What is the definition of happiness? ((Geforia Summers))

Hunter sat against the steps in front of his house on a cloudy Saturday, while his mother was at the store and his father was at work Hunter watched his brother Tip and sister Terry as they played in the yard. "Come one can't you two stay clean for two minutes?" Hunter scowled at his brother and sister as they threw grass at one another "Ah come on Hunter lighten up." Tip said as he continued to throw grass at Terry; a minute after that Hunter's mother walked up the sidewalk and stopped in front of them "And what are you two doing?" Tip and Terry stopped, looked up at their mother, gave two mischievous smiles and ran into the house. "Thanks for watching them Hunter."

Hunter shrugged "Yeah I guess. See ya mom." She smiled and walked into the house, Hunter walked down the street to meet up with some friends. As he walked down the street he saw a small grey bundle of fur starting to run at him "Oh no not again." Hunter was watching the small kitten start to nip at his shoes "Come one not today. Why do I have the feeling that you're familiar...Are you?" Hunter scooped up the small kitten and as it batted at his fingers he looked around and knew right away who it might belong to "I'm guessing you belong to a girl named Geforia? Or was Luca? I forget." Hunter hated forgetting.

Geforia was anxious for some reason. She couldn't sit straight in her seat, and she couldn't manage to find a comfortable spot. She didn't know why she antsy. She never really got this way. Normally, she's perfectly content sitting in her big, comfy chair by the window and reading all day. Geforia blamed it on her book. It was kind of... boring. She couldn't even remember what it was about. Geforia set the book down with an angry sigh. She'd just wasted her week's allowance on it.

The girl threw the book on the window sill and jumped up before starting to search for her cat. It wasn't where it normally hid--Geforia's room, under her parent's bed, or on one of the window sills. "Maybe she went outside," the girl muttered. She didn't have any idea how it would manage to get out. Probably her parents being careless on their way to work.

Geforia kicked stones on her way into the town. Her eyes searched for the cat, but the she didn't see anything that looked anything like a cat. When she got to the other side of the town, Geforia kicked another stone down the road. "This is ridiculous," she muttered. How did she think she was going to find one cat in the entirety of District 5?

The girl was just about to turn around and head home--Mittens could find her own way--when she saw a boy, and her little gray cat. The boy looked vaguely familiar. Probably from school, because she never recalled speaking to him. Stupid cat, Geforia thought as she stomped over to retrieve the cat. Making me talk to people I don't know.

"Hi," the girl said quietly when she was standing in front of the boy. She didn't meet his eyes out of shyness. Geforia pulled her hair out of her face. "That's my cat." She almost laughed at how quiet and stupid she sounded. She just wanted the cat back.

Hunter saw a girl trot up to him, He recognized her from school "Oh, so this is you're cat, She's been following me all afternoon. More or less." Hunter handed the kitten to the girl and smiled at her "It's one smart cat. I'm Hunter by the way." Hunter extended his hand to her "I've seen you around school, Geforia is it?" Hunter was good with names, for that matter it was all that he was good at for that matter. He brushed his blond hair out of his face and looked around the seemingly empty streets "So what brings you out to these parts of district five?"

((Sorry that it's so short I've been hammered with homework due next week, So I hope that this is enough to go off. Have a great Spring break =D))

Geforia took the cat from the boy's hands. "Sorry about that," she said in apology for the cat bothering him all day. "You've got to stop doing that," she whispered to it. "If you run off again, I'm not coming after you." The girl told herself she wouldn't go chasing after it again, but she always would. She couldn't risk losing the thing, even if it was a pain in the butt sometimes. Well, most of the time. It liked to annoy other people, and it ate so much. Geforia still loved the thing, no matter how annoying it got.

"It's one smart cat. I'm Hunter by the way." Hunter said, extending his hand. Geforia shook it. She was happy he said his name because Geforia had no idea who he was. He was a few years older than her, and they weren't in the same year at school. His face was familiar, but she hadn't connected name and face until he said it. She nodded when he remembered her name. "Yeah, Geforia Summers. You must be good with names." She was surprised he remembered at all. She didn't remember ever talking to him.

