a small smile. "You're always welcome to come through that door," he told her, and he gave her a small hug. "It was great meeting you," he said to her. Noah nodded when she spoke. "Uh, yeah. I'll go and take you back home," he said. He knew that he could speak of her being at the library when his dad was infront of him. He led her out the door and to his car.

{when Aimée is better? Or...?

--

Astrid bit her lip and awkwardly hugged Dimitri in return. She wasn't sure how to feel about him. She would need to find out more about everything before she could judge him. She stepped back and waved at Drake and Star. "Okay," she agreed, heading for the door. No matter what, she would have to keep this from her father. She wasn't supposed to know anything, especially the fact that he killed his own father. She followed him out and got in the car. "I can't believe he kept it from me," she whispered under her breath. "Why would he? Why would he kill his own father?" It made no sense; possessed or not, why would he do such a thing.

{That would work. Do you want me to start?

Noah bit his lip as he thought about it. He wasn't really sure how to comfort her. He had never had to deal with something like that. "I'm not really sure. I'm sorry that you are having to deal with this. If you need to talk to me, I'm just a phone call away," he said. He then began to wonder about Xander as well. Why would anyone do that to their family? It just didn't seem logical.

{if you could. c:

--

Astrid leaned back in her seat and twiddled her thumbs. She hoped Piper did a good job in fooling her dad. Then again, even if he did call, she would talk his ear off. Sometimes she wondered how exactly they were friends. "Uh, thanks Noah," she whispered, offering him an awkward smile. "And don't mention it to them... about him being my dad," she said, glancing away. "Not until I know everything." She didn't want Star to think badly of her. She may need a family member to confide in eventually.

Aimée had lost count of the days that she was in the hospital. She wanted to say about half a month, but she had no idea. Dayton probably knew for sure. She was just happy because she was finally getting out. She slowly stood with the help of the doctor, and she slowly began to walk. Dayton should be waiting for her. He had been with her every since she was in the hospital the first day. He never left.

Noah gave her a small nod. He made the zipping motion with his lips, and he pretended to throw the "key" out of the window. "My lips are sealed my friend," he said with a small wink. "Besides, you can be the one to tell them. I mean, I know my father. He won't judge you because of your family. He only sees the character of the person, not everything else. I think that's what makes him special. He sure is different," he said, and he soon came to the library. He parked, got out, and helped her out of the car. "So, do you want to go or uhh," he paused for a moment, thinking about his words. "We could go for ice cream or something."

Dayton had been waiting out in the waiting room for who knows how long. Some days he would take Willow when he couldn't go into the room. Other days, he would go by himself. Either way, he liked the company. He more frequently volunteered to babysit Willow than be asked to. He relaxed when he saw Aimée come out. He raced out to meet her and carefully hugged her. "Hey," he whispered, taking her hand.

--

Astrid arched a brow and hid a smirk. "Friend," she repeated with a shake of her head. She really shouldn't be his friend but there was something about him that made her want to. Her smirk faded when he continued. "Oh, no, no, no," she said with a shake of her head. Would she really be trusted? She doubted it. "I don't think he would take well to it," she whispered, dropping her gaze. "Especially since my father isn't fond of him." She got out of the car once they reached the library and was about to say a goodbye and wave when he spoke. At his suggestion, she paused. "Uh," she began, dropping her gaze to the ground. "If you want."

Aimée couldn't help but smile as she saw Dayton run to her. She hugged him back, and she closed her eyes. "It's so good to finally be out of the stupid room," she said, and she took his hand. "You are the best person anyone could ask for, you know," she told him, and she closed her eyes as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't know if I told you this, but I talked to my mom. She said I could stay" she told him.

Noah chuckled when she commented on when he said friend. "Yes, unless you would like to change that to something better," he said with the raise of a brow. His ability to flirt was something that he wasn't given to by his father. As far as he could tell, his father could flirt was much as a penguin could fly. It was pitiful really. He also learned a bit of sarcasm over the years from Dominic. He would always babysit the two since Riley agreed to it. He glanced at her when she spoke. "You aren't serious, right? Is that what people really think of my father? He doesn't go back on his word, you know. He will trust you," he told her. When she agreed, he smiled brightly and took her head. "Maybe Piper can stall your dad for another fifteen minutes."

