If Crane Never Made The Call

Evaluation

We continue training and coming back to dinner for 2 more days, and then on the last day it's the evaluation.

We ride the elevator down to the training center and walk through the massive doors at the far end of the room. They seat us down in our district orders with the girls going before the boys so I'll go last and Katniss goes second last. Glimmer gets called in first and she smiles back at Cato when she leaves. I think about last night, Effie giving Haymitch the same smile and Haymitch looking at Effie the same way Cato is looking at Glimmer. Last night. I'm shoot into a flashback faster than I can stop it.

I'm sitting at the dining room table with Katniss next to me and Haymitch sitting across from us. "So tomorrow they'll bring you in one by one and evaluate you. This is the time to show them everything and lets just say, make sure they remember you."

I'm back to reality in seconds and Katniss is staring at me. She looks away and I turn to watch the screen that shows replays of the tribute parade and reapings. I watch myself get reaped and then catch on fire. After one run through of the replays its almost time for us to go. I wait as the boy from 11 leaves which means Katniss is next.

"Katniss Everdeen" A robotic voice says over the speaker. Katniss gets up and begins to walk over to the door.

"Hey Katniss," I call. "shoot straight." I say once she turns around. She walks toward the metal doorway quickly not turning around again. The walls are soundproof so I can't hear her and I can't hear any signs of human civilization. It feels like forever, but eventually I hear my name.

"Peeta Mellark" The girls voice echoes through the small room bouncing off the walls like a never ending melody. I stand up off the bench, my legs wobbly at first from sitting so long. I walk to the doors as blood pounds in my ears and my heartbeats in my finger tips. I picture myself throwing something around in the evaluation room and the game makers being unimpressed.

I walk through the doors and see the game makers eating endless piles of food on a balcony carved into the wall. I stop when I reach the middle of the room and look up at them. Know ones paying me any attention and I'm not surprised.

"Um, hello." I say shyly waving my hand. Some turn to look at me and others just continue.

"Well don't just stand there or we aren't going to score you at all!" Someone calls from above. I nod my head and look around the room. There's a rack of metal things like the ones Katniss told me to throw, some knifes, swords, spears, and anything else I saw in the training center including targets. I give the game makers one more look and see an apple pinned against the wall by an arrow. Well Katniss wants to be remembered doesn't she. I mean she's the only one of these tributes that would do that and the Capital wouldn't have done that, so it must have been her that shot an apple up there.

I head over to the weights and begin throwing them around randomly. I catch a few of the evaluators eyes but don't reel them in until I accidentally throw the hunk of metal high and hit a light. Sparks fly around me and I know it's time to leave. I walk out with my head hung low and my arms sore.

Katniss is waiting for me at the door with an angered expression on her face. We don't talk the whole elevator ride up and once we reach the penthouse we go our separate ways. I go to my room and Effie chases after me.

"Peeta, please." She calls as her heels click on the floor.

"Go away Effie." I say harshly. I hear her stop running, but that just makes me move even faster.

"Just be in time for scoring." She mutters. I walk into my room and see Katniss crying through the crack in her door. I walk over to her room and knock on the door.