Our Life After

Differing Reactions

*Lizzie's POV*

After Joshua asked me on a date, I literally felt like flying. 

I ran to catch up with Catherine, who was standing outside with some other girls, but she said something and walked over to me.

“Soooooooo, how'd it go?" She asks ever so casually.

“He asked me on a date on Friday.  I can't wait to get home and tell my parents."  I replied just as casually.

“Oh, um, yeah.  I bet you're excited!  You'd better get home gottagobye."  She said and hurried off.

Is telling  my parents a bad idea, I thought, Maybe, but hiding it from them would only be worse.

So I skipped home, pushing the thought of Catherine out of my mind.  I just keep  thinking, maybe they'd be proud of me.  It's been 3 years since I last brought up dating, so maybe they'd be proud I waited.

Who knows?

I push through the front door, skipping around the living room, catching Mom's eye over the newspaper.

Christian is doing something, probably homework at the table, and Daddy is in the kitchen.  The elementary school gets out earlier than everyone else.

“My, my, my. What's gotten you in such a good mood?" Mom asks.

“You'll never guess.  Go on, try and guess!"  I say, trying to add a little suspense to the whole thing.

“A good test grade."

“Nope."

“You're going to Catherine's 16th birthday party in a month?"

“Duh.  That's obvious."  I kind of hated being younger than Catherine, but for some reason we ended up in the same year in school.  So I got over it.

“I give up.  What is it?"  She finally says.

“I, Elizabeth Marie Mellark, am going on a date with Joshua Hawthorne this Friday evening."  I said, all proud, but Mom visibly tensed up.

*Katniss's POV*

I drop my newspaper, and look at her straight in the eye.  “And which of your parents authorized this?"

“Um, neither.  But he asked me today, and I've already said yes, so I have to go." she whined.

“Over my dead body."  I replied smoothly.

“Mom!  I already said yes!"

“Well I can walk you over there, and we can tell him no together."

“Honey," Peeta says, and starts rubbing my shoulders, “Let her go.  She's bound to hate it just like you did and wait until she's starving to death, some dude will throw bread at her and she'll marry him.  Just like her mom."

“Peeta, I'm not sure.  She wants to go on a date with Josh....... Hawthorne."  I lower my voice so she cannot hear.

Peeta whispers back, “You have to let that go.  She is a different person than you, and Josh is a different person than Gale.  Let her go.  She can just try it."

“I don't like this." I say cautiously.

“It's okay." He says, and gives a slight squeeze o  my shoulders before returning to the kitchen.

I look at Lizzie tiredly.  “Fine.  But you will have a curfew and there better not be anything happening besides dinner and pleasant conversation."

“Thank you so much Mom!" and she runs over, gives me a hug, and goes upstairs to do homework.

*******************************************************

The kids are all at school, and I'm having tea with Johanna on her front porch.

“I don't like this.  Not one bit." She says at a break in the conversation.

“Don't like what?"  I ask.

“The idea of my son and your daughter going on a date this Friday.  It sounds like bad news.  I didn't even know it was happening until Joshua walked in from school yesterday telling Gale 'I did it.  I finally did it.'  So I walked in all like 'What'd you do?'  And he said he'd asked your daughter on a date.  He'd apparently been planning this with Gale......"

“What?" I snap.

“Shut up Fire Girl and listen.  He'd been telling Gale and they decided together without me that this was a good plan.  I was against the whole thing, but Gale said to just let them do it."

I just stare at her.  I know Johanna.  She didn't just let it go that her husband and son were plotting against her will.

Finally, she gets the message and says, “He wasn't allowed in the bed last night."

“That's my girl."  And then I think.  “Wait.  The same thing happened at my house.  I was against it, but Peeta was all good with letting them try it.  I wonder if they were all working together on this."

We just stare at each other, shaking our heads, and then sipped our tea. 

Later that night in bed, I tell Peeta about the things I learned from Johanna,and asked him if he was in on all of this.

“What?  Of course not!  I'm just going to let our daughter make mistakes.  She'll learn from them and become wiser."

“Okay." I say, and snuggle into his chest.  “I love you."

“I love you, too.  Sleep tight."