DISTRICT 7! Im home!
I'm ready and showered within 10 minutes, my evil stylist gets me dressed, I eat my last capitol breakfast until the next games. Blight and Charlie laugh at me as I pace around the Dining Cart munching on waffles. Puff seems excited too, probably hoping to get back to the Capitol and not have to spend everyday with me. She'll be happy to see the back of me I think. I just want to get home. I want to go back to sitting around and reading a lot and being by myself. Luckily, the train arrives within the next hour. I run to the window and see crowds of people waiting by the station. The elderly victor Ryan is sat at the entrance, waiting to see us. When the train doors open, I jump straight off the train. I have to stay for a few minuites and wave at the cameras, but then im allowed to walk to the justice building to make my final speech and have the long-awaited street party. One of the Distirct 7 victor traditions is that we have a street party in the square, which means that they'll be food and music and everyone will leave with a full stomach.
Unfortunately, I have to make a speech first. I especially don't want to do this one as I killed my District partner Forest. He expected that he would win the final fight, and he didn't. I don't want to face his family, people who I may have known before, parents who have lost a child and siblings who have lost a brother, maybe a girlfriend or a boyfriend, all of them will be at the party tonight. I know I will speak to them properly, apologise like I should have when I got back from the games. The mayor is busy introducing me to the crowd in the square and I push open the doors and wave to everyone. Im glad to be back. I make a short speech, a little about the arena and the tour and the Capitol. I talk about the other Victors as well. I try and tell some fun stories about Forest before the games, but I spent most of it crying or training in my room so I didn't spend much time with him. On a podium for him, there is his parents and three younger siblings, two boys and a girl, aged about 7, 13 and 16 I'd guess. Luckily I don't have to look at them long because people seem to want the speeches over and the street party to begin.
My entrance into the square after the speeches marks the start of the party. Someone presses play and poppy music begins to play over the speakers. The bakers bring in cakes and breads and people begin to eat and dance. The party is funded partly by the Capitol and partly by the Victors, which obviously we all agreed to. Several younger children grab me by the hand and begin to dance around the square with me. They remind me so much of Hunter when he was younger. They're so carefree, not old enough for the games to be a scary subject for them. They most likely don't even know why we're celebrating as most younger children aren't allowed to watch the games. To them, it is a night where they will go home with a full stomach and happy memories.
After an hour of dancing, I attempt to go and find Forest's family. I wander in circles a few times and I have to ask 4 different people, but I eventually find them sat with their backs against the wall of the Justice Building, holding plates of food but staring at it like its just killed their mother or something. His dad notices me first and gets up quickly. I'm about to open my mouth and speak- to say what, I don't know- but his strong lumberjack arms cut me off with a hug.
"It's okay", he says soothingly. "It wasn't your fault".
He lets go off me and his mum hugs me too. They are so like my parents that it makes me sad. I highfive the two boys and hug the girl, who is probably about my age whilst the boys are younger. We all sit back on the floor together, the mood having lifted somewhat.
We all talk for the next 40 minuites. They don't in any way blame me for Forest's death, but they recommend I avoid his grandparents who are mad that we were the last two as they believed he should have won it easily. They tell me a bit about him before the games, and about how he was supposed to get through his final reaping and begin helping his dad in the forest, of course. When we part ways, they tell me that I must go over and eat with them at some point. They want to get to know me and I seem like a nice person they say. I'm not sure where this impression comes from, but I promise to go and visit at some point in the next month. Their daughter Poppy tells me that she may come and talk to me at some point, as we seem to have a lot in common and we could be good friends. I promise her too. I leave them feeling a little lighter and slightly less guilty about the whole situation.
The people of District 7 don't party that often, but when we do, we do it properly. By 11pm many people are completely drunk of our version of alcohol and even the younger children have the look of euphoria in their eyes that comes from having a full stomach and a night of fun. I decide to go back to dancing. I drag Blight and Charlie to dance with me and even convince Ryan to shuffle around the makeshift dance floor a little, no matter how much he complains about his creaky joints. The party dies at around 3am. People I used to go to school with have been playing drinking games and I've now seen too many of them naked and learnt a lot that's made me look at them slightly differently. Apparently the woods are good for not being caught when you and someone else are up to something. Who knew? They're all slightly less innocent in my eyes. I do end up telling Poppy a lot about the Capitol- mostly about the food- but some stuff about the people and the building. She tells me about what 7 was like when I was in the games and after I won. Apparently, people backed up Forest and tried to pretend I didn't exist until I killed the girl with the algae, and then they started to support me too. They all watched the final in the square, and people were so sure Forest would win, so when I won, everyone was silent for a few minutes before erupting in cheers. Nice to know they like me now. Kind of.
The mayor rounds up the party at 4:30am, as many people still have to be working for 7am in the morning, although I think he is trying to push it back so he can sleep later too. I think that's probably a good plan, I have nothing to do so i'll take advantage of that and lie in bed all day tomorrow. Technically today. But whatever.
I trudge back to my house in Victors Village with Blight and Charlie. I think Ryan went to bed around 12pm, so we all walk together in silence. When we get there, we hug each other. Me and Charlie kiss each other on the cheek and she jokingly says "Stay in touch". Blight hugs me tightly and pats me lightly on the cheek. No words. We get each other.
My house is silent and there is a thin layer on dust on everything. I vow to get it cleaned within the next few days when I finally decide to be productive and get out of bed. I hate how quiet it is, so I begin humming some of the songs played at the street party. Im glad I came home. 'I may not have any family', I think as I get in bed. 'But I guess I've got a new one now'. I feel less alone as I slip into the world of sleep.