The Name of the Game • C.S

3

"What are you doing here?" Coriolanus whispered.

"I could ask you the same thing!" I gritted my teeth.

"You're stealing my spotlight."

"You're on the wrong side of the bars, did you know that?" I joked.

"Very funny." He rolled his eyes.

"Hey, uhm, is he wearing a skirt?" Samuel asked me.

I bursted out laughing.

"It's not a skirt. It's a uniform." Coriolanus adjusted his outfit.

"It's a skirt, sweetie." I laughed.

He smiled genuinely at my laughter, as if the sound brought him joy.

"I hate to interrupt this little thing you two have going on right now," Lucy Gray spoke, an obnoxious country twang on her words. "But you might wanna find a way out before you start looking tasty to the tributes."

"Yeah, I sure would hate to see you beaten to a pulp by 20 people." Samuel said sarcastically.

Coriolanus, getting the memo, found some peacekeepers who let him out.

"Okay, I'll be back tomorrow and we'll talk about everything. Let me know if there's anything you need." I told the brunette boy.

"Thank you." He smiled. "Could you please bring some food. We haven't eaten since the reaping."

"Of course."

•••

The next morning was the same as every other morning, I wake up, get ready, and start my morning off with a fight with my parents.

Fortunately, they weren't home. I walked into the dining room and saw Calpurnia getting out eggs, bacon, and other breakfast ingredients.

"I'm sorry Ms. Blackburn, breakfast is going to be a little late today, I didn't get here in time, I had to take care of my baby girl, she's really sick." She rambled.

"Don't worry about breakfast. Please go home and take care of your daughter." I walked into the kitchen to put up all the ingredients.

"Oh no, I could never just leave you. Your parents would like it very much."

"My parents aren't here and I'm telling you to go home." I looked her square in the eye.

"If you insist."

"I do," I walked into the office and grabbed a stack of money. "Here, to help your little girl."

"I can't accept this. Your father would be very angry if he finds it missing."

"He won't notice it's gone, and if he does I'll take care of it."

She smiled gratefully, packed her things, and left.

I grabbed some pop tarts and placed them in the toaster and left.

•••

"You've never had a pop tart before?" I asked.

"No, never." Coriolanus laughed.

"They're life changing. Here." I handed him one.

He took a bite. "This is delicious."

I chuckled and we walked into the classroom.

Dean Highbottom informed us that after lunch we're expected to meet with our tributes and that Lucky Flickerman will be there, again.