This story takes place in 2007.

Help From a Professional

It was an average school day at Panem Elementary and 's 3rd grade class was enjoying their recess. Katniss Everdeen, Gale Hawthorne, Peeta Mellark, Annie Cresta, and Finnick Odair always spent recess together, and more often than not got themselves into trouble. Today was one of those days...

The group of 3rd graders sat under their favorite tree to met at in the playground. They called it the cheese tree because Annie really loved cheese. They usually didn't play on the equipment like the other students they had each other and their imaginations to keep themselves entertained. They were playing war, chasing each other and playing dead when they got "shot." Gale was in pursuit of Katniss, getting closer and closer. That's when Katniss looked at the cheese tree and got an idea. She quickly scaled the tree and looked down at her friends.

"That's not any fair, Katniss!" Gale called up to her.

"You're just jealous 'cause you can't climb as good as me." Said Katniss.

"I can climb trees!" Gale insisted. "I'm a professional tree climber."

"Really?" Finnick smirked. "Then why don't you climb the tree and get her?"

Gale looked at his friends. "Because... because I-"

"I dare you." Finnick crossed his arms. He knew Gale would have to climb the tree now, you can't back out of a dare. Gale looked up at Katniss. He'd never gotten that far up a tree before. "Unless you're chicken."

"I can climb this tree, no problem." Gale said and started climbing.

"Maybe you both should get down," Peeta said. "I'm sure the bell is gonna ring soon."

"I'm almost there." Gale said pulling himself onto the last branch and sitting down next to Katniss. "See."

"Good job," Katniss smiled. "But can you get down?"

"Of course I can get down." Gale said.

"Okay." Katniss stood up and climbed down with ease.

Gale looked down. How was he going to get down? He'd never climbed up this high before. "Oh..." Gale said under his breath.

"Gale?" Annie called from below. "Are you stuck?" Finnick and Katniss snickered.

"No." Gale frowned and tried to get down, but he didn't know which branches to climb on.

"Do you need me to get help?" Peeta asked.

"No!" Gale said. He didn't want anyone else to know he was stuck in a tree. "Don't get anyone, please."

"It's okay, Gale." Katniss said. "Maybe we should get help."

"I can do it myself." He stared at the ground. What if he fell? What if he broke a bone? Then the school bell rang, signifying that recess was over.

"Are you sure?" Finnick asked.

"Yeah, go to class." He said. "I just need time."

So they left Gale up I the cheese tree and walked back into the school. "I think we should tell Mrs. Sae." Peeta told his friends.

"Gale said not to tell." Katniss frowned. "He'll find a way down... eventually."

They walked into their classroom, trying to act normal. "Okay class," Mrs. Sae said as students took their seats. "Welcome back. Did you have a good recess?"

"Yes." Finnick answered with a sly grin.

Mrs. Sae narrowed her eyes a the 9 year old trickster. "Oh, really? What did you do?"

"We played catch." Finnick lied.

"Well," Mrs. Sae returned to her desk to take attendance. "I'm glad you had a good break." She scanned the room and realized one of her students was missing. "Where is Gale?" She asked, and a few students looked around nervously. Mrs. Sae moved to stand at Finnick's side. "Do you know where Gale is?"

"No, I was playing catch." Finnick shrugged.

Mrs. Sae huffed in frustration and moved to the next desk over. "What about you, Miss Everdeen? Do you know where Gale is?"

Katniss looked up from here desk, her eyes flashed with fear. "Um... no."

"You don't?" Mrs. Sae put her hand on her hip. "But don't you usually spend recess with Gale?"

"Not today..." Katniss pulled at her braids. "Madge wanted me to play with her."

"No I didn't!" Madge said from the other side of the room. "And you were with Gale and Peeta and Finnick too. I saw you myself."

Katniss scowled at Madge then looked back at her teacher. "Finnick liked too! And he knows where Gale is."

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Yes, you-"

"If neither of you are going to tell Mrs. Sae where Gale is then I will." Peeta interrupted the argument.

"Peeta, you promised-" Finnick started.

"Gale needs our help," Peeta crossed his arms.

"Where is Gale?" Mrs. Sae asked Peeta gently.

"He... he..." Peeta stuttered. "He's stuck in a tree on the playground."

Mrs. Sae frowned. "Okay, class, let's see if we can get Gale down without alerting the Principle." She followed the children to a tree on the far side of the playground and sure enough found Gale stranded on a far up branch. He frowned down at the students.

"I told you guys not to tell anyone I was stuck up here." He shouted.

"Hold on Gale, I'll get you down from there." Mrs. Sae called.

"I can get him," Katniss offered. "I'm a good climber."

"When you get up there how are you going to get him down?" Mrs. Sae questioned.

"I'll think of something," Then Katniss ran to the tree and started climbing before Mrs. Sae could stop her.

"Katniss, get down from there," Mrs. Sae ran to the tree but Katniss was already out of reach. "I don't need two of my students stuck up a tree."

"I won't get stuck," Said Katniss. "I'm a professional."

"That sounds a lot like what Gale said," Finnick called up.

"Shut up Finnick." Gale called down.

Katniss quickly got to Gale and smirked at him. "Need a hand?"

"You promised not to tell," Gale hissed at her.

"I didn't tell." Katniss rolled her eyes.

"Peeta." Gale said. "Of course."

"He was just trying to help you." Katniss shrugs. "I'm going to help you down, just do what I do."

"I don't need your help."

"Clearly you do." Katniss motioned for Gale to follow here. "Come on."

Katniss and Gale moved slowly down slowly down the tree, Gale had to stop a few times to gather his bearings but eventually with Katniss' help Gale reached solid ground.

Mrs. Sae crossed her arms. "Why did you climb that tree Gale? The playground had many rules and there was a rule against climbing trees.

"Finnick dared me to," Gale said with a pointed glare.

"No I didn't." Finnick denied.

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't."

"Yes-"

"Let's go back to class," Mrs. Sae interrupted and herded the children back into the building.

I wanted to post this short story in honor of my little sister starting high school today. I wrote this story back in April this year right before I graduated from high school. I was really feeling nostalgic for my time at elementary school and wanted to see what would happen to these characters if I made them nine years old. I am considering making this a multi chapter story, so if you want me to continue this please tell me in the reviews and follow this story. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope those of you who are starting school soon have a good school year.