NINE

                                    

                                          
❝I GOT A BETTER SOLUTION FOR YOU❞
JASON DERULO, IN MY HEAD



Spending her summer stuck in a seminar that revolved around the Hunger Games was not what Valentina expected for her last summer before she became a University student. She had expected that she would be going out for lunch with her friends, going to lavish parties and having the best summer ever. In fact, she was rather envious of the students in her year that weren't eligible for the Plinth prize for that exact reason.
While she was in a room with the other twenty-three smartest people in her year and her previous history professor, Crispus Demigloss, everyone else was making lifetime memories.
"Show me I haven't been wasting my time with you for the past four years," Professor Demigloss spoke, "If history teaches you anything, it's how to make the unwilling comply."
Sejanus spoke up first, bringing up the question of whether watching was the right thing to do, yet Professor Demigloss shot down that question quickly. In other circumstances, Valentina would've backed up Sejanus and added into the conversation about whether the Hunger Games were humane or not but this was not a moment to have a personal political opinion.
"How do we get people to watch?" Her professor asked, glancing over the room waiting on the teenagers to give him a good suggestion.
It was Festus Creed to next raise his hand, bringing his idea to make watching the games become a law. While in theory, it was a good idea, it was too impractical and would take too many resources to enforce it, especially in the Districts.
Valentina didn't really have an opinion on Festus Creed. He was friends with Coriolanus so he would often join their group festivities and despite her getting along with him, she stayed clear of him once she realised he had a small liking towards her. She didn't want him mistaking her kindness as returning his flirting.
"Why should the rest of us care which one of them wins?" Arachne said, responding to Sejanus who pointed out the families of tributes care about them.
Valentina smiled, looking towards Arachne and spoke for the first time during the seminar. "Because you make it personal for viewers. Give them a reason to tune in and route for tributes." 
To Valentina, her suggestion was the simplest yet most effective. People wouldn't watch the games for much longer if they weren't interesting but they also wouldn't watch if they didn't care. It was something she was taught by her father when she auditioned for a play at the local theatre, so she made everyone care. It landed her a supporting role so it stuck by her after all these years.
"I get more excited over a dogfight," Festus added. "Especially if I'm betting on it." 'Typical boy.' Valentina rolled her eyes. 'Always wanting the win.'
"So you'd like it if we gave odds on the tributes?" Coriolanus jokes, looking over to the boy he was friendly with. "That would make you tune in?" 
Valentina wasn't surprised Coriolanus was entertaining the idea of betting on tributes but that still didn't stop the scoff from escaping her lips. Deep down she knew his idea was good, it would definitely bring more of a competitive feel to the Hunger Games. 'But wouldn't the message of the games get lost?'
Clemensia spoke up from beside Valentina after thinking over the idea of betting. "It's gruesome," The girl sighed, looking over to Coriolanus. "You think we should be betting on who wins?"
"Not really," Coriolanus replied honestly before hesitating. "On the other hand, if it's a success, then absolutely, Clemmie. I want to go down in history as the one who brought gambling to the Games!" 
Valentina snickered next to Clemensia. "You still need to give the people a reason to bet... betting would bring in some competition but you also need to make it emotional. It would bring in a bigger audience, they wouldn't be able to tear their eyes away from the screen." 
The girl shrugged, smiling towards the blond haired boy. "But what do I know?"
She knew he couldn't do anything but sigh as he turned away from her. He had no argument to that and Valentina knew it. Everyone did. This was straight up her alleyway and she was being unapologetic about it.
Why should she be? It was every man, or woman, for themselves. Everyone in this room would be using their strengths to their best ability, it wasn't Valentina's fault her family worked so closely with entertainment.
After being dismissed for lunch, Valentina sat comfortably at a table with her three friends. The plate of food was only half finished by the time she would have normally been finished. The redhead was too busy thinking about her tribute.
How would he react to her suggestions in class? It was circling around her head, it was hard for her to ignore but she knew she couldn't afford to think about what someone else thinks, especially not her tribute. As long as he was willing to go with what she says, nothing else should matter.
"You okay?" Coriolanus asked, placing a hand on Valentina's back as she was pulled out of her thoughts and looked at the boy with furrowed brows. "You're being distant."
Valentina smiled and shook her head. "I don't mean to be, I'm just thinking about my tribute." She said, grabbing the attention of Clemensia who seemed interested in the conversation between the two.
"Do tell!" Clemensia giggled in between bites of her food, it was no secret between the twenty-four mentors about the title Bobbin had adopted from his time on the news and Clemensia wanted the gossip. 'There's nothing to tell.'
Smirking, Valentina leaned in closely to Clemensia, who was sitting across the table. "I'm not giving anyone any hints to what we have planned but..." She hummed, glancing over to Sejanus and Coriolanus who seemed to also be interested in what she was about to say. Though Coriolanus was more so annoyed than curious like her other two friends. "He's most likely going to make the Capitol love him. Especially with my help."
"I don't like this whole persona you're having him play, Raindrop." Coriolanus grumbled, taking a bite of his apple, causing Clemensia and Sejanus to sigh simultaneously and go back to the conversation they were having before Valentina brought up her tribute. 
Valentina placed her fork down and turned to Coriolanus, frustration plastered over her face. "Why do you keep acting as if he is trying to smuggle me into the Districts?" She huffed, removing his hand from her back.
"He might as well be." He mumbled, barely audible for Valentina to hear and luckily, for Coriolanus, she didn't.
The girl exhaled as she stood up from the table, grabbing her bag from the floor. "Don't bother talking to me until you can give me a proper answer, Snowflake." She shot him one last glare before leaving the dining hall.
She didn't like being mad at her friends and despite how annoying Coriolanus could be and how irritating he was, that included him. She had never even held a grudge against him... but he would always communicate with her. There had only been a few incidents where they would not communicate until they were ready and that was okay - they both knew the other would come to them eventually.
Valentina just had no time for his distractions. Not when she was a mentor for this year's Hunger Games.