#apogtrainride

My goodbyes were short since it was only Ollie that came to see me. I had only just began to process that Xavier volunteered too. We were civil since our last meeting. In all honesty I was not excited about sharing the same living space with him. There is no plus side to this arrangement. We clash easily. He is full of shit. I happen to have a low tolerance for bull shit. People can change but he seems to like reverting to his douche bag semi alter ego. I asked a nearby avox to grab a napkin and a pen for me. There's something I need to jot down before we get to the Capitol.

As I wait I hold my locket tightly. My only tie to home at the moment. I was careful to keep my fingers off the scanner. I wouldn't want the contents to come out accidentally.

The avox came back right as I was joined by Xavier.

As soon as we left the Justice Building we were surrounded on all sides by people. Every walk of life seemed to be represented as they stood there, not screaming and cheering like I expected the Capitol hordes to behave but solemn, silent. I caught a glimpse of tears running down the faces of a few and I returned them with a hopeful smile; there was no use letting them believe their own tributes had given up already.

The carriage ride to the train was both short and uneventful. As before there were people pressed together forming a long corridor for the carriage to move through. I tried my best to avoid their saddening gazes but something about them drew me in, as if I'd never really stopped to just pay attention to the matter of people who lived here. A woman with three screaming children and worry lines dug deep in her face like long forgotten river beds, an old man with a bum leg and a kitten perched on his shoulder. 

The car ride to the train was quiet and awkward. To pretend he didnt notice Rider was looking -or pretending to look- at his files. From what I could see that was files about us. The car arrived and we were pushed into the train. It took me everything not to be amazed by what it looked like; everything was so beautiful and look so cozy. I am sure if I wasnt about to go into a game to kill 23 people, I would enjoy this. But right now it was a bit weird. Rider told us to sit as he was going to talk to our host and I look at Aspen. I was about to talk when she turn back at me and go sit in a sofa. 

I probably felt asleep after my parents left, because I can’t remember what I did between their departure and the moment a peacekeeper knocked on the door, telling me to get out and follow them, which I did calmly. I did not saw Jarel anywhere, which made me believe we would be taken to the train station separately. The ride to the train station was short and I did not recognize any of the faces that were looking at our vehicle. My family was probably already home, trying to comfort each other.   

As I stepped on the train, that tall lady I saw earlier on stage came to great me. Evidently, I did not really felt like talking to the lady who had picked my name out of the thousands there were in the box. I decided to smile to her cordially, but not to talk to her for now. For what I picked of our “conversation” her name was Adriana Haidee and she was “soooooo pleased to me meeeee!”. Already, that annoyed me. She then added that we would meet our mentor later as they wanted me and Jarel to calm down a little bit and she indicated me where our room were. Without saying thank you, I entered my room, told her to tell Jarel where I was and closed the door on her face. I knew it was not her false if I was there, but I wanted to see Jarel, my parents, my friends, anyone exept all of those capitol idiots.

There was warmth this time. Images of last night flashed behind my closed eyes. Every word exchanged came back to me with complete clarity. It was as if I was living it again. Damn that was intense. I hope that never happens again. Who am I kidding. Disaster follows me around, I have the scars to prove it. Speaking of scars, the cut from last night will leave one. That would be scar number 3 from Chirre. He would freak if he realized that fact.

I can't handle this nearly as well as I thought I could, so I excuse myself for a bit and head into the compartment that's labelled as mine. Great. I have my own living space. I close the sliding doors behind me, doing my best to fight the urge to slam them shut. This might be a gilded cage, but it was a cage nonetheless and I wanted to get the hell out.

After saying goodbye to my parents, I smile and wave at the cameras leading to the train and step on it quickly with Garrett next to me, as sad as it sounds, this was probably going to be the most bonding we'll probably ever do, especially if I don't make it out of here alive. He yawns and I smile and shake my head, he loved his sleep him.

"Tired brother?" I say with a grin on my face, someone hadn't been home last night and was wore the same clothes he went out in for the Reaping, he must have thought no one had noticed, he smiled back at me and bit the inside of his cheek.

"You have no idea..." we both laugh and when Keira steps on the train we turn to look at her and stop, Garrett looks at her up and down and then back at me and raises an eyebrow before punching me in the shoulder and walking away giving us some space.

"I'll leave you kids to mingle" he says before heading to his, I assume designated room. I head towards Keira and smile.

I jammed the heels of my hands to my eyes and quickly rid my face of any remaining tears as the Peacekeeper once again returned to show me out to the train. I followed him out, met with the all too blunt enthusiasm of Veronica and the all too mysteriously silent girl whose name I’d already forgotten. We weaved through the crowd, some of them with the nerve to look happy to see me go. I hadn’t ever been so grateful to get onto a train in my life, although I knew I was leaving the boys behind and it ached inside me. As we stepped in, I took in our surroundings and noticed our train was a little smaller than I’d expected, but still lavishly decorated. 

“You two are so lucky, we’re one of the closest Districts to the Capitol!” Veronica gushes, puttering around in her bright green heels. “We’ll be there before dinner, so don’t get too cozy!” With that, she scurries away through a door and out of sight.