The Purest Snow

Chapter 4: Snow's Don't Cry

Coriolanus remembered the last time his sister had been like this all too well. He wished he didn't. But it was something he would never forget.

He had just gotten home from school. Normally he walked with Rosella, but it was a Thursday and she had band practice on Thursdays. When he opened the door, it was obvious she was not at practice. The Grandma'am seemed to be having some sort of nervous breakdown, and Tigris was trying to calm her. Rosella was on the couch, face in hands and seemed to be crying.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"We're ruined!" The Grandma'am wailed. "Our family, our name! It's destroyed.

"Grandma'am, nothing is destroyed... we're fine..." Tigris said softly.

"Tigris? What's going on?" He repeated.

"Coriolanus! You must fix this! If anyone can, you can!" The Grandma'am said.

"I don't want it fixed Grandma'am! I want it over!" Rosella shouted from the couch. Tears combined with mascara stained her cheeks with black streaks. She had a bruise on her cheek.

"Fix what?!?" Coriolanus exclaimed. "Someone needs to tell me what's happening here!"

"Your sister has ruined her reputation! Everyone knows the things she does with that band boy! He's told everyone!" The Grandma'am said.

"People are saying horrible things, Coryo..." Tigris said. Rosella just kept crying. "Her and Wren broke up. And he's been telling everyone... it's bad," Tigris practically whispered.

"You guys broke up?" Coriolanus asked, sitting next to Rosella. He felt bad for Rosella, but he never liked Wren. He was a year older than him, making him five years older than his sister. He played guitar, and they performed together. Coriolanus assumed that's how they met. When they got together, they seemed happy. But he started to notice how controlling he was. They fought a lot. Rosella didn't tell him much, but he was sure of that much. He could hear her, crying on the phone, withdrawing. She stopped performing to the point where she would only perform next to him. But the Grandma'am seemed to approve, because Wren's family came from money. Age gaps and her granddaughter's happiness was not of relevance to her.

Rosella nodded. "Yeah... it was um, pretty bad."

Coriolanus saw the bruise on her cheek more clearly. He sprung from the couch. "Did he hit you?"

Rosella just started crying again.

"Stop crying! A Snow should never cry! Coriolanus will fix this!" the Grandma'am shrieked.

"Grandma'am, he's not a nice boy... Rosella deserves better than him..." Tigris said.

"A girl of her reputation will not find better! She has given herself to this boy and everyone knows!" The Grandma'am said.

"I didn't even want to!" Rosella screamed. This is what sent Coriolanus over the edge. He stormed out of the penthouse and back down the twelve flights of stairs.

He knew where to find the boy. It was Thursday, after all.

*****

This time was worse. This time Rosella wasn't just devastated, she was angry. She didn't speak since Coriolanus told her the games would continue. Not until they got back to the penthouse.

"Ro... none of this is your fault. You're just as much of a child as those chained to the truck." Tigris said gently. Rosella was pacing around the kitchen and living space in a fury. The Grandma'am retired to her room immediately, making no comment regarding Rosella's sudden exit. Even she knew that the crane and the parade was distasteful.

"If they're old enough to fight to the death for quite literally zero reasons, I should be old enough to put a stop to it!" Rosella retorted. "Sejanus is right. It needs to end. This is absurd. How did Highbottom ever come up with this? It's sick!"

"I know love..." Tigris said gently. "But you can't hold yourself responsible for it. You are going to do amazing things. And you might not do them all at once, and that's okay... you need to give yourself time to heal yourself before you can start healing the world." Coriolanus nodded.

"I don't need healing! I'm fine! I live here, I'm a Capitol girl, I go to the academy, I'm Crassus Snow's daughter! I'm a Snow! We're supposed to be cold and tough and fight and never cry..." Rosella said as she burst into tears, contradicting her statement.

"It's okay Rosella..." Coriolanus said, putting his hand on her back.

"Yeah... you don't have to be cold and tough. You don't have to be your father. You're not your father. You are kind and loving and sweet... You're just so, so much more than the Capitol and this family." Tigris said soothingly.

Coriolanus took a step back. Tigris was much better at comforting people. He was too frigid. He was his father. Rosella was his mother, but Coriolanus, he was the son of Crassus Snow, through and through.