and may the odds be ever in your favor.

peeta

( dandelion blaze )

disclaimer: not mine.

melody
...

It's the first day of school, and you're terribly excited. Your father walks you to the school house. You're bouncing up and down, unable to contain your joy.

Dad stands with you as you wait outside to line up. Your older brothers run off to meet with their friends. You don't have any friends yet, so you just stand with Dad.

He taps you on the shoulder suddenly. "See that little girl?" he asks. You look where he's pointing. There's a girl, your age, standing there. She's wearing a red plaid dress, and her hair is in two braids, one on either side of her head, framing her face.

You nod. He continues, "I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner."

"A coal miner?" you ask incredulously. "Why did she want a coal miner when she could have had you?"

He keeps his eyes on the girl as he says, "Because when he sings... even the birds stop to listen."

You look at the girl again as the teachers come out, saying that it's time to line up and go inside. You bid your father goodbye and follow the rest of your class indoors.

Later that day, in music assembly, the teacher asks if anyone knows the valley song.

The little girl from before, the one whose mother married a coal miner instead of your dad, shoots her hand into the air.

"Okay, Katniss," the teacher says. That must be the little girl's name. "Let's hear it."

Katniss stands up on her wooden stool. She clears her throat and begins to sing.

As soon as the first note rings out, clear and sweet, every bird outside falls silent.

As she's singing, you see nothing but her, hear nothing but her. She is the only thought in your mind.

When she's finished, she sits back down. The whole class applauds. You clap the loudest, but you doubt she notices.

And even though you're only five and shouldn't know what love is or what love means, you do.

Because you now are head over heels in love with Katniss Everdeen.

And that afternoon, you vow that one day, you'll get her to fall in love with you, too.