The following day would prove to be more stressful than Venus or Coriolanus imagined.
The girl had awoken that morning early, suffering no sleep as she stared at the stars. Whenever she felt guilt, she could never rest long, or eat for that matter. She thought it was her body's way of punishing her for what she was doing. The fact that she only participated in this year's Games because Dr. Gaul forced her.
Everything she was doing for Dill, every piece of food, medicine, it was all to save herself.
As much as she tried to convince herself she was doing the right thing, her insomnia would remind her that her spirit was unsettled.
The mentors were responsible for conducting interviews with their tributes this day. Learning more about their family lives, jobs, schooling, and anything else that might make the Capitol want to care about them prior to entering the Arena. Venus took a stand in the audience of the lecture hall. Her stomach so in knots that she chose not to eat this morning, not even the breakfast the Academy served.
She stared down at her hands, so desperately craving to chew on her nails in her time of anxiousness. The room was steady filling with voices, students arriving in from breakfast and chatting amongst themselves. Venus questioned how everyone could be so careless about the Games. Laughing and chatting as if they wouldn't be interviewing kids who would be slaughtered before the week was over.
They were District, so no one saw them as anything worth saving.
"Good Morning, Venus."
She heard the voice behind her, deep and assertive. It was like he lived to taunt her. After his actions last night he simply strides in the room like everything was normal? Like he did nothing wrong? Venus wasn't sure what game he was playing with her but he could go play it anywhere else, she didn't tolerate it.
"Coriolanus." She said, not looking in his direction. She glanced straight ahead at anything but him.
The boy lingered around, his mind racing as he tried to find something else to say before deciding against it. He nodded to himself, confused as to why Venus was being colder than normal. Firmly, he stood in his place next to her while surveying the layout of the space below them. The main floor had been converted to a space secure enough to house everyone's tribute. A marble table spaced evenly for everyone to sit with their mentor.
Too distracted in examining the room, Venus cut her eyes at Coryo. A look of intensity so jarring that even her blink might be able to kill him on impact. His mere presence, the scent of those god awful roses he smelled like, everything about him sent her into a blinding rage.
And why was he standing next to her? Didn't he know that she was upset with him? Didn't he care that he had made her feel less than? Unimportant?!
Of course not, she thought. He only cares about her.
Suddenly, two Peackeepes entered and stood guard by the main entrance and the tributes were brought in single file. The Peacekeepers outnumbered them two to one, but it was unlikely that any of the tributes could make a break for it, given the heavy shackles attached to their wrists and ankles.
The tributes were led to the tables corresponding to their district and sex, directed to sit, and then chained to the concrete weights at the center of the tables for their hands and the floor for their legs.
Some of the tributes drooped in their seats, chins almost on their chests, but the more defiant ones tilted their heads back and surveyed the hall. Venus noticed that Dill was looking for her, already from what she could see the girl appeared healthier. The dark ring around her eyes was gone and she had finally been able to sleep.
As the tributes' eyes traveled around the room, they eventually made their way to the mentors' balcony, and the two groups found themselves locked in one another's gazes for a long, raw moment.
When Dean Highbottom banged the door behind them, the mentors gave a collective jump. "Stop eyeballing your tributes and get down there," he ordered. "You only have fifteen minutes, so use them wisely. And remember, complete the paperwork for our records as best you can."
Venus watched as he popped a vial of morphling from his pocket. Narrowing her eyes at him briefly before leading the way down the steps that spiraled into the main floor. She passed Lucy Gray's body, her brown eyes looking for no one other than Coriolanus. Something about seeing the girl in chains brought her a buzz, the frustration in her heart lessening.
She knew this would displease Coriolanus and that brought a smile to her face.
Lucy Gray was the one thing she could use to get under his skin and the more she thought about it, the more she hoped that Dill would be the one to silence his songbird. Mere collateral damage for what she needed to achieve. Twisting the knife in Coriolanus's heart that it would be Venus's tribute to kill the girl he was so enamored with.
He'd have no choice but to pay attention to Venus then.
"Excuse me, would it be possible to have these removed?" She heard Coryo ask a guard.
Venus held in a scoff. Sliding in her seat, she decided to ignore the songbird and the snake and return her focus on Dill—her lifeline. "Did they treat you nicely on your way here?" The girl asked, studying Dill for any new injuries or bruises.
"If you're asking if we got food, no, we didn't." Dill sighed, grimacing as her stomach aches with hunger. "Lucy Gray told them people on the news to come visit us. Only a few did. All I had was an orange."
Grinding her teeth, Venus cleared her throat. "I'll make sure you have something to eat tonight. I'll be at the Zoo as soon as I can after school." She stared at the paper between them, picking up her pen. "I'm sorry, I didn't think to bring you something. It's just too risky here."
"It's okay." Dill said softly.
Spotting Highbottom further down the row of tributes, she found it safe to speak. "Did you do what we talked about last night?" She inquired, hoping the girl would be bright enough to understand.
Dill nodded.
"Do you have the finished one?" Venus asked.
