After her rebirth by Cici

Chapter 2

Katniss was still riding the high of her second chance at life, but the shadows of her past were never far behind. Outta nowhere, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. A voice she knew all too well called out, "Katniss!" She whipped her head around and saw her dad, Oliver Manners, storming in with a bunch of rough-looking dudes. "What the hell is going on?" Katniss asked, her eyes wide with confusion and a hint of fear.

Oliver marched up to her bed, his eyes cold and hard. His face was a mix of anger and authority.

"You have some guts to ask what's going on." Oliver's voice was dripping with rage. "You little monster, you hurt Clara! Why'd you let those jerks mess with her? Do you even get that you could've killed her?" Katniss felt her heart drop. She'd been given a second shot at life, back in the summer of her nineteenth year.

She'd just started college, dreams and hopes all lined up. On the way home with Clara, they ran into some thugs, and things got ugly real fast.

"What do you want?" Katniss glared at the punks, ready to throw down to protect Clara.

Before she could even finish her sentence, the thugs attacked. Katniss and Clara fought back with everything they had, but they both got hurt bad.

Katniss took the worst of it, her blood shining bright in the sunlight. But her family didn't see it that way. Oliver rushed to her, with Elodie and Clara right behind. Seeing Katniss covered in blood, their anger exploded. "Katniss! What did you do?" Elodie's voice was sharp, like she already knew Katniss was to blame.

Katniss tried to get up, but the pain held her down.

"Mom, it wasn't me." Katniss's voice was weak, tears blurring her vision.

Her forehead was busted up, needing stitches, while Clara just had a small bump. Yet, Katniss got blamed for "ordering thugs to mess up Clara."

tried to explain, to apologize,

bother. No one would believe her anyway. She snapped back to the present, asking coldly, "So,

his eyes blazing with fury. He looked like he wanted to strangle her. "Katniss, what's wrong with you? That was too much! How can you

mad the veins on his neck were popping out. He rushed over, glaring down at

as you? We should've left you alone back then." Lucas

at Lucas, not saying a

brothers wanted to jump in and

sat by the bed, holding Katniss's hand,

you back, tried to make it up to you, and supported your studies. Now you're in college, while a lot of girls your age didn't even finish middle or high school.

grew up with us. I've treated you both the same. Don't hold a grudge against her,

her go to

show off that everyone

while Katniss got stuck in a storage room. Everything she ate, wore, and used

had the nerve to

instead of caring, they

about right or

sneered, not wanting to waste another

you can't take a little criticism? You're always up to no good,

chimed in, "Katniss, everything you have now is because of the Manners family. What more do you want? Do you really want Clara dead to be

Manners, looked like he wanted to say something but stayed