Beth Crissino, Victor

Everyone knows Districters can't come to the Capitol... unless they get invited. Which, as a legal Capitol citizen (despite my primary residence in Four), I now had the ability to do. So that's how, upon Isabella warning me that all the Victors were going to show up at my door insisting on an initiation, about twenty District Four elementary schoolers ended up at a rented-out Capitol water park. Maybe a few more than twenty, since I let them bring their friends, plus some of the Victors brought theirs.

I peeked over from the lazy river I was floating on, watching my students but not quite going over to them. I wasn't sure what they'd think of me. They didn't seem scared, which was nice, but so far I hadn't really interacted with them. On the train they'd been distracted by all the new sights and the novelty of traveling, and once we got to the park they'd scattered to try out all the cool-looking rides. Eventually they'd want to talk to me, but I had no idea what to say. Was I even the same person anymore? How would I react if my PE teacher killed three people, then wanted to act like everything was normal?

"It's weird going back, isn't it?" I put down my feet to stop my raft as I drifted past Gidget, who was sitting on the river's edge with her feet dangling in. She was looking off towards the wave pool, where I could see one of her sons trying not to wipe out.

"What did they say when you came back?" I asked as I hauled myself out of the river to sit next to her.

"They never mentioned my first Games. They still haven't, really," Gidget said. "I guess... what do you say about watching your mom die? But when I came back, they acted way more normally than I did. They brag about it to their friends. I guess kids don't know what normal is until they see it from adults."

"So I should act normal?" I asked, not expecting an answer. It felt like lying. Not so much to the kids, but still. Lying to everyone I killed. Lying to the friends we lost. Definitely lying to myself.

"Life is simpler for kids. Sometimes we should learn from that," Gidget shrugged.

A bunch of my students were in the shallow end of one of the pools, fighting over who got to climb onto Randy's shoulders to throw balls into a hoop mounted by the side of the pool. I started in that direction, looking over at one of the snack tables so I could pretend I was going there if I chickened out.

"Mx Crissino!"

Current blew my plan out of the metaphorical and physical water by screaming my name. The other kids all turned to look and the pool exploded into thrashing waves as they came for me.

"We knew you'd make it!"

"Tempest said you wouldn't."

"Did not!"

"Did too, I heard it."

"Shut up, they're back."

The children clustered around me by the side of the pool, dripping everywhere and leaving dark patches on the ground. I took a seat at one of the snack tables just so we'd have a place to gather.

"So... did you all see me on TV?" I asked.

"Yeah, but my mom made me close my eyes when people were fighting," Tetra said.

"Not me. I saw Mx. Crissino kill three people," Current bragged. My stomach clenched at the words, but I tried to keep a straight face.

"You have to. It's the Games," Tetra defended me.

"Would you kill us if we were in the Games?" Selkie asked, her eyes shining like this was a fun possibility.

"I wouldn't have volunteered then," I said, after landing on a safe answer.

"They couldn't have been in with you, dummy, since she got put in the female slot even though she's not exactly," Tempest said.

I didn't realize until I got lightheaded how shallowly I'd been breathing. But listening to the kids... they were talking about the Games, sure, but they weren't scared. My heart hurt when I realized the Games were just normal to them. When I got Reaped, they were sad, but it was just life. Now I was back, and I'd killed people, and that was also normal. What a world to live in... but at least I was still accepted in it.

"So what are you going to do now? Just party every day? You don't need to teach anymore," Sunset said.

"What? And not get to hang out with all you kids? No way," I said. "I think I just want to go back to how things were."

"You wanna come play basketball with us?" Tetra asked.

"Definitely. One on one, me versus Randy. Who wants a ride?" I asked.

"I want Randy!" Selkie screamed.

"What?!" I asked.

"He's way taller than you so we'll win," Selkie said.

Wow. Scooped by someone they just met. That's kids for you. They'll always tell you where you stand with them.