"So what brings you out to these parts of district five?" Hunter asked. Geforia held up her cat, who was struggling in her arms. The girl held the cat's neck down and it stopped moving. It probably wasn't the best for the cat, but the cat had put her through a lot of annoyances that day. "To folle this thing, here. And I was bored," she said queitly. The last part was more to herself though.

((You're fine. Take as long as you need to reply ^_^))

Hunter laughed a little bit at Geforia's response cause he realized that this little cat had caused her some trouble today. "So Geforia do you have any siblings?" Hunter thought that this was a really dumb question but he was running out of them counting that the pressure of the up coming reaping was getting to him. Hunter saw that his hands were trembling, he quickly tried to conceal them but it was no use. His hands did that when he was under great pressure or fear. "Hey Geforia I was wondering if you would like to walk with me around the district, cause well to tell you the truth it's been rather lonely around here walking around all alone. So would you like to join me?" Hunter extended his hand hoping that she would accept his offer, cause even though she was younger than him, he still wanted to get to know her.

"So Geforia do you have any siblings?" Hunter asked in an obvious attempt to continue the conversation. Since Geforia didn't have any siblings, it didn't really work. "Nope. Only child," she said, shrugging. She'd never figured out why her parents had never had any other kids. As far as Geforia knew, they'd had ten kids before her and had used them for work. She would never jump to that conclusion, though. Her parents were decent people, and she doubted that they would do that to helpless babies.

"Hey Geforia I was wondering if you would like to walk with me around the district, cause well to tell you the truth it's been rather lonely around here walking around all alone. So would you like to join me?" Hunter said. Geforia shrugged, weighing her options. It was either going with Hunter, or going home and reading that book again. "Sure, why not," she said. She let the cat go. Now that she had it, she really didn't know why she'd chased all the way over here for it. Geforia took the extended arm. "Where're we going, then?"

To tell you the truth Hunter hadn't really thought about where he wanted to go "Well...where do you want to go?" Hunter asked hoping that she would have preferable place that she wanted to go, Hunter was mesmerized by Geforia's reaction to his offer and felt rather happy to finally have a friend that he believed that he could trust; Even if there was an age difference. "So you're an only child huh? Well that doesn't sound too bad. Dose it get lonely?" Hunter felt like an idiot, Of course it got lonely at times! what kind of a question was that? What else was he going to screw up, if he can screw up a simple question then who knows what else might come out wrong.

"Well...where do you want to go?" Hunter asked. Geforia shrugged. The only place she really knew to go was the bakery. A few coins were rattling around in her pockets, so she decided to suggest that. "How about the bakery? We could get croissants." She said in that quiet way of hers. She liked croissants, with their flaky bread. The girl loved bread in general, but croissants were her favorite. "I'll pay," she said. Her parents had money to spend, and Geforia never really worried about it; so she decided Why not?

"So you're an only child huh? Well that doesn't sound too bad. Does it get lonely?" he asked as she was waiting to leave. Geforia considered before shrugging. "It's not bad. You don't have to argue with other people. I don't really know any different. I guess it's lonely sometimes." She always assumed that the reason she was so anti-social was because she spent the whole time alone. She never really got lonely, only when she couldn't find anything good to read. It was just a part of her day.

"What's it like having siblings?" Geforia asked. She wasn't normally one to continue conversations, but she was stuck with him now, it seemed. She didn't want things to be awkward as they went to the bakery. She had had enough awkward conversations to last a life time, and she didn't really want another one.

Hunter thought long and hard about what Geforia had asked him "Well to tell you the truth it's not all that bad. Sometimes you just want to break their little necks." He stopped himself and smiled "But other than that it's fun." Hunter was looking forward to getting something at the bakery cause to be honest it has been years it feels like since he has just gone there.

