I've always felt the best surrounded by trees. The clean, crisp air biting at warm cheeks, the evidence of your life escaping from parted lips, the slow ache creeping into your body as you spend hours up here, between the pines… this is magic. This is heaven. This is what I live for.

I wipe the sweat that has been collecting above my brows and wipe my hand on my father's old leather jacket. I breathe in the fresh mountain air. My eyes sweep the valley below me, marveling at the different shades of green and follow the black dots of birds darting between the tree tops. Yes, I think, eyeing the mountain lines barely visible in the fog. This is what my heaven would look like.

"Yo! Earth to Katniss!"

A sting on the back of my head follows the voice. I grimace, turning around to see Johanna picking up another pinecone. I draw my bow to her, eyeing her carefully. A smirk plays on her lips as she tosses it back and forth between her hands, amused by my actions.

"Careful, Jo," I drawl, putting down my bow. She cackles and throws the pinecone behind her. "I could've easily told the police it was a mere hunting accident." Johanna laughs even louder.

"Please, you wouldn't do that to me. You need me," she said, bumping her hips against mine as she stands next to me. Johanna whistles at the view. "Sure is pretty." I nod. My favorite place in the world was this spot- the trees opened up at the beginning of a round edge off the middle of the small mountain closest to our small house. You can see miles and miles out into the sea of trees and mountains before you until the fog swallows them up. It is the perfect spot to watch the sun go down between the two tallest mountains in the distance. The stars shine their brightest here. My father used to bring me to this spot after a hike or a hunting trip and we'd snack on the apples he would bring from home. We would wash up in a clearing just barely half a mile back and to the left. I try to visit this place at least a few times a week, schedule permitting. The thought of my father immediately constricts my throat and the threat of tears makes me stop. I swallow hard and shake my head slightly to bring me back into reality. A reality where Johanna stands next to me and not my father.

"Why the pinecone assault?" I ask, finally breaking the silence between us. I shift my bow awkwardly onto my shoulder, turning slightly to face the twenty-seven year old, who was looking at me in a way that hinted she knew what was going on in my head. She quickly smiled and scratched the shaved side of her head.

"I was calling your name for a good five minutes, Kat," Johanna said. "You were pretty out of it," she added, smiling slightly. "I can see why. This place never ceases to amaze me." I nod again.

"Sorry, I guess I was. Hey, did you check the snares a few yards back?" I ask, finally tearing myself away from my holy ground. Johanna nodded and grinned, pulling two rabbits out of the hunting sack and wiped the dried blood from her hands before taking a large canteen of water from her backpack.

"Surprised these little shits took to it. I suck at snares," she said before taking a large swig. Johanna Mason has been my friend since we met at the lumberjack competitions when we were teenagers. She hailed from the state of Arbor, where many girls competed in ax throwing and other lumber sports, especially if they were five and a half feet tall and could throw as far and as hard as she could. Johanna admired my archery, I the way she handled an ax. I never expected the then nineteen year old would ever talk to my awkward, sixteen year old self, but we quickly became friends over our love of competition and the lamb stew they used to serve to the winners. Johanna's brown hair was cut short, just above her ear. Lately she's been taken to shaving the side of her head. "It suits my barbaric side, don't you think?" she said the first time she tried it, her deep brown eyes gleaming with mischief. I can definitely see why Conall, her fiancé and old training coach, dotes on her so much. They were exactly alike.

"See anything you like, Everdeen?" she winks at me, throwing the bag of game over her shoulder. I laugh, shaking my head. "Let's get these back home. It's nearly eight. We have to open up shop in three hours." Making sure all of our things are accounted for, I start my way down the path back to our small house four miles away. Johanna groans behind me.

"Can't that Delly girl open? Isn't that why we hired her, to do the things we don't wanna do?" grumbles Jo, avoiding the tree limbs that threaten to trip her. After graduating from Mountain State two years ago, the university in town, I decided to open a gym/practice facility in a large abandoned warehouse. A space to practice my archery, relieve my stress, and provide a distraction from everything around me was a must, especially after my father's death four years ago. Johanna moved here to Blue Mountain, a large town located between the mountains in the twelfth district of the state of Panem, to help me start it up a year ago and to instruct the kick boxing classes that was one of a few classes provided at Panem Fitness. Johanna was right- we did initially hire Delly to do the things we didn't want to do (mainly paperwork and customer service while we held classes). Delly Cartwright was a simple minded girl, nice, but not that reliable. She had texted this morning saying she was sick and couldn't make it, which had me stuck with receptionist duties all day, along with the bookkeeping duties that usually fall upon me on Sundays.

