Ellis Brady, 16

District 10 Female

In District 10 there isn't a lot of things to do. You ranch during the day, and we dance during the night. Some of us, like me, get to go to school. We are the ones the District pays extra close attention to. We are more likely to become doctors, teachers, or most importantly the Mayor, which is what a lot of people in my class dream of being one day.

I don't care about all of that. It's nice that I won't be in hard labor, and that I'm getting a good education, but I just like talking to people. That's what makes it fun for me. I've tried to think about what I want to be for a long time, but nothing ever clicks and stays the same for me. Not that I ever actually pay real attention in class…

"Have you ever seen it this busy?" asks Peach as we walk into the dance hall. I giggle because no, I hadn't. Finals had just finished, and we are officially out of the busy ranch season. Everyone is thrilled to be free of the hardships of this season.

"No, I haven't seen it this packed. Probably ever,"

We walk through the crowded dance floor to the other side of the hall where they have the tables set up against the wall. We sit down, and we watch as a group of boys starts to walk into the bar. They're sporting jeans, hats, and tucked in nice dress shirts. They're dancing boots cleaned and ready to start dancing as the music starts to pick up.

People doing various twists turns, and flips circle around the oval-shaped dance floor. I normally have a hard time sitting still and focusing on something, but the way that everyone is dancing and the happiness in their eyes is so intoxicating to me. I've always wanted to dance like that; I've just never had the courage to ask a guy to dance.

The dance floor starts to part as I see a stunning boy with brown hair. He has a confident swagger to him that makes me feel nervous in my stomach and a tattoo on his forearm that makes me feel even more attracted to him. He walks to the center of the dance floor and stares around the room. He looks towards Peach and me and stops. He looks in our direction up and down and then walks towards us.

"Peach, I think someone is coming for you," I say nodding to the boy.

He approaches our table with a charming smolder and runs his hand through his hair. "Hey, Darlin'," he says.

To my surprise, he isn't looking at Peach, but me. She gives me the wide-eyed "oh my gosh" look, and when I don't say anything, she nudges me with her arm.

'You'll have to excuse my friend," she says. "She's a bit shy."

"Well can I get her name?" he asks with a raised eyebrow that sent my heart racing. He looks back and forth between the two of us waiting for an answer when Peach throws her hands up in the air.

"Oh for gosh darn sake, Ellie," she says looking at me. She turns to the boy and says, "What is your name?"

"I'll tell her mine if she's able to speak hers," he responds with a smile.

"Well no name, Ellie would love to dance," she says as she grabs my hand and places it into his. I can feel the electricity almost instantly when we touched. I think he felt it too. He looked at me surprised too.

"Well come on, Darlin'," he says as he leads me out onto the dance floor. We step onto the circular dance floor right as the music starts to slow down. He smiles at the band and tips his hat as he turns back to me. "So Ellie," he says. "How are you doing tonight,"

Think Ellie. Be cool. Don't say something stupid.

"It's better now that you entered it," I say attempting to do a flirtatious smile. He grins at me and spins me around as the song continues to go through. We dance there silently, looking into each other's eyes, and I swear at that moment I could see into his whole soul.

"I'm sorry this might sound weird," he says

"I feel it too," I finish for him. "It's weird,"

The song finishes, and we walk off the dance floor back toward Peach. She's smiling at me and giving me thumbs up as he chuckles at her response. "She's the friend that gets asked a lot, huh?"

"Well yeah," I say with a smile. "She's beautiful,"

"You're Beautiful, Ellie,"

My heart skips a beat, and I turn my face so he can't see my face turning red. I pretend that I'm coughing so that when I turn around, and he sees the obvious blush I can at least pretends as he believed me.

"You want to get out of here?" he asks me.

"That sounds great," I say with a smile. He takes my hand and leads me to the end of the dance hall

Woody Harrison, 18

District 10 Male

This isn't my normal play.

Usually, I'd show up to the dance hall, I'd lock eyes with a girl, give her the usual smile and wink, and from there we'd leave the hall and hook up at the barn. There's something about this girl though that is different. Something that makes me wonder what it is that I can't stop having that electric feeling in my stomach.

"So do you take all of your female conquests to the bayou?" she asks me with a slick grin. "Because I'll have you know I'm not easy,"

"I never took a girl like you for being easy," I say

She walks over to a tree and turns around, placing her back against the groove in the middle. I walk over to her and lean into her. Our faces are inches apart, "But even girl's who aren't easy can loosen up for the right boy,"

She laughs as she goes under my arm and walks toward the bayou. "What makes you think you're the right boy?"

I don't think I'm the right boy. I know I'm the right boy. Or at least, I know she's the right girl. I never take time to impress girls the way that I've reached out to this one. Flirting and relationships have just always come easily to me. This girl though, I can see a future. That scares me just a little bit.

"Well, we've talked all night," I say.

"Yes," she says as she steps closer to the bayou. Her body looks beautiful in the moonlight as the light kisses her skin with each step she takes.

"We danced all night,"

"Yes," she says as she stops at the edge of the bayou. She looks at me with a sly grin as she takes off her boots and throws them next to her.

"We have a lot of fun together,"

"Do we?" she says as she walks over to me and begins to play with the buttons of my shirt. "I haven't noticed," she says with a smile. She undoes the top button, and she stands up on her tiptoes. "You up for a swim?"

"I don't have a swimsuit," I say looking at her with a sly smile.

"Me either," she says with a wink.

I wake up the next morning in the grassy field. Clothes are scattered all around the arena, and she lies tangled up with me with her head on my chest. As soon as I stir and wake up, she does too, and she shoots up.

"Last night was amazing," I say to her with a smile.

She leans in and kisses me on my lips. We do that for a long time before she finally forces herself to pull away. "Yeah, but I can't exactly explain how amazing to my dad," she says with a smile. She runs around the field collecting various articles of clothing, and when she finally gets dressed, her shirt is nowhere in sight.

"Oh dear God," she says as she sees her shirt lying in the bayou. "For the record, next time we do this if we are surrounded by water the courtesy is to throw the clothes away from the water." She looks around the field and finds my shirt on the ground wadded up. She quickly places it on and buttons the top few buttons why tying the rest in a knot to where her naval is showing.

"Holy wow you're hot, Darlin'."

"Cringey pick up lines will get you nowhere, darlin'," she says mocking my tone. She walks over to me and grabs the back of my neck and pulls me in for a deep kiss. When we finally pull away, she winks and starts to run back towards the main road. "See you tonight?"

"I'll be counting down the time," I say with a smile.

"Have a good day Woody Harrison," she says as she turns around and continues to run.

"Have a good day Delilah Atkins!" I holler back as she disappears into the distance. "What a woman," I say to myself as I start to gather my clothes from around the field. Once I have my jeans and boots on, I begin the walk of shame back to the farm. When Dad sees me walking toward the house with no shirt on he laughs from the porch.

"You throw their shirts away from the water, son," he says with an eye-roll.

"Noted," I say as I give him a high five as I walk by him and mom on the porch. I'm grateful that it is our day off as I stomp up the stairs and go into my room, stripping off my jeans I fall into my bed not even bothering to throw the covers over me. As I fall asleep, I can't help but smile as I think about Delilah and how this night will end.

Sorry this is so late. I pulled my back, finals, and I was frustrated, so naturally, my writing was neglected, but I finished school! Yay!

Haha, I bet I scared you. You thought Ellie and Woody were hooking up, huh?

Keep it classy,

Caleb