drapetomonia - the overwhelming urge to run away.
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When Junia Beaumont, her brother and their classmates get a last assignment before the end of the school year, she doesn't know just how quickly things will change for her.
Who would have thought t...
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28. the interview
The spotlight is bright, so much so it blinds the both of them as they take the stage together.
Treech’s clean appearance earns him a spontaneous round of applause and June is pretty sure she can hear her little brother cheering the loudest. She almost thinks the excitement of Tanner’s and Domitia’s interview is what keeps the crowd going for so long but it really seems like it’s Treech.
She can’t blame them. Even though she always found him charming even when he was covered in dirt, sweat and grime she knows the audience here welcomes his clean clothes and face as a nice change of pace. Aside from Lucy Gray — who will be on stage after Treech — the other tributes went to face the crowd in clothes they had been wearing for almost two weeks. Perhaps they feel like the pair really put in an effort preparing for this the others didn’t think or simply didn’t bother to make.
It wasn’t her intention, not at all, but June finds some satisfaction in knowing that this must irk Coriolanus. Always eager for the spotlight, he must feel like her and Treech are stealing his thunder now.
But she’ll take it. At the end of the day, despite the fact that Treech’s demonstration will definitely excite the people of the Capitol, Lucy Gray’s singing will still outshine all of them in a heartbeat.
She blinks, trying to get her eyes adjusted to the light. When he squeezes her hand, she takes a deep breath and finds some comfort in the fact that his palms are just as damp as hers.
Especially for Treech who’s not used to TV crews, being put on a stage in front of so many people is incredibly overwhelming. He remembers holding presentations at school at most but that aside, he has never been watched by this many people before. There was the reaping but that is something he’d like to forget about. Knowing that most of the attention is on him right now — June is with him but in the end, it’s still him they’re curious about — is not helping either.
Lucky has a bright smile on his face that feels incredibly stiff at this point. June can’t help but think his face must be hurting at this point because hers definitely would be. But he’s a professional for a reason. Dressed in a tailored suit and smelling of something very expensive even from a distance, his presence radiates both professionalism and enthusiasm.
“Welcome, welcome!” He speaks into the mic.
He faces the audience, “Now, I know we’re all very excited for our second last tribute for the evening, but remember: we’re on a tight schedule!”
When the crowd slowly begins to quieten down, he sucks in a sharp breath. He makes a gesture with his hand, inviting the mentor-tribute pair a little bit closer. There’s an undeniable twinkle in his eyes when his eyes lock on their tightly intertwined hands but instead of pointing it out immediately, he straightens up and waits until it’s so quiet you can almost hear a pin drop.
