Gratiana has an olive skin tone, and curly, dark brown hair falling to the base of her neck, with a myriad of pink, yellow, and blue streaks in it. Gratiana wears jade-green contacts. She has a tattoo of her mother's name and date of death on her left collarbone, just above her heart. Gratiana is tall for her age, standing at 5'10". Gratiana is 115 lbs, with a lithe, toned frame.
Gratiana Lamb
7 Years Ago
Dad always said that reaching ten was a huge milestone. Apparently, I should feel proud and excited for the future but it just feels...bittersweet? I should be happy, but I can't feel happy. Not at a time like this.
The mood is sombre and quiet, as Dad brings out the presents. I mutter a small thanks, as he puts them on the table. But I think he can tell how disappointed I am...I don't really hide my emotions well. "Just because mummy isn't here anymore doesn't mean we can't celebrate still…" My father starts, staring blankly at the empty chair, where she'd usually sit.
"It doesn't feel right though." Herminia speaks up for me, but I do agree. I wipe my eyes, not too sure what to say.
Dad opens his mouth, letting it hang open, as he contemplates over what to respond with. I don't think he knows what to say either...his eyes are brimming with tears too. "Just...just open your presents, dear. That'll make you feel better." He eventually decides.
So I pick the closest one of three. "A-ah, that was the one mummy told me to buy for you!" Dad claps his hands. I see him smile slightly as my eyes light up a little bit.
Slowly unfolding the wrapping paper so I don't tear it, I take the box out. It's a...deluxe science kit.
I immediately hear Herminia scoff behind me. "Why would mum want Grati to have a science kit? Can't she get one of those at school?" I hear her mumble something under her breath, about how I deserve a better parting gift…
Dad shakes his head. "It's…" He takes a pause.
"Well, I love it." I grin, turning the box over. A microscope, some test tubes, acids, a few different reactants. It's simple things, but they all seem very cool!
Dad lets out a breath of relief. "You seriously like it?" Herminia asks. I can easily read her shocked, disbelief expression. I guess our entire family is an open book.
"Is there a problem with me liking it?" I ask, not too sure what's wrong with it.
"It's just...not very…" Herminia struggles to find the words. "Not very...I'm not sure. Capitol like?" But I don't care if it's not what a typical Capitol teen would like. I like it and I think it's really interesting, so that should be enough! Why should I dislike it just because everybody else does?
6 Years Ago
For my first-ever science fair, I don't want to do something like everyone else. I need to think outside of the box if I want to get a high grade and cash that prize fund. But I have about twenty different ideas and any one of them could be perfect.
So I go through each one, thinking of the benefits and drawbacks of each one, how much I could write and which one would be easiest to make the best-decorated board.
"Wow, that's a lot of ideas." A girl says, looming over me. Oh, that's Soph! We worked together once on a group science project and it was very successful. We achieved the highest mark possible.
"Yeah...I'm not sure which is the best though." I laugh awkwardly, still looking over it. Soph looks closer, now leaning on the uncomfortable science lab chairs, noticing all my notes on each idea.
"I think you're overthinking it. Just pick one that feels right and settle on it." Soph smiles, with that same calming tone she usually speaks with.
Every time I pick one though, I end up changing my mind and jumping to another one. Why is making decisions so hard? "But...I'm not sure which one that is. They all feel right."
"How about then..." Soph thinks for a second. "The effect of temperature on glow sticks? We could work together...it sounds pretty fun!"
"I...yeah, that sounds great!" I say, even though I was thinking of not doing that one. It might be better though with her recommendation…maybe I am just overanalyzing all of this. It'd be fun to work with Soph again, so it'd be best if I just do that one. We make a great team, after all.
4 Years Ago
I scout my surroundings, rummaging through every bush, turning every stone and checking every tree. I never realised how big Genie's garden was until now. There are so many cool hiding spots, but so far my hunt has been fruitless. At least I can smile at the footprints I've left in the snow though.
Where would Genie and Soph be most likely to hide? Genie's quite small so she can slot herself into narrower spaces. But she's also nimble, so she could easily climb a tree and blend in with the leaves. Soph is bigger, so I think she'd hide in a more obvious space. Somewhere you'd glance over, thinking that it'd be stupid to hide there.
Then all of a sudden, I'm hit by a snowball in the head. "Haha, you're such an easy target!" I turn around to see Genie, with her impish smile and mischievous laugh. I laugh along too, as it's true.
I try to throwback, but my aim is terrible and my throw is weak. Genie hits nearly every throw, while I only hit a fifth of them.
"Ready to surrender?" Genie asks as she hits another perfect shot.
"Never!" I declare, missing by miles.
Genie laughs. "Your throws are atrocious!"
I shake my head. "But my balls are better." Which she laughs too.
