𝙷𝙾𝚄𝚂𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝚂𝙴𝚂 | 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝙾𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚛

𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙴

Valeria didn't allow herself to drop her mask until the door had slammed shut rather aggressively after Finnick had left. She felt rather bad about dismissing him so rudely, but she couldn't let anyone see her in her current state.

Her hands shook by her side as she felt herself collapse against the counter as the weight came crashing down on her again.

I have another guest tonight, Snow had sneakily snuck into the conversation with only Finnick a few feet away. You'll join, won't you?

She was thankful Finnick didn't appear to notice the way her body changed, even though her face remained the same for her grandfather to see. It seemed his mind was focused on other things, things Valeria didn't care about but was thankful for.

He seemed shocked by her sudden change in demeanor after the call, but Valeria didn't care as all she could think about was getting him out before she broke down. The last thing she needed was the Capitol Darling to see her having a full panic attack. 

Valeria inhaled a deep breath as she gathered her demeanor. She had to hold on, just a little bit longer as she remembered the party she had to attend that day. The games were still going strong, and she had to keep up appearances. 

She had to remind herself that it was all for a good cause as she picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite. The food made her feel nauseous, the fear and disgust in her stomach making it hard to swallow the greasy food, but she knew she had to keep up her energy if only a little bit longer.

Valeria dropped the dish in the sink, knowing she would have to return to clean it later, but she hardly cared at the moment as she thought about the upcoming events of her day. There was so much to do and, by a quick glance at the clock on the wall, so little time to prepare as she released another sigh. 

Another day, another round of pretending.

Just a little bit longer, Valeria kept telling herself as she made her way to her room to get ready. A little bit longer and it will all be over.

If only she could believe her own words, as each passing day made it seem like a faraway dream, never to happen.

But she didn't need to believe it would last forever, she just had to believe one more day. That's all she knew how to do, holding onto to whatever grasp of sanity she could hold onto.

It's almost over.