(open!) Staring at nothing but water.

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

Stella smiled as she walked from her house to her hidden cove. It was a little way off from the beach, and the only way to get to it was to the docks, and then go strait, into a bush, and then, she'd be there.
Stella tried to be as normal as possible on her way to the cove.
Try to act as normal as possible, Stella. Ignore the fact that you now have a black eye...again. Walk to your cove and ignore all of the stairs that you get. Stella tried to tell herself as she walked.
Down at the docks, as she began to walk straight, she saw three people. Stella had seen the three outside occasionally while she was cleaning her house. She didn't know their names, but Stella did know that they were siblings.
"Oh, hello..."
Stella said, trying to act casual.

The twins turned around to see a girl greeting them. A familiar face, but never strikes up a conversation before. Amaya shot up a hand as she grinned and waved, "Hello! Want to join us? I'm Amaya!" Join them in what? Oh well. She felt that us was necessary to introduce herself first. Skye gave a small waves and his lips tugged to a shy smile, "Skye." Kaira, the eleventh year old was too interested of the starfush to take notice of another person.

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

"Oh...um... I was-yea. Yea sure, I guess I'll join you."
Stella slowly walked over to the three. The older ones introduced themselves as Sky and Amaya.
"I'm um..." Stella wasn't sure if she should give them her name. After all, what would her mother do if she found out? Oh well, guess there's no harm in a name.
"I'm Stella...Stella Archer." She told them.

"well it's nice to meet you!" Amaya grinned. Stella seemed reluctant to join them or talk at all, but she looked like a nice girl. Maybe they could become friends. To break he awkward silence, Skye started to ask, "so do you come here often?"

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

Stella shook her head.
"No, I don't come down here often. I'm real busy cle-no. I'm real busy."
Stella didn't want to tell them that she was busy cleaning her house all day. After all, she had just met these people. What if they told the mayor about my mother? They'd take me away from her, that's for sure! No, the only person that I can trust is Marlin. She told herself, moving some of her blonde hair over to her black eye.
Hopefully they won't notice...

"I see," Skye concluded. So that's probably why they didn't meet or see she around here often. "did you know them? The district four tribu-" Amaya wanted to ask but she looked at Stella and her movement caused Amaya to look at her eye, "Oh gosh, what happened?" She started to be a little more concerned, dragging Skye into being curious as well.

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

Stella's face grew bright red. Not in shock, or emberasment, but in worry.
Oh! It's nothing. Please, just forget about it. I'm... Um.... A terrible klutz..."
Stella said, hoping that they would buy into her lie.

Amaya laughed, "I didn't know that you could get a black eye from tripping! Better get that iced down." Skye felt that there was something more but didn't pry. She tells what she wants to tell. Amaya went back to their previous topic. "so.. did you know them? The district four tributes..."

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

"Don't worry, I'm fine. It, um... they tend to go away in a few days..."
Stella said. "I wish that I had the time to get to know them, but I've only ever seen them in school... I hope that they make it back home, though." Stella said, trying to smile.

"hope that eye gets better!" Amaya commented, she seemed quite uncomfortable talking about her bruise so she kinda left it at that. Skye nods with assurance, "They seem to be doing well, so far. I'm sure they'll come home." On a lighter note, Amaya asked, "what do you do around here? For a living and stuff." She wanted to get to know Stella more, though she seemed reluctant to say much at all. Maybe after awhile they'd get closer.

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

Stella thought for a moment, wondering how to put how she made a 'living'.
"Well, I don't work. No, that's um... My mother. Yea-she's the one that works. I stay home and um... Help clean and stuff while she's gone..."
Stella had practically said it! She imagened her mother on her way home, coming down through the docks and hearing her say these things. But, Stella had no other way to say what she does.
Why do these people have to ask so many questions?! Stella thought.

"I see!" Amaya laid back on the pier and looked up to the sky. Maybe Stella really didn't like to talk much. But it seemed as if the awkward silence was worse. Skye skipped agree stones into the water making a string of weird tunes and melodies. It was like that til their little sister, Kaira, came up to them, "I pulled the starfish out!" She grinned showing them the starfish in her hand.

