If Crane Never Made The Call

She Came Here With Me

   Portia takes me down ten minutes early to see the stage setup and to know where everything is. They call us for line up and Effie rushes in.

  "Before you go," She starts. "remember to smile!" I give her a huge fake smile and she rolls her eyes as she turns to go sit in the audience. I find Katniss in line and stand behind her.

  "You ready?" She asks without turning around.

  "Ya. You?"

  "Probably not. I still can't stand right in these heels." She replys lifting up her shoes for me to see. I give a real smile and laugh lightly. I stare at her dress and she gives me an odd look. She's wearing an all red tight dress that puffs out at the bottom and looks really heavy.

   Before I know it Ceaser is making his introduction speach and unfunny jokes. He then welcomes Glimmer to the stage and we begin. The gaurd at the door takes the tributes in one by one in the same order as the evaluation so I go last. Each tribute gets 3 minutes to wow the crowd for the last time before the games start tomorrow.

  I tune out after Marvel goes and just watch the wall. After over an hour it's Rues turn to go. "Hello!" Ceaser says fighting back the urge to run and put her on his shoulders.

  "Hi." She says shyly.

  "So you are twelve and the youngest in the games, correct?" He asks diving right in.

  "Yes."

  "So going into the arena what is your main goal?"

  "Well to make it out alive and get home to my family." Rue responds sadly. They must be going with some kind of cute and innocent kind of angle.

  "Yes your family. Do you have any siblings?" He asks grabbing her hand.

  "Yes. Five, four sisters and a brother all younger than me." I hear Katniss give a small gasp thats barely audible.

"Well I bet they're cheering for you. So what are your strengths going into the games?" He asks raising an eyebrow.

  "Now Ceaser why would I tell you that?" She asks playing around a bit.

  "Oh come on, for the crowd."

  "Ok. I can climb trees, I'm pretty quick, and I don't suck with a sling shot." She replys quietly.

  "Well thank you. Now before our time is up you had a little saying you told me backstage that I was quite impressed with, what was it?"

  "If they can't catch me, they can't kill me."

  "Come on folks isn't she adorable?" He asks the crowd pointing to Rue. "Well dear thats all the time we have, and good luck in the games." She gets up and gives a wave as she exits. The gaurd comes to collect Katniss and she doesn't fight against him. He takes her around the corner and out of sight, leaving me alone with the telivision. "Now our next tribute comes from district twelve, and let me say that I have been waiting for her all night. You know her AS THE GIRL ON FIRE!" The crowd gives a cheer. "But we know her as the lovely KATNISS EVERDEEN!" Katniss walks onto the stage and the audience cheers and claps like nothing you've ever seen.

  "That was quite an entrance you made at the tribute parade the other day." Ceaser says. I can tell Katniss is overwelmed because she doesn't look like all the other tributes have.

  "Huh?" She asks staring at Ceaser.

  "Some one must be a little nervous." The Capital people surrounding the stage give a chuckle,  and Ceaser continues. "I said that was quite an entrance you made at the tribute parade the other day. Would you tell us about it."

  "I was just hoping that I wouldn't burn to death." She says seriously. The crowd laughs, but I don't think she ment it as a joke.

  "Well I just have to say, when you came out on that chariot my heart stopped. Did any of you experience this." The audience claps and whistles, answering Ceaser question. "My heart stopped, it did."

  "So did mine." Katniss says giving a little laugh.

  "Now the flames, are they real?" He asks mysteriously

  "Yes. Infact I'm wearing them tonight, would you like to see?" The crowd cheers and Ceaser quiets them down.

  "Is it safe?"

  "Yes."

  "Well don't just stand there were waiting!" Katniss gets up and starts to spin. She twirls and flames appear on the bottom of her dress and climb up to knee height. "Woah, woah." Ceaser says as Katniss sits down. "That was something, that was really something. Thank you for that. I have one more question, it's about your sister. We were all very moved, I think, when you volunteered for her at the reaping. Did she come and say goodbye to you?"

  "Yes."

  "Yes. Now what did you say to her, in the end?"

  "I told her that I would try to win. That I would try to win for her." She replys sadly.

  "And try you will." Ceaser says sounding just like Katniss. He kisses her hand and stands up as the buzzer goes. "Ladies and gentlemen, FROM DISTRICT TWELVE, KATNISS EVERDEEN THE GIRL ON FIRE!!!" I don't realize it but the gaurd has grabbed my arm and is pulling me to the edge of the curtain. I stand and wait for Ceaser to introduce me.

"Now also from district twelve let's welcome PEETA MELLARK!" I walk out on stage smiling and waving.

  "So Peeta how are you liking the Capital?" He asks me as I sit down.

  "Well it's different, very different from back home." Wow Haymitch great question.

  "Different, how is it different? Give us an example."

  "Ok. Well the showers here are weird."

  "Showers, we have different showers." The crowd laughs and I know they want more.

  "Ceaser, do I smell like roses to you?" He looks out oddly at the Capital people and turns back to me. "Come on, take a whiff." He leans in and takes a loud sniff.

  "Mmm. Do I smell like you?" I smell him as well and lay back in my chair.

  "Well you definatly smell better than I do."

  "I've lived here longer."

  "That makes sense." We both put a foot on a knee and give a chuckle.

  "So Peeta is there a special girl back home?" Yes Haymitch yes!

  "No, no not really." I reply half smiling.

  "Oh I don't believe it for a second. Handsome man like you, there has to be some one." He says pushing perfectly.

  "Well there is someone that I've had a crush on forever, but I don't think she recognized me until the reaping." I say quietly.

  "I'll tell you what Peeta, you go into those games tomorrow, you win, and when you get home she'll have to go out with you!" The crowd cheers agreeing with Ceaser Flickerman.

  "Well actually that won't work."

  "Why not?" He asks obviously intrigued.

  "B-because she came here with me." I hear everyone gasp and I turn to see Katniss standing by the curtain her, eyes wider than Panem.