It's nine until noon when my father comes home and my mother tells him about the situation. It's as if you can physically see his spirit drop. However, he doesn't stay down for long.
"I have a surprise for you." He says and takes both of her hands, pulling her up from her chair.
"I don't like surprises, Peeta." She grumbles although she's letting him drag her onto the porch.
I follow and sit down on our old rocker. Lane joins me, sitting on my lap.
"What?" She asks, looking out at the empty streets.
"Wait, just wait." He says, his smile stretched ear to ear.
After a minute, a long black car pulls into the village and slowly makes its way down our street. I've only seen a car a handful of times. This one looks like the one that used to take my parents to their train when they visited the Districts.
"Who-" My mom stops herself, leaning onto the railing.
It pulls right up to our front yard. A door opens and a large dark skinned man wearing thick rimmed glasses steps out. He's smiling.
"Beetee?" My mom breathes. She looks at my dad then back to the man. She's taking a step towards him when a taller woman steps from the car waving at her. "Johanna." A hand comes up to cover her mouth.
And then one more man steps out. His dark hair and eyes make me wonder if he's from here, he has the Seam look. He's a head taller than everyone else, with broad shoulders. His face is lit up with a smile that could silence a room. Only his clothes are too clean, too pressed, too... new. He must be from somewhere else.
"Hey Catnip." He calls up to my mother who looks as if she's going to pass out.
For a moment, they just stare at each other. It seems like a million emotions pass between them. Then she's running. He catches her and spins her around and around. I can hear her laughing from here.
I look up at my dad who's still smiling. "Come on," He says then goes down to join them.
Now they're all hugging and greeting each other, I can't help but notice how my mothers' arms keep going back to the man who'd spun her. Lane and I stand aside, not knowing what to do for a minute until they finish hugging and my dad calls us for introductions.
"This is Lane." He shakes everyone's hand firmly.
"And Aster." I get hugs. Except from the dark haired man. He stares at me for so long, I have to glance at my mother.
"God," He breathes. "She looks just like..." He doesn't finish.
"I know." My mother replies.
Then they share a moment that's older than life itself.
Beetee coughs, breaking the silence. "Your children are beautiful." Then he turns to us. "I'm Beete, this is Johanna, and Gale. We were friends with your parents when they were your age." Then he mumbles something about lights.
"I'll help you with the bags, Gale." My dad says and they open the trunk.
I follow my mother and her friends into the kitchen where everyone takes a place around the table but me. Lane starts a fire, which makes him remember a story about catching his underwear on fire. He tells them how he had to run through the square butt naked with a bright red butt. It gets more than enough laughs.
My mother is glowing, happier than I've ever seen her. Ever. She's talking, joking, and laughing. Her smile actually reaches her eyes and stays there. An image I can only ever get a glimpse of.
When my dad comes in with Gale, it's like she's ten years younger. I can't help but stare at her now, she's beautiful. I wonder how I'd never noticed it before. Then I begin to think that she could have always looked like how she does now. Before the nightmares and the scars. Before me, who she can't even look at because it brings up 'old memories'.
"Aster, Ozzy and Stine are here." My dad says when he walks past me. "I'll call Haymitch over."
"Oh, then it will really be a party." Johanna laughs and pretends to chug an empty glass.
I open the front door and stop the two from coming inside like they usually would. Instead, I only open the door enough to squeeze out before shutting it behind me.
"What's going on?" They ask as one.
I sigh and lean against the porch railing to watch the flurries that have just started to fall.
"Mom's got some friends over. I don't know any of them."
"Sounds like a party." Stine says.
"I've got to tell you guys something." I say. They come to join me at the railing on either side of me. They don't say anything, so I continue. "I'm leaving for the Capitol today."
"What!" They both exclaim.
"You guys have got to stop doing that, it's really creepy." I sigh again. "They're meeting with the president."
No one says anything for a moment.
"Well," Ozzy says slowly. "It was nice knowing ya."
Stine and I lean over and punch his arm hard.
"Such violence." Haymitch says. He's stomping across my yard carrying three bottles of white wine. He almost falls down the steps of the porch, but steadies himself. He kicks the front door open before I can offer my help, probably breaking the locks again. I see him hold them up over his head and everyone cheer.
"Sounds like my kind of party." Ozzy wiggles his eyebrows before going to join the adults inside.
I watch him, knowing I should expect nothing more, but it still hurts me a little.
"You know he's actually sad to see you leave." Stine says quietly. I hug him. Because I need one and because he's the only one who is there to give me one. And somewhere deep down, because I want to hug him. Because he's strong and stable, unlike me at the moment.
He holds me tightly, resting his scruffy chin on the top of my head.
"Thanks, Stine." I say into his shoulder.
He kisses my forehead and I smile.
Things calm down at about three when everyone has moved into the living room. When I think it's safe, and that no one will ask us to stay, I scoot over to Ozzy who is trying to keep up in a conversation with Stine and Beetee.
"Can we get out of here?" I whisper to him. He nods and I ask Beetee as politely as I can if I can steal Stine away. Before we even reach the entrance of the village, I hear Lane calling after me.
