Rising Storm

Chapter 11

Katniss

"Katniss!" I take a step back as Prim wraps her arms around my waist. I let go of Peeta's arm and hug her back as the cameras watch. "I missed you so much!" I smile.

"I missed you too," I reply and I let go of her and look back at Peeta. "Why don't we go home so we can get ready for that big party tonight?" She nods and runs back to my mother as Peeta helps me dismount the train platform.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asks. "You've been acting weird since everything happened this morning."

"Do you blame me?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"No," he says. "But I figured we would be through with hiding things after what happened last night."

"We are," I say as we start to walk towards our houses. "But that doesn't mean I have to tell you everything that's going on inside my head right now. I'm really confused and worried about everything right now."

"I know," he says. "But we just have to take this day by day."

"What about the quarter quell?" I ask.

"We'll worry about that when it's announced," he says as we walk up the steps to my house. "I'm gonna go over to my house for a little while, let you have some time with your sister." I nod.

"I'll see you at dinner," I say. He kisses me and then leaves. I watch him walk over and he waves to me as he heads into the house. I wave back before walking in my house. It's very clean and cosy, surprisingly since my mother tends to go into a catatonic state and not be as attentive to the house work. She comes up to me and takes my coat, not meeting my eye.

"Is something wrong?" I ask her.  She glances at Prim.

"Primrose, go to your room," she says. "I need to talk to your sister." She looks at me calmly with a cold undertone. "Alone." Prim looks at me nervously but I nod to her and she runs up the stairs to her room. I follow my mother to the kitchen and sit down across from her.

"What's this about?" I ask.

"I'm just going to come right out and say it," she says. "Are you pregnant?" I look at her in shock.

"Mother! No! Never!" I say. "Why would you think that?"

"You're getting married," she says. "You are sixteen, Katniss. Girls your age don't get married unless they are trying to hide an unplanned baby."

"Peeta and I have barely looked at each other for months," I say. "When on Earth would we have conceived a child?"

"Your relationship is very public," she says. "I know you two weren't getting along, but you've been very absent, Katniss. I know how girls your age are when they get there hearts broken. And if something happened, Peeta would have to cover for it."

"No," I say. "I'm not pregnant. I had no idea about the ring or that Peeta was going to ask me to marry him. I couldn't say no. Besides, it shows the people following our story an endgame. Hopefully, they'll let us take a few years to get everything settled and planned out. So we can rest easy for a little while." She looks at me softly and then lays her hand over mine.

"I'm sorry, Katniss," she says. "But I'm your mother. I'm concerned about you. This all seems rather soon."

"You haven't shown much concern about me before this," I say. "You haven't told me the basic things a woman should know by the time she's my age." I glance at the stairs and then back at her. "I started bleeding last night and thought something was wrong with me. But it turns out, it was nothing to be afraid of because it's completely natural and something I should have talked with you about already. I was so embarrassed because I had to explain it to Peeta afterwards. Why didn't you ever tell me about something like that?"

"Because I didn't need to!" She says sharply. "Face it Katniss, you haven't needed me for much of anything for almost five years now. I figured it already happened and you took care of everything yourself like you've been doing." I look down and get up.

"Then why are you so concerned about me getting married?" I ask. "Why did you automatically assume I was pregnant?" She looks up at me with a tear running down her cheek and sighs.

"Because it's what happened to me, Katniss," she says. I look at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I got pregnant with you," she says. "And two weeks after we knew, your father and I were signing a marriage license in the justice building. I do remember what it's like to fall in love and even though you two fight a lot, you and Peeta do show a lot of affection towards one another. I just hope you'd be careful and not rush things. A baby and a marriage put a lot of stain a relationship. And as fragile and frail as what you two have is, I don't want you to make my mistake."

"I can see that," I say. "But children have never been in the picture for me and Peeta understands that. We talked a lot and decided what we wanted out of life. And we're happy." She smiles and nods.

"I know," she says. "I see myself in you when you talk about him." She stands. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you as much as you needed me. But I hope you won't keep secrets from me when you do need help." I nod.

"I will," I say. "But right now, I'm really tired from my trip. Can I go to my room?" She nods and I walk up stairs and find Prim already curled up in my bed.

I lay down next to her and she turns to me.

"Katniss, please don't leave for that long again," she says. I frown and brush her bangs away from her face.

"I'll try not to, but there are things that I have to do as a victor of the games," I say. "I'll also be spending a lot more time with Peeta since we're getting married. And after that happens, I'll live with him or he'll live here and we won't get to spend so much time together anymore."

"Are you guys going to share a bed?" She asks. I nod. "Will you have kids?" I purse my lips and sigh. For the third time today, the issue of a baby has been brought up and it makes me so uncomfortable that I'm barely able to answer my sister.

"I don't know Prim," I say. "I really don't want them, but I know Peeta does. And he's very persuasive, so maybe someday we would. But not for a very long time. We're too young right now." She smiles.

"You'd make a good mom Katniss," she says. I smile.

"Well, hopefully we won't have to worry about whether you're right or not for a long time," I say and she just looks back towards the window while I start to surcome to my exhaustion and go to sleep.