Carl's POV
I get off the floor and to walk out to chase Jordyn, but she has already ran in the woods, and I'll never catch her in there. (That's what he thinks.) I turn around and see Chandler furiously running his fingers through his hair, and Daryl and Foxface are asking me questions that I'm paying no attention to, as usual.
"Listen to me, boy!" Daryl shouts putting his hands on my shoulders and making me face him.
"What?!"
He has already turned away, looking at the other wall.
"Y'know, if there wasn't a bruise on your jaw already, I would punch you so hard right now. You don't treat girls like that!"
"Oh. So you're not supposed to wonder and worry what goes on in their lives?! You're supposed to love them when they just used you for a little revenge?! You are just supposed to let them walk all over you, and in my opinion, I don't think you would need a relationship if that's how it's going to be because if she actually loved me, she wouldn't have used and would have let me be there for her! But she had to deal with things on her own, and I get yelled at because I do all of that stuff?! And Daryl, I wouldn't be talking about how to treat a lady because remember how you questioned Mary so bad that she went unconscious or 'killing' yourself just so Nicole would love you again?! In my opinion, I think you need to be taking lessons from me!"
Daryl stared at me coldly, and I could tell what he was thinking. He wanted to punch me so hard that it would knock me out, but he's not going to.
"You better shut your mouth, sheriff! I didn't ask any questions concerning me!"
"But I answered what little questions that did concerned you!"
And I walk outside.
I hear Chandler shout, "Everybody but my brother leave!"
"Gladly," replied Daryl.
And everyone steps on the porch with me.
Chandler comes out and says, "C'mon Carl, they're leaving. Come back inside."
They start to step off the porch, and I just keep staring at the woods where Jordyn and Nicole ran into.
"I'm going back in the house if you're n-"
Then I hear footsteps and a mask is placed around my nose and mouth. I struggle for air, and I would fight back, but I have no energy in me, and as I start to fall to the ground, I see Daryl and Foxface are getting ambushed too.
I wake up in the back of a car with a terrible throbbing in my head and arm. I can barely sit up, but after a little bit, I manage.
I open the car door and wiggle to get out from the backseat. The first thing I see is Peeta and Jordyn kissing on the gravel not too far from the house. Maybe she doesn't need me anymore.
After they have finished, they start to run into the old building. What I just saw hurt me more than when she punched my jaw. Now that she's gone, I now realize how much I miss her, but I can't have her back. I can't believe she moved on so fast.
I run my fingers through my hair as my brother did earlier, but out of stress instead of anger. Then I see a blood stain on my shirt.
I lift my sleeve and see a cut all the way from my shoulder to my wrist. What the heck happened while I was out?
I search through the dash and find some bandages. The blood is dry, but a cut like this can open again easily. I wrap the bandage around my arm and cut the rest of it off with my knife. I put it back in the dash and head for the house.
__________________________________________
I've searched for about an hour, and I haven't seen a single soul. I've heard voices, tried to follow them, but I just get lost even more after that. I keep hearing an unfamiliar voice.
New friend!
My mind has been trying to cheer me up since I've seen Jordyn and Peeta, but it's not really working. It's actually been kind of frightening.
The voice sounds female, and she sounds someone Jordyn would hang out with.
The voices are coming behind a corner, and I don't want them to move; I don't even want them to know I'm here. I want to see the type of person Jordyn really is.
"That happened really fast didn't it?" asked the unfamiliar voice. It sounds female.
"Yep," replies Peeta.
I peek over the corner with my body flat over the wall. This place is almost pitch black, so they have a fire going while sitting on a some old chair cushions.
"And I'm glad it did." He brings their hands up and kisses her hand.
She smiles for a second, then it fades. Wonder if she misses me?
"Peeta last told me you were dating the sheriff at the prison until everyone broke out. Grimes. . . I think."
She instantly frowns.
"Yeah, we were, but I wasn't good enough for him as he would say," replies Jordyn.
That struck me like a ton of bricks.
"It's true," replies Peeta. "He doesn't want anything to do with the baby either."
That struck me harder.
"And you still want to be with her? What about when the baby comes?"
"Since the actual father won't take care of it," he puts his arm around Jordyn and brings her closer, "I'll will be the guy who takes his place. He will see me as the father."
That's killed me.
I step away from the corner and charge at Peeta. There is no way that anyone except me help Jordyn tale care of our kid, and that's it.
