𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃, coriolanus snow

𝟬𝟬𝟴. enjoy the show

╭── ✿ ❀ ღღ ✿ ❀ ──╮
008. enjoy the show
╰── ❀ ✿ ღღ ❀ ✿ ──╯

gracie may felt guilty. brandy was dead and so was coriolanus' classmate. she shouldn't have let brandy let go of her and and go back to getting teased. it was all she could think about as she sat awake through the night. wovey hadn't been able to sleep and to be honest, gracie may probably couldn't if she tried.

she and the district eight girl sat under one of the rocks in the zoo and spoke about back home. wovey told her about her older brother who worked in the factory and about her friend, casper, who gave her spare fabric patches his mother made that were very pretty. gracie may told her all about lucy gray and how much she'd love her singing. wovey asked if she was as good a singer as gracie. gracie said she was better. wovey said that was impossible.

even though it was a long night full of thinking, gracie may still wasn't listening to whatever dean highbottom was saying. she only tuned back into what was happening when the man announced "you will have an hour to discuss strategy" loudly throughout the hall.

"rose, are you okay?" coriolanus rushed around the small table as soon as he was allowed "did you get hurt?"

gracie may felt lighter. her shoulders dropped from their tense stature and she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. coryo was there so she was safe. "you look exhausted" he cupped her face with cold hands, tilting it upwards to check her face for injuries. he don't get a very good look though as the brunette girl laid her head on coryo's chest as soon as he was close enough.

sensing gracie's tiredness, he wrapped an arm around her back and gently rested his other hand in the back if her head "i was a little on edge believe it or not" she laughed, upset that her hands were tied to the table preventing her from hugging him back. they stood there for a while until they both realised how long they really had.

the pair sat down properly at opposite sides of the small table gracie may was handcuffed to, coryo moving to hold her hands in his.

"i need you to sing in these interviews later" coriolanus informed her, rubbing his thumb across her hand gently. the man felt on edge, more on edge than he'd ever been since the war. he just needed gracie may to push through the last hours and complete the first step of his plan. win over the capitol "it's the night before the games and this is your last chance to win people over"

"i don't wanna win them over and i don't want their money" she stubbornly protested, crossing her arms across her chest.

"well i can't send you gifts in the arena without it"

"hmm" she thought "maybe a promise to send things to wovey and jessup as well could persuade me"

"i don't have time to be persuading you, gracie may" he whispered back harshly, a mean look in his eyes. why was he being mean? "i need you to win, okay? you- you can't die"

"coryo-"

"no!" he yelled, cutting through the murmurs that filled the hall. almost all of the tributes and mentor turned to stare at them. coriolanus powered his voice considerably "no. you're good, rose, i know it. good people don't die, they just don't"

"good people die every day, sweetheart. now i know you really wanna take care of me in that arena, but let's be realistic here for minute-"

"-you're going to win" he cut her off "i'll make sure of it"

‎𐦍 ❀༄𖥸𓍊𓋼𓍊𖤓𓇢𓆸𖤓𓍊𓋼𓍊𖥸༄ ❀ 𐦍

"enjoy the show, enjoy the show, enjoy the show, enjoy the show"

"jessup, c'mere" gracie may offered her arm for him to lean on. while she was facing the boy, wovey began to wander. it seemed her mentor had given up on the small twelve year old, dismissing any chance she had at winning. coriolanus quickly grasped her hand, leading her back to gracie may.

"come on, wovey" he coaxed "gracie may will worry"

the two made their way back to gracie may and jessup, the former looking around with slightly furrowed brows "stay by me, okay wove? please?" she asked. after getting a nod in response, gracie gave coriolanus a nervous smile while thinking silently about tactics for the next day.

"please don't die in here tomorrow" coryo whispered, sounding terrified.

"well imma try my hardest not to" she gave him a weak smile. all of a sudden, a loud explosion broke through the arena wall.

───── authors note !
hi loves! okay so, my last GCSE for summer is next week!!!! after that, i don't have anymore till november so hopefully i'll be able to update more 🤭
PLEASE PLEASE COMMENT AMD VOTE!!! i write sm more when there's comments <3
hope you liked the chapterrrr xx