"So....worried about the upcoming reaping.?" This was always something he was worried about; it wasn't fair that this was his first till last year and Geforia has many more to go, He was hoping that neither one of them were picked "Ya know no matter how many times they go through with that stupid game" Hunter leaned close to her and whispered "No matter what they do, no matter the amount of times they do them there will always be that one person to make a difference." Hunter sighed "Even if I have to fight, I won't forget that there was time where we could have risen up." Hunter stopped and looked into her eyes "I promise to never stopped fighting if you promise to never lose hope." There was something different about this year to Hunter; He gave her a warm smile as he took her hand "Come on lets go and get a little moon shaped roll thingy cause I forget what it's called."

When Hunter described what it was like to have siblings, Geforia nodded. It was how have siblings was described in books, and what it was like in movies. She'd always assumed it was like that. Geforia wondered what it would be like if her parents ever decided to have another kid. They weren't too old, so it was possible. Geforia's mother was twenty when she had her, so she's only thirty-three now. Geforia couldn't imagine it. It would be weird at first, but maybe she would get used to it. Maybe not. She was pretty sure she'd never know. She never thought her parents would have another kid.

"So....worried about the upcoming reaping?" Hunter asked. Geforia hesitated. Of course the answer should be yes, but... she didn't worry about it. She never had. Her name was only in there twice. It was still possible, she guessed, but it was in the back of her mind. "I don't know. I'm really not," she said quietly when she'd decided her answer. "My name's only been in there twice now. Maybe it's stupid, but it's never been a big worry for me." Geforia wondered if Hunter had ever had to take out tesserae, but she didn't ask. That seemed rude. Either way, he had his name in many more times than Geforia's was, just because he was older.

Geforia resisted the urge to back away when Hunter whispered about the Games to her. It was a natural instinct for her; to back away from people. "What do you mean?" she asked in the same hushed tone when he said that there would always be someone to make a difference. She considered repeating her question as he went on, but that seemed redundant to her. The second bit, Geforia guessed he was talking about that war that had happened before the time of the Capitol and Districts. She didn't really know much about history, other than what she'd read from books, and what she saw in the annual Hunger Games video. History was something she was curious about, though she'd never cared enough to look into.

Hunter took her hand and said, "Come on lets go and get a little moon shaped roll thingy cause I forget what it's called." Geforia laughed inwardly, but only smirked on the outside. "You mean croissants?"

"Yes that's what I meant." Hunter held her hand and walked next to her with the small kitten prancing next to his feet looking up at him with the kindest eyes he's seen in an animals. "So do you know whats exactly in a croissant cause I was always curious what that thing was made out of." Hunter was always asking questions about anything that was anything in life, but there was something that didn't set right with him. But he didn't know what it was or why this was happening.

There was a warm inviting smell in the air it lingered as they turned the corner. "We must be close. Thanks for taking me Geforia. I never thought that I would ever fins a friend like you." Hunter smiled a wide smile that he hasn't warn in a long time. "Time to devour bread. mwahahaha!" Hunter could be such a little kid sometimes, but was who he was.

"So do you know whats exactly in a croissant cause I was always curious what that thing was made out of." Hunter said. Geforia shrugged. She never thought about those things. If it tasted good, she just ate it. She didn't care what it was made of. After considering, Geforia came up with a few things she thought was in bread. "Flour, butter, um... milk?" She ran a hand through her hair. Now that she didn't know what was in it, it bothered her. She never would've cared normally, but now that the subject had been brought up, she would have to go look it up. She sighed as she stepped into the bakery, letting the scent take away her need to know what was in a croissant.