"Called in sick," I grunted as we got closer to the house. I wasn't too excited to be behind a desk all day, but I would be better at it than Johanna, who would surely scare the customers away. "But that means you get to do classes all day," I add, turning my head to see her scowl and laugh. I knew Johanna secretly loved teaching the kickboxing classes so she could have an excuse to yell at people and kick things all day.

"Whatever, Everdeen. Let's get these inside. I'm starving."

I inherited my father's old hunting cabin when he passed away. It's been in his side of the family for generations. It was the size of a small house, painted a dark brown and was nestled in between the trees. A large porch was home to two rocking chairs that belonged to my parents. Upstairs held the two bedrooms and a bathroom Johanna and I shared, and downstairs had a cozy living room and a small kitchen. It was close to a hiking trail and a few miles out of town. I spent many summers running around with my little sister Prim up and down these stairs and around the land, swimming in the creek that ran not too far from the backyard and catching fireflies. It took me a couple years after my father's death to step back into this house, but I finally got the courage to do so. I couldn't abandon one of the few things my father left me, no matter how painful it was to be here without him.

Johanna and I took our time cleaning the two rabbits we managed to acquire. It wasn't a great haul, but a haul nevertheless. I did not expect much out of this trip, but I needed some fresh air and to my surprise Johanna joined me. After breakfast I ran up to the shower, having called dibs first, to Jo's dismay. I stripped off my dirty hunting clothes, avoiding glancing at the mirror. I waited impatiently for the water to turn from cold to hot, cursing myself for not doing this first. I felt the tiny thin hairs on my arms stand on end at the cold, the goose bumps suddenly appearing all over my body sending a shiver down my spine. I loosen the long black braid that I usually don, letting the waves fall over my face and shoulders. Steam rises from behind the shower curtain and I sigh as the hot water hits my cold skin. Running my hands through my hair, I think of today, hoping it won't be too busy. I hum quietly to myself, lathering my body with the lavender scented soap Prim brought for me the last time she was home. I let the water rinse me off and turn to stand facing the stream of water, allowing it to hit my face.

"Hurry up, Katniss!" Johanna whined, banging on the door. I sigh and turned the water off. It was good while it lasted. I wrap my hair and body with towels and open the door. Johanna stood there with arms crossed, her towels draped over her shoulder. "Finally. I was about to chop my way through the door," she said, winking playfully as she passed me to get into the bathroom. "I hoped you left me some hot water to work with!" I hear her call out, shutting the door behind her.

I change quickly into black, spandex tights and my Panem Fitness t-shirt, haphazardly hopping around my room, pulling one shoe on and struggling to find the other. Dressed, I brush my semi-dry hair, styling it into my usual braid. I let if fall back and finally make myself look into the mirror. I'm not a confident person. I've always thought myself to be a bit plain. My formative, pubescent years weren't so wonderful. I inherited my father's steel grey eyes, black hair, and olive skin, not my mother's blonde hair and blue eyes, like my sister. I hardly ever wear makeup, never really seeing the need to unless it's forced upon me (my mother or sister begging me until I'm annoyed to the breaking point usually does it). I look away and grab a light sweater from the pile of clean clothes off my bed and run down the stairs. I spot Johanna filling a water bottle, her gym bag resting on the counter. Grabbing the day's essentials (apples, keys, phone, my own water bottle that Johanna kindly filled, granola bars, and my files for today); I fill up my own bag and head out the front door.

The late morning air had a chill to it. I pulled my sweater tighter around me as I throw my things in the back seat. I slam the door behind me, nestling into the passenger seat of the large SUV. I see Johanna locking the front door behind her and running to her car. "Fuck it's cold," she mutters, turning on the engine.

"Ready?" she asks, the feeling of the familiar anxiety spill into my gut as I glance out of the window. I drum my fingers against my knee as a distraction. Johanna smiled kindly and handed me her iPod. I nod gratefully, thanking her silently for a much needed distraction. I close my eyes and crank the volume of the music as I feel the car leaving the driveway and my stomach drop to me knees.

"Ready."

