Baird's girl

Chapter 7

May 5, 2017
District 12

Thomas and Amber were brought back to District 12 in the early morning. When it came time to get off the train bringing them back to 12, Thomas helped Amber down as he had done with her and Lucy at the Capitol. She smiled at him in thanks. After a brief silence, Thomas said:
"I... I'm going to find my family, I hope you'll be okay."
"It'll be fine, don't worry."
Thomas started to leave, when Amber grabbed his arm to stop him and said:
"If... if you ever want to see each other again, outside of the bar I mean, we often go to the lake with my cousins and my brother, if ever one day you want to join us, don't hesitate."
Thomas smiled and replied:
"I'll think about it."
Amber smiled and said:
"I'm going to go, see you tonight maybe."
Then she left.
All this happened under the eyes of Jeremy, Amber's ex-boyfriend, the reason why Mary had sent her to her death, he was jealous, jealous of Thomas and the bond that he and Amber were starting to weave.

Amber found her mother, her brother, and her cousin Joana, as well as Michel, the man she saw as her father, a father figure. She hugged them, everyone was happy to see her return alive but at the same time sad not to find Lucy. When Amber realized the absence of her cousin, Maude, she asked her mother:
"Where is Maude?"
"She's by the lake, she was in tears when she left, she thinks she lost both of you."
Amber felt bad, she then said:
"I'm going to go see her."

When Amber arrived at the lake, she saw the silhouette of her cousin, sitting on the ground. Amber approached and said:
"Maude?"
Maude turned around and sighed with relief, she stood up and said:
"Amber, I thought I lost both of you, I was so scared."
"I'm here now my dear, it's going to be okay," said Amber calming her cousin.

In the evening, most of the inhabitants of District 12 gathered at the bar to hear the winners' speeches, and their tribute to the victims of the games, it was a tradition in District 12 that Amber held very dear, especially this year. The evening began with songs from Joana, Amber's youngest cousin, who was at the counter next to Michel; he said to her:
"Are you sure you want to do this this year?"
Amber looked at the guitar on stage; which no one used anymore, intentionally left there, because it had belonged to Lucy; before answering:
"Yes."

Jeremy, meanwhile, approached Thomas, who was near the exit, and said in a haughty manner:
"So you're Thomas? The new winner? The survivor? The one who fell in love with my girlfriend?"
Thomas replied:
"Amber is no longer your girlfriend, I think she made that clear enough to you."
Jeremy confidently affirmed:
"She still loves me and she will come back to me."
"Love doesn't work like that you know? You can't force someone's feelings, and after everything that happened with Mary, the Capitol, the arena, and Lucy's death, it would be surprising if Amber chose to come back to you."
"We'll see"
What stopped Jeremy in his tracks was Amber's voice, coming from the stage as she prepared to make her speech. As she got ready, the crowd, thinking she would sing first, applauded. Amber, with the humor she was known for at the bar, said:
"Come on, everyone, I would need silence, please. It would be silly to end up with a snake in your clothes, go on."
The audience let out light laughter before quieting down, and Amber took on a more serious tone before she began:
"I am here on stage not to sing, not this time, but to honor the memory of the lives lost. And I will start with Lucy, who used to play her guitar here for all of you, who now will never do so again. I also speak of all those who fought and suffered in the arena, and two of whom didn't even have time to fight and left behind an immense void. But them, and the injustice of their deaths will not be forgotten, they were 8 of ours and they will remain so. To those who perished in the arena and for whom we will live, because it is certainly the closest thing to what they would have wanted."
As soon as Amber finished her speech, she stepped down from the stage, and Joana resumed singing, accompanied by her sister Maude on the guitar.
Meanwhile, Thomas stood apart, watching the scene. He had warned Amber not to expect anything from him regarding the speech; he didn't have the strength. He couldn't help but think of Amber, her courage, and how she had captivated the audience with her words. He knew the days ahead would be difficult, but he was determined to be there for her, to support her.
Michel, on the other hand, was serving drinks, listening to what was being said around him, offering smiles or friendly pats when necessary.