12
Home Sweet Home
I spent the entire morning pacing about the train, crossing from the bar car to the dining ccar, to the rooms, and so on. Mags, Tristan, and Garcia all ordered lemonades and sat on the couch, watching me with amusement. I didn't find it funny, not at all. It felt like I'd been away from home forever, that when I returned everyone should be grown up or even dead and buried. It didn't feel right that I'd be going home and everyone and everything would look the same. I didn't even like looking in the mirror anymore because I was always expecting to see someone different staring back at me, but it always was the same teenage boy with messy bronze hair and green eyes. What was I expecting? To be older? Maybe just different.
What should I expect back at home? I'm sure they will cheer, we always cheer whenever a kid comes home from the games to our district. But what about my friends? Would they treat me the same or would they be intimidated? My mother and father, what would they think? Marina's friends and family, what would they say to me when I delivered her letters? It was all too much to think about, Mags told me that I should just try not to worry until I get there because there's no way to know what to expect. But I couldn't stop, thoughts were spinning in my head until we crossed the border gate for my district. I rushed to the window and glued my forehead to the glass, watching as the familiar palm trees and grass huts raced by. My heart was swelling; I'd missed this so much. Finally the shore came into view and the sight of the sand and ocean overwhelmed me. I wanted to start running and jumping and shouting, but I had to stay put and soak in the image through the window. What I wouldn't give to leap out of this moving train and into that water.
We began to come to a halt, and I stood up on shaky legs. Mags gave me and encouraging smile and told me I should get changed. I nodded and went to my room, putting on the light, white tunic and pants they laid out for me. When I saw my reflection this time, I really looked like my old self, as if I'd never gone to the arena. I wish I could believe it.
I met up with the mentors outside the door, trying not to look nervous. Garcia was right behind us, fussing with her crazy hair and time schedule. Tristan propped his hand up on his hip and pretended to look at a watch, assuming Garcia's feminine twitchiness. When she noticed him mocking her, he got a sound whack on the head with her clipboard. We all laughed-except for Garcia of course-which I appreciated. I was so nervous the laughs sounded like nervous spasms.
We stopped completely and Mags reached out, squeezing my hand with her soft, bony one. I looked at her and she tapped her lips, reminding me to smile. I guess my attempt was funny because it made her laugh.
The doors slid open and at first the light was completely blinding, and then the cheering exploded and was completely deafening. So for a good five seconds I stood there shaking my head, trying to get my senses back. And then when my sight came back, I was besieged was just how many people stood in front of me. The entirety of District Four must be there, cheering and clapping and waving. I scanned the crowd and found some of my friends, trying to scream over the deafening roar. I waved to them and then found my parents; my mother in tears clutching my father's hand, who was beaming up at the me. I couldn't help but feel pumped, everyone was happy to see me! All my friends, my family, everyone here was cheering for me, because I came home.
After a few minutes of waving and grinning ear to ear, the peacekeepers let me down off the platform and into the crowd. For once in my life I was glad that the peacekeepers were there to help part the crowd to the ones I loved. My mother came crashing through the swarm and pulled me into her. I wrapped my arms around her without hesitation, absorbing the smell of her hair and the warmth of her skin-a thing a thought I'd never experience again. She was sobbing unintelligible things into the back of my head. My father came up behind me, so that when I managed to untangle myself from my mom, he swept me up into one of his rare but enthusiastic hugs. I embraced him quickly and then allowed my mom to link on to my arm. My aunts and uncles all filed up with my cousins, congratulating me and slapping my back.