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

Stella's eyes grew wide.
"Oh, no! Put the starfish back, it can't breath the air!"
Stella said, going over to the small girl. She had noticed the girl before, but the small girl didn't say anything to her.
"It can't breath in the air like you and I can. It's got to go back into the water."
Stella tried to tell the little girl like she had seen other mother's tell their children. In the back of her mind, she thought that it sounded fairly close to theirs.

"Huh? Then what was it doing on the pillar? Sun tanning or something?" Kaira pouted, crouching down and putting the starfish in the water. Skye chuckled at his naive little sister, "Well that's our sister."

"Kaira! I'm Kaira Walker, eleven years old!" Kaira proudly introduced herself to Stella.

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

Stella sighes as the starfish is placed back into the cool water.
"I don't know why it was on the dock. Maybe-" Stella stopped herself. The little girl didn't need to know that it might have been trying to commit scuicide.
Well, let's just be glad that it's back in the water, right?"

"Alright!" Kaira nodded and headed to the other side of the dock to look for more interesting stuff to show them since she just lost the starfish. It was yet again some silence between the three, Amaya was probably half asleep already. But she asked, "So what brought you here? Since you rarely come down here." Maybe its just her. She just like finding out about people. Curious but maybe not that nosey. She was just trying to break the silence, which made her almost half asleep!

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

"Oh..um...well...I was... curious. Yes, I was wondering if anything new was going on down here. But, apparently not."
There was no way that Stella could tell these people about her cove. No, that was to special to Stella. It was her only safe haven.

Skye agreed, "nothing new ever happens here. But maybe that's a good sign." Amaya laughed, "we'll inform you if anything new pops out around here!" Somehow they'd rather keep this peace and mundane life, since you never know. It could be the other way round where those peacekeepers might start causing some trouble instead of the district. "I'm really bored!" Kaira complained. But they knew that she'd rather be bored than go back to seeing the games.

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

Stella smiled on the side of her mouth.
"Well, I think that it's a um, good thing that nothing is going on. It means that things are...mildly peaceful..." She said.
Stella began to fiddle with her hair, still feeling uncomfortable.

Skye nodded in agreement, "peace is good." Amaya sat up as if she remembered something, "Ah, I brought some bread!" Amaya pulled a paper bag from her sling bag. In it there were a few buns, the size of a palm, still warm and fresh. She snuck a few out this morning after baking as a snack. She grinned to herself, feeling accomplished that her mother didn't realised that she baked a few extras to take. Amaya passed one to everyone. Skye sighed and shook his head, "again..?" Amaya stuck her tongue out in guilt but he didn't say anything else and accepted the bun, pulling into a smile. Amaya handed one to Stella as well, "here you go! Have one, it's still warm!"

(( ooc: sorry, a little late reply! Going crazy in the midst of exams right now ))

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

Stella's eyes widened as Amaya handed her a warm roll. She practically drooled over it. Stella hardly ever got a warm roll. Normally she ate stale bread, whatever was left over.
"Oh, thank you! Do you two...three, work in a bakery?" Stella asked since she didn't get out of town much.


:.:.: 'Sokay. I'm gonna be busy with exams soon, too. Just think, only a few more weeks then we're done!!!:.:.:

"Your welcome!" Amaya was glad that her bread made someone happy! Skye shook his head in reply to Stella's question, "Nah, I help with getting the fish in the district, so that's left with Kaira and Amaya." Amaya was hyped up and offered, "come over to the bakery sometime or whenever you're bored, it'll be fun!"

((yeah! XD good luck with your exams! :B))

I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone
To lighten up
I've got no one to blame
For every time I feel lame
I'm looking up o I'm gonna soak up the sun
I'm gonna soak up the sun
I've got a crummy job
It don't pay near enough

Stella looked confused.
"Wait... you say that you don't work in the bakery and catch fish, right? But... you invited me to go to the bakery... do you live there, or not?" Stella was very confused. Were they trying to trick her so she would say something about her mother...? Because she wasn't.

Stella looked extremely confused. Did he say something wrong? "Ah, no no! I-I mean..." Skye flustered, trying to rephrase his sentence but Amaya cuts in, rolling her eyes and smiling, " he means that Kaira and I works at the bakery while he catches fish. And yes, we do live there, so come over anytime you want!" Kaira tugs Stella hand, "Yes, do come over! It gets really boring sometimes..."