"No! I'm the father Peeta, and you can't change that! Stay away from her!" I turn to Jordyn. "This is going to end up being another Finnick! Please, I want to be in my, no our, kids life! I only said that because I was mad! Jordyn, I'm gonna be here for you to help! I promise!"
She looks at me for a second, then closes her eyes and takes a deep and slow breathe.
"You had your chance. I'm done with you, and I'm ready to start my life with Peeta. You can see our kid, but it's staying with me at all times."
"Please, just give me one more chance," I'm in tears now. "Please. . ."
She looks at me with watering eyes. I know I have made her break.
She walks over to me slowly, and I turn around and look at Peeta. He looks jealous and curious at the same time.
She stops in front of me and looks at stares at me with her watering eyes again.
"No," her voice cracks. "I'm staying with Peeta, but we're still friends, right?"
"I don't think I'll be able to hold that weight, Jordyn. I know I'm not making this easier, but I simply can't do that. Now that you're gone, I noticed how much I need you."
"I gave you an opportunity, Carl, and you missed it. I know I was wrong to not let you be there for me, and I appreciate the effort, I really do, but I kept those things away from you to protect you. I was just trying to keep this situation from happening, but you thought I was done with you. If you actually loved me, you would have believed me when I said that."
"And I'm so glad you did that, and I that'd why I want you back. I know you still have some sympathy for me."
She chokes down her tears and steps back.
"I'm with Peeta now. Move on."
I choke down my tears as well.
"Sure. . . How hard can it be?" I pretend not to care.
I walk outside and see Daryl, Nicole, Foxface, and Chandler laying on the gravel trying to catch their breathe.
"Everybody okay?" I question.
"Yeah," replies Daryl. "We're fine."
I nod.
Nicole asks, "Where's Jordyn?"
"Why should I care?"
"I don't care if you do; I do, so tell me where she."
"In there somewhere," I point at the building, "but I'm out of here."
"Good."
I start walking down the road until I hear Foxface shout, "Wait! You're not going alone after what just happened! You're weak; you can't stay by yourself!"
She starts chasing after me, but I pretend she's not even there. I just fiddle with my sheriff badge that's in my pocket. Dad. . .
A hand touches my shoulder and jerks me diagonal.
"What?" I ask more coldly than I intended.
"You don't need to go because you're still weak."
"I'm not old, and I think you've made your point perfectly clear. I don't need you; I can take care of myself. You don't know how to protect anyone, so just go away."
"No matter what you say, it can't convince me to leave. I still love you no matter what."
I stare at her. I start to cry, but I wipe them away with the back of my hand.
"It's nice someone actually does."
"Everyone here does, even Jordyn. I know you don't-"
Her name even makes me angry, and she stopped after she noticed it.
"I know she still loves you; Nicole and I both can see it. You might not believe us, but it's true."
"And how do you know you're right?"
"I don't, but nine times out of ten I usually am. I trust my instincts, and you trust yours. I respect that, but you guys need to stop acting like you hate each other so you can mend back together. If you don't want to do it for yourself or Jordyn, do it for the baby."
"Well, that's not gonna be so easy if she doesn't do the same, won't it?"
"I can definitely convince her if I can convince you. She's not as mad as you."
We stop.
"But I'm the one that broke up with her; she should be the sad one, not me."
"She is hurting, trust me. I can see it as good as her missing you."
"I want to know for sure."
"Then. . ." she goes into deep thought.
She snaps her fingers. "Since she is going out with someone you make you jealous, how about you do the same. Just go out with me."
She's crazy.
"I don't like you that way, sorry."
I start walking again.
"I don't like you either, and Jordyn doesn't like Peeta. This situation is so clear for me; I can't believe you didn't think of this."
"Okay. . . I think I can do that. I'm ready to ‘move on’."
She smiles and we continue walking. We practice acting like we're ‘in love’ on our walk that leads us to an abandon cabin.
We just sit there and look through the old, dirty window. I see old wooden chairs, a table, a small put where you could make a fire (which I really don't understand because the cabin is made of wood), and a small bundle of old quilts.
Then I hear a rustle in the leaves.
I steadily step and take a peek around the corner. It's on the other side.
"Stay here," I tell Foxface. She nods and steps in the cabin.
I take my knife out and reload my revolver, and I start to hear a baby crying. I step around the other corner and see the unbelievable. I drop everything in shock.
My baby sister, Judith, lays there in a pile of leaves.