It always smelt like home in the bakery. She didn't know why. Her parents almost never cooked, they were too busy to do that. Geforia spent a lot of time in the bakery, talking to the baker and such. Maybe that was why it was so familiar to her. She took a deep breath of the scent as Hunter started to talk again, "We must be close. Thanks for taking me Geforia. I never thought that I would ever find a friend like you." Geforia smiled shyly. She didn't really know what to say, so she didn't say anything at all. Just left it with the smile. Then Hunter said, "Time to devour bread. mwahahaha!" That made her laugh a little, but it sounded more like a quick inhalation of air than a laugh.

Geforia's stomach growled, the smell making her hungry. She dug out a few coins from the pocket of her jeans before pulling Hunter over to the counter. The baker greeted her, as always, and asked if she wanted her usual. Geforia nodded in response, saying, "Two, please." The baker grabbed her two croissants and put them in a bag before handing them to her. She paid him. Geforia managed to take a few steps away from the counter before hunger overcame her and she had to take one of the croissants out. Nibbling on hers, she handed the bag to Hunter.

Hunter took the bag from Geforia and got his croissant from the bag. He took a small piece of his croissant and put the rest back in the bag, saving the rest for his siblings. As Hunter bit into the warm flaky bread it basically melted in his mouth, it was like heaven in the for of bread. He knew that if he saved some for his siblings then they would enjoy the rest; sharing food was a natural thing in Hunters life do to the fact that when he wouldn't finish his food then he would give the rest to his brother and sister cause they needed more than he did sometimes.

"Well I have to say it has been a pleasure meeting you Geforia. I guess I'll see you around the district often." Huntley thanked her and started to turn around and walk home when he stopped. He turned back to Geforia and looked up at the darkening sky "Hey could I walk you home?" Huntley would feel guilty if he just left her there to walk herself home. So offering would have just made him feel better.

((Sorry that it's short but I just had gotten home from a 5K race today. Even though I walked it I'm a little tired. Sorry))

((Wow, congrats on that! And don't worry about shortness, just do that best you can ^_^))

Hunter only ate a small bit of the bread. Geforia wondered what he would do with the rest. Maybe he was just saving it for himself, or maybe for the siblings he had told her about later. She didn't want to ask because it seemed to be an intrusive question to her. She busied herself with eating the rest of her bread to stop herself from asking. She realized then that she hadn't had lunch, and that it was actually closer to dinner time. The cat trotting near her heels hadn't had anything to eat since Geforia had fed her at breakfast, so she tore off the end of it and set it in front of the tabby. The cat sniffed it before gulping it down.

"Well I have to say it has been a pleasure meeting you Geforia. I guess I'll see you around the district often," Hunter said before starting off on the path they'd came. It was getting late out, and she realized that she should probably be getting home too. "Bye!" Geforia said through bites of bread at his retreating figure. He stopped a little after that, and asked Geforia if she needed a walk home.

Geforia shrugged. She didn't want to be a bother, and she assumed that the offer was out of kindness. He probably had to get back to doing... whatever he had been doing before her cat had come along. Geforia brushed the question aside. "If you have something to do, I can find my own way back." Geforia always walked herself home, so it wasn't like it was something that wasn't normal for her. She spent the later part of the day out and about normally, so she was always walking home alone. "Nice talking to you, though," she said, trying not to make it seem like she wanted him to go.

Huntley shook his head as he giggled a little "Well it would rest easier on my conscious if I could accompany you home. If you don't mind that is?" Huntley didn't want to sound to abrasive in asking; he wanted it to be her choice in whether she wanted him to walk her home. Hunt looked up at the sky as the sun continued to set over the district he called home, and was actually hoping that she would let him walk her home not cause he wanted to know that she was safe but because he wanted to spend more time with her, Huntley didn't want this day to end no not now.

Huntley watched as the small kitten pressed it's head against his leg begging for attention, as he scooped up the kitten in his hands Huntley rubbed it's soft fur. He loved the purring that the kitten had given off to the touch of his hand over it's fur; Something made Huntley wish that he wasn't 17 but that he was 13 again, he wanted to continue to be Geforia's friend. He worried that she might be picked and that he might never see her again, and if she's not that when he starts a job then what if he can't ever see her again cause he will be to busy. Huntley wanted anything that would give him more time with his new friend "So should we be off?" Huntley asked with a smile.

