A/N: I am back and better than ever! :) It was a very quick break I know! haha Regarding the AN I made yesterday I just wanted to quickly thank every one that sent me supportive messages about still continuing with my story! You are all so sweet and gave me the confidence to keep continuing!

I went back and edited through all three chapters that I had previously written and changed some things that will affect the story differently than before. So I recommend rereading everything so you know where the characters stand now! I am also posting chapter 4 with this massive update too so you get something new along with it! I love you all and thanks for the continuous support! xoxo

"Clo?" Peeta whispers; sticking his head through the opening in his best friends door

Thanks to the small ray of light leaking through her blinds he can just make out Clove's small frame under the thick purple comforter laid across her bed.

"Clo?" He whispers again and gently tip-toes his way across the bedroom floor

Not watching where he is going, he stubs his toes into the leg of Clove's desk chair.

"Shit!" He hisses and places his foot down with a loud slap on the hardwood floor

Clove moans and shifts over stomach side down in her bed and her chestnut colored hair falls over her face like a curtain from the rest of the world, "Peeta, if you jump on me the way my back is feeling I will make sure you don't play football at all this season."

"Ahh, come on Clo!" He moans placing himself on the end of Clove's bed, "It's the first day all summer that you can swim; not to mention it's your 17th birthday! I refuse to let my best friend spend the day in bed!"

Clove takes a tired hand, pushes her hair away from her face and narrows her eyes at her blond haired best friend for waking her up this early.

"My dad made your favorite!" Peeta teasingly pokes Clove in the leg

Clove can't deny her love for Mr. Mellark's famous cinnamon buns. Through the years of Clove and Peeta's friendship its become a sort of tradition on the morning of Clove's birthday she would go over to Peeta's to have some cinnamon buns and swim in the Mellark's pool with their friends.

This birthday, however, is going to be a little different. Right at the end of school Clove had to get surgery to fix her scoliosis. Clove spent most of her summer inside, lying in bed recovering from the surgery. She wasn't allowed to join the rest of her friends at the Mellark's pool all summer because of the sun possibly damaging the eighteen inch scar on her petite back. Her birthday was the day she would finally be allowed to swim and she knew darn well Peeta would take total advantage of the day.

"I am not leaving until you get your skinny ass out of bed and get a bathing suit on! Annie and Katniss will be at my house in ten minutes." Peeta says

"Fine, but I am only doing it for the cinnamon buns!" Clove moans ripping the comforter off of her body

"Fair enough!" Peeta smiles his signature cheeky smile and reaches for Clove's TV remote on the small table next to her bed

Clove slowly walks over to the adjoining bathroom between her bedroom and her sisters, now empty room since she is off at college. She gently stretches out her still sore muscles from her surgery taking extra care not to move to fast to create a sudden jolt of pain. She pulls off her loose t-shirt and pair of gray cotton shorts before pulling on the new plum colored bikini her parents gave her the night before in anticipation for her spending the day at the Mellark's.

She washes her face and brushes through her matted hair before pulling it up into her signature sleek pony tail. She brushes her teeth while slipping on another pair of cotton shorts and a tank top as a cover up.

"Peeta?" She calls out; staring at her now empty room

"Downstairs!" He replies

She grabs her cellphone, sunglasses, a bottle of sun tan lotion, and an extra change of clothes throws it in a drawstring backpack and heads down the stairs. Peeta waits for her at the end of the stairs with her a green and blue towel in his arms.

"Ready birthday girl?" He winks, smiling

"Ready." Clove rubs the last bit of tiredness out of her eyes

They both walk to the back of Clove's house and through the kitchen where her mom is mixing breakfast contents in a bowl. Her mom gives her a quick birthday kiss and wishes her fun with her friends. They walk through the back sliding glass doors, across her lawn and to the gate in the side of her fence connecting Peeta's backyard to hers.

Once inside they are greeted by a steaming hot platter of cinnamon rolls along with a purple gift bag with silver tissue paper sticking out the top.

"Peeta..."

"Don't Clove! You're my best friend and it's your birthday, how could I not give you a gift!" Peeta smiles gently squeezing her in a hug

Clove drops her backpack and towel in the basket by the sliding glass door and sits down at the granite topped island in the middle of the kitchen. She inhales the sweet scent of cinnamon and sugar ascending from the rolls in front of her. Peeta sits down next to her with a hot bowl of frosting and starts to drizzle it on top of the buns.

"Come on! Open it!" Peeta nudges the bag closer to her

Clove gracefully lifts the paper out of the bag and pulls out a key chain with a silver cupcake charm dangling from the end with a red rhinestone on top indicating the cherry.

