Stopwatch

Sticks and Stones

      Today was the day we'd all dreaded, the day of the games. We were shuffled into the auditorium, set up at monitors while a large screen glared at us from the front of the room. Coriolanus strode up beside me, taking the seat next to mine. He looked confident as always, too confident, given the circumstances.
Professor Highbottom strutted up beside us, pausing to speak.
"I suggest your dear friend Mr. Plinth be seated near an exit" he remarked, marching away.
Coryo and I exchanged a skeptical glance before Dr. Gaul demanded the attention of the room.
"Greetings, all. Today is a glorious day, one that I hope will have a satisfying end, and a victory for one lucky student. Remember to proceed with wit, and with honor. Make Panem proud! And... Let the games begin!"

   As she finished her speech, a horn rang out in the arena, and everyone began to run towards the center where the weapons were. Lucretius Flickerman's voice boomed over the intercom, announcing what each of the tributes was doing. Then slowly, the camera panned to a desolate area of the arena, zooming in on a figure hanging from the cracked concrete pillars.

A girl screamed, I think it was Clemmy.

"You monsters! How could you?!" A choked and anguished voice echoed. It was Sejanus, and the figure hanging from the beam was Marcus; his tribute, his old friend. Sejanus rushed from the room, pushing through his fellow students to get to the door.

"Ooo what a bummer..." Lucky's voice rang out.

What a bummer... The phrase swirled through my brain like a ghost. I was disgusted at the sight before me, and my heart ached for Sejanus. It ached for Marcus, and his family.  I shivered, rising from my seat and turning towards the exit.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Ms. Cadence" Dr. Gaul mused with a sly expression on her cruel face.

"Oh? And why's that?" I spat, losing my patience.

"Well," she mused, "because you will fail the course and be unable to graduate this semester."

I scoffed and started towards the door again, but her voice followed me-

"furthermore it would be considered an act of treason against Panem to abandon your tribute when they still have a fighting chance. And you would of course, be tried, found guilty, and... You know the rest."

I glared at her bitterly, my resolve barely wavering. I was sickened by this tradition, by these people, by my country that was built on the slaughter of children.

Coriolanus saw that my determination was undeterred, and stepped in. He grabbed my arm sternly as he spoke.

"Come sit down, Rose. You can't do anything for him now" His voice had an edge of warning, but his gaze was soft, as though he was trying to whisper "please".

I tried to communicate with him using my eyes, begging for him to stand up with me against the atrocity of all this, but he would not budge. This was a fight we could not win, and our tributes needed us. Reaper and Lucy Grey still had a chance.

"Come, Rose." He commanded again, his fingers gripping my wrist so hard I was sure I'd have a bruise. I should have been scared, or angry. But instead I felt enraptured by his commanding nature, I was enamored by his wish to protect me, regardless of the motive. I felt weak, sick, thrilled, confused. The tension in the room was palpable already, but the tension between Coryo and I was so intense I felt as though all the breath had been knocked from my lungs. He leaned over me slightly, looming like a dark cloud. His eyes were conveying a clear message: "Do as I say". I had no choice, I threw one last glance towards where I'd last saw Sejanus, and followed Coriolanus to our desks.
      The games raged on, and some had died already. Coral had appointed herself leader of a gang, Lucy Grey was hiding with Jessup, and Reaper was doing his best to protect Dill. It was late now, nearly midnight. The tributes were all hiding, or sleeping, or strategizing.
I glanced over at Coryo, who was resting his chin on his folded hands. Many of our classmates were sleeping lightly at their desks. The buzz of electricity and the drone of Lucky Flickerman's voice faded into background noise. I gazed at him, too long it seemed, because after a moment he lifted his head to return my stare.

"I know you care for him, but he is the wrong choice for you, Rose" he asserted with a monotone voice.

"I beg your pardon?" I exclaimed.

"Then beg."

I stared at him, dumbfounded, until he continued.

"Sejanus' ideas are... Sweet. He means well. But they cause him to be weak, overly emotional. He can't protect you."

"Oh and I suppose you think you could do better?" I scoffed.

"I know that I could, Rose."

Our conversation was interrupted by Dr Gaul once again gracing us with her ghastly presence.

"Ms. Cadence, I'm afraid we have a problem."

I didn't answer, I simply looked at her and waited for her to elaborate.

"You see, your darling companion Mr. Plinth has some.... Radical ideas shall we say? And it seems those radical ideas have caused him to act rather irrationally."

My heart dunked into the pit of my stomach.
"What has he done?" I croaked, in barely a whisper.

"It seems he has bribed his was into the arena, to pay his respects to Marcus. We cannot allow him to remain in the arena. He will cause an uprising if he is seen. And if the tributes become aware of his presence, he is sure to be killed."

I stood abruptly, "what do you need me to do?"

"You're going to go into the arena and coax him out."

"No, she isn't." Coriolanus shot up beside me, placing his arm between myself and Dr. Gaul.

"Coryo I have to-" I started while Dr. Gaul raised her eyebrows in apparent amusement.

"No, you'll stay here. I will go into the arena."

"And how do you know he'll even listen to you?" I demanded.

"He will."

Coryo followed Dr. Gaul, turning just before the point I would lose sight of them. He shot me a look that could be translated as nothing else than this:
"I am better than him. I will protect you."