"Five more minutes," Ramona says quietly. "You ready?"

I nod, but I'm not ready, and I don't think I'll ever be. It's been six months, and I still haven't come to terms with everything I did in the Games. This is the first time I'll have to face the past head-on. No test runs, no do-overs. This is my one chance, and once it's over, I'll never have to do it again.

I guess this isn't the first time I've come face-to-face with my actions during the Games. This is my eleventh stop, after all. When I saw Astrid's face in District Twelve, I remembered how I felt seeing her body on the ground at the Bloodbath. In District Three, I apologized to the family of the girl I killed in the Bloodbath; I never even learned her name. District Nine was the hardest so far - how could I possibly put an apology into words that could make up for what I've done to Mandy's family? To see Mandy's sister - the one who Mandy told me reminded her of me -standing on a pedestal below her face nearly broke me.

But I've survived it. Life carries on. Nobody in those Districts actually cared about the Games - the only people I had to face were the families of those who died. It's no easy task, but I've done harder things in my life, believe it or not. Still, after all of that, I'm still not ready for what's to come.

Across from me, Venetia is examining a map of Panem. She's already crossed out all of the Districts we've been to, and right now, she's tracing our expected route back to the Capitol.

I wonder who's going to be waiting for me at the station this time - at every District so far, a Victor or Capitol escort has greeted us upon our arrival. In District Nine, I got to meet Daniel Day, Mandy's mentor during the Games, and in District Four, both Griff Cohen and Georgina Burgess greeted me before my speech. A part of me knows that only one person could be the one to greet me at District One's station, and that's Decimus Ilyrian. Decimus was terrifying to watch in last year's Games, and I'm sure he'll be even scarier now that I've robbed him of a Victor.

"Who do you think it'll be at the station?" I ask Ramona, making her glance up from her teacup.

"Doesn't matter much," Ramona shrugs. "You'll get to know them all eventually. Usually, the ones who mentor in the Games greet the tributes, but that doesn't always happen."

I know that - in District 12, Daisy Landry was nowhere to be found at the station, and she was replaced by an overly enthusiastic friend of Venetia's.

I can tell that Ramona's trying to play it cool for my sake right now - she knows that Decimus is going to be at the station, and she doesn't want me freaking out.

The train begins to slow, and Venetia quickly rises. "This is us," she tells Ramona and me. We follow her to the exit car as the train slows to a stop.

District One's station is probably the nicest one I've seen since the Victory Tour began. It's paved entirely with stark-white brick; honestly, it's possible that District Eight's station is paved with the same brick, but our station probably hasn't been cleaned since it was built. At the far end of the station, an older man rises from a bench.

"Oh, what a pleasure!" Venetia chirps. "Rochelle, this is Velvet Hughes, Victor of the 73rd Hunger Games."

"A pleasure, truly," Velvet says. I recognize his name - he must've been Princess' mentor during the Games. He looks to be about fifty years old; considering he was likely a Career, he's less scary than I expected.

"Welcome to District One," Velvet says with a twinkle in his eye. "This'll be the easiest one for you, I'm sure, Ms. Carrillo. Follow me."

I try to laugh at Velvet's joke, but it's the fakest laugh I've ever heard. I feel nauseous - on the train, I was scared that I would have to come face-to-face with Decimus, but this is somehow worse. Decimus probably did it on purpose - he knew that it would throw me off.

Ramona pats me on the back as Venetia forces Velvet into a conversation. "Just one more," she reminds me. "You've got this."

"Thanks," I sigh, gripping Venetia's handwritten cards tightly. I've known this whole tour, ever since I left District Eight, that District One would be the hardest. Despite that, I still don't feel like I've had enough time to prepare myself. This is all happening so fast, and I'm not ready to walk out onto that stage in front of all those people and see August's face again. Or Princess', for that matter.

Velvet leads us down a paved path toward the city hall. The city around us is empty - everybody must be gathered, waiting for my arrival. Or waiting for it to be over with, at least.

"Right through here," Velvet calls back at Ramona and me, opening a door and indicating for us to enter the town hall.

The town hall is bustling with people, many of them wearing headsets or carrying cameras. I'm used to the chaos - the Capitol camera crew has been at every District so far - but it's very apparent that there are more people here than usual. In some of the poorer Districts, I could count the Capitol attendants on two hands; today, there are too many to count. This must be a major event for the Capitol - August was always their favorite, after all, and they'll want to get this from every angle.

"Good luck," Velvet says, shaking my hand. He gives Ramona a nod before turning and walking across the hall.

"What a gentleman," Venetia gushes. "You've got your cards?"

"Yup," I sigh. I'm starting to get overwhelmed - what am I going to do when I get on stage? Everybody's watching me for what may be the last time in my life. Do I say something to August's father? Do I apologize for everything? Or, do I stick to Venetia's cards, and not give the Capitol the drama that they so clearly want?