Panem Fitness has your basic gym equipment for all your different types of gym goers, divided up in sections in an open floor plan to provide easier transitions from one type of workout to the next. For the strength training types, the barbells and the racks were conveniently located by the free weights along one of the mirrored walls of the rectangular building. Next to them, you have your cardio equipment in the center of the warehouse- bikes, elliptical, treadmills, and row machines all formed into neat lines for your cardio junkies and elderly folk. Along the corner there is a yoga and stretch area, with mats, balls, and foam rolls to stretch out sore muscles after a workout or squeeze in some ab time. Johanna's kickboxing area takes up half of one side of the warehouse with a small ring and six bags for classes. The locker rooms and bathrooms are equipped with showers. Outside is where we housed the archery and ax throwing stations along the steel walls of the building. The Yard, as it was called, was as large as two tennis courts. In the center of The Yard were two large tractor tires for flipping and large, iron kettle bells too big to keep inside. Boxes of different sizes were placed here and there for jumping on.

Opening a gym wasn't always my dream. When I was a child I wanted to go to the Olympics for archery. My parents took me all along the east coasts to compete in countless competitions to get me sponsored. As I got older I decided to put that dream aside and focus more on school. I got accepted into Mountain State University here in town with a full ride on their archery team. At the time I was unsure of what I wanted to study, so I majored in exercise science, a common subject among athletes. I fell in love with all the physical things the body could do. I realized that when I lacked the control of what was going on with my life, I did have control over what I looked like. I was intrigued at the fact that the more or less I did something physically, it impacted my body. It made me feel powerful to be able to have that much control. I received my personal trainer certificate and a bachelor's degree after graduating. With some of the money my father left my family after he passed away, and money I have saved from the competitions I won as an adolescent, I bought the old warehouse and put all my grief into that project, putting in a year of hard work, paperwork, and lots of stress. Johanna was there to aid the whole way through, moving in with me after my father's funeral and putting as much effort into my project as I did. I don't know what I could have done without her help.

The gym was getting busier and busier as the seasons went on. Our clientele was mostly college students, though recently we have been trying to get more locals and older people to get memberships. Although, for only being opened for a year, we have been doing fairly well. Most new business flop around this time, but we've been able to come out on top so far. When we opened, the town welcomed us with open arms. Blue Mountain is very supportive with the local businesses in town. The other gyms didn't seem to mind the competition, at least, not yet. With business booming for Panem Fitness, Johanna and I have discussed hiring more trainers to fit the demands of more classes. If we want to keep afloat, we need more bodies.

I'm not one for placing ads online, but Johanna insisted we do that along with posting fliers on the front door of the warehouse and on bulletin boards in other local businesses in town. It's been two days since we have announced we were hiring, and so far only three people have applied. I sigh, looking down at all the paperwork I will have to sort through tonight. We have had four new members sign up today, and those will take a large chunk of my time, entering all the information into the system and arranging bank-to-business deposits. I rub my face in my hands, trying to wake myself up from a restless night of sleep and an infinite pile of stress that seems to add up on my shoulders. I finally glance up from my work to an attractive man smirking at me, leaning against the top of the counter. I gasp and nervously fumble around my desk, organizing the mess of papers to find my keyboard. How could I have not heard a customer come in?

"Oh! I'm so sorry about that!" I exclaim, cheeks reddening as he chuckles to himself. Dammit, Katniss. Get your shit together. What is wrong with you today? "My name is Katniss, how can I help you?" I ask, finally looking up to the tall, good looking blonde grinning down at me. His blue eyes twinkling as his grin widened. My eyes trailed down from his down to his body, one that was very well kept, judging by the way his shirt hugged his lean frame. I finally force my eyes upward to meet his again. His hair was kept short, though the small curls curled close to his head. His smile was playful, yet kind that made my already red cheeks burn crimson.

"Well, Katniss, I've heard so much about your gym, I thought I'd check it out. So far, I like what I see," he flirts, leaning against the desk. I laugh, knowing full well my cheeks were on fire. I was never a flirt; in fact, I hardly ever attracted enough attention from the opposite sex to even give me a chance to try. This kind of behavior is alien to me. I still see myself as the incredibly skinny, small chested thirteen year old Katniss Everdeen all the boys and girls in Seam Middle School used to tease. I give him my best, proud business woman smile.

"I'm glad you like it. It is, after all, my precious brain child." I break eye contact finally, allowing myself to briefly pull it together. I can feel his eyes follow my movements as I roll my chair over to a file cabinet behind me and pull out a new member registration form and a numbered padlock. I hand him the forms, a clipboard and a pen. "If you could just fill these out, we can get you settled in," I said, regaining back my professionalism. How could I let that get away from me? It is one of the things I value the most. I should not be so frazzled over the attention of a man I've only known for three minutes. I will not let that happen again.