((Thanks the 5K was so much fun, I had a horrible time on the over all scoring but it was fun to be there with my friends. I got 1:10:57 that i just terrible .))

Geforia nodded. "Okay, fine." She wondered if her parents were home yet, and realized that she wasn't there. The girl was normally home before dinner, because really, her parents thought that she was either at home or school all day. She found it funny that they thought she would enjoy being holed up at home. Sure, Geforia did like to be alone, but she liked being alone with people around--she likes to be places without having to talk to people. It didn't really make sense, but it was a hard thing for her to describe since no one felt the same way.

Hunter picked up the cat and asked if they should be going. Geforia nodded. "I think I might be missing dinner," she said. She wasn't really hungry at all, but the thought of not being there made her cringe. It was really the only time the family spent together, when everybody was in good moods, and her parents weren't extremely tired. "Do you spend a lot of time with your family?" she asked, out of curiosity. She knew it was kind of intrusive, but he didn't seem to mind her other questions, so she thought it was fine.

Hunter pondered what Geforia asked him about if he spent time with his family "Well yeah. I mean I can't see it any other way. How about you?" Hunter was intentionally thinking of what she meant by that, is he spent time with his family. It always wasn't like that though, there was a time when he would dread being with his family. Nothing would ever make him happy about being around his family' then everything changed when his older brother, Daren, was picked as a tribute for the hunger games.

Daren was only 13 and Huntley was really close to him, and what was worse was watching his brother being hacked apart by a girl from district 12. When she was killed by Daren's close allied girl named Salyn, she was in district 1 a career additionally and she wanted to be allies with him. It was hard to see Daren hacked apart but when he saw Salyn start bashing that other girls head Hunter knew that it was terrible but was strangely happy that she didn't win but that Salyn did.

"Come one lets get you home for dinner." Hunter was happy to be with her right now, all he wanted to do was help in any way he could.

"Well yeah. I mean I can't see it any other way. How about you?" Hunter returned the question. Geforia already knew her reply, and she shook her head immediately. "Not at all, really. Only during dinner," she said, adding mentally which I'm missing now. She thought about her answer, and realized that it made her parents look bad, so she hurried to make it better. "They have to work a lot though, so I can't blame them."

She did occasionally blame them, though. Why did they have to stay at work all day? What was so much more important there than her? Sometimes, only rarely though, Geforia wished she could have a family like Hunter's. She wondered what it was like to have siblings. The idea was alien to her. The only thing she knew from that was from books. Geforia pushed the thoughts away. Don't complain. You've got it better than most, she scolded herself.

"Come on, let's get you home for dinner," Hunter said. Geforia nodded. She reached for the cat in his arms and held tried to hold it. The cat decided to struggle, as she normally did while in Geforia's arms, and so Geforia let her go. The cat fell on its feet and ran ahead a few feet. "Looks like she likes you better," Geforia said, smiling. She realized then that they weren't too far from her house.

Hunter smiled and returned the warm feeling "Hey if you want then maybe you can have by brother and sister." Hunter joked, when Geforia took the small grey kitten from his arms the small kitten struggled in her arms. Geforia put the cat back on the ground and it jumped a few feet ahead of them "Looks like she likes you better." Hunter laughed and looked down at Geforia "Well I guess that might be true, but maybe" Hunter scooped the small kitten once again in his arms and turned back to Geforia "Maybe if you hold her like this she won't want to run away." Hunter took Geforia's hands and delicately put the fluffy kitten in her arms. The kitten snuggled up in her arms and purred loudly in her arms.

"There that might have been why she struggled in you're arms." Hunter looked beyond the corner of the trail and looked back at Geforia "Is this you're street?" The darkness was settling in now and it was unsettling to Hunter, and he wanted to be sure that he was getting her home safely.