A/N Here's the second chapter! I'm sorry it took a while but well life got in the way. The 'awkward encounter' that happens later ACTUALLY happened to someone I know...

Thanks to The Cornish Pixies for the review, follow & favourite. Also thanks to deedee102030 for following.

ME4427


2. Up, Up and Away

I knew the train journey would be long so I'd brought myself plenty to do. It wasn't long into the journey that I decided to get my book out and have a little read. The book was given to me by my Grandma on my last birthday but I had yet to read any of it. I suppose there had always been something else to do, something more urgent. My feet curled up under me on the train seat and I propped my book on the table meant for any food we would want. As I started to read the first page, my hair dangling loose over my face began to annoy me so I put my bookmark in and grabbed a ribbon to tie my hair into my signature braid. I looked up and saw that a pair of eyes had fallen on me at that moment, a pair that was unfamiliar to me and I knew didn't belong in my district. She sat across from me but when she saw me looking back at her, she leaned across the aisle towards me.

"Are you who I think you are?" She asked me.

She had sleek, straight black hair that looked like it must take ages to look like that, and a face full of make-up that too must have taken a long time to prepare. I distinctly took a disliking for her but I decided to give her a chance anyway. The closeness of her wasn't good as she stank of litres of perfume.

"Depends who you think I am, doesn't it?"

She leaned back and studied me with a quick flip of her hair. Her eyes were terribly fierce and I could tell she didn't like my attitude but a smile still graced her bright pink lips.

"Ooh a firecracker, are we babe?" She says with sarcasm dripping from each word. "Just like your mom I presume? You must be Thorn Mellark, am I right? Of course I am. With that braid you look just like her." Suddenly she raised her voice as if to address the whole carriage, "Well aren't I lucky! So privileged that a celebrity like you would talk to little old me! I bet you love the attention don't you? Couldn't wait to show off about those parents of yours?" She took me hand as if to shake it. "Can I just say how honoured I feel? Can I have your autograph?" She mocked. "Thank you, thank you for being our little saviour Mellark! Thank you!"

I just stared at her. The mocking tone, the dripping sarcasm and the laughter in her eyes. How dare she judge me like that?! So with the calmest tone I could muster up from within me I replied.

"I think I'll go back to my book if you don't mind." And without waiting for a response, I lifted my book and began reading. It was unnerving to feel her eyes on the back of my head and I could just picture the venom in her eyes right then. She knew my name and I'd not had the chance to ask hers not that it bothered me. Why did I need to know the name of someone I never planned to converse with again? I hummed absentmindedly as I flipped through the book that gave me so much fascination. After I'd reached about half-way through, I decided to occupy myself with something new and I chose looking at the world rushing past as the perfect distraction. The colours blurred as I looked at the vast amounts of countryside rushing past the window and into a mush of greeny-yellow tones. The look of it reminded me of a painting that I once did when I tried to capture my dad's artistic talent but alas art is definitely not in my limited amount of skills. I'd much rather spend a day in the crisp forest wind than indoors with paint and paper. Then it dawned on me that at this school there probably wouldn't be anywhere like the woods back home, and this realisation sent upset straight through me because the woods is like my haven when I'm unhappy. And in my haven was an angel that I would also no longer see, my angel Robin. Something in my heart ached when I thought these thoughts but I presumed I'd be over it in no time, for this is what I wanted, my independence and freedom is in my hands so why would I blow it into the wind to scatter in someone else's hand? Opportunities are to be grasped. I swallowed whatever stuck in me then and I dismissed it.

As the train rattled on across the ancient tracks, I thought of all the poor people who got in the earlier districts like One and I pitied them since I'd only been on the train a short while and I was already so incredibly bored. How did they not die of this boredom? I flicked through the pages of the book but I found it tiresome after only a short time. Then an idea sparked in my head and it flourished. I carefully got out of my seat – still feeling mystery girl's venomous stare – and reached up to where all of my bags were. I rummaged around a bit before I found what I was looking for, but unfortunately it was quite far back so I went on my very-tiptoes to reach further. Almost there I think. Suddenly I'm knocked and I lose my balance so stumble forwards grabbing onto my chair to stop myself from falling forwards.

"Sorry love didn't mean tah knock ya there." A boy with a deep-throat voice said behind me. I turned round and gave him a quick smile to which his perfectly white teeth returned. "Ah coulda sent ya flyin'! Good job ya got those reflexes!" He chuckled lightly. His dull brown eyes sparked up a little as if they themselves were smiling too. It was much better than seeing hatred in someone's eyes.

"How 'bout I test yours?" I said putting my fists up in a mocking way. He faked fear as he backed away with the laughter still pulling his lips.

"Maybe another day."

"Maybe." I agreed before turning back to trying to fetch the bag. Seeing what I was after, he reached his arms up next to me and since he was considerably taller than me (like a freakin giant!) it was no trouble for him whatsoever. The sack hung in his hand still tied with the fraying rope and still as stained as when Haymitch had handed it to me. He examined it carefully as if it were some sort of bomb.

"What's in 'ere then, love?" He asked swinging it's heavy contents back and forth.

"That's what I wanted to find out. I got it from my sort-of uncle."