He smiles at me once more and in no time fills out the forms, humming quietly to himself. "$35 a month? What a deal!" he exclaims happily, signing the last of the papers. I smile somewhat smugly. Our low rates are what keeps our customer base solid compared to our competitors. I made sure that was a priority for the business.

"We like to keep our customers happy," I stand, latching a portable phone to my hip. He hands me the clipboard and grabs his gym bag. After making sure things were settled and files put away for safe keeping, I make my way from behind the counter and motion for him to follow me to begin the tour.

"I sure hope so," I hear him say behind me as I begin to lead him down the hall to the warehouse. I can feel the back of my neck heat up out of embarrassment. I'm definitely not used to this kind of attention, and he knows it.

"Just follow me and I can give you a quick tour and assign you a locker number, Mr…" I glance down at the clipboard as we walk down the wide hallway lined with motivational photos and quotes leading us to the workout area. "Mr. Mellark," I add. "You wouldn't happen to be from the Mellark Family Bakery, would you?" He laughs.

"Please, call me Reese. Mr. Mellark was my dad's name. Yes, that's our bakery, although my brother Peeta is the brains of the operation now." Reese grins down at me as he opens the door to the entrance of the warehouse. Peeta… I don't think I've ever met any one of the Mellark children... I shake my head a little and focus at the task at hand.

"So this," I say proudly, opening my arms at the busy floor to the sweating patrons lifting and running to the upbeat music playing through the speakers, "Is Panem Fitness. It's actually pretty busy for a Sunday, but I promise you, you won't be interrupted by anyone during your workout; there are plenty of machines for everyone." We pass focused men and women in the middle of their workouts, paying no mind to Reese and I. They were too entirely focused on themselves, and that made my heart swell with pride. I focus back to the tour as we near the free weight section were two old women were deciding whether to choose the two and a half pound or five pound dumbbells.

"You can sign up for any classes that you like. Right now it is just Johanna and I leading the classes. We have archery Mondays and Fridays, strength and conditioning Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays led by me, twice a day. Johanna, the loud one over there," I motion my head towards the loud yelling and grunting in the corner. Johanna stood by one poor individual with her hands on her hips, barking instructions to hit harder and faster. She is definitely working the poor souls to extinction. "Johanna leads her ax throwing and underhand chopping classes Tuesdays and Thursdays and kick boxing Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends." I lead Reese Mellark outside to show him The Yard. A few brave souls have risked the chilly temperatures to complete their workouts. I smile at them encouragingly as we circle the lot.

"You are welcome to come out here at any time to use the heavier kettle bells and tires. We have rope back there as well as boxes. Questions?" I ask, returning to the backdoor and using my hand to shade my eyes from the sun. Although bright and shining, it had no effect to the quickly dropping temperatures.

"Actually, I think I'm good!" Reese says, clapping his hands approvingly. "You guys have a lot more stuff than the gym at the university." I raise my eyebrows. A fellow Mountaineer. How interesting.

"You went to MSU? So did I! Two years ago," I say, closing the door behind us. His grin widened.

"Yeah! Majored in Dietics. Since my family passed down the bakery to Peeta and I, I've tried to introduce healthier options to our menu. I usually go down there to work out since I have some old buddies still working there."

"Did you go to high school here too?" I ask, making our way towards the entrance of the men's locker room, concluding the tour. I've never seen any of the Mellark children at school growing up, only a handful of time when my parents pointed them out across the square in town or at the grocery store.

"No, we were homeschooled by our mom," Reese says, his eyes darkening at the last word. Hmm, how strange. I glance down at my clipboard, feeling a little awkward for bringing up something I wasn't supposed to. I flash him another business woman smile. I need to get back to the lobby before someone else comes in to find it empty.

"Well, Reese, we're happy you chose us for your fitness needs. Here's your locker number," I hand him a small, numbered padlock. "Please let me know if you need anything else. I'll be in the lobby, entering your information into the system." Patting the clipboard, I turn and leave him to change.

"Thanks again, Katniss!" Reese calls out. I raise my hand in acknowledgment as I make my way down to finish my work. I pass Johanna, who raises her eyebrows questioningly, as a middle aged man punches the bag Johanna is holding feebly. I roll my eyes at her and enter the lobby.

