Love comes in all shades | Coriolanus Snow x OC |

3. Roll of the dice

 The reaping day was slowly getting closer. Coriolanus couldn't be more excited for it. Not because he got some sort of odd pleasure from watching teenagers like him kill one another in an annual ritual. No, it would be unreasonable. He anticipated something else that was tied with that event - every year during the reaping ceremony the Plinth family announced who won their stipend. He had to admit, he considered himself a favorite of that year's competition. None of his classmates has shown a similar determination to get the prize as he did. Well, maybe except for Clemensia as she tried her best to gain recognition objectively speaking. Alas, she couldn't compare to him. It was sad how she seemed to be the only person left to think otherwise, but he wasn't going to correct her thinking process. She was sometimes helpful, after all. Besides, he needed friends.

He lacked in that area, but it was probably due to the fact that most of his peers were looking down at him. It'll change once I get rich, he reassured himself. When he'll get to that point he'll be able to choose friends, but for now he had to settle for those he already had in his corner. It's not that he didn't appreciate them, on the contrary. He admired them greatly for spending time with him and he'll always remember it, but that didn't change the fact that he'd like to have a choice in that matter. No one likes to have their options limited. It's as if you were walking down the aisle in the train, seeing all of the shiny new compartments and were only able to choose between the two of them, instead of the whole train. Limitations were frustrating, they were making him question things that he wasn't supposed to.

But for now he could put those thoughts aside. There was no point in it as he didn't get the Plinth's prize yet. There were still a few weeks left till the announcement would be made. And that meant for Coriolanus putting even more effort into his education. He had to make sure that no one else would even come closer to the winner's position. His whole life depended on it. That win would change his life completely. He would pay off his family's debts, maybe even make some repairs in their house, fill their fridge with all the food they wanted, buy Tigris something nice and fashionable and, of course, buy something for himself. Maybe he would finally expand his book collection. Maybe he would finally own them instead of borrowing them from friends and libraries.

Speaking of libraries, he was in one at the moment. It was the one that belonged to the Academy, which meant that it highly focused on educational materials such as handbooks and novels that were on the required-reading list. He liked that place with its dark wooden interior design and bookshelves that were as tall and wide as the walls inside. This room was truly filled with knowledge and he hoped that one day he'll remember at least half of it. Or maybe even contribute to its equipment either as a patron who spent his money on expanding the available selection of books here, or as one of the authors or even better - someone that books were written about. Just a mere thought put a smile on his face and with that on his mind he took the book that he needed - Latest reports on economic situation in Panem.

All of his classmates were asked to write a paper on their ideas of how to improve economics in Panem. It wasn't exactly hard to do, but it was a challenge nonetheless. At least for someone who meant to do it perfectly. And Coriolanus never aimed for something lesser than that. That's why he was ready to do Clemensia's part of the paper as well. Not that she wasn't dedicated to her education, but as much as he believed in her skills and ambition, he'd rather take care of it on his own this time. Maybe letting her do a small piece of it like elaborating on the ideas that he's already written down or check how his proposition sounds for others. After all, the way people perceived his ideas was equally important as the ideas itself. Simply because it were the people that had the power to decide whether his concepts are good or bad, whether they should be implemented or forgotten.

He sat at one of the tables placed around the library for keen students like him. It wasn't the most crowded place, so the risk of having unwanted company was close to none. Especially since it was quite late. All of the lectures were already finished and hence the majority of students left the building, going either home or to wander around the city if they had money to waste.