Light the Way

Chapter Fourteen

Pluribus' club had become the hot-spot for young Capitol-ites, a frequent club for many University students to grab a drink and listen to some instrumental music. Hell, it was the very same spot where Coriolanus' own father and Dean Highbottom came up with the idea of the games in the first place.

As the group entered, Coriolanus heard some music similar to what was playing the night of Festus' party. The Capitol must have been going through the archives by artist because the voice sounded familiar. He wondered if Festus was annoyed that he no longer had such a one of a kind piece of art anymore.

Olivia grabbed his hand and led him over to the bar, ordering two glasses of Posca for them, and being sure to add it to Tobias Greenwood's open tab. Pluribus noticed them from the other side of the bar and gave Coriolanus a friendly wave and he raised his glass in response.

"Cheers!" Olivia said, clinking her glass with his. They sat together on the stools surrounding the bar, his arm around her shoulders, drinking and watching their classmates on the dance floor. Laughing as Festus tried his best to dance with Persephone Price, who indeed needed some cheering up.

"Was he upset?" Olivia asked, looking up at Coriolanus, who nodded in response. "He's not as heartbroken as I thought he would be." She laughed out. How quick the heart could heal when it was never really committed in the first place.

"Is that what you are now? Olivia Lumen, breaker of hearts?" He teased back, keeping his eyes locked with hers every time he took a sip of his drink.

"Maybe, if you play your cards right." She winked back, leaning into him.

A giggling group of girls made their way over as a new song started, yelling in excitement and pulling Olivia to dance with them. She let out a laugh and followed the group, dancing and swaying, enjoying the moment. Turning back to flash Coriolanus a smile.

"Oh boy were you right about Persephone." Festus appeared, almost slamming into the bar next to Coriolanus out of excitement, eyes wild. No doubt obsessed over another Capitol girl already.

"Glad to see you've recovered." Coriolanus quipped, feeling a slight jab was only fair.

Festus threw his head back and laughed, drunk from the Posca and letting his worries wash away. He sat back against the bar with Coriolanus, getting them a refill and turning to watch the girls dance, his eyes all over Persephone Price, who was swaying her hips with Olivia.

"Oh, would you look at them!" Festus jeered, hungrily taking in the dancing women. Coriolanus nodded again, eyes only trained on Olivia and her movements, liking how confident and careless she looked out there. Throwing her head back and singing along with the song.

Blue jeans, white shirt
Walked into the room you know you made my eyes burn
It was like, James Dean, for sure
You're so fresh to death and sick as c-cancer

Olivia swayed with the music, having drank her Posca and ditching the glass somewhere, she brought both of her hands up into the air with the music, bringing them back down and over her body. Her head thrown back to sing out the lyrics. Eyes trained on Coriolanus at the bar as she moved, wanting him to watch her. Imagining it was his hands all over her. The music pulsed through her, amplified by the tipsiness she was feeling.

You were sorta punk rock, I grew up on hip hop
But you fit me better than my favorite sweater and I know
That love is mean, and love hurts
But I still remember that day we met in December, oh baby!

Giggling with the other girls around her, she danced and laughed. Happy for everything to have worked out so far, and thinking anything else thrown at them would be an easy fix. They could figure it out together. Olivia and Coriolanus. The brightest of their year.