I can't tell you how excited I am right now. Thanks for the reviews guys. Honestly, I was asking for them because I wasn't sure if anyone actually cared and wanted it to be written, because I mean, if no one wanted to read it then what would the point of posting it be? So yeah. Um... That's about it. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it as much as I am. This is one of the more boring chapters, but this is to help you guys figure out what her life is like. Either next chapter or the one after I'm going to throw in the first plot twist. It's a really exciting one too, so I can't wait until then!

Enjoy!

Everdeen's POV

Making my way downtown, walking fast. Faces pass and I'm home bound. Staring blankly ahead, just making my way, making a way through the crowd. And I need you. And I miss you. And now I wonder, if I could fall into the sky, do you think time, would pass me by? Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could just see you. Tonight.

I groaned and rolled over.

That was my phone alarm, meaning it's already five.

"Ugh." I said softly.

Now the thing is, I actually am a morning person but the jet lag is getting to me. I should be better in a few days though. Right? Gosh I hope so.

I rolled over, and made my way into a standing position before heading to the bathroom and taking a shower. After that I dug through my bags and grabbed my favorite style of yoga pants, as well as a nice short sleeve black work out shirt and a tight fitting hoodless jacket. I brushed my hair and pulled it back before going downstairs.

No, I didn't forget to put on make up, I just don't wear it. I think girls look prettier without it. So the only times I ever wear make up are for competitions and ice shows, because when you're so far away and you're on just a plain white background, you have to do a little something to make yourself stand out.

I got downstairs, looked around the cupboards and decided on making french toast.

It took me a minute or so to figure out where everything was and how to work the stove, but by the time Kayla came downstairs smiley and awake, I was just taking the last piece off the stove.

"Oh, you didn't have to make breakfast. I could have made something." She told me.

I shrugged. "Oh well. It's fine anyways, I like to cook, not as much as I like baking, but cooking is pretty cool."

She nodded and grabbed a plate and the syrup before heading into the dinning room and I followed right behind her.

"Alright, so we leave in about..." She looked at her watch. "Twenty five minutes. Everyone there is very excited for you to come. One of your competitors, Julianne Christe is at the club in Seattle. She was five points short a spot at nationals this year. I know several of the coaches are excited to meet you as well." She told me excitedly.

I nodded and kept eating, not really in the mood for talking yet.

We ate in silence for a little while before my coach spoke up. "What do you think about starting triple axels?"

I blinked a few times trying to keep my eyes from popping out of my head. "I... I um... I guess that would be okay... But I don't have my triple lutz triple loop yet. Wouldn't it be smarter to do that first?" I asked confused. My old coach had said once I got the triple lutz triple loop, then we'd start triple axels. I just figured it was something every coach said.

"Not necessarily. You're loops in general are a bit weak. Every skater has a jump that they aren't quite as good at as the others. Your axel is much better than your loop, so I think we should upgrade them as far as we can. There are many skaters who just don't do particular jump combos. A triple axel would be very impressive, even at the senior level. It would be the highlight of any program we put it in. I also think we should start working a pearl spin. Your layback spins are beautiful and the position is extraordinary. You've learned most of the variations of it, so I think you're ready for it."

"Woah, woah, woah. The pearl spin? Are you serious? Very few people can do that spin. You can't actually think that I'm going to be one of them, right?" I asked.

"I think you're up to the challenge. Yes, it's going to take time. A lot of time, but I think with your gymnastics training from when you were very young, that you have the flexibility to do it, and I think we'll be able to gain the balance for it." Kayla told me calmly.

It's official. My coach is completely insane.

"Kayla, I have enough trouble with the beilman, I can't imagine doing a beilman in a layback."

"I know Everdeen, but you'll get better at it as we work on it."

I sighed. "Alright." I tried to picture myself doing those things, and I couldn't help but smile at the idea of it. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. I mean, how bad could it end?

We finished eating and I went to put my Zuca bag, and my messenger bag which contained my computer and several notebooks and folders of worksheets in the car.

It was a long drive down there, but thankfully I'd brought my ipod.