I glance across the room, where Velvet's joined District One's other Victors. They're lined up by seniority, with Velvet in the front. A woman stands behind him; I'm sure August talked about her at some point, but I can't bother to remember her name now.

Decimus Ilyrian stands behind the woman, staring at her back as if his life depends on it. He looks perfectly composed, yet somehow, he has an uncomfortable aura to him. His stony exterior doesn't show any emotion outside of indifference, yet I can sense that he doesn't want to be here, even from across the room.

The doors to the town hall, and the three Victors file onto the stage, followed by District One's mayor. The doors close behind them.

"Alright, get ready," Venetia says, plucking some dust from my shoulder and gently pushing me toward the massive doors of the Town Hall. "You're up next, Rochelle."

Ramona rests a hand on my shoulder. "Make sure to breathe," she advises me. "And if you get overwhelmed, just imagine that you're talking to me or Leah, okay?"

"Okay," I mutter. I don't know if Ramona can tell, but I'm already overwhelmed. My mind is telling me to turn and run now; I can't let these people see me like this. My legs won't respond, though. Maybe, subconsciously, I know that it would be better for me to face this than to run.

"Without further ado, please welcome the Victor of the 101st Hunger Games," I hear the mayor say through the thick doors, "from District Eight... Rochelle Carrillo!"

This is it - the doors swing open, and the cameras are on me. I will my legs to move, and they carry me across the stage to the microphone.

The sight of the crowd makes me forget about my cards. The tour, the speech, everything just fades away.

My gaze immediately lands on August's face. He peers solemnly over the crowd, as if still mourning his own death. My heart sinks when I glance at the podium beneath August's face; it's empty except for one girl. That must be August's sister. His parents didn't even bother to show up.

Across from August's portrait, Princess looks at me with an identical solemn look, but it somehow looks pouty on her. Her podium is much more crowded - if Princess' family is anything like she was, they're probably just excited to be on-camera.

I feel Venetia's cards in my hands, and I'm brought back to reality. Hundreds of people are looking at me right me, waiting for my much-anticipated speech.

"District One," I say, my words echoing over the crowd. "Thank you for welcoming me so graciously to your esteemed District."

"During the Games, I grew very close to both of your tributes," I read. "Their deaths have impacted me in these months during the Games, and I offer my condolences for your loss." Gosh, that sounds so fake! I can't believe I'm saying this right now.

I lower the cards - the only way that I can get through this without overthinking is to speak from the heart.

"Truly, my relationship with Princess and August was tumultuous," I say, "but they taught me so many important things that I carry with me, even today."

I take a deep breath, turning my gaze to Princess' portrait. "No matter how much people want to believe that I hate Princess, I want to make it clear that I don't," I say, speaking directly to Princess' family. "Hate is a strong word, and yes, I did hate Princess at times. Princess viewed me as a threat to her close bond with August, and she treated me as such - a threat. I want it to be recognized, though, that I owe my life to Princess. She was able to put her dislike for me aside for August's sake, and she helped keep me alive for the first half of the Games. No matter how much I tried to convince August that she tried to kill me, I know that Princess was the one who actually tried to protect me the whole time - she was the one who refused to kill me when Zinnia gave me the chance. I think that Princess was misunderstood, most of all by me, during the Games. Just because of how she was raised, I judged her, and for that, I apologize."

I turn my gaze now to August's sister. Antoinette, I think her name is. She must be about twelve, and she looks like she's about to cry. She's holding her head up bravely, though. Seeing her like this makes my blood boil - her parents should be here to comfort her, to hold her hands while she cries. Instead, she has to stand here by herself; seeing her like this reminds me of all the orphans back in District Eight.

"August is someone who I will never forget," I admit. "He changed my life for the better, and he made me view things in a light that I'd never seen before. He was a talented man, and I am honored to have met him. In the Games, August treated me as an equal, even when nobody else believed that he should. He was a good man, and if I had the opportunity to do anything so that we could've survived the Arena together, I would've done it."

"Standing here today before you all, I feel... hopeful," I continue. "I feel hopeful that August's memory will be carried on. August was a brave and loyal man, and while he may have been outsmarted in the final moments of the Games, he deserves to be honored. While his parents may not be willing to show their faces to the cameras and honor their own son and the man that he was, I hope that his memory will live on with everyone standing here right now, because he deserves it. August always dreamed that he would be standing here today in front of you all, but I know that he's smiling upon me right now, proud of me, because that was the man that he was, and I hope that everybody else sees that. I hope that everybody sees behind the surface-level drama, behind the politics of the Hunger Games, and sees him as the hero that he was. Beyond his relationship with Princess, beyond his friendship with me, and beyond the circumstances of his death, I hope that he is remembered fondly. I pass that responsibility onto you, the people of District One."

I reach the end of my ramble, and I realize that I have nothing else to say. I left everything out in the open; I guess I gave the cameras what they wanted, but I don't know if everything I said was exactly what they wanted to hear.