The Mellarks… I have seen the bakery downtown plenty of times. I now know why I have never seen any of the Mellark children at school. My father had mentioned before that they were very religious and kept to themselves mostly. That explains the homeschooling. The Mellark Family Bakery is the best in the district. My mother used to bring home their cheese buns- they were my favorite. I know they have had loss in their family. Their eldest brother passed away a hero in the war a few years ago. I remember seeing it in the news and in the papers for a couple of weeks. Their father also passed away a year later. That was also a huge blow to the town. Everyone loved the old baker. A feeling of pity seeped into my gut. I know what it's like to lose a father, but I could never imagine losing a sibling. I cherish Prim most of all. The thought of losing my baby sister hurts.

I pass the next two hours entering all the new clientele's information into the system, taking my time as there was nothing much to do until closing time. I munch on a granola bar in the meantime, setting an even, steady rhythm to my work. The mundane, repetitive work is soothing in a way. The door to the warehouse opens and I spot Reese. He jogs to my desk, sweaty from his workout. His bag hangs from his shoulder as he leans into the counter slightly out of breath.

"What are you doing this weekend?" he asks suddenly, his eyes boring into mine. My mouth opens in shock. Is this guy seriously asking me out? I haven't been on a date in so long, and that was a blind date set up by Conall with one of his friends. I did it as a favor, and the man was a drag. I don't usually have the time for it now that business is booming, or the willingness or confidence to seek out a date like so many girls in town, and my age, do.

"I, uh, besides work nothing too exciting," I stammer out, not knowing how to handle this situation, a situation that I am definitely not used to being in. Reese's smile widens at my answer, his blonde hair glistening in the florescent lights. I fidget with my hands nervously.

"Great! That's great," he says, tapping the counter top with his knuckles. "Would you like to have dinner with me this Friday?" I raise an eyebrow, studying the six foot three man in front of me. What does he see in me? Curious, I look at him from underneath my eyelashes. I've seen countless girls do this before when talking to boys.

"Reese Mellark, you just met me and you're asking me out on a date? You work fast, don't you?" I tease, shuffling paperwork on my desk to occupy my shaking hands. I must look like an idiot. What the hell am I doing...? He smirks and nods.

"I told you, I like what I see."

I feel the familiar warmth of embarrassment kiss my cheeks. In my experience, not a lot of people like what they see. I mentally wave those thoughts aside and take a deep breath and finally look him in the eye.

"Sure."

"Sure?" He seems surprised. Was he expecting a no? Maybe I should have said no…

"Sure." Why the hell not? How long has Johanna been nagging at me to get out of the house? Reese's smile breaks out into a blinding grin and laughs. "Fantastic! How about I call you in a couple of days to work out the details?" Reese says, taking one of my cards from the counter and waving it in my face. I laugh at his excitement and out of relief. Flirting is not my forte and I'm glad it's over.

"Yeah, that sounds great," I say, smiling softly. I can't believe this is happening. Katniss what are you doing? This day is so fucking weird.

"I will call you," Reese says with a smile, his back leaning against the front door. I nod and shoo him out the door from my desk. He laughs and with a wave, vanishes. I sit back into my chair, still completely shocked over what happened in the last two minutes. Next weekend should prove to be interesting. He's not awful looking. Definitely far from awful. I could have done worse.

Work rushes by quickly and before you know it, seven rolls around and the last gym goer has left the building. Johanna and I spend the next hour cleaning and reorganizing the facility for tomorrow morning. We finish in no time and lock the front doors, hurrying to the car before it could possibly get any colder. Johanna starts the car and I sit in the passenger seat shivering, regretting not bringing a thicker jacket. This spring weather was not feeling like spring at all.

"So," Johanna starts, fiddling with the heater knobs. "Who was that guy?" She looks over at me and smirks. I roll my eyes at her and wave her off. "Oh come on, Kat. Tell me! Did he ask you out? He could not stop staring at your ass while you were showing him around." Jo wiggles her eyebrows and laughs when I swat her away.

"Stop that. And yes. He did ask me on a date. This Friday," I finish, looking anywhere but at Johanna's face. Johanna, especially, knows how I am when it comes to the opposite sex: awkward, uncomfortable, and insecure. Her eyes widen, a slow grin inching across her face.

"Katniss Everdeen has a date," she huffs proudly, smacking the steering wheel and lets out a loud whoop.

I laugh nervously and shake my head. Am I seriously that bad?

"Yes. Katniss Everdeen has a date."