Electric Heart (Coriolanus Snow)

18

For two days, Sally had been avoiding Coriolanus's haunting gaze from afar.

He'd been coming to the enclosure every morning, as he always did, but not to speak with Lucy Gray, or even endorse her.

He was just staring...waiting in the distance, pacing. Sally thought he may have even gone mad.

It was hours before he came closer, attempting to approach her at the edge of the bars. Sally looked away.

"It's being passed off as a rumor you know."

Sally didn't want to speak one word to him, but her curiously got the best of her. "What." She snapped.

"The act. The people. They're saying you aren't in your right mind. Probably dehydrated, starving." He dragged on his words, as if she was a business partner and he was about to make a proposal.

"I. Don't. Care." Sally crossed her arms. "You should be making conversation with your songbird over there. Make up for lost time."

Sally began to walk away from him, not turning around even as he shouted after her. "We haven't gone to Highbottom yet. The decision isn't final until then."

To Sally the decision was final the second Coriolanus had even thought of trading. Empty promises and lies of protection.

She couldn't deny her feelings were hurt. It was stupid. In a small matter of time she would be in the arena, fighting for her own life. Sally doubted Coriolanus would cross her mind even once. Her survival would be the only thing on her mind.

Sally's feelings all seemed so small now that she had time to think, but they didn't subside her anger. If none of it mattered, then why was she so bothered? Sally didn't know, and at the moment, she was trying not to care.

Wybie must've noticed her internal struggle and tried cracking a few jokes and putting his arm around her. "Forget it Sally. I doubt our mentors are really going to help us in the games. They're all in it for the money."

Sally nodded, but she didn't have the energy to talk. She knew Coriolanus wanted the Plinth Prize, but another part of her thought he may actually want her to live.

She and Wybie came to a halt in their walk when Coral appeared in front of them, a wide smirk on her face. She reached out to touch Wybie's shoulder who glared and backed up a step.

Coral's gaze shifted to Sally, who was standing timidly still. "So Capital girl? It was all an act? With your little Goldie locks?" She taunted, earning a few laughs from the tributes around them.

Sally said nothing, but rolled her eyes. Coral grunted, her smile disappearing, and shoved Sally by the shoulders. She fell onto the sharp of the rocks below her, and the crowd around the enclosure all quieted.

Coral lifted her foot to Sally's ribcage when Wybie took a rock, and smashed it into the side of Coral's face. Gasps arose from everyone inside and outside of the enclosure. Sally scrambled to her feet, looking at her friend in shock.

Coral was now clutching the side of her bleeding face, looking up at them in rage. She looked just about ready to lunge when a boy grabbed her from behind. "Coral remember. Save it for the arena."

"Watch it capital girl." Coral spit at her. "You're the first target when the game begins." As if Sally didn't already know.

Wybie wrapped his arm around her shoulder for comfort, but she shook it off. When it came down to it, in the arena, she wasn't sure if they'd be able to protect each other.

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Coriolanus felt an unusual anger boiling in the pit of his stomach as he watched Coral push Sally into the dirt. He wished she would get up and punch that redheaded freak in the face.