August's sister is crying now, shielding her face from me. The crowd stares up at me, transfixed. Are they intrigued by my trainwreck of a speech, or have they really taken what I've said to heart?

"In this tour, District One was the District that I dreaded visiting the most," I say. "I have the most history with August and Princess, after all. It's hard to say goodbye for the last time and leave them both in the past for good. But I'm grateful for the opportunity to honor your tributes one last time. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever."

Just like in my other speeches, those words indicate that my speech is over. The crowd just stares at me, though. Don't they know that I'm done? Should I just turn around and walk away?

As if a spell has been broken, the crowd breaks out into cheers. My knees almost buckle beneath me at the unexpected uproar - if anything, I was expecting District One to boo me off the stage.

My heart is pounding as I bow my head to the crowd one more time before turning back and rushing to the Town Hall doors. Cameras follow me as I slip through the massive doors; the crowd is still cheering as the doors close behind me.

I feel like throwing up - did all of that just happen, or am I just in a convoluted dream right now?

Ramona approaches me, resting her hand on my back. "That was... spectacular," she breathes. "One of the most memorable Victory Tour speeches I've ever seen, Rochelle."

"Well, you could have stuck to the cards a little more closely," Venetia chides. "But, yes, you were absolutely fantastic, dear. Who knew you had all that in you!"

"People will be talking about that speech years from now, Rochelle," Ramona says. "Mark my words."

I smile, but I don't care about any of that. "I'm glad I was able to get that out," I sigh. "It needed to be done."

The Town Hall doors open, and the Victors file back into the Town Hall. Decimus makes a beeline for the exit, but he's stopped in his tracks by the mayor. He doesn't seem to pay attention to the mayor, instead glancing in my direction. He catches my gaze - he must've known that I would be watching him. He offers me a small nod before returning his focus to the mayor.

Velvet approaches us with the woman I saw earlier.

"Congratulations, sweetheart," Velvet says, giving my hand a kiss. "Off to the Capitol, now. The hard part's over - enjoy it."

Velvet gives Venetia a wink before turning to talk to the one of the nearby Peacekeepers. His companion extends a hand to me.

"Priscilla Annis," she says, shaking my hand. "It's a pleasure to have you here, Rochelle. You were very close to both of our tributes, and it was so valuable to hear your recognition of both of them. Truly, what a breath of fresh air. We don't hear speeches like that often, especially not here in One."

"Thanks," I say with a smile. "I don't know why the crowd went so crazy, though. I just spoke my mind - that's what I've been trying to do this whole time, ever since the Games."

"Well, the general sentiment towards you in the District was... not favorable ever since the Games," Priscilla tells me. "I think most of the District assumed that you would try and justify your win against August again - that's what you tried to do in your interview, after all. A lot of people around here expected August to be the winner during the Games, and they still refuse to see the strategic moves that you made. Hearing your heartfelt speech gave them the chance to honor their tributes, but it also allowed them to see you as an actual person who cared about August and Princess beyond the forced Capitol-fueled drama. I think that surprised a lot of people."

"Well, I'm glad I got it all off my chest," I say. Honestly, I don't care what District One thinks about me; I won't be coming back here again, that's for sure, but I'm glad that I came off the right way.

Decimus must be done talking to the mayor because I see him make a beeline for the exit. Priscilla sees that I'm distracted, and she turns to see him bolt outside.

"He'll come around," she reassures me. "It's hard for him, you know."

"He'll have to get over it," I scoff. "I've never done anything to him. The least he could do was greet me at the train station. I was rooting for August as much as he was, but I needed to look out for myself."

"He knows that," Priscilla assures me. "He doesn't hold anything against you, Rochelle, I promise. This is his first time mentoring, though, and his tribute almost won. He's used to winning, and this is the first of what will be many losses. Over time, he'll learn that the losses are simply learning experiences. For now, though, I think that Decimus feels like you robbed him of his rightful win. He'll come around, though."

"I'm sure he will," I say as politely as I can, but I don't really care if Decimus and I ever get along.

Venetia rests a hand on my shoulder. "Rochelle, we should be getting back to the train," she says.

Priscilla nods. "Well, best wishes on the remainder of your tour," she says with a wave. "Enjoy the food in the Capitol!"

Venetia sighs as she leads me back to Ramona. "The food is going to be spectacular, Rochelle," she gushes. "You're going to be treated like a queen!"

I feel as if a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The hard part is over - I said everything that I wanted to say, and now I'm done. I'm off to the Capitol, and then back to District Eight, and then this will all be over at last.

A/N - This is an extremely niche reference but I just want to throw it out there that Velvet is mentioned in Bleeding Hearts in the Interview chapter, as Amethyst and Victoria complain about his incompetence; at that point, Velvet is 74 years old. Just thought I would throw that out there for any BH readers :)

The last chapter is in the works - we'll see if I'm able to get it out by Saturday! Thanks again for all the support on this story - I'm so sad that it's coming to an end soon!