“What I’d really like to know is how this whole thing started anyway?” demanded Miss Trinket. Both girls remained silent. “Oh goodie, I get to guess. Hmm, someone stole the other’s boyfriend, perhaps?”
Both of them made faces.
“Sure, we’re teenage girls; that’s all it could possibly be about,” said Dawn under her breath.
“What was that, Miss Mellark?”
“Nothing,” mumbled Dawn.
“My, aren’t we sassy,” said Miss Trinket. In her chair, Autumn snorted.
“Something to say, Miss Everdeen?” Miss Trinket set her eyes on Autumn, who contritely looked down at her folded hands and shook her head.
“Well, then,” Miss Trinket turned her attention to the counselors, “what shall we do about these two lumps of coal?”
Coal. Seriously? Why did she keep referring to them as coal? It was pretty insulting.
“Counselor Mason,” said Miss Trinket, addressing her shorter, harsher counterpart. “You’re the expert on…punishment. What say you? What should we do about our two tempestuous teens?”
What would it be? Dawn wondered. She and Autumn were already on thin ice prior to this very public, horrific incident, and now she was letting Counselor Mason, of all people, decide their fate.
This was bad. Really bad.
All eyes were on Counselor Mason, aside from Dawn, who was staring at her shoes, and Autumn, who was staring at her hands. They glimpsed one another, then Counselor Mason out of the corner of their eyes.
Counselor Mason’s lips curled up into a malicious smile. “I say we let the punishment fit the crime.”
We're back! Thank you for your patience as I rolled in "Again: Remix", your support means the world.
Enjoy!
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The streamers had already begun to droop when they realized no one else was coming.
Except for Marvel, who had come with his latest girl, before leaving the uncomfortable situation. His friend had given him a comforting pat as Peeta let him out.
“All this wasted food…” his mother said as she took a tray of sandwiches into the kitchen. “I thought that invites were sent—”
“They were,” Peeta replied. He leaned against the counter. “I don’t understand—”
The backdoor to the Mellark House opened and Prim emerged, giving him a sad smile.
“She hasn’t said anything in the last hour,” she informed him. “Johanna and Mom are trying to get her to eat something.”
He nodded, letting out a sigh. “I’ll talk to her.”
Peeta headed over and Prim gave him a quick hug before he stepped into his backyard.
Outside, his brothers along with his father and Mr. Everdeen sat at their picnic table with full plates of food. They all looked at him, their gazes concerned.
However, Peeta didn’t need it. He really didn’t care one way or another about having a baby shower.
But it had been important to Katniss.
His eyes looked ahead to the woven chair where his fiancée sat. On each side, Mrs. Everdeen and Johanna spoke softly to Katniss.
They both stopped once he came into view, and his heart clenched seeing Katniss clinging to a teddy bear.
“We’ll give you some privacy,” Johanna said as she rose from her seat.
“I’ll go check in with your mother, Peeta,” Mrs. Everdeen added. She kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
When they were finally alone, Peeta grabbed a chair to sit in front of her.
Katniss remained silent; her chin perched atop the teddy bear’s head.
“I knew that no one would show up.” Peeta’s eyes shot up to meet hers. “They all said yes, but I could feel it…the judgment.” Her eyes filled with tears. “But I just wanted one last time—”
His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“One last time of normality. One last time to feel like a teenager with her friends—” She closed her eyes. “Some friends.” Her hands went to her belly; Katniss was just shy of her eighth month and despite her protests looking as beautiful as ever. “I know nothing will ever be the same.”
“It won’t be.” Taking her hand, Peeta raised it and placed a kiss to her knuckles. “But it doesn’t mean that it won’t be great.”
Katniss blinked, letting the tears finally fall.
“Was it stupid to think I could act like I was still normal? Like I could ignore this huge belly and the swollen ankles?”
Peeta pulled her against him, and she sobbed fully into his chest.
“Oh sweetheart, we’re still teenagers despite all this. Teenagers who are saying goodbye to a life they will never know. A life of being carefree, and of no responsibilities—”
“You’re making this whole baby thing sound real great,” Katniss snorted wetly as she sat up.
“I’m being realistic,” he told her. “Yeah, we’re not normal. But I also know that we’re the rare kind of people who find their true loves right off. I cannot wait to start my life with you—” His hand went to her belly. “—and her. What those other people have or do will ever compare to what all of this is.”
“And what is this?”
“A beautiful life of waking up to you.” Peeta cupped her face, his eyes tracing over every graceful feature—the almond-shaped eyes…the rich skin…her rose lips… “Of getting to watch the love we created grow up…to see her walk and talk for the first time. I get more time with you and her and I want that. As much time as God will allow me to live and breathe with you and for you both.”
Katniss let out a breath. “Well, fuck me that was beautiful.”
“That’s how we got ourselves in this situation, isn’t it?”
She grinned. “Our inability to use birth control was what got us here.” Her mouth went to his. “I love you, Peeta. Beyond all the time that God—or whoever—might give me.”
He pressed into her lips once more, breathing against their kiss. “That’s my girl.”
There was a cough, and they looked up to find their family gathered together.
