THE GOLDEN AGE, sejanus plinth

014. oblivious

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
OBLIVIOUS
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AURORA WAS SHOCKED to see that Dr. Gaul and her shared the trait of being a morning person. It was deeply disturbing to think that they were similar, even in the tiniest way.

The majority of mentors (and Dean Highbottom, who was sitting at the desk with his head on his hands almost falling asleep) didn't seem to be happy to be here. It was Sunday, 9 o'clock in the morning and the interviews waited to be reviewed.

Sitting next to Sejanus, Aurora avoided looking at the Head Gamemaker. And so did Coryo, who sat on the boy's other side.

She didn't really listen to what the woman had to say, she was busy doodling in her notebook. Her essay about what she'd loved about the war would look better with a few flowers surrounding the words anyway.

The television on the wall cut to a live image of Lucky standing in front of the post office, announcing that Lucy Gray was still the tribute with the most gifts. Sol had managed to get a few more since the previous night, but no one had nearly as many as Lucy Gray.

"Look at all these people," Dr. Gaul said. "Sending bread to a slip of a girl with a broken heart, even though they don't believe she can win. What's the lesson there?"

Compassion, Aurora thought with her eyes still fixated on her essay.

"At the dogfights, I've seen people back mutts that can barely stand," Festus replied, "people love a long shot."

What is it with him and dog fights anyway? She wondered.

"People love a good love song, more like," Persephone Price added. She wasn't much of a talker and she lived close to the Cranes, but other than that, Aurora didn't know much about her.

"People are fools," Livia snapped, "she doesn't stand a chance."

She was still bitter about not having a tribute anymore and was now trying to talk everyone bad, Aurora concluded.

"But there are a lot of romantics," Pup Harrington argued. There wasn't much to say about him either, the two of them had never been really close.

"Maybe they are just hopeful, she touched them with her song," Aurora told the class, still doodling.

"Yes," Dr. Gaul agreed, "romantic notions, idealistic notions, can be very attractive. Which seems like a good segue into your essays. Let's see what you've got."

Aurora sighed quietly, but she was a little intrigued about what her classmates had written.

"I don't think Dr. Gaul's gonna approve of your doodles," Sejanus whispered into her ear. Livia was already reading a paragraph from her essay.

She turned around to him, noticing how close to each other they were, and shook her head slightly.

"It's fine, I'm a romantic, you see?" She batted her eyelashes and pointed at the flowers around her words, thinking she was hilarious.

He didn't glance at the paper, he kept looking into her eyes.
"Are you really?" He asked her.

He sat up straight again, listening to whatever Livia had to say about the war.

Aurora on the other hand kept thinking about what he had asked her. She blended the sound of her classmates out.

Her being a romantic? She liked flowers, candles, she believed in true love like her uncle and aunt had.