Chapter Two

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I take a deep breath before knocking on the large door. When I do, a short man with graying hair opens the door. I recognize him as Gary, our director. I follow him inside the house and take a seat at a long table with many other people.

I don't take the time to count them, but there has to be at least 30 people here. I am handed a script and flip through the pages, seeing that my lines are already highlighted. I don't have that many.

Gary says that we only have a few more people that haven't arrived yet. I take a look around the room to see if I can match the people with their part. Nobody really strikes me, but I see a lot of familiar faces. I get an excited feeling when I see Josh Hutcherson sitting at one end of the table.

A few more people arrive, and Gary gives them their scripts. Then, he tells all of us to go around the room and say our name and part. Just to kind of get to know each other, I guess.

A tall boy with dark hair steps forward first. He has a slight Australian accent when he speaks.

"I'm Liam Hemsworth and I play Gale." He says.

The girl next to him doesn't stand up. Instead, she reclines back in her chair. "I'm Jennifer Lawrence, and I am Katniss."

Josh was next, and he is playing Peeta. A red-headed girl next to him is playing Foxface, which I already though. The boy playing Marvel is Jack Quaid. I think he must be Dennis Quaid's son.

We go around the room, saying our names. I have to admit, the casting is nearly perfect. The girl that plays Rue is small and gentle. The guy that plays Thresh is massive.

I keep listening for a guy playing Cato, since he will be my District partner in the movie. But I don't hear anyone say his name.

Woody Harrelson, who is playing Haymitch, stands right next to me. When he finishes, I stand and say my name.

"I'm Isabelle Fuhrman. I play Clove." I say with a smile. Even saying it makes it feel unreal.

"No way. The Orphan girl?" Jack asks from his seat. I laugh a little and nod my head. Everyone lets out shocked noises.

Woody laughs. "The face. Do the face."

I shake my head. "No, I don't do that anymore." I say with a laugh.

We go back to addressing ourselves. The tall blond guy next to me speaks in a smooth, silky tone.

"Alexander Ludwig. I play Cato." He speaks.

Even sitting down, he's like a foot taller than me. I'm either really short or he is really tall. Probably both.

We finish going over the cast and open up our scripts to the very first page. It won't be in this reading that I actually get to talk, but I still listen intently to the dialogue.

We get all the way through the reaping scene when Gary calls for a break. I stand up and walk into his kitchen to get a water bottle.

When I reach in the fridge, someone behind me tells me to grab one for them as well. I take two, and turn to hand the one to the other person. I see that it is the girl that plays Glimmer.

Honestly, they could not have picked a better person to play Glimmer. She is just downright beautiful. I think when Suzanne Collins created Glimmer, she pictured this girl.

"Thanks." The girl tells me. I nod my head in return and take a sip of the water. "I'm Leven, in case you didn't hear."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I forget names easily. Isab-"

"I know." She interrupts with a laugh. "I was paying attention to see if you were the girl from Orphan the whole time. I knew you looked familiar."

"Oh." I say with a nervous laugh. "Yep, that's me."

"Must be weird, playing a psycho 10 year old." She says.

"Well technically I was like 30." I say with a smile. She laughs and we walk back over to the table.

When I walk in, everyone sits around talking to each other. They all already act like they've known each other for years.

When I sit down, I didn't realize that I left the cap off of my water bottle. It slips out of my hand and spills all over the boy next to me. He jumps in surprise at the cold water.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry." I say while picking up the water bottle.

The boy laughs and takes a towel that Jack was handing him.

"It's fine. It was getting a little hot in here anyways." He says with a smile.

He has a really pretty smile.

He continues to try and dry his shirt, but it doesn't work. I grit my teeth. I'm so stupid sometimes.

"I'm really, really sorry." I say to him.

"I said it was fine. Quit worrying." He says with another smile.

"Yeah, but now I feel bad." I mumble.

"You're too sweet to be playing Clove." He says.

I feel my face get hot at his comment. You're too sweet to be playing Cato, I want to tell him. He really is very nice, even though we just met.

"Alright, Alexander and Isabelle, we have a script to read." Gary says as he walks into the room.

I turn back to the script, but I don't really pay attention to anything. There isn't much dialogue on the train scene.

We finish reading the script for today right after the whole chariot scene. Gary tells us that we need to be back here tomorrow to finish the run through and then we are dismissed.

I call my mom after he tells us we can leave so she can come pick me up. All the other people get in their cars to leave. The girls that play Prim and Rue live close by and their parents are there shortly.

My mom tells me she will be there in about 15 minutes and I sit on the doorstep outside. I think I'm alone outside for a minute, but the blond boy sits down next to me.

"Need a ride?" he asks.

"No. My mom is on her way here." I tell him. He nods his head and jingles his car keys.

"You don't have to wait on me. She'll be here soon." I say.

"I know. But Gary is inside working on something with the writers and it's boring out here. Might as well, right?" he says. I shrug and look at a lizard crawling up the wall.

"So, you gonna learn to throw knives?" the boy asks.

I hadn't really thought about that. I guess I probably have to. Gary said that we have training in about 2 weeks to get in physical shape. I'm not overweight or anything, but I am not really the exercise type.

"Yeah, I guess so." I tell him.

I see mom's car pull up. She flashes the headlights once and I stand up to leave. The boy stands up as well. He walks to the right towards his car. He stops in front of it and waves back at me.

"See you tomorrow, Isabelle!" he shouts. I pull open the car door.

"See you tomorrow...." I say, not remembering his name. I hear him laugh.

"Alexander!" I hear him call before I close the car door.

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