Light the Way

Chapter Six

Olivia woke up with a pounding headache. The memories of last night came back to her in a blur, the music, the Posca, Snow and her bumping shoulders, a wailing Livia and then spending the rest of the night being soaked in liquor. She rolled over in her bed, tangled in sheets, and grabbed one of the blue pills on her nightstand that would fix all of her problems. She had to admit, the Capitol had some good stuff to help with partying. Peeking at the holo-clock on the nightstand, she realized she needed to hurry up and get ready, Snow would be coming by soon to go over the paper for Dr. Gaul.

She always took her time getting ready, aiming to look her best and then some. Even on those tireless nights travelling to and from the districts with her father, she kept a compact on her to touch up her face. It was something that her mother had ingrained in her, even before the rebellion.

"You can't control what they think about you, or how they feel about you. But you'll be damned if you can't control what they see when they look at you." Her mother's words rang out in her ears, fiery and aggressive. It was hard not to miss her lately.

Beauty had always been a coveted luxury of the Capitol, becoming almost obsolete during the rebellion, and then making a comeback. These past few years, and even more so after the most recent hunger games, fashion and aesthetics had become the forefront. How you looked and what you wore determined how people treated you. Being vain could be seen as a secondary currency within the Capitol, helping you get what you want.

And she noticed the effect it had on people and how they treated her. Getting an extra serving at the Academy luncheon because she flashed the Avox a smile, having Festus take detailed notes for her without even having to ask most days, getting to skip the lines when shopping. Maybe she took advantage of it too. But she reasoned it was just another way the Capitol gave back to her for her servitude. Helping rebuild Panem and prevent another rebellion was always at the forefront for her. Something her classmates needed to be reminded of.

She continued prepping her face for the day and patted some extra makeup around her under eyes. As much as she had tried, she couldn't escape the dark bags that would form on the nights where her nightmares plagued her. The feeling of her entire house shaking as bombs were dropped around them, her parents and her huddled together, hoping that the next one didn't hit them. Even though it was years ago, most nights it felt like she was that little kid again, shaking and crying, waiting for them to stop.

Olivia finished off her elaborate routine, smoothed down her hair and tucked it behind her ears and went to get dressed. She wanted to dress smart, but comfortable since they'd be spending the rest of the evening here sorting through ideas and papers for who knows how many hours. Knowing Coriolanus would be dressed to impress, a part of her wanted to show him that she could match his effort. That she'd be a worthy partner, and maybe together they could prevent the next uprising. A smaller part of her, that she didn't want to admit just yet, wanted to look nice for him.

Olivia never spent much of her life gushing over boys like most of her friends did. Especially after Snow. Every year there'd be an even larger group of girls who would swoon any time he looked their way, burst into a fit of giggle when he spoke to one of them, and would doodle his name all across their notebooks. It was embarrassing. And her and Livia used to make fun of those girls together, back when they were actually friends. Plus, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of feeling chased. That wasn't her thing.

The fangirls did have one thing right though – Snow was undeniably gorgeous. His curly blonde locks and bright blue eyes would turn anyone's head. And after his summer spent training with the peacekeepers and packing on the muscle, he practically oozed sex.

But Olivia wasn't so easily dazzled by good looks, she knew what power they could have when used correctly. Even Festus, with his broad shoulders and perfect teeth, couldn't sway her. It was something else about Snow that piqued her interest though, that made her toes curl and her stomach do somersaults. It was his ideas. It was his performance in the tenth Hunger Games that truly won her over. His ability to do whatever it took to win, even if it meant his fellow classmates would lose.