Chapter One

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Everyone in the large classroom immediately gets up and runs out of the classroom when the bell rings. I take my time, making sure I have all of my notes in place for the test tomorrow. My best friend, Sydney, waits for me in the doorway.

"You're so slow." She says. I roll my eyes and pick up my books, following her out of the classroom. The hallways outside the room are crowded with high school students. I flinch a little at every slam of a locker and try to push my way through.

The freshmen lockers are at the other end of the building. I take a minute to think whether I need anything out of it, and just decide not to walk over there. Sydney leaves my side to go to hers anyways.

I walk through the swarm of students outside into the parking lot. I see my mom's car, parked over on the other side. It really sucks that I can't drive yet.

I make my way to her car and pull the door open. I throw my books in the back seat and pull the seatbelt over me.

"How was your day?" she asks. I look at her, and see that she has a big smile on her face.

"Fine." I say awkwardly.

"That's great!" she answers. Why is she so happy?

I nod my head and the car lurches forward out of the parking lot. We decide to go by a cafe to eat lunch, since neither of us have eaten yet.

I pull out my phone to check for any new messages. I groan when I see that I have none, and push it down in my pocket.

"Have you gotten any news back yet?" I ask my mom, thinking back to my recent audition.

I auditioned for a part in the Hunger Games a few weeks ago. I was absolutely in love with the books, and my agent told me I should audition for it. I wanted to be Katniss, of course, but the director told me when I got there that I was too young for that part. That confused me, because I'm only like a year younger than what Katniss was supposed to be. But then Gary, the director, called me back to audition for Clove. I was so excited that he was actually giving me a chance. I only had two days to memorize a monologue, but I did it and went to audition. My agent said he would call me back if he heard anything, but I haven't received a call.

My mother shakes her head hesitantly, and speeds up a tiny bit.

"If I didn't get the part you need to tell me." I demand. She looks at me, and then back to the road.

"I haven't heard anything." She says awkwardly.

We pull up in the parking lot of the restaurant and go inside. We both order our food, and I sip the glass of water on the table.

Mom sits texting on her phone the whole time. Isn't that what I'm supposed to be doing? I check my phone one more time, but see that I have no messages.

Our food comes shortly afterwards, but I suddenly have lost my appetite. I pick at the food on my plate, only eating a few bites.

"Sweetie, you need to eat." My mom says. I look up at her and see that she still has a big smile.

"I'm not really hungry." I tell her. She sighs and goes back to eating.

Just like that, my phone begins buzzing in my pocket. I take it out and flip it open.

"Hello?" I ask. I didn't even take the time to see who it was.

"Hey, I've been meaning to call you all day! I didn't want to call you while you were in school." I hear the male voice say.

"Miles?" I say my agent's name. I feel nervous all of a sudden. "What's the news? Did I get the part? Do I need to come for another audition?"

I hear Miles laugh slightly on the other side. "Calm down Isabelle. Or should I say...Clove!"

I nearly spit out the water that was in my mouth.

"What?! Are you serious? You better not be joking Miles..." I say. He's done that to me plenty of times. Saying I get a part and I really don't. It's always just a joke on small parts, but I really hope he isn't joking.

"Yes, I'm serious! You got the part! You need to be at Gary's house next Friday for a script reading. I have to go. Congratulations!" he answers.

I close my phone and sit stunned. It finally hits me. I'm going to have role in the Hunger Games. In the freaking Hunger Games. I can't believe it.

I feel tears beginning to sting my eyes because I'm so overwhelmed. The first tear falls and I cover my eyes. I hear my mom start laughing at me.

"I got the part!" I finally say.

"I know!" she says in between laughing. Now I know why she was acting all weird.

I wipe my eyes one more time, but tears are still falling. I pull out my phone. I have to call Sydney and all of my other friends. I didn't even tell them I auditioned. I wonder what they are going to say when I tell them that I got the part in one of our favorite books.

Mom sees what I'm doing and snatches my phone out of my hands. I give her a confused look and she hands it back.

"You can't tell anybody. Not until it's released publicly." She said.

"What? Why? I can't even tell Madeline?" I ask. Madeline, my older sister, is also my best friend. I can't go long without telling her this.

"You can tell Madeline. Your father already knows. But you can't tell anyone else until it is release. Understand?" she says.

I nod my head and wipe my eyes again. She lets out another laugh. All the other people in the restaurant are giving weird looks. Most mothers don't laugh at their crying daughters.

A million questions flood me. Who got the other parts? Who won the role of Katniss and Peeta? I hope they are easy to get along with. More importantly, I hope they don't underestimate me. I mean, I probably will be one of the youngest ones there.

We don't even finish our food before getting up to leave. I already know that it is going to be a very long week until Friday.

I'm still shaking over the news. I just...cannot believe it. It's so amazing. I haven't had a very big role since Orphan. It's great.

We get to our house in the outskirts of Los Angeles in under twenty minutes. I rush in the house, ready to tell Madeline about the news. I frown when I remember that she's staying in a hotel in the city for a few weeks while she is recording.

I don't hesitate to take out my cell phone and call her. She answers and sounds exhausted on the other end.

"Who is it?" She groans.

"Me." I say.

"Oh. Hey Izzy." She says. I scowl. I hate it when people call me "Izzy" or "Belle" or "Bella". She knows this, but she does it anyways.

"Hey! Guess what?" I ask excitedly. I bounce on my heels, waiting for her to answer.

"Mom decided to stop being vegan?" she says jokingly. I laugh and hear her begin to laugh on the other end.

"No, it's even more shocking than that." I say.

"Okay. I give up. What?" she says with a fake amused tone.

"I got the part that I auditioned for! In the Hunger Games!" I say excitedly.

I wait a few seconds for her reply on the other side, but it doesn't come. I begin to think she left or something.

Then I hear her yell back in my ear, saying how great that is. We talk back and forth about how exciting it is for about 30 more minutes. When we hang up, I'm still shocked.

I got the part in the Hunger Games.

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