"I love it!" Clove smiles, ripping apart the bun on her plate

Peeta blushes slightly at Cloves excitement, "That was really my mom's idea. It's for your keys once you get your license tomorrow!"

"Please, don't remind me!" Clove moans rolling her eyes

"You'll be fine! Don't worry! Come on, open the next one!"

Clove pulls out the next object and is greeted by a black box that opens up two reveal it's two picture frames connected by a hinge, on one side is a picture of Clove and Peeta on their first day of kindergarten. Clove's hair is pulled half up and is tied off with a red ribbon and she is wearing a red jumper to match. Peeta has on navy blue converse, jeans and a blue and gold striped polo shirt which accentuates his blue eyes. They are smiling widely at the camera and both of their front teeth are missing. On the other side is a picture of them at their first Friday night football game freshman year. Clove is on Peeta's back, neither of them are looking at the camera, but they are both looking at each other and laughing in the picture.

Clove can't contain the big smile that has spread across her face as she looks from the frame in her hands to her best friend. Those are her two favorite pictures of her and Peeta and she couldn't be happier to have them in a frame. She jumps off of her chair and wraps her arms tightly around Peeta's neck.

"Thanks Peet!" She squeals

He wraps his arms lightly around his best friend; taking extra care to not hurt her back.

"Happy Birthday, Clove!" erupts a chorus of voices

In marches Annie and Katniss followed by Marvel, who is carrying a handful of purple and silver balloons.

"For you, m'lady!" Marvel announces with a wink handing the balloons over to Clove

"Smooth, Marv. Very smooth!" Peeta laughs slapping his friend's shoulder

Clove hugs Marvel and takes the balloons tying them to the chair in the kitchen.

"How are you feeling, Clove?" Annie asks as the girls start applying suntan lotion to their skin

"Sore. But, it's nice to be able to get out of the house for once." Clove cranes her neck to the bright sun overhead letting the heat radiate through her body

Annie and Katniss jump into the pool enjoying the change of temperature on their bodies. Clove gently takes the pool steps into the refreshing water still a little unsteady on her feet. Marvel and Peeta appear from behind the shed in the far corner of his lawn hauling some tubes and pool noodles. Peeta throws Clove her favorite green one and she gently slips it over her head resting her arms on the tube. Marvel flops into the pool, taking heavy breaths and his face is flush.

"It's not that far of a walk from the shed Marv. What the hell happened?" Clove quips, pushing her way across the shallow end with her feet

"Pool tubes and I don't mix." Is all he gets out through is shallow breaths

"In other words he thought he could blow up the huge palm tree thing my mom brought. I have one word for you: FAIL!" Peeta laughs hauling himself onto a tube

After small splashing game, monitored closely by Peeta not to get too rough for Clove's sake and a dive competition judged by the birthday girl herself. There is the sound of tires rolling up the Mellark's long driveway a navy blue jeep and Peeta's brother Ryan's black Honda pulls up and stops near the fence by the pool.

Ryan and his best friends, Cato, Finnick, and Thresh file out between the two cars and enter through the gate to the backyard. Ryan and his friends are on the football team for the high school and it looks like the seniors just got done with the days football practice. The sweat marks visible on all of their t-shirts and they each eye the cool water of the pool hungrily.

"Happy Birthday, Clo!" Ryan waves to Clove

"Thanks, Ry!" She yells back enthusiastically

Ryan looks very similar to his younger brother except he is built bigger and the trace of blond stubble along his jaw line.

"I hate to barge in on your little party Peet, but practice was hot and we want to swim." Ryan yells to his brother

"Sure thing." He answers back

"Sorry Clo, I had to say yes or practice is going to be a bitch." He gives his best friend a wavering smile

"Don't worry. Ry likes me so I know he'll go easy." Clove smiles reassuringly

She watches Ryan and his friends talking in the kitchen and she catches the other blond boy, who is built like a brick wall, staring back at her for a split second. He has blue eyes, not blue eyes like Peeta, but the kind of blue eyes that make her stomach flip and her heart beat like a humming birds wings.

No, Clove. Now is not the time for boys!

A/N: Hi Everyone! This is my second AU Clato story. If you have read my other story this one is going to be a bit different and more personal. I hope you like it!

For anyone that doesn't know what scoliosis is, it's a genetic disease that causes the spine to curve and one of the ways of fixing it is by getting surgery and having your spine fused with rods and bolts. I had to go through the surgery that I wrote about Clove going through. More details about Clove and her experience with it will be coming in the story!

Comments, questions, concerns welcome!

xoxo
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