"Ter!" He runs up beside us and grabs my sleeve. "Let me come."
"Don't you want to stay?" I ask, glancing at my friends for help. They provide none, even turn away.
"No, I want to go into the woods with you guys."
I kneel down in front of him and look into his grey eyes. "How'd you know about that?"
He seems embarrassed but looks at me.
"I followed you."
We all groan.
"Why?" I ask.
"You always run off and I get bored. I don't have anything to do all day when you're gone." His face is so sad, I feel as if I should apologize.
"Fine." I touch his face. "But quietly. Never tell a soul."
His face brightens and we make our way through the square and into the meadow that marks the end of the town. There's a wire fence put up to keep wild dogs out. Somewhere there is a loose spot. Ozzy had spotted it one winter while we were skipping our math lessons. Still, I had to poke around for it a bit before I could spot it.
After we slip under, we find a nice sized tree and scale it. Stine has to help Lane out a little, but he learns quickly. We each settle into a branch and just sit, listening to the creatures around us. We usually do this after a long day, just sit and listen. Sometimes I take pictures for my wall. Ozzy rips up the ones I take of him when he falls asleep.
Of course, Lane bores of the calm easily and starts to make up games. He throws acorns at random and whoever catches the most wins.
I win three out of three.
Next, he does an impression of someone in town and we have to guess who it could possibly be. Not that his acting skills are incredible, but Sine wins those rounds. I cross the line at hide and seek, though, so I watch the three below run around like rabid squirrels trying to beat one another to base. I end up laughing so hard that I almost fall out of the tree.
"Alright." Ozzy huffs. "Who won that one, Aster?" He calls up from the ground.
"Sorry Lane, that one goes to Ozzy." I stand up in the fork of the tree to nod at him.
"I call cheats!" Lane protests. "Tie breaker. To the lake and back."
"You're on, little man."
This is how the rest of the day goes. Games and jokes and laughs. I almost forget that I'll be in the Capitol tomorrow. Because this will be the last time with these three in who knows how long.
I don't have much time to think about it before I notice how quiet it is. The air feels wrong, even the birds have stopped singing. My heart skips a beat and I look down.
"Guys?" I call.
They're turned in the direction of home, looking towards the sky. I follow their gaze, and through the trees, I see it. An enormous hovercraft hanging over the far side of town. The Village.
I jump from my perch and land on the cold ground, still staring up at the thing. It's shaped in a slight triangular form, the silver outside reflects the sunlight. It could easily fit over a thousand people inside.
"We should get back." I hardly whisper, but they hear me.
We silently make our way back to and under the fence. From the meadow, we can see the full enormity of the craft. There's smaller ones circling around it. On the streets, everyone is waiting and when they see me and my brother, some start to murmer. They know it's a Capitol hovercraft. And they know it's for us. But I ignore them and continue with Lane pulled close to my side. Ozzy and Stine follow without a word, all the way back to my house where a line of soldiers form a barrier from the long metal ladder to my front door.
We push past them and go inside where my parents are talking quietly with two older women. One I recognize as the president, Paylor.
Two more soilders stand at either side of our front door. I clear my throat to make our presence known.
"Oh, lovely, the children are home." Says a taller grey haired woman who smiles warmly at us.
"Guys, go pack everything you need for a few weeks." My dad says to us.
I watch Ozzy and Stine as I heard Lane up the stairs. In his room, I slowly help him pack clothes and shoes and underwear that aren't stained or have holes. He shoves an old baby blanket inside. I roll my eyes, but say nothing.
When everything is zipped up, I feel it's safe enough for me to leave him unattended. When I get into my room, I shut the door and lock it. My clothes are filthy, so I decide to change. There's a clinking in my pocket, which reminds me of the dog tags.
I take it to my bathroom and rinse them under cold water. For good measure, I scrub them with a piece of a pink loufa.
'The scars on our souls are the worst ones of all' -A
Crucis Naysmith
And a date of birth, probably, are engraved on the front tag. The second is a smaller, somehow more feminine one. I've heard the words before.
'Don't forget who the enemy is.'
A mocking jay symbol.
Leslie Trunket
I put it on and glance at myself in the mirror as I tuck it into my sweater and zip up my fur vest. My hair is a mess, but I continue packing and sling my camera over my neck. When I open my door, a soldier takes both of my bags and carries them effortlessly down the steps, outside.
Ozzy and Stine are still waiting in the hall. I hug them both for a long time, knowing that once I let go, I'll have to leave. Ozzy ruffles my birds' nest of a bun then pulls away.
"Take some pictures for us." Stine smiles as we step outside.
"Trust me, I will." I smile back.
"Come on, Aster." My mom calls from the bottom of the ladder. She's watching us from beside my father and brother.
"I left my window unlocked. If I can call, it will be late on a weekend." I say quietly. This is when my parents would call during their trips.
They nod and I turn, joining everyone. Without looking back, we're boarded onto the craft. My dad hugs our shoulders and laughs lightly.
"You guys are in for a treat."