It's fun spending time with my best friend like this. I've been spending a lot of time with Soph recently, but not as much with Genie. We're as thick as thieves, but we're slowly drifting away, which is a shame. I'll be sure to spend more time with her.
All of a sudden I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I excuse myself from the fight for a second to take it, to see it's my dad. "Where are you, Grati?" He says immediately before I can greet him properly.
"Oh, hi! Erm, I'm at Genie's house...like I said I'd be." I tell him.
"But you said you'd be home by now." He says, somewhat desperately.
I roll my eyes. "Urgh, it's so early though. We've still got a couple of hours until her games start and we need to be at that venue."
"Yes, but this is an important time for the family, so we should be spending it together. I'd like you home as soon as possible." Dad commands, ending the call before I can complain. I can't even negotiate with him.
If I show up late now, I'll be grounded for who knows how long. I don't have a choice now, I have to go home.
He's just been so much more controlling recently! I know he hasn't handled...mother's death well. He's scared of losing us too, but he can afford to loosen his grip a little bit too. He doesn't have to vent his frustrations on me and Herminia.
Don't let yourself get into an emotional state over this Grati. Just wipe your tears. Maybe he'll be less commanding once he sees how well Herminia does in the Saturn Games.
I haven't been to too many parties, but the 5th Saturn Games viewing party is perhaps one of the oddest I've been to. Normally I at least have Herminia or a friend with me, but I just have Dad. We sit in silence, unlike the rest of the roaring crowd, as we anxiously await for the games to start.
I stare at Herminia, sitting at the other tributes. I'm not the best when it comes to fashion, but she looks stunning in that pink floral dress...I can tell she thinks it too, as she has a big smile on her face. She keeps checking her mirror too…
I should stop staring at her. It's probably creepy. So I stare at the dark ceiling, painted with stars, thinking about how beautiful it is.
Dad sips on his champagne, as the screen suddenly flickers on. The crowd has turned dead silent, as the clock slowly counts down. I grip onto the small table's fancy covering, very nervous for Herminia.
You can just about see her, standing directly in front of the wheat field. That'd be a perfect place to lay low and stalk some tributes. But what if there's a lot of animatronic snakes there? That'd be a boring way to go. There's also the river, which she may need if she ever gets thirsty...but the game shouldn't last long enough for that to be too much of a problem.
The crowd lets out a roar, as the tributes jump off their podiums, heading to the glass dome in the centre. Herminia dashes in, arriving before many of the other tributes.
"Why would she do that?" Dad asks, his eyebrows furrowed. He analyses her every move, just like I'd usually do. "Too many risks at the dome. She's made herself look like a threat by heading there first."
"I'm sure she has a plan." I hope.
Herminia is one of the first tributes to fight. She easily disarms another small boy, knocking him out. I hear a mix of boos and cheers, but Herminia takes it all in well, showing a charming smile. I feel conflicted, but it's ultimately a good thing...she's made herself memorable. The speaker commends her, as the crowd stands to clap for her achievement.
But it's cut off, as another tribute is knocked out. But I still clap, incredibly proud of her. She looks amazing up there.
2 Years Ago
They always say you're never the same after you see your first dead body.
Luckily, the 'dead body' I'm looking at right now isn't real. I stare intensely at it, perplexed by all the small details. The blood and the bruises and the maggots are all so disgusting, yet so realistic. But if I do ever feel too sick, I can squish its foot and see how plasticky it is. And just like that, the illusion is shattered.
I suppose I'll have to get used to seeing this though.
"Gratiiii, I didn't know forensic science was so interesting. But I still prefer biochemistry." A voice giggles. Soph walks up to me, pulling one of the uncomfortable science stalls out. She fiddles with her layered blonde hair, deciding whether she'd rather stand or sit.
"Pssh, lipids and proteins might be fun, but wouldn't you rather solve crimes?" I say, paying attention to her now. I had stared at the mannequin for so long, the other people in the workshop must think I'm a psychopath.
Soph shrugs, pulling her goggle glasses up. "Looking for fingerprints and hairs doesn't sound like fun to me."
"But there's so much more than just that." I smile.
"If you say sooo." Soph giggles, even though what I said wasn't that funny. "So, what's Mr Zinn talking about?"
Biting my lip, I turn to him, standing in front of the class's whiteboard. Mr Zinn has been drawing out artistic interpretations of various insects, which are all a bit strange looking. It's frustrating not being able to walk up there and fix them. "Forensics' entomology. Did you know that the insects in the area of the crime scene can help work out whether the body has been moved or not?"
"Nope! That's pretty interesting. They're such insignificant creatures to us, but they're so important! I love them."
"You love every living creature!" I laugh along.
Soph then taps me lightly. "Isn't that a good thing? You don't?"
I blush slightly, laughing a lot loudly. "I...ya...yeah, of course, I do!" I try to speak, but I keep stumbling over my words. Soph laughs even more now, which causes me to blush even more intensely. It's a never-ending cycle.