I'm just going to admit it right now, I'm a bit of a dork. So when particular songs came on, I did a little bit of a dance and lip synched the lyrics. Some of those songs were The Eye of The Tiger, Sexy and I Know It, and even Red Solo Cup.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kayla roll her eyes and laugh at me, but I really didn't care. I was in my own little world, and this was part of who I was, so she'd have to get used to it eventually.

I was about half way through Bow Chicka Wow Wow when Kayla took an exit and looked over at me.

"We're almost there, finish the song you're listening to and pack it up." She told me.

I nodded and once the song finished, I turned my ipod off and packed it away in my messenger bag.

Within two minutes, we pulled up to the rink and she parked in the parking lot.

I got out, slung my messenger bag over my shoulder and got my Zuca out of the trunk.

I looked around the parking lot and started my way into the rink.

"There's a club room, right by the coaches' room. It's nice in there and I think you'll like it. Make sure you're ready for the six fifteen ice. I'll be out there at that time precisely."

I nodded. "Gotcha."

With that, I walked through the doors and went the direction Kayla went.

"That's the ballet room. You and the rest of the skaters are all free to use it whenever you'd like. I suggest that's where you warm up." She told me gesturing to a doorway.

I nodded and continued walking.

Kayla turned off into what I assumed was the coaches' room and I continued on to find that the next door over was the club room.

I kept my face blank as I turned into the room only to meet ten or fifteen smiling faces all looking at me.

I smiled back and put my Zuca in the club room close to the doorway and set my bag right next to it.

I turned around and headed straight for the ballet room to warm up and I opened the door to find it completely empty.

I went over to the bar and started my daily warm up which started with fifteen leg swings per leg in each direction, and continued on with stretching.

After that, I did some jump rope and did a small amount of ballet, just to get myself into the graceful mood, because that was my normal style of skating. Next came visualization, and last but not least I had my off ice single jumps.

I had about five minutes to get my skates on and I left the room and went straight into the club room to get my skates out, and before I could even get my shoes off my feet I felt someone's presence.

I looked up to see a girl who was pretty young, smiling brightly.

We were pretty much opposites. My hair was very blonde, and it was in it's usual braid, where hers was dark brown, almost black, and in a messy pony tail. Her eyes were an emerald green, where mine were a dull turquoise color. Her skin was much darker than mine, almost a russet color, where as I was very pale.

"Hey." I said and went back to putting my skates on.

"Hello. I'm Melody Christe." She told me brightly.

"Everdeen Wilson." I told her and shook her hand quickly before going back to putting my skates on again.

"Really? Oh, this is so exciting! I knew you'd be coming today, but I couldn't be positive if it would be while I was here or not, I just knew that I didn't recognize you and-"

"Melody, who are you bothering over there?" I heard a second voice ask as they turned into the room.

"Oh Julianne, this is Everdeen Wilson! She's here, she's really here!" Melody said excitedly.

I couldn't help but smile at this girl's enthusiasm. It was always fun to talk to someone who looked up to you. I mean, metaphorically speaking, since I was the shortest sixteen year old I've ever met at four foot nine inches.

The girl who's name was Julianne smiled and went over to Melody.

They looked very similar, like they were probably sisters, and then I realized that with Melody's last name, and Julianne's first, that they must be.

"You must be Julianne Christe." I stated to the older girl who looked around my age.

She smiled. "Yes. I'm so sorry my sister bothered you. She's just very excited to meet you. She watched Nationals for the first time this year and just started skating last year. She recognized your name when our coach told us that you would be coming here."

I shrugged and smiled. "It's not a problem." I told her. "So why did you start skating Melody?" I asked her curious, simply because I always got different answers from everyone I asked.

"I started skating because I wanted to be just as good as Julianne." She told me with a proud smile on her face.

I smiled brightly. That was quite possibly the cutest answer I've ever gotten.

"Ah yes. Julianne is quite good isn't she?" I asked her.

She nodded enthusiastically, as her sister Julianne looked shocked.

"Don't look so shocked, I'm a National competitor. I do my research every year on my competitors by watching everyone's Sectional. I saw your long and I must say, you put on quite a show from the moment you step on the ice. That's why I always loved Evan Lysacek." I told her seriously and I enjoyed watching the amazement cross her features.

"Really?" She asked almost in disbelief.

I laughed a little. "Of course," I told her as I tied the last knot on my skate. "And I never lie about things like this. I think you have a very good chance at Nationals this year."