Johanna held up a box filled with open diapers, each featuring different brown…substances.
“I know I did not smear each of these things with chocolate bars for nothing,” she told them. “Are we up for a game?”
Peeta looked at his fiancée, giving her a smile. “What do you think?”
“I think that I’m kicking all your butts,” Katniss declared.
“You underestimate the amount of chocolate I eat,” Aaron countered as he took a seat.
“You eat boring chocolate,” Prim retorted. “I have a better repertoire when it comes to sweets.”
“Don’t be so cocky, little sister,” Otis said. “Youth might not be in your favor.”
“You’re not that much older than me!”
Then the yard was filled with the laughter of their family as they started the game.
“We have an appointment with Effie in two weeks,” Katniss said, her eyes on the leather planner on her lap. “I have a class in the morning that day. Can you pick me up from campus?”
Peeta’s eyes remained on the road ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel. “Sure.”
Katniss raised a brow at his furrowed expression.
“Your mom’s birthday is coming up,” she continued, going back to the planner. “We need to get her a present though I’m not sure we could possibly get her. She has every single kitchen appliance because of your family’s connection to the food industry. Jewelry would be nice, but we’re lacking in the financial department. Maybe we can get something to do with the baby, but what?”
Her boyfriend’s stare remained on the road.
Katniss huffed, her irritation rising.
“Also, my mom has been bugging me about the baby shower,” she told him. “She wants to do a whole teddy bear theme and is buying out every teddy bear she can find online. Also, she needs a guest list from you. I’m not sure how many of your friends are interested in a baby shower, but maybe if we get their girlfriends in on it…”
“Sure.”
Slamming the planner closed, Katniss whipped over to him.
“What the fuck is going on?”
Peeta turned to her, confusion in his blue eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve barely listened to anything I said! What is going on with you? Are you having second thoughts about this whole baby thing?” Her hands went to her full belly. “Because you know what, Mellark? We’re six months into this. It’s a little late for you to be freaking out over the little girl gestating in my uterus!” Katniss threw her hands up. “I can’t believe at this point that you’re going through this—”
The car abruptly swerved to the side of the sandy road and Peeta parked, pulling the brake shift up roughly.
“I’m going to propose to you!”
Katniss froze, her grey eyes going round. “What?”
“The party for Marvel that we’re currently driving to—doesn’t exist!” Her boyfriend turned to her, anxiety in his gaze. “I had this whole thing planned at his parents’ beach house, but I’ve been so nervous about the actual proposal. I’ve been trying to come up with something romantic and special, but you know how horrible I am at speeches.”
“That’s true,” she agreed.
He was barely getting through his Public Speaking class this semester.
“And I tried writing it down,” Peeta told her. “But it sounded so phony. It was so not us.”
“Us?”
“It didn’t sound real,” he explained. “What we have is as real as it can get. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We make each other better. But we fight and argue. Every day isn’t perfect by any means and some days, I know we get frustrated with each other—probably you more than me. But we always find a way to make it work and it makes us stronger.” Peeta ran a hand through his hair. “Because at the end of the day if we’re together, then all the bullshit between that is worthwhile.”
They both lapse into silence—minus Peeta’s heaving from his torrent of words.
“Well, that’s as good as a proposal can get.”
Peeta turned to his girlfriend in shock. “What?”
“You know me,” Katniss said. “You know us. We’re not about flowers or any of that crap. Like you said, we’re real.”
He chuckled softly. “Yeah, I didn’t think I’d say ‘bullshit’ during my proposal.”
His girlfriend beamed. “We’ll keep that part of the story a secret from the rest of the family.”
Taking a deep breath, Peeta reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a small velvet box and placing on the dashboard.
Katniss looked to it in disbelief. “Oh my gosh, you were actually for real.”
Peeta took the box, opening it and revealing a gold ring with a single solitary diamond.
“This is my great-grandmother’s ring,” he explained. “I asked my parents for some help and advice about getting a ring and this is what they suggested. This is an important heirloom to our family, and they felt like you should have it. In time, I’ll get you a ring that is yours and yours alone—”
“No!” Katniss looked to him; her eyes full. “I love it because your parents think of me as already part of your family.”
“I kind of told them in Kindergarten that I would marry you,” Peeta replied sheepishly. “So, they’ve had years to get used to the thought of us.”
Katniss let out a watery laugh, and he reached, tenderly wiping a stray tear from her cheek.
“Katniss Everdeen, love of my life, will you marry me?
She gasped, nodding frantically.
Peeta grinned, reaching for the ring. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” she squeaked out. “It’s a yes.”
He quickly slipped the ring on her finger before pulling Katniss into a full kiss. She followed, her arms weaving around his neck as she deepened their joined lips.
The windows had steamed by the time they pulled apart.
“So how long do we have until we’re at Marvel’s?” Katniss asked, chest heaving from their kiss. “I’d really like to celebrate this engagement.”
Peeta let out a shaky breath, he was still reeling himself.
“Ten minutes—if I drive really, really fast.”
Quickly, his fiancée sat back and yanked her seatbelt back on.