"How do ya have a 'sort-of' uncle?" His eyebrows rose in confusion and amusement.

"Well he's as much of a pain as family but luckily I'm in no way related to the drunken idiot."

"Well ok then." He made to hand me the sack but at the last minute pulled back much to my annoyance. "I never did catch yer name, love?"

"That's cause I never said it."

He extended his other hand to me in a greeting. "I'm Dion Bacchus."

I reluctantly took his hand and replied "I'm Thorn. Thorn Mellark." I whispered the last part but he still caught it because his eyes momentarily widened but he quickly composed his features. He handed me my sack without thought.

"Well t'was nice meeting ya Mellark." He smiled and I watched him walk away with his long brown hair swishing behind him.

I sat back into my seat ignoring mystery girl. The heavy sack weighed my legs down until they felt like they'd sank half-way into my seat. Excitement welled up in me at what could be in the sack. From someone other than Haymitch I would expect it to be something meaningful but for all I knew I could have a bag of Haymitch's socks. He was hammered enough to make that mistake. I fumbled to untie the knot of the decaying rope and when I yanked the fabric of the bag apart, I was shocked by what I found. I suppose since it's Haymitch I should have expected this, especially since he didn't want my parents seeing it. Unless he did it accidentally of course but the smile on his chapped lips when he gave me it said otherwise. Inside the rotting carcass of the bag were bottles and bottles of alcohol. I was quick to close the bag again but I tried not to draw much attention to myself in case people questioned the bag's contents. I didn't know if I wanted to drink it because (thanks to Haymitch) I'd seen the effects of alcohol and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I mean I'm not saying I'd never drank because there had been occasions when I had (and times I'd gotten into states almost as bad as Haymitch) and they were enjoyable even if the side-effects weren't. There was the couple of times when Robin thought it'd be fun to go into the woods and start drinking. Needless to say, those trips never did end well whether it was with one of us throwing up in the plants, or deciding that we could in fact catch a large bird with our bare hands, or that drunken swimming or climbing were good ideas. In fact, none of those ideas were sensible. How surprising?

I put the sack back above my head and thought about my destination. Yes there was still a long way to go before we reached the school but there was a lot to think about. What if I didn't make friends? Don't be silly Thorn. You just made friends with Dion. One down more to go. What if I got really home-sick? You've been away from home for the whole summer when you went to visit Grandma Everdeen and you were fine then. What if Robin forgets me? He probably already has.

It wasn't long before they came round serving us meals but I barely touched mine as I found it very unappetising. Perhaps it was the comparison between this food and my father's that made me find the food a bit repulsive. My dinner was mainly just a bottle of water so my stomach decided to rumble rather loudly and I did find the event slightly embarrassing to say the least.

After my thoughts running marathons, I slipped into sleep as the train descended in darkness. When I woke up I couldn't remember what it was I'd been dreaming about though I felt it nagging on my brain to remember. I gave up recalling it, and seeing that the people on the train were sleeping, I went for a stroll around the train. I left my compartment and headed straight ahead towards the engine. I arrived in another carriage and I made my way through it. I turned left after that and collided with someone. I muttered my apologies immediately.

"Sorry it's dark and stuff. I didn't see you."

"I-It's fine." The figure says running a hand through his hair nervously.

"Which carriage are you from?"

"Erm…I…Er…Dunno."

"Well ok…" He quickly scurried off like a beetle and the darkness cocooned him in shadow until I couldn't see him anymore.

I wandered round the train but there wasn't much to see. I felt like I was in a labyrinth going round and round for someone else's amusement and I was getting nowhere. In the end, I stumbled my way back into my own carriage feeling around for the door handle in the darkness to get back into the carriage. I grasped something but I…realised it wasn't exactly a door handle. I let go like my hand was on fire and my face certainly felt like it was. It was the most embarrassing thing. How could I mistake a certain…well…part of the body for a door handle? My face was so unbelievably hot and I was glad that whoever it was couldn't see my flusteredness.

"Well someone's keen geez!"

"I…er…" I began to feel like the poor boy I'd met before except I had a reason to stutter. I saw the figure closer to me probably to see who I was and my instincts kicked in. I sprinted away from him down the carriage. After a lot of waiting around, I finally emerged when I knew he'd be gone. Finally I went back to my carriage and all but collapsed in my chair with exhaustion. My face was still blood red. I really hoped he'd not seen me. And I was really glad I'd not seen him. What a way to start off at a new school? By grabbing some poor boys crotch in the middle of the night? I'll make sure to mention that to my mother when she asks how I'm doing. I could picture it all. "Well mum I was on the train and met some nice people. I also met a girl who I think wants to kill me. I felt a boy up and then ran away. So overall things are really good so far." Second thoughts, I might not include those details in my letter. At some point I fall asleep.

When I open my eyes again light is streaming through the dusty window and there's a flurry of excitement in the air. At first I don't understand why but when I turn my head to look out the window, I see the school not-so-far away. I feel my own excitement buzz. The train edges closer and closer and closer. And just like that we're there and it's new and it's exciting and it's so wonderful. I forget about everything that happened on the train as I lift my bag and head to the door ready to start fresh.


A/N Did you like it? Please leave me a review! It can be critical if there's errors or things you think I could do better...

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