Chapter 1
She sits in her room, the girl with the black hair and blue eyes. She thinks about what she has learned from both school and her parents. Rosie Rue Mellark is not like the other children that now populate District 12; she knows.
Her parents have told her and her brother, Cinna, about the old Panem and the Hunger Games but not like their school did. At school they learned that they existed, and after the 74th Hunger Games, the rebellion started with Katniss Everdeen as their inspiration. They told them that Peeta and Katniss had been star crossed lovers since the beginning, but Rose knew it was a lie. Rose and Cinna knew the names of every tribute that their parents had met or heard of, they had a picture to go with every single one of them, and they knew how much their names meant to their mother.
As she sat there, staring at the small painting of Rue and the picture of a smiling Prim, she thought about how much it cost to have freedom. At an old library she found a history book used back when Panem was known as North America. As she read on, she found that the United States of America fought a rebellion almost like the one that gave her family freedom. She saw that many lives were lost, but they prevailed and won independence from England. The rebellion that her parents unknowingly started was for the same exact reasons; independence from the Capitol.
Young Rose was suddenly pulled out of her long train of thought by her father opening the door and walking over to sit next to her on her bed.
“Rosie, it’s time for dinner princess.” He said after making himself comfortable on her bed.
“Alright daddy. What is it?”
“Your mother made spaghetti.”
“Oh great. I’ll be right down.”
“Alright honey.”
Peeta kissed the top of Rose’s head than went back downstairs to his wife and son. Rose put the painting and photo on her bedside table and got up off of her bed. She walked downstairs and was greeted by the beautiful smell of pasta and her father’s famous cheesy bread. When she finally walked into the kitchen she saw Cinna, already 14 years old, pulling the bread out of our bread oven. It was cool really, Rose got her mother’s hunting skills and Cinna got dad’s talent of baking and icing bread and cakes.
“Oh good you’re here, sit down Rosie Haymitch and Gale are coming over for dinner.” Her mother said once she saw that Rose was there.
“Gale!? Why!?” She said she was surprised because she knew that Gale made the bomb that killed her aunt.
“Rose, it wasn’t Gale’s fault that Prim died, it was only his bomb he didn’t know that it would kill her.” Katniss said with the same sad look on her face whenever she thought of her baby sister.
“But why does he have to come to our house?” Rose continued to whine, she really didn’t like Gale even if he was her mom’s friend.
“Because we invited him, Rose, now sit down they will be here any minute.” Peeta said firmly, but not angrily. Peeta rarely got angry at his children, but he was firm when he needed to be.
“Is Uncle Haymitch going to be drunk mom? Or is he actually sober for a change?” Cinna asked after taking his seat beside his big sister.
“I’m not sure Cinna; we hope he’s not though.” Katniss answered looking suddenly worried. She didn’t want her children exposed to a drunken Haymitch, and so far she has been able to make that possible. If Haymitch came Drunk than he could say things that would ruin the evening; especially around Gale.
There was a small knock on the front door that made everyone jump in surprise. Everyone looked over to Katniss and she only shook her head.
“Gale would never knock so softly, and neither would Haymitch. I didn’t invite anyone else.” She said looking confused and a little scared.
Katniss was always a little frightened whenever something happens that is unexpected, and Peeta still has his flashbacks when he sees her angry with him or the children. The knock came again, still soft and gentle, so who could this be? Suddenly Rose thought of the one person that would always knock as soft because the noise made his mother freak out.
As soon as she thought of it, Rose ran to the door and opened it faster than a speeding bullet. When her eyes adjusted to the light outside, she saw that her suspicions were correct.
“FINNICK!!!”
