The door opens and I turn around to see who it is. I smile as I see her, it's been a few years but I'd recognise those eyes and that sweet smile anywhere.
'Nice to see you again, Cinna,' she says, and takes a seat next to me at the table. We will spend the next few days in this room planning outfits for our tributes.
'You too, Portia. So they gave you District 12.' They always give the new stylists District 12 because no one really wants them.
'I heard you asked for District 12, so I did too.' She smiles sweetly at me. I asked for District 12 because I want to make a difference, and I want to make them unforgettable. I guess Portia chose District 12 so she could work with me. We were childhood sweethearts and remained together right up until a few years ago when our families dragged us apart. But now we can work together and no one can stop us.
I take her hand in mine and flash her my best smile. She blushes and looks down at my lap so I place a finger under her chin and lift her face so our eyes meet again.
'We have to be professional, but I won't let anyone tear us apart again,' I say to her. She nods in agreement. 'Right, costumes, I want them to complement each other, like a team. But other than that, I'm not sure.'
'Ok, well I had a couple of ideas,' she says. She lets go of my hand and starts doodling on a sheet of paper.
We spend the rest of the day doodling ideas. Matching outfits for the parades, and for training. An orange dress and a black suit for the interviews. We are smiling and laughing with each other once again, and it feels good.
The next day all the stylists gather in the viewing room to watch the Reapings. One by one each district has their tributes chosen, it's quite a variety of people, and then it's District 12. Ours is very eventful; the young girl that get's reaped looks very young, must be only 12 years old, but then another older girl is running down towards her, volunteering, for her sister. This is the first time anyone has volunteered in District 12, so Portia and I are both taken aback. Then the boys. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are our tributes, who have made a very good first impression, they will already be remembered.
Back in our designing room, I pace up and down, thinking about what we have just seen. Portia watches me intently.
After a little while, I stop and turn to her. 'Impressive.' I say, she knows I mean the tributes, who will now already be on their way to the Capitol, due to arrive tomorrow for the parade so we need to come up with something quite quickly.
'They certainly were firey,' she says. I look at her with bells ringing in my head.
'Firey, that's it.' I say, she smiles knowingly. 'Fire!'
