As Snow walks into the room, his shirt buttoned, trying to fit in, he thinks of his family. He's an orphan, carried by my grandma and close cousin. Think of them, he tells himself. Don't screw it up.
He tried his best not to make it seem like he was trying to fit in, but he was desperate. He wasn't rich, but he had to make it seem like he was as such. Around all the elegance in the Capitol, he couldn't let down. Not after what happened to his father, his legacy left to Coriolanus.
It was Reaping Day. He was lucky. As a Capitol child, he didn't know the feeling of anxious, nerving pain as the Districts see their friends and family picked for their inevitable death. He saw it one way and one way only. The day that the Capitol would show what rebellion would result in, hurt.
"Corio!" says his friend. As he speaks to them, his palms shake. Fitting in it hard, but trying not to show it is harder. As the stellar students sit, he sees the Gamemaker. Dr. Voluminous Gaul.
Breathe in...
Breathe out...Dr. Gaul proceeds with the usual speech. How rebellion will only cause harm, and Capitol knows best. This year, something felt... off. As the creator of the game, Casca Highbottom. As he announces the games, he includes a monologue of the Plinth prize. The Plinth prize... this is what he needed. He knew he couldn't pay for University. He knew his family couldn't afford it. They were starving and could barely afford food. They were barely getting along. He needed the Plinth. To bring success to his family. Fortune once again.
" The Plinth prize will no longer be given to the highest achievement out of you students or the highest grades," says Mr. Highbottom. Corio looks around and sees jaws dropped to the floor. "The prize will be given to whoever's mentee wins the Hunger Games. All of you will be mentors in the 10th annual Hunger Games."
What... Did you hear what I heard... He must be out of his mind... murmurs glistening though the crowd. Angered students. All this hard work for what?"You will be assigned your competitor today." announces Highbottom.
Oh no... Corio thought.
As they're reading the tributes off, and the mentor along, there goes District one. Two. Three. Five. Ten. Eleven. No Coriolanus Snow called. This was it. He got a District 12 child. The runts. The rebels. The coal miners. He accepted his fate of no Plinth prize.
The lady for the District 12 tribute for the Hunger Games is... Amelia Gray Baird.
The camera shoots to a young woman, about 18 year old. She looks up to the camera with a grimace of a sort, but not of a know it all. Of a person who knows their life is over. A person who's excepted their fate.
As she walks up, people whisper of the girl in weird dress. The skinny, small girl who will die first.
Amelia Gray Baird goes to our last but not least, Coriolanus Snow.
As she walks past a girl with bright red hair, you see her step off. She's holding something... a snake. Hm, strange. As she walks to the girl, she pulls her dress up and throws the snake down her back. Coriolanus jumps up in horror, who is this girl, he thought.
The girl screams for help, she screams in terror of a little snake.
Amelia walks up to the stage and is smacked effortlessly by the Mayor.
She is pressured to the ground, and Peacemakers run to help her, but she refuses.
As she gets up weakly, you can hear a panning of a voice in the crowd. A song. A song? Are you serious?
Amelia gets up and out of her mouth comes a compelling melody. Singing... is she out of her mind?
You can't take my charm... you can't take my humor... you can't take my wealth...
I can't take this any longer. As Coriolanus steps out, he can feel his future slipping away. Any chance of a good education, anything. Slipped away from his palms. Because he got chosen for the runt girl in District 12.
Any sign he knew of hope, anything. Gone in the blink of an eye.
YOU ARE READING
Everything I Need, But Can't Have
RomanceAmelia Gray Baird is the tribute for the 10th annual Hunger Games. As she trains, she slowly falls for her mentor, Coriolanus Snow, who cares for her unconditionally. Little does she know, he is only doing it for the infamous and wealthfilled Plinth...