Although she felt like she was getting back to her old self after the funeral, Rosella was still distressed by the upcoming games. The tributes who had died were tossed on the backs of horses for the twin's funeral procession. It was not as brutal as Arachne Crane's, but it was still hard to watch.
"At least you didn't run off the stage this time," Scott had reminded her.
She often had to remind herself of what Tigris said. That this wasn't her fault, and she was a child too. She repeated it over and over as she prepared for The Hunger Games: A Night of Interviews, hosted in front of a live audience at the Academy auditorium. She felt guilty, the most she had done to help Lucy Gray was give her Avi's guitar.
She buttoned up the collar of her uniform, ponytailed her disheveled hair and grabbed her satchel with a moment's stop at her desk before running to the door.
"Surely you're not going to the interviews like that?" Tigris asked from the kitchen table.
"Why what's wrong?" Rosella laughed.
"Oh c'mere..." she smiled. "At least let me fix this hair! Crazy curls just like Coryo's!"
Rosella smiled and took Tigris's place in the chair as she grabbed a hairbrush. "You do too much Tigris... you're always taking care of all of us. I don't know what we'd do without you."
Tigris wrapped her arm around Rosella's shoulders from behind. "Awe, Ro! I don't know what we'd do without you either!"
"Probably have more food," Rosella shrugged.
"Stop! Ro, seriously. I want you to stop feeling like a burden. Whatever made you start thinking that way?"
"I don't know... mainly Grandma'am. Sometimes Coryo. Especially with this last year. Never you though."
"Grandma'am loves you in her own way. And Coryo made mistakes. But we all love you so, so much." Tigris said. "There. Beautiful." She finished the french braid that wrapped around her head and fell over her shoulder.
"Thank you Tigris! I'll see you later tonight!" Rosella said, hugging her cousin before leaving the apartment, with the nicer guitar she promised to replace the one that had spent days in the zoo.
Upon entering the academy, Rosella ran into Pup Harrington.
"Rosella Snow... nice to see you!" He smiled and extended his hand.
"Oh hi Pup," she shook his hand. "How are you? Have you seen my brother and Lucy Gray?"
"I'm well, thank you. We're doing mentor tribute interviews. Divided into classrooms... any of the ones with peacekeepers on guard. Here, I'll find it with you."
"Sure, thanks," Rosella said, taking Pup's arm. "So... where's your tribute?"
"I can't get a word in. She just keeps crying," Pup explained.
Rosella raised an eyebrow. "It's almost like she doesn't want to fight to the death for our entertainment..."
"You're sounding like Sejanus Plinth," Pup replied.
"Or maybe she just doesn't like hanging out with you!" Rosella joked, changing the mood.
"Oh that's definitely it..." Pup smiled back.
"Hey there, Pup. Rosella..." Felix Ravinstil approached. "Got a song for us today?" He asked, gesturing to the guitar.
"No, just dropping it off for Coriolanus. Do you know what room he and his tribute are in?" Rosella asked.
Felix ignored the question. "You look a little down Rosie... give us a smile, huh?" Pup chuckled slightly.
Rosella let go of his arm. "I really can't, but thank you so much you two!"
"Awe don't be like that... look I'm sorry. I can't help it. Every time I think about you and that Adler boy, I just-" Felix was interrupted by the smack of Rosella's satchel across his face.
"I'm sorry Felix, but I have better things to do than smile at you!" She snapped, and brushed past a Peacekeeper into the room she knew was her brother's through deductive reasoning.
Livia Cardew and Persephone Price gasped, and hid their laughter at the shocked look on the boys faces.
"Mister Snow, Miss Baird, I come bearing gifts!" Rosella announced as she entered the classroom, holding up the guitar.
"Oh, thank you!" Coriolanus sighed in relief.
"What's this?" Lucy Gray smiled. "Miss Rosella, this is too fine, the one you gave me at the zoo is perfectly fine."
"Don't worry about it! Avi insisted, he's almost as big of a fan as I am," Rosella smiled. "Coryo... go check on your friends. Felix just took a satchel to the face, I can't imagine why."
"Wait, what?" Coriolanus asked, peaking in the hallway.
"Seriously, just leave, we've gotta warm up, it's band nerd stuff, you wouldn't understand," Rosella teased, hitting her brother's shoulders as he left.
"You seemed to have perked up darlin'," Lucy Gray observed.
"I have!" Rosella agreed. "Listen, I just wanted to talk to you alone because... well I don't really know what to say. I suppose there's nothing anyone can say that'll make this better. But I am really sorry, for everything you've gone through, and for what's happening. I wish more than anything I could change it. I hate it. I'm ashamed to be capital."
"Awe, honey. This ain't your fault anymore than it is mine," Lucy Gray responded.
"Well... I'm in a better position than you. And I feel really guilty about it, no matter whose fault it is," Rosella responded, maintaining eye contact with the ground. She looked up. "But, let's not worry about that right now. Do you have anything special you wanna sing?"
"Well, I've been working on something. S'about my old boyfriend. He was cheatin' on me with the mayor's daughter, she had her pa read my name and now I'm here..."
"Men suck," Rosella said.
"Yeah. Your brother seems like a good one, though." Lucy Gray responded.
Rosella smiled. "Yeah... he is. You know he wants to be president someday? If he does I'll make him stop the games. Open up the districts and let us all live in peace. I know it's a horrible situation... but I'm really glad to have met you, Lucy Gray. I know Coryo is too. You've changed my perspective on things. I wanna get stronger, like you."
"You're the strongest girl I've ever met, sweetheart. Trust me, the only thing holding me together right now is wearing my ma's dress. And you and your family of course. I hope he does become president. The Snow family would change Panem for the better."
"Yeah. Especially with you as first lady," Rosella teased.
Lucy Gray laughed loudly. "Rosella Snow, would you do me the honor of warming up with me?"
"It would be my pleasure."