An Ode to Her - Coriolanus Snow

Chapter 3

Gem of Panem
Mighty city
Through the ages you shine anew

Coriolanus groaned, rolling out of bed and almost falling onto the cool floor. The Grandma'am was obviously awake, serenading the penthouse with her strained singing. She was always off-key, and Coriolanus had tried to remind her of that daily, but she never seemed to listen. He checked the time and cursed his grandmother. He didn't have school for another two hours. He couldn't fall back asleep, so he stomped into the kitchen, surprised to see Tigris already awake.

She turns from the stove to greet him. "Good morning."

"You're up early," he observed.

"Grandma'am... Well..." She trailed off, nodding her head toward their grandmother's room. The boy nodded, understanding, and kissed his cousin on the forehead.

"You're much more patient than I," he said, taking a seat at the table. A bowl of porridge appears before him in minutes. The sweet smell of cinnamon floods his nostrils. He took two bites, even though he burned his taste buds. It was so sweet, that it almost made up for his rude awakening.

"She's old, Coriolanus," she reminds him. "Who knows how many more times we'll hear her singing?"

"I'm counting down the days," he jokes. But she hits him on the arm playfully, stifling a laugh. She sets off to grab the Grandma'am, and prepare her for the day. She wasn't so old that she needed help with dressing, or going to the bathroom, but she needed little directions to keep her on track. Like eating. She was prone to forgetting. Coriolanus wished he had that problem. Hunger was a never-ending battle he had faced his entire life. Who knows when it would cease? When I win the money, he thought.

He finished his breakfast, and got ready for his morning. The sun was now up, shining softly through the dirty windows. It was nice, to see sunshine on this morning. He needed a reminder of the good that will come from these Games. Money, always welcomed. And the fame, how he craved it. But most of all, what he truly wanted, what he truly needed, was control. That was his favorite thing about the Capitol; its control it held over the districts. Everything needed to be controlled. Too much freedoms, too much hope, well it leads to things like rebellions. Which can ruin lives, such as his own.

Snow lands on top.

But one thing remained stuck in his brain. The girl, Carolina. Her song replayed in his mind over and over again until he was sick of it. If the song wasn't about him, then who was it about? Another boy back home? The thought sickened him. The idea of another man enjoying her, getting to love her, it made him angry. So angry he had to take several laps around his room before he was ready to head for the Academy. He walked slow, weighing his options for the day. He'll have to steal some food again, or convince one of his professors to grant the tributes a little something every day until the Games. Otherwise, he's not sure half of them will even survive living in the monkey house.

He was stopped by a disgruntled Clemensia before he could even enter the building.

"You need to get inside right now!" She looked frantic, but kept her voice hushed and quick. Coriolanus didn't ask questions and followed his classmate into the Academy. She guided him through the bustling students, most shooting him some approving smiles or nods. Did they like Carolina? She must have made an impression for him to be noticed. Not that he wasn't noticed before, but usually never for a good reason. People normally gave him little glares or snickers, because he was always one step ahead of everyone else. But now, now they seemed to like him. And that, he could enjoy.