As I watch the two silhouettes walk off into the crowd, I'm filled with a sense of loneliness. I remember where I am and that I'm surrounded by thousands of grieving strangers and people exchanging memories of ghosts I never knew, or had ever heard of. I look around for the comfort of Finn but find he's not there. After our moment we had before I doubt he can even bear the thought of me, never mind risking getting himself lost in this sea of people to find me. I don't even know why he got so wound up; I mean it's not as if Aksel has done anything wrong. He's charming, maybe that's it. Finn is so used to me brushing off his charm as if it's nothing new or exciting, but with Aksel it kind of was. Surely it couldn't be that, why would it bother him? We're just friends and I know nothing of Aksel, apart from the fact his Father knows my mother.
My mother. Suddenly I'm frozen as the realisation of what has just happened comes back to me. I start to panic again and can feel my feel starting to pick up some pace. Not knowing where I was going, but before I know it I'm shouting for Finn. "FINN! HELP, PLEASE FINN!" I repeatedly get the most strange looks and people grabbing hold of me, asking me "What's wrong child, what's wrong" and others "Children shouldn't be allowed here". The tears are streaming now and I can feel myself accepting the fact I'm lost. This place is so big that I'll never find them. I've never been to this district before and I don't know my way around. I'm on the floor again but this time I'm crawling to the nearest tree. Anything to get away: away from the devastating cries of people in the crowds. My hearts racing and my whole body trembles. I've never been lost before, I'm so used to my own district and how I know it like the back of my hand. The rays from the lights on the field that were shining right in my direction are suddenly blocked by a tall figure. Hesitantly I raise my head to see him.
"You came to find me?" I slur as the crying is still making my voice tremble. Finn gets down on one knee and lifts my chin up so it's visible in the light. "You really think I'd let you find your way back in this crowd?" Finn replies in a gentle tone as he wipes away my tears. He gives me that half smile he always gives me when he's trying not to be angry with me. "Wouldn't want you bumping into that Aksel whats his face again" He continues. I bite my lip and put my head back down so he can't see my eyes. Without looking I know his smiles gone away again, and resisting the temptation to scream at me, he simply takes my hand and lifts me up. My first few steps are wobbly and turn into a limp. "I think I've sprained my ankle" I mutter to myself. Finn looks down at my deformed foot and picks me up right in his arms, cradling my body, and takes me back to the rest of the group. I try to look him in the eyes, but I can tell he's avoiding mine. The whole way back he says nothing, and our usual comfortable silence is no longer present. I try to lighten the mood by resting my head on his shoulder, but the atmosphere is still tense between us.
We arrive back to the others where they are all trying to calm my mother down. Finn puts me down and I try my best to walk over to her. I look at her for a few seconds while I gather my thoughts but as I go to open my mouth she stops me "It's ok, Wren" I smile at her and kiss her cheek lightly. When I think about it, I can't remember the last time I showed this much affection towards her. She always seemed distant towards me, Darius was always her favourite, but I think it's because he's like my Dad, and well, I'm like her apparently. I don't see it; I don't see how I'm like any of my parents. In fact I've finally come to the conclusion that I'm not even from this family. My Uncle Haymitch walks over to me and puts his arm around me "Your mother did a move like that one time you know, couldn't handle the situation and ran off crying. You may look like Prim but you're your Mother's daughter through and through" He whispers in my ear. "I doubt it, I'm nothing like her" "Trust me Wren, You're Katniss and Finn is like Gale" When he says this I'm taken back for a second. "Gale? I met him this evening, Finn is nothing like him" My voice is getting louder than Haymitch would have liked it. The sound of Gale's name catches my father attention and he walks over to us. "You met Gale? How?" My father's tone is a little harsher than his usual soothing voice. For the first time I'm hesitant around my father and respond to him quietly "I met his son, he helped me. Then Aksel introduced me to Gale. He told me to tell Mother he says Hello" My father's eyes widen and he pulls me to the side. "Listen to me Wren, if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from that family. Do you understand?" My father's voice is serious and I can see the hatred in his eyes. I nod my head and he storms away.
"Come on little'un" Finn says in a lighter voice as he picks me back up, holding me as if I was a precious baby. We're walking out of the field when I finally manage to get the words out. "Finn? Why don't you like Aksel? Your eyes changed when you saw me with him." I stare at him dead in the eyes, waiting for a response. "I don't know Wren, he looked at you in the same way the girls from school look at me. But more in the way like you were his prey. I just know I didn't like it" As he talks I can feel his arms tense up and the pain rushing through his body. "What, as if he liked me?" After I ask him there is a long pause and I find myself again searching for the comfort of his eyes. He looks down to the ground for a split second and just as he goes to reply we're back at the train station. He helps me back onto the train and before I know it we're back in district 12, all piled into a small car to take us back to Victors Village. Annie waits by the car as Finn carries me to the door. "I'm coming by tomorrow to take you to the hospital to get this looked at" Finn speaks with a slight sense of force in his voice. I go to tell him that it's fine but he knows me too well and cuts me off before I can even respond "It's not fine and you have no choice in the matter, OK?" I nod at him without saying a word. Finn puts me down on the ground so I'm facing him, bends down slightly and places his forehead against mine. As he makes his way back up to his normal height he gently places his lips on my forehead. "Goodnight Wren" He says as he smiles. It's the first genuine smile I've saw from him all evening. It even makes me smile, more so than usual. I can feel my cheeks burning and if it wasn't for the porch lights illuminating my face it would have gone a miss, but he notices and places his hand on my cheek. I step back and become aware of what I'm doing, I can't go down a road like that with Finn, he's my friend and that's how it'll stay. The sparkle in his eyes disappears as he realises what I'm thinking. "Urm, yeah. Goodnight Finn" I stutter before making my way inside.
I walk in to see Darius sat on the large window ledge. "My best friend is in love with my sister, great" He says. "Real funny Darius, and for the record, he's MY best friend" As I correct him he laughs and shrugs it off. "Now as pay back for this morning you need to help me to bed because I can hardly walk" Being the gentleman that Darius is, he doesn't even question it.