Dayton was glad to see that she was up and moving. He had been worried about her ever since she had entered the hospital. He was going to make his mom regret it, that was for sure. When he wasn't with Aimée, he was thinking up a plan to find her and kill her. He had rarely slept the past few weeks. I am not, but that is nice to hear," he said with a chuckle, leaning in to kiss her cheek. He hadn't been that relaxed since who knows when. Her news made a smile slip onto his face. "Great. Mackenzie has talked with Drake. He is fine with it. I would have asked myself but...," he trailed. Drake probably would never be his biggest fan.

--

Astrid dipped her head to hide her flushed face. She rarely was embarrassed around guys. She was actually pretty great at flirty herself; she wasn't sure how, but it came sort of naturally to her. "Best friends? I'm afraid Piper already filled that spot," she said with a half smirk. She wasn't sure why but she felt drawn to Noah, and the guy sure was persistent. Or maybe she didn't stand her ground as much as she should. His comment about his father made her bite her lip nervously. She just wasn't sure. Maybe it was all in her head but she just wasn't sure how he'd take it. She knew she wouldn't take it well if she were him. She nodded and began to walk. "I guess so. I mean, that's what best friends are for I guess," she said with a half smile. Piper was, although sometimes annoying, a good friend.

Aimée smiled brightly when he spoke about how Mackenzie had spoken with Drake. "That's great!" she said, and she hugged him tightly, but a bit of pain shot through her and she was forced to sink back down in his arms. "I still can't really hug," she said with a small laugh, trying her best to hide the pain. She smiled up at him. "So, how about we stop by my house, get my stuff, and head over to my new place," she said, and she gave him a kiss.

Noah chuckled as she spoke. "You know, there is something other than best friends that I can be," he said with a small smirk. He knew that she probably understood what he was hinting at, but this was more than flirting. He really really liked her. When she agreed to go get ice cream with him. "Great! Um, I'll go in and tell Piper, and you can get in the car," he said, and he was about to race in, but then he realized he didn't open the door for her. He raced back down the steps of the library and opened the door for her. "Here you go," he said with a shy smile before he ran back inside.

Dayton nodded and offered the best smile that he could. He was hoping that Drake would accept him around as well. Who knows, maybe Aimee was right. Maybe it was just the fact that he had been so close with Mackenzie. He hugged her in return but instantly stepped back when she seemed hurt. "I can see that," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt as if it were his fault. "Okay, sounds good," he agreed, taking her hand to lead her out the door. "I may ask Tyson to help out. You don't need to be really lifting anything."

--

Astrid averted her gaze to the ground. She knew exactly what he was talking about but there was no possible way it could happen. Her father would never allow it, and at the end of the day, she would just end up hurting him. "All right," she agreed and went to get back into the car. She arched a brow when he came running back just to open the door for her. "Uh, thanks!" she called after him before she got into the car. She rolled her eyes as she watched him go inside. Piper had her hand on Astrid's phone, ready for when her father would call. She literally counted the minutes. He called about every half hour. Piper had used both excuses she had to get him to hang up. 1. Astrid was in the bathroom. And 2. Astrid was going to get a quick lunch. Her next plan of action was to talk his ear off. She glanced up when Noah came in and was mentally sighing with relief until she realized Astrid wasn't with him. "Hey," she greeted, standing anyway.

Aimée smiled, and she took his hand. "I love you," she told him with a small kiss. "I am just so glad that I have you. I honestly have no idea what I would do without you," she said. When he mentioned Tyson helping, she nodded. "That sounds fine. Now, how about we go out and celebrate with Mackenzie and Tyson. Maybe if you are really feeling into spirit, we can take Willow along too," she said.

