Snapshot (Alexbelle)

Chapter Fifteen

"Isabelle!" Jack calls my name. I look to my right and see him trying to dance.

I start to laugh as he pops out his arms and knees repeatedly, trying to be in rhythm. Gary yells action, and I am still laughing.

I cover my mouth and attempt to run forward, but have to stop. The laughter has overcome me, and I look off to the side.

"Cut!" Gary yells out. He sounds frustrated.

I cover my face in my hands and still laugh. Now I can hear Jack and Alexander chuckling behind me.

"Isabelle, how are we going to film a movie if you keep cutting up?" Gary hisses. I try to stifle the laughter, but still let a few giggles through.

"Sorry, Gary." I mutter. He turns the baseball cap on his head and goes back over to the cameras.

"Places!" he yells. I jog back behind the bush. Josh, Leven, Jack, and Alexander join me.

Gary yells action one more time, and I run out with the others. We laugh and talk between each other before Jack yells and points at Jennifer in the pond.

She looks scared and scrambles out of the water as quickly as possible. I'm jealous. That is literally the only body of water we are allowed to get in for filming. The huge lake by the Cornucopia is a reservoir and we can't swim in it. It sucks.

The five of us run behind Jennifer and into the woods behind her. Gary stops the camera as we come through the clearing for Jennifer and Xander to get strapped up. As soon as they are both hooked to the tree, he calls action again.

Jennifer starts climbing the tree, and Xander stands at the bottom. He clutches the rubbery sword in his hand as he grabs at the first knob on the tree.

When he climbs up a bit further, I say some of the lines I have. "Kill her Cato! Get her, Cato! Kill her!"

He climbs up farther, and the camera crews move to focus on him. "I'm coming for you." He hisses.

He reaches up cautiously and grabs the faulty branch. Just as he does, it snaps and he plummets to the ground. I can hear his body smack against the mat.

Gary yells cut, and we all groan. At least we got through to the climbing. This will be the 19th time we have tried to finish this scene today.

"Alexander, you are a tribute in the games and have no idea that branch is going to break. Quit looking like a scared puppy when you reach for it! Start from the bottom! Action!" Gary calls when Alexander stands up.

Alexander takes his sword in his hand again and starts to climb up the tree. The higher he climbs, I begin to say my lines again. The cameras keep flickering back and forth between us.

"I'm coming for you." Alexander says again. He looks up at Jennifer and grasps the branch, faking shock as it snaps and he falls.

When he hits the mat, I am grateful that Gary doesn't call cut. Alexander looks back at us, and we look back down at him.

"Here." Leven says. She loads an arrow onto the bow and shoots it up at Jennifer. Jen clutches the tree as the plastic arrow whizzes past her.

"Give it to me." Alexander mumbles as he stands. He takes the bow and points of up at Jennifer.

"Hit her." Jack and I both say at once. Alexander lets the plastic arrow fly, but it misses Jennifer.

"Maybe you should throw the sword." Jennifer says, out of breath.

I look at Alexander, and he looks between the group.

"Let's just wait her out." Josh says. We all stare at him. "Well, she will have to come down sometime. It's either that or starve to death."