The Name of the Game • C.S

4

"Mom." We walked in. "This is Coriolanus Snow."

"Oh. Hello there." She fixed her hair slightly before shaking his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I hear great things." He lied through his teeth.

She smiled widely at the compliment.

"He goes to school with me and I invited him to dinner."

"Oh wonderful, I'll have Calpurnia make another plate." She scrambled into the kitchen.

"Who's Calpurnia?" He whispered.

"She's our maid, technically." I cringed at the name.

His brows dipped and he gave me a look that I couldn't read.

"Dad." I walked into the living room, Coriolanus not far behind.

"What do you want?" He groaned from behind a newspaper.

"I brought a friend." I smiled.

He folded the new paper and glanced at Coriolanus, frowning slightly at the closeness of us causing me to step away.

"This is Coriolanus-"

"I'd know a Snow anywhere." He stood up to introduce himself, though it was probably just an excuse to tower over Coriolanus.

He stood his ground and shook my father's hand firmly.

"You look like your mother with your father's eyes."

"You knew my mother?"

"You could say that." He looked at me and gave me a genuine smile. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I invited him over for dinner, he walked me home and it was getting late."

"I see." My father examined Coriolanus and then me, attempting to assess the status of our relationship.

"Please do join us. We are having a delicious steak tonight." My father walked into the kitchen.

"Good evening Ms. Blackburn, Mr. Snow." Calpurnia sat a few plates down.

"Please, call me Coriolanus." He offered his hand, which she reluctantly took after deciding it would be rude not to.

"I've been asking her to call me Iris for years now, she won't budge." I joked, lightly clinging his bicep.

"Come sit, Iris." My father demanded from the head of the table as my mom pulled out a chair next to her.

I took the seat on the opposite side infront of her and Coriolanus sat beside me.

Harper slipped into the room. "Good evening mom, dad, row."

We all mumbled a good evening in response as she took a seat across from Coriolanus.

"This is my friend from school, Coriolanus Snow." I introduced him for what felt like the 25th time tonight.

She nodded her head towards him and blushed a shy laugh when he smiled at her.

Calpurnia sat the last of the plates down and we began eating.

"Coriolanus, I hear your cousin is going to be a designer in the Hunger Games." My mother inquired. "I work in the fashion industry, it's all the gossip we really get."

"Yes ma'am, she is very talented and her dream is for her designs to be known throughout all of Panem." He slowly ate at the salad.

"Well, I've seen a few of her pieces and they're quite....extravagant, don't you think?" My father sipped on his scotch.