𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗮 ♛ ꜱᴇᴊᴀɴᴜꜱ ᴘʟɪɴᴛʜ

♛𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻♛

"And can you explain to me, dear, why the Plinth boy was holding your hand like so when we walked in?"

Aurelia had thought going to the hospital was wholly unnecessary.  Sejanus had come with her in the ambulance for comfort, as Jessup, obviously, hadn't been allowed.  When they hooked her up to the breathing machine, she realized that maybe it was helpful she was here.  She would never have admitted that to anyone though.

Sejanus had always been a touchy person.  When they were little, Aurelia had always noticed he would offer her his hand at any moment it might have been acceptable.  As they got older, this turned into shoving Aurelia with his shoulder just a little whenever something funny happened.  She noticed when he got nervous, he would grab something, anything, and trace little shapes on it with his fingernail.  It wasn't surprising that he was grasping her hand like he was when her grandmother and cousin entered.

He left shortly after, sensing the tension from Grandma'am.  And that was why she asked Aurelia that question, why Sejanus was holding her hand.

"He's my friend, he was just being nice."

The Grandma'am snorted a laugh.  "Friend.  Right.  I've seen the way he's looked at you since you were, what, eight?  Why does it have to be him?  Why not Felix Ravinstill, or... Festus Creed is a perfectly nice boy, why not them?"

"What? I- Grandma'am, this is just because he's from the districts isn't it?"

"Yes, of course it's because he's from the districts!  Things are bad enough, and Aurelia, you just can't seem to stop dragging our name through the dirt!"

Aurelia's heart hurt.  Usually her grandmother could say some hurtful things, but this only reinstated what Aurelia had been thinking, feeling, for her whole life.  She was the burden, the family liability.  The one they had to keep an eye on just in case she did something that ruined their reputation.  Coriolanus was going to be important, and Tigris was going to be a fashion designer, and where did that leave her?  Was she just to be the china doll, sitting behind her family all dressed up, only a pretty face to entice others to trust them.  Marry a nice boy with wealthy parents and get the hell out of their sight, but keep sending checks every few months.

She refused to live that life.

So Aurelia got up, unhooked the machine, and walked out of the room.  People were calling her name, but it was just echoes.  Eyes up and ahead, focused on some spot on the horizon,  she put one foot in front of the other and kept moving.  Out onto the street, her whole body coated in ash and soot, but what did it matter?  She was the family embarrassment anyway.  She had lived in denial for her whole life, but it had just been reinforced.  Left foot, right foot, left foot.

Her body took itself to the zoo, where the tributes were.  For the first time all week, it was completely clear of cameras.  In fact,  Aurelia was the only one there who wasn't inside the cage.  Jessup sat near the bars, watching a bird flit back and forth gathering seeds.  He didn't say a word as she sat down on the other side, just lifted his eyes to her for a moment.

They might have sat in silence for an eternity, before Aurelia broke it.  "You saved my life."

Jessup just nodded.

"Thank you."

He shrugged, then said,  "Seems like that boy had it covered."

"Sejanus," the blonde girl smiled.  "Sorry about him, he can be..."

"Protective?" Jessup grinned.

"Pushy," Aurelia voiced.

"Yeah, well, he seemed like he cared about you a lot."

"That's just him.  We've been friends since we were eight."

"If you see him, tell him I'm sorry about assuming he was pushing me aside because I was a tribute.  I didn't know he was from the districts, he seems so... Capitol."

At that, Aurelia really laughed, a bright ringing noise.  "Yeah he really seems it, doesn't he?  Even talks like us too.  And don't worry, I'm sure he knows.  He's good at reading people."

"Has he figured out that you like him, then?"

Aurelia choked. "What?"

Jessup just raised his eyebrows at her.  "Well he obviously likes you, so..."

"We're friends."

"Keep telling yourself that.  I bet you notice little details about him that nobody else does though. And I bet you could tell me one right now."

The girl sighed.  She told Jessup all the little things over the years.  She couldn't help it, he was just a really good listener.  He sat quietly and just smiled whenever it was appropriate.  When she was done, she watched him put his head in his hands.  She noticed that his fingers were covered in ash from the flames.

"Jessup, your hands are covered in soot."

"I know.  Your boy was even worse actually," he smirked.  Then, something behind his eyes dawned, like a genius thought had just occurred to him, and he said, "Can you tell me that last detail about Sejanus that you just said again?"

"Which one... oh, the tracing.  Whenever he gets anxious, he grabs something and just traces random shapes on it to calm himself down.  I don't know why, but..."

Jessup interrupted her.  "Aurelia have you taken a look at your arms in the past few hours?"

"What? I- oh my god," she trailed off.

She wasn't covered in ash by chance.  Her arms were a patchwork of circles, squares, triangles and more.  As she turned her arms around, marveling at the elaborate designs marking her skin,  something caught her eye.

Inside her hand, right in the center of her palm, was one shape darker than the rest.  It looked like it had been drawn over and over.  Coating her palm in dirt, where Sejanus must have thought she wouldn't see it, he had drawn one single heart.

She met Jessup's eyes slowly.  Aurelia must have looked like a deer caught in headlights, because he just laughed.

"And you said you were just friends."

♛

HI HI HI SHES BACK

im so sorry it took this long for a chapter, but i've been super busy with volleyball and school but i am grateful to say that is over and i can devote more time to writing!!

the realization is coming....

were almost to 3k reads on this and that is insane.  i love you all so much

my computer is about to die so ill make it quick

QOTC: who do you think is going to confess first??

IM SO EXCITED FOR THE MOVIE

also jessup is becoming my favorite character hes so supportive best friend coded

love you guys and drink water or i'll come trick or treating to your house.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN GUYSSS

-jess <3