ALTHOUGH IT'S TAKING ME EVERY BONE IN MY BODY NOT TO cry and storm back out of this classroom, I figured I owed it to whoever the winner is. Which at this point, is either going to be Festus or Coryo.

On the screen, some sort of plane holding a barrel of what appears to be streaks of color comes down slowly from the open roof of the arena.

The helicopter's air is so powerful, that the tributes can barely stand tall as they stand in the arena.

"Is it over? Can we go home now?" The littlest tribute comes out from hiding with a hopeful smile as she walks toward the center.

"Wovey!" Reaper repeatedly called after her, but she ignored him and continued testing the waters--getting closer and closer to the unknown barrel.

It broke open and hundreds of snakes came flying out--crawling and slithering over her--consuming her.

Coral, Lucy Gray, and the other tribute began to run the opposite way, up high onto the tower but Coral's friend soon gets tripped and tied and ultimately murdered by the snakes.

Festus throws his hands in the air at my side, letting out a cheerful sound as he watches Coral run. He was having a field day and somehow, did not feel a single thing toward any of the other tributes' deaths. He didn't care about Coral either, he only cared about winning.

Reaper doesn't leave the row of fallen tributes--he stays put and merely only lifts his head up while the snakes cover his body, killing him.

Lucy Gray has just barely made it while a few snakes slither up her legs and middle.

"It's not fair! It's not..." Coral's voice shakes and trembles as she holds a hand up fro Lucy Gray to grab--to save her. "I couldn't have killed them all for nothing."

She was right. Coral killed the absolute most and by that alone, she did deserve to win. But these games are nothing if not unfair.

A snake slithers around the redhead's neck and another pulls her down, off the rock. She squirms as they tighten around her and within seconds, she too, is dead.

"And that is goodbye to Festus Creed," Lucky announces into his handheld microphone, turning to wave off Festus. "Have a nice summer!"

Festus rolls his eyes at Lucky and only lets out a frustrated grunt, but he could care less about the fact that Coral--a human being--is dead.

"Now, all colors lead to Gray."

Lucy Gray has won the 10th Annual Hunger Games.

Coriolanus has won the Plinth Prize.

The games are still going on but there's only one tribute remaining.

"She's won," Coriolanus says in utter disbelief. "She's won. Let her out."

"I'm afraid that's not your call to make, Mr. Snow." Lucky turns, pointing to Dr. Gaul, who stands at the top of the student's rows of chairs.

Even if there's to be no victor in the Hunger Games.

Dr. Gaul has contradicted her own rules--she's not letting Lucy Gray out and I'm afraid there truly won't be a victor.

Lucy Gray begins slithering on the screen, she's serenading the snakes but I'm not exactly sure why. Or how she isn't dead yet.

"It's over, let her out." Coryo demands, pointing at the screen but is looking at Dr. Gaul as he says it.

"Why aren't they attacking her?" Festus asks, voicing all of our thoughts.

"It must be the singing." Coryo says, but it's almost as if he doesn't believe it himself. "It's calming them."

Lucy Gray is still singing and it's powerful and sends a chill down my spine. Nearly every single one of my peers is tearing up and sniffling around me just by Lucy Gray's singing and I don't know if I've ever seen so many people crying in one room before.

"Dr. Gaul, please. Get her out." Coriolanus doesn't budge on his consistency. He asks once more, and is soon mimicked by a flood of teens. A train of the three words gets thrown around and eventually, every single person is saying the words--demanding that Dr. Gaul let Lucy Gray out.

Dr. Gaul has realized she's lost and when she does, she holds up a hand in the air, silencing my peers. She turns to her assistant next to her with a frown of defeat and says, "Get her out."

A satisfied laugh comes from Lucky. "Ha-ha-ha! She's won! Lucy Gray!"

I watch as the realization sinks into Coriolanus' eyes. He's done it. He finally has a future.

"Coriolanus Snow is the winner of the 10th Annual Hunger Games!"

I'm able to forget about all of the losses and hardships I've faced today and I get to focus on the happiness in the room right now. The energy is palpable as a crowd of my classmates swarm around Coryo, congratulating him on his victory.

I remain still, though, leaning on the doorway of the room and awaiting for him to embrace his victory.

He's won and he should be really fucking proud of himself.

I can hardly see anything amongst the crowd but when I see Coryo's blonde hair moving swiftly as he pushes past the grinning teens, I don't miss it.

His eyes are unfocused and his lips are parted in shock as it seems he only has one more task on his checklist. And when he sees me, his frantic eyes go soft and he smiles.

I'm able to manage somewhat of a half grin--after nearly all of my energy being swept out from under my feet--but I push my weight off the doorway and applaud him as I begin walking toward him.

I barely get five steps in before he meets me and he lifts me off my feet and holds me tight against him.

I can hear him exhale a sigh of relief when his chin burrows into my neck and all I can do is let out a breathy giggle.

He's taken me by surprise in the best way possible and I hope I'll never forget this moment.

I don't ever want to forget the way he looked at me when he saw me.

I don't want to forget what I'm feeling right now.

And I definitely don't want to forget how his lips feel against mine right now.