I know, I know. I changed the appearance of Katniss and Peeta's daughter. Sue me for forgetting the detail of her hair and eye color. Sorry, anyways. Well, thanks to your positive feedback, I will be writing more. I'll also still do it regardless of positive or negative feedback. I just love feedback. But I don't need it to keep writing. I'm rambling, I know. Well, on with the chapter!
~Symphonic Madness
Phoenix
Something in the back of my mind nags at me that something about this girl is off. I'm guessing the reason I'm having this suspicion is because I'm walking through Victor's Village, the home of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. From what my father told me, they were now married.
I knock on the door of the house she told me to look for, and a few seconds later, an older, middle-aged woman answers the door. I recognize the face as that of the legendary Katniss Everdeen, only older than the pictures of her in the history books. She is even still wearing her mockingjay pin on her shirt and her still brown hair is pulled back in the braid that I'd read about and seen.
"Can I help you?" she asks.
"Uh… I'm here to see your daughter, Adaryn," I say.
"Adaryn!" the legend calls.
"Coming!" Adaryn calls back.
"Please come in," Katniss says.
I walk in and Katniss closes the door behind me as Adaryn walks down the stairs toward us. She sees me and a huge grin spreads across her face.
"So what is your name, young man?" Katniss asks.
"Phoenix Hawthorne," I answer.
"I am Katniss Mellark," she says calmly. But then a warm, inviting smile breaks out across her face. "But you can call me Katniss."
"Thank you, ma'am," I say.
"Who's at the door?" a male voice asks as he comes closer.
I recognize Peeta immediately. Holy crap. I was dating the daughter of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.
"Apparently, our daughter was expecting someone today," Katniss says with a smirk at her daughter.
"Well, not today," she says. "But I was expecting him."
"What's your name, young man?" Peeta asks.
"Phoenix Hawthorne," I say.
Peeta seems to jump at the last name, but then quickly regains composure.
"Good, then. I'm Peeta Mellark," he says, outstretching his hand.
I shake it. "Nice to meet you, sir."
I act as if their very presence in front of me doesn't move me, when it really makes me want to kiss the ground they walk on. Katniss and Peeta were the face of the rebellion. Without them, I would probably be liable to be reaped for the Hunger Games.
"Nice to meet you, too, my boy," Peeta says.
"So are you a friend of Adaryn's?" Katniss asks.
"Boyfriend," I say.
"Come. Let's sit down. We've got a lot of questions to ask you if you're going to date our daughter," Peeta says. "Finn! Get down here! Ask your daughter's boyfriend questions while you can. Lucky for him, this is the only day we'll be doing this!" Peeta calls.
Suddenly, a young man comes running into the room. I recognize him as the boy I saw Adaryn go home with along with another girl. This must be her brother.
"Hello," he says. "I'm Finnick. Please call me Finn. I'm the guy that Adaryn walked off with last night. I'm also obviously her brother."
I see it now. They have the same gray eyes, only this kid has blonde hair instead of his sister's brown hair. He is also only a tad shorter than I am.
"Well, come now," Katniss says. "Time to torture this poor boy." She winks at me.
Peeta asks the first question shortly after we sit down on the couches; me sitting across from Peeta, Katniss, and Finn with my arm around Adaryn's shoulders. "When did you two meet?"
"Honestly, I've had my eyes on your daughter for a long time. But last night, at the bonfire, was when I got the courage to talk to her," I admit.
"Sounds like you," Katniss says to her husband.
"Well, anyway, we got to talking, and did for a few hours until I finally decided to go for it and ask for a kiss. She gave me one, and I was the happiest man on the planet," I say.
Adaryn looks at me and smiles. I peck her lips gently before Finn asks a question for himself.
"Now, even though I'm the younger brother, I still have an obligation to protect my sister. Tell me now, and don't lie, are you capable of hurting her physically?"
"Never. I could never kill anything," I say. "Especially not Adaryn."
The three continue asking questions, until they say it's time for dinner.
"Care to join us?" Katniss asks.
"Of course. Let me just go ask my dad," I say. "I'll be back in a half hour at most."
"Well we're open for one more person. Take him with you when you come back here," Katniss says.
"Okay," I say.
Adaryn
He leaves and I breathe a sigh of relief that this went painlessly. He's coming over for dinner, I think to myself. Things are going to be okay.
The doorbell rings when it was expected to, and I answer it. I invite Phoenix and his father in, and I tell them to sit down at the table, and that dinner is almost ready. My mother soon after walks into the kitchen and almost drops the plates she's holding.
"Gale," she murmurs.
"Hey, Catnip," Phoenix's dad says as he grins.
My mother sets the plates down on the table where they should be. "Adaryn, can I talk to you?"
"What?" I ask her once we're alone.
"That's Gale Hawthorne!" she exclaims in a whisper.
"That Gale Hawthorne?" I ask, shocked.
"Yes! I should have recognized the last name when I heard it," my mom says.
"Why didn't you?" I ask.
"Well there are plenty of people with the last name 'Hawthorne' in District 12, you know," she says.
"So what if I'm dating his son?" I ask.
"He killed my sister, Adaryn. He was part of the operation that killed her," Katniss says.
My father comes in and looks like he is trying to keep his cool. "What in the hell is Gale Hawthorne doing in my house?"
"Our daughter is dating his son!" my mom screeches as quietly as she can.
"Adaryn, you can't," my father says. "You just can't."
"Why not?" I ask.
"Because I said so," my mom says.
"Please, mom! You can't do this to me!" I cry.
My mom doesn't listen. She marches right in the kitchen and tells Gale and Phoenix to leave. Phoenix hugs me quickly before leaving my house with his father.
"I hate you both!" I screech with tears running down my face.
I run up to my room, and slam the door. I knew when I heard the last name "Hawthorne" that I shouldn't have gotten involved with him.
