Though now she lived in the districts, she was capitol born. She knew all of his hardships and never looked at him any differently. She handled him with such gentleness, and kindness. She was a rare bird, His Nightingale. Just like he had been for h...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Sejanus!" he burst out. Launching himself off his bunk, and wrapping his arms tightly around him. In this moment Coriolanus had never been so happy to see anyone in his life.
Sejanus embraced him. "This is a surprisingly warm welcome for the person who almost destroyed you!"
A slightly hysterical laugh left Coriolanus's lips, and for a second he considered the accuracy of the claim. It was true, Sejanus had endangered his life by stealing into the arena, but it was too far a reach to blame him for all the rest. As aggravating as Sejanus could be, he'd had no hand in Dean Highbottom's vendetta against his father or in the handkerchief debacle.
"No, no, quite the opposite" He released Sejanus and examined him. Dark circles shadowed his eyes and he must have lost at least fifteen pounds. But on the whole he had a lighter air, as if the great weight he'd carried in the Capitol had been lifted. "What are you doing here?"
"Hm. Let's see. Having defied the Capitol by entering the arena, I, too, was on the verge of expulsion. My father went before the board and said he would pay for a new gymnasium, if the academy would let me graduate and sign up for the Peacckeepers. They agreed, but I said I wouldn't take the deal unless they'd let you graduate, too. Well, Professor Sickle really wanted a new gym, and she said what did it matter if we were both tied up for the next twenty years anyway?" Sejanus set his duffel on the floor and dug out his box of personal items.
"I..I got to graduate?" said Coriolanus.
Sejanus opened the box, removed a small leather folder with the schools emblem, and held it out with great ceremony. "Congratulations. You are no longer a dropout."
Coriolanus flipped open the cover and found a diploma with his name inscribed in curlicues. The thing must have been written out in advance, because it even credited him with High Honors. "Thank you. I guess it's pointless now, but it still matters to me."
"You know, if you ever wanted to take the officer candidate test, it might matter. You need to have graduated secondary school. Dean Highbottom brought that up as something that should be denied you. He said you broke some rule in the Games to help Juniper? Anyway, he got outvoted." Sejanus chuckled. "He's really wearing on people."
"So I'm not universally reviled?" said Coriolanus.
"For what? Finding out your childhood friend was alive after all these years? For falling in love with her all over again? I think the majority of the people pity you." said Sejanus. "Turns out there's lost of romantics among our teachers, And Juniper made quite a good impression."
Coriolanus grabbed his arm. "Do you know what happened to her? Or where she might be?"
Sejanus shook his head. "They usually send the victors back to their districts, don't they?"