She smiled brightly. "Thank you."

I nodded and stood up grabbing my binder and water bottle. "Of course. Now, I believe the next session is starting in about forty five seconds." I told them as I stood. I noticed they had their skates on as well and they followed me. "Are you skating this session as well?" I asked them.

Melody nodded and Julianne smiled. "Yeah."

By now we'd just gotten to the ice and I took off my guards before checking in. I stepped on the ice and smiled at them. "I'll talk to you guys later." I told them and with that, I was off, starting my normal on ice warm up.

I didn't get through much, just power pulls and power three's, before Kayla came out and smiled at the sight of me warming up.

I smiled back and came to a stop in front of her as she stepped out on the ice.

"Alright, what have you done so far?" She asked me.

"Power pulls and power three's. I just have my outside spirals left and then I'm all yours." I told her.

She nodded and smiled. "Go for it."

I nodded and started them, being sure to extend my leg as far toward the ceiling as humanly possible.

When I got to the end of the ice, I did a few side spirals to stretch out a little bit on my way back to my coach.

Kayla smiled. "Wonderful. I say you warm up all your jumps and I'll watch them. Then I'll let you go. Next session, you can do your spins and we'll start your new routine. I was wondering if you wanted to join the ice show that Seattle does every spring."

I nodded. "That sounds like fun. Let's do it."

"Alright, then I'll start thinking up choreography for your solo, and that'll be the program we start next session. I already have a few ideas of music I want you to check out and then we'll go from there. Now go jump."

I nodded and did a few back crossover before going into a nice and big waltz jump. I landed it nicely and continued on to my salchow, my weakest jump. I skipped ahead to the lutz, and then my favorite, the axel.

I landed them all cleanly, as expected and moved on to doubles.

I did a double salchow, double toe, and a double loop, before moving onto my normal jumps.

I started with my double axel that I managed to land pretty well, then I moved on to my triple sow, and I fell. I did my triple sow again, and I ended up landing with two feet.

I sighed and moved on to my triple toe, and landed it pretty well. Toe loops had always been one of my favorite jumps. Next was my triple loop and I ended up narrowly landing, and at the last second I put my second foot down again, so I did it a second time and landed it much better.

I landed my triple flip and my triple lutz before I headed over to Kayla.

"Combo. Triple flip triple loop." She commanded.

I went out there and when I landed the triple loop, I ended up making it a two foot landing.

"Do a single flip with a frame." She told me when I got over to her.

I nodded and did as she said. I landed just fine, as usual.

"Now a double flip with a frame." She told me.

I frowned as I turned and went out to do one. Doing jumps with a frame were harder the more rotations you needed. The entire point of a frame was to keep your alignment, but the frame made it so your arms were in one spot instead of starting out and then pulling in, to make you rotate faster.

I landed it shakily, but it was landed nonetheless.

Kayla nodded when I came over. "Now try a triple flip triple toe, keeping your alignment in mind."

I did as she said and I landed it on two feet.

"Again." She called from the boards.

I nodded and went around and was about to set the jump up when Melody came out of nowhere and I had to make a sharp u-turn to keep from crashing into her.

"Sorry!" She squeaked.

I smiled at her indicating it was okay.

I took another round and this time, still thinking about the almost crash, I wasn't thinking about anything and I was half a rotation short on the triple loop and ended up falling.

"One more time." Kayla told me.

I nodded and got up. I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath and opened them back up to go into my triple flip triple loop again.

I set my face in a determined look and I just let the triple flip triple loop happen.

Sadly, it was a two foot landing.

I groaned as I went over to Kayla.

"You aren't getting enough height. You need to use all of your leg strength to land this jump. One more time and if you can't land it, I'm going to put you on the fishing pole harness with Cameron." She said and indicated to a coach at the other side of the rink.

I nodded and went to do my jump one more time.

I pushed and extended my legs the best I could and I fought hard for my landing, and I ended up not having enough time to get my free leg back out in time and I went right down to the ice.

Kayla skated off toward Cameron as I got up off the ice and followed her.

"Yeah sure hang on." He was saying when I got there.

To my surprise, Julianne came over, and it seemed Cameron was in the middle of a lesson with her.