Noah smiled when he saw her. "Hey, Astrid and I are going to get some ice cream. We will be just a bit long. Don't worry, I'll bring you something back," he said, and he hugged her tightly. "I can't thank you enough for this," he said, and he raced back to the car. He got in with her, and he started to drive. After a few moments, a thought crossed his mind. "Are you going to tell Piper about your father?" he asked her. The two were best friends. He didn't keep secrets with his best friends. He soon came to the local ice cream parlor, and he got out, opening the door once more for her. He walked in, the bell at the top of the door ringing. The older man who ran to store looked up and smiled. "Noah Sherwood. It's been a while since I have seen you here," he said sarcastically, and he rolled his eyes. His father tried his best to take him and his sister Peyton to the place at least once a week, mainly on Sundays. He glanced behind him when he heard someone else calling his name. It was his cousin, Felix.

Dayton held her hand and half smiled at her words. Never in a million years had he ever believed he would fall in love. Actually, he had been fine never falling in love and just always dating around. But now, he couldn't imagine a world without Aimee in his life. She just made his life make more sense. "I love you too," he whispered with a crooked smile. He chuckled at her suggestion and wrapped an arm around her waist to help support her. "All right, and I am sure Willow would be more excited about it than all of us. She wasn't taking it well when she heard that you might have to leave," he said with a shake of his head.

--

Astrid glanced over at Noah when he came back. "I take it she didn't try to rip your head off over it," she said with an eye roll. Piper wouldn't do that; she was a rather supportive friend, and she owed her for giving her the opportunity to find out what she had wondered most of her life. Noah's question made her bite her lip and glance away. "I don't know if she would understand. I haven't even told her my father doesn't like your father...or family in general. She just thinks he is overprotective," she said, staring out the window. "She grew up basically with me. We have been friends since I can remember. She knows my dad so well. I don't she would believe me if I tried to tell her. Besides, she grew up with both a mom and dad. If she did believe me..., she wouldn't understand why I need to try to understand my dad before I hate him." She tried to hide the bitterness from her voice. She had always been secretly jealous of Piper. She had had everything she ever wanted. Good family, an older brother and a sister. Once they reached the ice cream parlor, she clamped her mouth shut and got out when Noah opened her door. Following him inside, she nodded at the man and tried to offer a smile. She followed Noah's gaze to a guy about their age. "Uh, who is he?" she asked. She recognized him from somewhere but she didn't know him.

Aimée smiled as he repeated her words, and she held his hand tightly. "I a so glad you love me," she said, and she kissed his nose with a laugh. When he talked about Willow, she couldn't help but roll her eyes in amusement. "She never ceases to amaze me," she said. "She just adores you," she told him.

Noah was a bit surprised when she confessed that she hadn't even told her that her father hated his family. Wasn't that something kind of big when Piper was clearly trying to get her with him. Not that he was complaining or anything. As she asked about Felix, he smiled. "That's my cousin, Felix. He goes to school with us," he said, and he walked over to him, giving him a small hug. "How are you?" he asked. Felix shrugged in return. "I'm fine," he replied, making Noah roll his eyes. "That's all you ever say," he said, and Felix chuckled a bit. "I know it is," he said, and he looked over at Astrid and held his hand out. "It's nice to meet you. I am guessing you're Astrid," he said, and beside him, Noah's eyes went wide and his face paled. Of course Felix would slip and mention that he had spoken about her.

Dayton smirked slightly and scrunched his nose as she kissed it. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked her as he opened her car door for her. After he helped her in, he rounded the car and slipped inside. "Which is bewildering in itself. I don't normally like kids," he said with a chuckle. He had never really grown up with a younger sibling, so kids had never been big on his list. Yet, he wouldn't mind finding that younger sibling of his. He backed out of the driveway and headed off towards Aimee's old house. "She likes you too."

--

Astrid nodded and followed after him. She listened to the two of them talk and cracked a small smile; she had always wondered if her family would like her if they knew about her. She shook Felix's hand when he held it out. "Yeah, I am Astrid. Nice to meet you too, Felix. I see you are a man of many words," she greeted before glancing at Noah. "So, uh, Noah here has talked about me?" she asked with an arched brow. There was no denying it from the way Noah was reacting. She tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear to help her relax.

Aimée smiled, and she shrugged. "I don't know why you wouldn't," she said, and she got into the car with his help. It was a bit of a struggle, but Dayton made sure that it wasn't too much. She would crash and burn without him. She laughed as he commented on how he usually didn't like kids. "I know. I guess Willow just as some effect on everyone," she said. Willow sure was something different. She rose a row as he commented on how she liked her. "Really?"