"It's in my pocket, here..." Carefully, she leaned over, grabbing the glass from her chest pocket of her overalls and clasping her hands together. "That stuff is nasty." The young girl whispered to her mentor. "But my night sweats went away a-and I was able to actually sleep and breathe good."
Venus reached in her pocket, taking her chance of Dean Highbottom focused on everyone else to act quickly. Clutching it tightly in her grasp, she grabbed Dill's chained hands and shoved the next vial of medicine in her palm. Exchanging the full one for the empty one.
"Let's stick to our plan." She said. "I believe in you, Dill, you just have to believe in me too. I'll do everything in my power to keep you alive in that Arena, alright? I watch your back, you watch mine."
"Thank you, Venus." She smiled. With just enough space between the chains, Dill was able to tuck the medicine in her small pocket.
Venus returned the grin, returning her attention to the empty questionnaire. "Okay, we only have a few minutes left to do this. I'm going to ask you some questions about home and I need you to answer as best as you can, okay?"
The girl nodded, allowing Venus to get to work quickly. They discussed her home life, address, schooling, and occupation with minutes to spare. Some mentors were still writing while others had nothing to work with. Venus saw Sejanus further down the line, begging Marcus to speak to him with the two minutes they had left.
The paper was the last thing on his mind. He just wanted Marcus to understand he had nothing to do with this and wanted to help him. The tribute wasn't amused, remaining quiet and staring down his old classmate.
"Look, we have to talk strategy. We don't have much time until the Games. I'm not sure how close you may be with any of the tributes, but, from this point on they are your enemies. Remember that." Venus locked back in, she would be no use to Sejanus if she was dead. "Lucky Flickerman is going to interview you the night before you enter the Arena. Everything you talked to me about home, your life and your family, you mention that, okay? The more people we have that love you, the more I can work with in keeping you alive in there."
Part of her wondered if she should be more gentle with the girl. Venus believed in tough love, it's how her parents raised her to be but she was born with a silver spoon.
This was a District child across from her, someone who might respond better to a different choice in wording. But then again, who would truly be honest with her in a situation like this? This was Venus's job, her duty, to give Dill the realistic expectation for going into the Arena. She would be put in unfortunate situations. She would have to fight and murder to make sure she left that Arena alive.
They both had to play the game and win, sugarcoating the situation at hand would kill them.
Dill, along with the other tributes, were taken from the room and back to the Zoo. Venus's mind was spinning thinking about what else she could do for her. The medicine seemed to be working, but it would mean nothing if she was starving and delirious entering the Games. She would have her personal cooks whip up something at home and take it to Dill tonight. Something high in protein so she could build her strength in a small amount of time.
Before she knew it, it was time for lunch and her appetite had slightly returned. She wished for a glass of posca with her meal to calm her conscious but accepted the pomegranate juice given to her. Humbly, she sat with Sejanus. The pouty boy upset and heartbroken that Marcus still refuses to speak to him.
Venus listens intently, providing advice when she could tell he was asking for it but mostly stayed silent. He needed to vent and she would allow him to do so.
She's Sejanus's safe space and he is hers.
The mentors had been instructed to gather at the lab after lunch. As they filed into the lab, Coriolanus's pleasure at seeing Dr. Gaul again was dampened by the sight of Dean Highbottom stationed behind the professor's table, collecting the questionnaires. He ignored Coriolanus once more and left the talking to the Head Gamemaker.
Dr. Gaul poked at the mutation rabbit until the class had settled in, then greeted them with "Hippity, hoppity, how did you fare? Did they greet you like friends or just sit there and stare?"
The students shot confused glances at one another as she retrieved the questionnaires. "Let's see what I have to work with, shall we?" She flipped through the papers, frowned, then pulled one out and held it up before the class. Her eyes caught to another sheet and grabbed that one as well. "This is what you were asked to do. Thank you, Miss Hummingstill and Mr. Snow. Now, what happened to the rest of you?"
Inside Venus glowed at the compliment from Gaul but remained neutral. Naturally, the best thing to do was support everyone else in the class. "I was lucky enough to establish an understanding with my tribute. But, most of the kids wouldn't communicate at all." She shared, looking around at some students who nodded their heads in agreement.
"Even my girl can't see the point of making an effort at the interview." Coriolanus chimed in.
My girl...Venus repeated to herself. How nauseating.
Sejanus turned to Coriolanus. "Why should they? What does it get them? No matter what they do, they'll be thrown into the arena and left to fend for themselves."
A murmur of assent came from the room. Venus's heart dropping and pulse quickening.
She told him to stop this. His way of thinking was dangerous if communicated to the wrong people. Everyone knew how close she is to the sensitive boy. Surely she'd be roped into this if he persisted.
Dr. Gaul peered at Sejanus. "You're the boy with the sandwiches. Why did you do it?"
Sejanus stiffened and avoided her gaze. "They were starving. We're going to kill them; do we have to torture them ahead of time as well?"
"Huh. A rebel sympathizer." said Dr. Gaul.
Venus hung her head and caught the attention of Coriolanus in the row across from her. Her chest hurt and ached, making her question if she was suffering a heart attack. As much as she tried to keep her friend from trouble, he would always act on emotion before logic.