"Julianne, I just have to use the fishing pole to help Everdeen with her tripe flip triple loop. You practice your double axle some more while I'm with her, alright?"

She nodded and when he turned to me she smiled at me.

I smiled back and followed Kayla and Cameron over to the harness.

I adjusted it so that it fit me snugly, and when Cameron asked me if I was ready I nodded.

We skated out at a pretty good pace and he helped me get the height I needed to land it.

I smiled when my blade hit the ice strongly.

"Again." Kayla said from the boards.

I sighed and Cameron and I went out and ended up doing three more. I landed two of them, and put my second foot down on one.

I took the harness off and did one without it and surprise, surprise, I fell on it.

My fist came down on the ice before I got up and skated over to Kayla.

"Don't get mad at yourself. You'll get it. Anger doesn't help you get any better. Move on to your triple lutz triple toe."

I nodded and I barely landed it and I didn't have much speed coming out of it.

"Good enough. Double axel triple loop?" She said it like a question.

I nodded. "Yeah, let me warm up a double axel double loop first." I told her.

She nodded and I landed my first combo perfectly.

When I went to land the double axel triple loop though, my knee collided with the ice, like it usually did.

"Hmm. Do a waltz jump backspin double loop backspin." She told me.

She'd had me do this several times in Minnesota and I always had trouble with it. Recently though, I'd started landing them.

I did it pretty well and she smiled. "Alright, one more double axel triple loop." She told me.

I nodded and I landed it with two feet.

"Good enough of a start." She said as the zamboni doors opened. "We'll work spins and your ice show routine next session you're on. Have a good break." She told me.

I nodded and got off the ice.

I went into the club room, wiped off my skates and put them away before heading to an almost empty room with my messenger bag and taking my laptop out and starting on school work.

I started with my best, but least favorite subject, math. After that I moved on to social studies.

After that, I looked at the clock to find it was time for my second warm up.

I did my normal second warm up of the day, which consisted of leg swings, high knees, butt kicks, grape vine, side shuffle, and what my coach in Minnesota called duck walk.

I took a drink of water before heading into the club room to find Melody just leaving, but Julianne was putting her skates on again.

"Bye Everdeen!" Melody called as she walked out the door.

"Bye Melody." I smiled. and went over to my skate bag. I looked up at Julianne. "So you skate much more than her huh?" I asked.

She nodded. "She's too little for the kind of hours I do. You probably do even more than me."

I shrugged. "So what level is she?" I asked.

"Basic Five." Julianne told me.

I nodded and put my skates on.

The next session went quite well. My new music for my routine is Sad Romance by Thao Nguyen Xanh. It's really pretty violin music and it's slow ad graceful. It fit my style perfectly.

I got off the ice in a good mood and went to ballet.

I met the teacher and everyone in the class with me starred for a while before getting over the fact that yes, I exist and am in their presence.

Class couldn't have ended sooner as I made my way out of class, grabbed my bags and met Kayla by the coaches room.

"I see you're ready. Hang on just a second while I pack up. I'll meet you in the car. Here's my keys." She told me and held the keys out to me.

I took them gratefully and smiled and made my way into the car.

I already had everything unlocked, I was settled into the passenger seat, and I was about a minute into the song Tongue Tied by the time Kayla got into the driver's seat.

She started the car and once again I lip synced and danced to some songs as we drove.

When we got home, I took my skates out of the car and brought them up to my room again, before showering and changing into another set of clothes.

I went downstairs and told Kayla I was heading to the beach and walked out the door.

I sat on the same log as yesterday and closed my eyes enjoying the salty smell of the ocean breeze.

It was just so relaxing.

The sand was dry today, so I laid down in it and closed my eyes, enjoying the softness of it.

Minnesota had lots of beach because it had so many lakes, but there was just something about the ocean beach that was special. I can't put my finger on what it is, but I just love it. It might be the sounds of the waves, or the feel of the shells beneath you, or maybe it's the slight taste of salt in the air, but whatever it was, I loved it.

Nice and long huh? I don't know about you guys, but I thought that was a pretty great length! :D

I hope you guys are loving this as much as I am.

I want your opinion on something though. Should I have more povs than just Everdeen's? Let me know by pm or if you review. Thanks guys, you all rock my socks off! :P