The laughter dies down and we stand in silence for a second. "Anyway, I'm going to go to a different station." I decide, quickly changing the topic before I grow bored of the previous one.
"What? But he's still speaking!" Soph says, pointing to Mr Zinn, who's obviously very passionate about what he's talking about. I'm not sure if he's noticed the emptying audience yet.
"I get the general gist of it." I laugh, twirling my curly dark hair.
She hits me lightly. "Sure. You're so fickle, you know."
"I'm not that bad." I respond, knowing, I am that bad. In truth, I've kind of disengaged from the situation. There are too many great stations here and I'd like to go to all of them. I can't stay at one for too long, or I'll get too curious about the other ones.
"Maybe not. But you should just...relax. Pick one station to stay at." Soph says, waving to the others.
"Hmm...I guess so...but I'm still not going to stay at this one."
So I push through the crowd of students and science lab tables, passing the long lines. Soph tries to tag along, though people keep getting in the way. I feel bad for going off without her, but I'm just too excited. I know they've been doing these sort of workshops for a lot of other fields of science, but I never thought they'd do one for my favourite!
Two weeks ago
I always feel as if I've been transported to another dimension when I play the clarinet. To be completely in the element, letting the music take over my mind and body, is very euphoric. It also makes me feel proud, as I get to honour my mother, who also played…
But every time I look slightly to the right of me, I see Genie in the first seat of the orchestra. I'm not an amateur, so I can almost completely cast her out of my thoughts. But I keep messing every once in a while when I glance at her, which is very off-putting. I don't want to be the reason why our performance turns out terribly.
For the next few minutes, the song goes smoothly. I've recovered from my silly mistakes, as I continue to tune her and my guilt out.
The song ends and the crowd of family members, friends and teachers begin to cheer and clap loudly. We stand and bow, taking in all the praise. It certainly feels nice...I feel proud. As if I've done my mother well.
But then the thought of Genie settles in again and it all goes away. Every positive feeling dissipates, like the clapping of the crowd.
Once we're allowed to, I make my way backstage, trying to find Soph. But there's such a large crowd of such wacky colours, wigs and dresses. She just blends in so easily. The number of feet I step on and people I barge into is embarrassing as well.
Where is she?
I sit on the plush carpeted stairs that lead to the rest of the school's corridors. It's not that uncomfortable but it does feel a little bit lonely. All these people are passing by and I'm just sitting there, trying to call my girlfriend.
Five minutes pass, with no sign of her. But I do see Genie turn the corner. Oh, maybe I'll be able to apologise to her, or attempt to reconnect again! I don't have much hope but maybe she's more forgiving now.
"Genie!" I shout as I watch her pass by the stairs. She stops and turns, with somewhat of a sour expression. "Hi! You did so well in the first seat today."
She stares at me, her eyebrows furrowed and her lip quivering. I can see her look me up and down, which immediately makes me self conscious about how I'm presenting myself. She's not happy at the sight of me. "Thanks." Genie bluntly responds, with a cold tone to her voice. "I'm surprised you complimented me. It's a nice change."
I cringe. My face scrunches up slightly. "Yeah...I'm sorry for all the times I insulted you and put you down in the past…"
"I don't need your fake apologies." Genie returns. She starts walking again, going up the stairs and pushing the grand door open. I follow after her.
"I...I know it probably sounds fake but I really do mean it." I plead, with as much passion in my voice as possible. It's true.
"Then why did it take you three years to finally apologise to me?" Genie frowns. I have no answer that can justify my actions. I really just dropped my best friend like that because I was jealous of her skills...aren't I a terrible person? "Exactly, you're lost for words. You were so determined to make me your enemy and you did. I don't see why you'd be so determined to make me your friend then, after years of silence. Now stop following me and leave me alone."
This time I don't follow her. I watch her walk away, as the tears begin to form in my eyes. It's true, I don't deserve her forgiveness. I was such a bad friend and I just couldn't accept that. I ruined a perfect friendship by making her an antagonist when she was always so nice to me…
God, I just need to let these tears out, but I can't break down in public like this. This immense guilt and shame and sorrow feels like it's suffocating me yet I can't do anything about it.
I sit there for a few seconds. What would Soph think of me? I never really told her about what happened between me and Genie, as the two of them weren't close. She just thought we got into a petty argument, but she never knew how I acted. How would she see me if she found more about me?
No, she's my girlfriend, she'll love me no matter what. She's not going to hate me for how I was when I was 14. She'd rather me be honest, wouldn't she? But how do I know...she's always hiding her true emotions too…
I'm stressing this too much. I don't even need to worry about this. Don't let this become too much of a distraction, Grati…
Here's Gratiana! I really enjoyed writing her and I hope you enjoyed her too. Thanks for reading/reviewing!