That's what got her in the Games now.
Keeping his eyes on his notebook, Sejanus persisted. "Hardly rebels. Some of them were two years old when the war ended. The oldest were eight. And now that the war's over, they're just citizens of Panem, aren't they? Same as us? Isn't that what the anthem says the Capitol does? 'You give us light. You reunite? It's supposed to be everyone's government, right?"
Stop talking, Sejanus. Venus said mentally, hoping by some chance he'd hear her or at least understand he was drifting into dangerous territory.
"That's the general idea. Go on," Dr. Gaul encouraged him.
"Well, then it should protect everyone," said Sejanus. "That's its number-one job! And I don't see how making them fight to the death achieves that."
Venus was growing lightheaded. Sejanus was mimicking her nearly word for word a year ago. She knew that if she remembered this conversation with Gaul, that the mad scientist surely would as well. She couldn't ask to be excused from the class, that would only draw in more attention. She had to sit there and take it.
To sit there and watch her friend dig his own grave.
"Obviously, you don't approve of the Hunger Games," said Dr. Gaul. "That must be hard for a mentor. That must interfere with your assignment."
Sejanus paused for a moment. Then he sat up straight, seeming to steel himself, and looked her in the eye. There was something more underlying in his gaze, Venus was sure of it. "Perhaps you should replace me and assign someone more worthy."
The girl snapped her head up and the class gasped audibly at his words.
Coriolanus locked eyes with Venus, wishing she'd put a muzzle on Sejanus before he ruined everything for anyone close to him. His look of disgust was met with a look of understanding, longing almost. How much she wished things worked the way Sejanus wanted them to. She would have quit the minute she saw Dill and how sickly she appeared, probably before then.
Venus turned her mind off in effort to keep her lunch down, listening very little to what was being said around her unless it involved her name. She couldn't keep living like this. Every minute that Dill was out of her sight she was stressed and sick to her stomach something would happen. She questioned if this is what being a parent would be like. The caretaking process, advocating for them, anxiety flooding her veins whenever she had to leave Dill at the Zoo or the Peacekeepers took her.
She never gave much thought to having children, it's what was expected of her so she knew it would happen eventually. The severity of bringing life into this world was never a thought that crossed her mind and now after her nerves being shot over her tribute, someone she just met, she didn't like the idea of being a mother.
It would destroy her.
The class murmured amongst themselves, bringing Venus back into the conversation as she began to listen in. Coriolanus suggested during breakfast the idea of allowing Capitol citizens to bet on the tributes and be able to send them supplies somehow. Festus perked up during class and mentioned it. What was simply supposed to be a joke was now an even better way for Venus to save Dill.
She silently thanked Coriolanus for having a big mouth and keeping nothing to himself. For once, one of his ideas was useful.
Dr. Gaul instructed for Coryo and Clemmie to draft up a proposal and have it on her desk the following morning. She was glad the doctor did not rope her into the project, enough was on her mind and her plate at the moment for her to add anything else would be foolish. Class was dismissed and even then Venus couldn't have a free moment to breathe. She returned home, not even bothering to speak to Sejanus in front of Dr. Gaul. She would catch up with him at the Zoo later that evening and figure out why he had a death wish suddenly.
Venus gave herself a bit of free time in her bedroom. She allowed herself to break while sitting on her balcony, watching the sun begin to change from its burning yellow to a soft orange glow. The summer breeze fading out a bit as night was beginning to fall. Wiping her tears roughly from her skin, she hugged her knees to her chest and let out a loud wail. Her life still hung in the balance, she knew it and hated that she couldn't be more certain of her future.
If Coriolanus's idea was used in the Games, Lucy Gray would sing her way deeper into the hearts of the Capitol and their wallets. Dill had no talent, was barely recovering, and the Games were set to begin the day after tomorrow. A large miracle would have to fall from the sky and hit her over the head, quite literally, for anything to be in her favor at the moment.
When her mother, Diana Hummingstill, alerted her that supper was ready she gathered herself. Picking up the metaphorical pieces of her psyche off the balcony and putting them back together. She finished her meal quickly, packing the second serving she instructed the cook to prepare for Dill.
Optimism was no where near her mind as Venus walked to the Zoo. Her family insisted on an Avox to drive her at this time of evening but she protested the idea. The fresh air and time to think would help her, it had to.
She didn't know what else to do.
Morning attendance at the Zoo was lackluster, now, the crowds were pouring in so quickly that she wasn't sure how long it would take to deliver Dill her dinner. She walked closer to the edge of the cage, her heart thudding in her chest as she focused on the sea of red coating the concrete floor.
Piercing shrieks cut through the air from audience members nearest to the attack. Arachne's face drained of color as she dropped the sandwich in her hands and clawed at her neck. The blood poured down her fingers as the girl from District 10 released her and gave her a small shove. Arachne stepped back, turning and reaching out a dripping hand, imploring the audience for help.
Coriolanus sprung into action. Forcing his legs into motion and was the first to reach Arachne. "Medic!" He screamed. He caught a glimpse of the short girl and called out for her. "Venus! Please, help!"