Felix chuckled, and he shook his head a bit. "A man of few words as I am often told. Few but rather intelligent. Unlike my poor soul of a cousin here," he said, and he pointed over to Noah who was still too shocked to speak. "Put him in front of a pretty girl like yourself, and he will be rendered speechless," he said, but then h realized that he had called her pretty. "I mean, but I don't like you. Not in that way at least," he said for clarification, but he knew it sounded stupid. Noah was finally able to talk. "Felix, let me do the flirting and you can do the being smart thing." Felix gave him a small nod, and he continued. "Yeah, all the time. it gets annoying really. I invited him over to play video games last week and he wouldn't shut up about you, no matter how many snacks he stuffed in his mouth."

Dayton leaned back in his seat and arched a brow at her comment. She was right. Willow was kind of like a leech; one someone can't shake off of them. She was always around and people eventually grew to love her. Her question made him smile, and he nodded in response. "Besides me, I think she looks up to you the most. Don't ask me why. She is an odd kid, and she picks the craziest role models but what can I say?" He stopped at her house and texted Tyson, who said he would be over soon.

--

Astrid arched a brow at Felix's words; well, he was different. His next comment made her eyes widen slightly. Well, Noah didn't seem like the speechless type, but that just might be because he was a good flirt-- she would give him that. She had barely realized he had called her pretty until he continued. "Should I be flattered or offended?" she asked with a crooked smile. She was only kidding. She rolled her eyes as Noah spoke, and she averted her gaze as Felix spoke again. She dipped her head to hide the slight blush. Normally she wouldn't be so giddy that a guy liked her; why was Noah so different? "Well, it's good to know that I seem to be a common topic," she said with a pointed glance at Noah.

Aimée laughed, and she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she does pick some pretty odd role models, but she loves them to death," she said, and she shook her head. She didn't think that she was a very good role model. She used to drink all the time, and she regretted a lot of the things she did. She was a petty bad person.

Felix looked at the ground, blushing. He wasn't really sure what t say. "I would like to say flattered, but you might be offended," he said. He was horrible with words when it came to girls. He found that out rather quickly. He had only had one girlfriend, and she only dated him to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. They only dated a month. She broke things off when she realized that he wasn't good enough to make him jealous. He nodded when she spoke. "You must be his favorite topic," he said, and he winced as Noah elbowed him. "You aren't helping things at all, Fe," he said.

Dayton chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you got that right," he agreed. He glanced out the window, noticing Tyson pull up. "The help has arrived," he said with a chuckle before he leaned over and kissed Aimee's cheek. He got out and opened her door for her before turning to Tyson, who had just tucked his phone into his back pocket. "All right, we are going to have to be fast, since I don't want to be too long," Dayton said as he headed for the front door.

--

"You are cute. In the dorky, nerd type of way," Astrid said with a half smirk. "But I don't like you," she added, mimicking him. She hoped it made him feel a bit more comfortable since he didn't seem to be very good with girls, unlike Noah. "Well," she said with a half smiled as she glanced at Noah. She held back a laugh when Noah elbowed Felix. "Actually I think he is a great wingman, Noah. Unless you want to bring Josh the Jerk back," she said with a shake of her head. She still didn't like Josh that much, but maybe that was because he was just being rude to Noah. Okay, so she admits that she felt like she needed to stick up for him. But...for what reason? She pushed the thoughts away and glanced to Noah. "So, ice cream?"

Aimée looked out the window as he spoke, and she smiled lightly. Of course Tyson was there. She held on to him tightly as he helped her out of the car. It hurt, but she was happy to get out. She nodded when he told her to be quick. "It shouldn't take long. Don't worry," she said, and with Dayton's help, she began to walk to the house.

Felix's eyes lit up when she complemented him, but he seemed to frown when she added on. He only after a few moments realized what she was doing, and he laughed along with her. His confidence grew as she called him a great wingman, and he stood a bit taller. Noah only rolled his eyes. Felix laughed as she added about Josh. "Josh the Jerk? Wow, what has he done this time?" he asked. Noah nodded when she suggested getting the ice cream. "Yeah, we'll be right back," he said.