Hate Me || Coriolanus Snow x Reader

Chapter III

I really was now doomed to spend my time in the presence of Coriolanus Snow. As if the whole universe couldn't hate me more.

I covered my mouth with my hand, as I yawned.

It was a great idea go to the first class and rush to the bus station later on. All in the hole name of Hunger Games.

Sitting with my arms crossed on my chest, I was looking trought the window at all the run down homes.

"You think yours is gonna win?" He asked, and I could see in the reflection of the glass that he put his hands behind his head.

Why did he even sit down next to me?

There were lots of empty seats availabe.

"If she proves worthy, then yes."

His smug smile suddenly dissapeared as he wasn't preapred for such an anwser from me.

"Worthy as in doing what she was ordered to in the moment her name was read aloud."

How easy it was for him to say it.

Why was I not surprised?

"Worthy, as in, if she trurly desires to live." I didn't even look at him, as the bus was moving towards the site under costruction.

Where would we there discusd everything with our tribute? I did not know.

Hopefully not under some rusty scaffolding.

"Or maybe she will live if I suck up by Doctor Gaul enough, for her to let me bend the rules a little bit." He didn't knew that I saw all his reactions displayed on the window.

His body froze, but his face didn't change a little bit. Maybe it was the changing surroundings outside, or maybe it was real. His pupils dialeted, as his eyes seemed to darken.

"Lucy Gray wasn't so fond of you risking everything for her, was she? Since you are here and she is ... missing?"

Even if his reflection was a little bit blurry, I could still see how his jaw muscles tensed. How his open palm on his lap changed into a fist.

I stood up as the bus made his final stop, loking only now Snow in the eyes.

"Good to know that you have feelings, since that struck a nerve." I smirked at him, passing trough him.

Letting him sit there alone.

He had to go out of the bus anyway, since our presence was obligatory on all of those events.

Seeing already how our tributes were led with handcuffs towards seats put out under the blue sky, I stopped, watching them.

How the Peace Makers shoved them, how they throwed their hands onto heavy metal tables just to cuff their hands to the tables.

It almost made me feel for them remorse as I once did.

No, I had to snap out of it.

"Having second thoughts?" When did Coriolanus catch up with me?

Or was the whole procedure taking so long?

"Are you talking about yourself?" Why was I always bothering myself with giving him an anwser?

It's not like I was in debt to him.

"Well, it's not me watching them with sad eyes." He put his hands in his pockets, as his gaze turned towards other mentors, who still were standing divided in their groups.

Both of us knew what we had to do, so that our tributes would live longer than expected, but none of us wanted to befriend them.

Show that we do need them even for a little bit.

Our pride was too big for that.

"If you can count, count on yourself." I stated, as my gaze went just where his was.

On those predatory eyes who wanted to crush us.

"Hope it will save you, [Y/N]."

What did he mean with that?

"Wha-" I wanted to ask him if there was a hidden meaning behind it, but he moved forward.

Seeing how all tributes were cuffed down, and we would have to take our places soon.

Three meetings. This is how much we got to think of a plan, without knowing where the Hunger Games would be held, since the old arena was destroyed.

I sat before Mags, which hands were pinned down.

Everything seemed almost like one year ago. Us sitting in a circle, so that the female tribute from District 12 had her back turned to the boy from District 1.

Maybe it was better that the arena got destroyed. Thanks to that, fresh air was surrounding us, and not that musty air which reeked of death.

Involuntary, sitting right before the girl, I could see Coriolanus back. His blonde hair which grew out nicely since he cut it off for the military.

His posture yet again getting thinner since he came back.

"Why did you choose me?" Mags Flanagan - my tribute wasn't so eager to get to know a tactic for survival.

No.

She was different from other tributes, and that's why I have chosen her.

"You were the only one to accept your fate." I gave my hands on the stool, as I was mirroring hers placement.

"Yeah, to die," she anwsered, as she shook her head. "And I had to pretend for my family that I would win." She added with a quiet voice.

I didn't care if she was putting just an act to soften me or was saying the truth.

I carefully placed my hands on her cuffed ones, as I squezzed them slighlty.

This small gesture made her glance at me confused, so that a small wrinkle appeared on her forehead.

"Let's make that win real, because I don't do pretend." With the tips of her fingers she squezzed my palms back, her eyes glancing at mine.

"Don't act like a saint." She scoffed, and I took my hands away.

"Oh thank you, but I'm far away from a saint. And if you want to come back to your family, you will have to leave the idea of coming back as the same person."

"Then whats's the point in winning?"

"Living. Not letting your family mourn you when you win." I swallowed my saliva, as I tried hard not to reminisce his death.

The empty hole he left with his death.

"Won't they mourn too if I come back different?" As she asked that, the guards told us that our time ended.

Due to safety reasons we must leave the place as the tributes are still cuffed to the tables.

We didn't know where they would be taken to, since their whereabouts was changed for this year and it wasn't made a public information.

Those in power tried to avoid repetitions of the events last year. After all, it made some of the Capitol citizens Wonder whether the Hunger Games were really good for us.