Chapter Text
Something that is a complete turnaround from my last story.
The characters of The Hunger Games Trilogy do not belong to me. I merely like to mess around with them.
This is an AU so please be aware that there will be major differences.
They say two wrongs don't make it right
So if I'm wrong I ain't trying to fight
I'm trying to have some dinner with some candlelight
Lay up in the bed and make love all night…
-Wyclef Jean and Claudette Ortiz
Two Wrongs
By JLaLa
Prologue: Peeta
"If you wanna be happy
For the rest of your life,
Never make a pretty woman your wife,
So from my personal point of view,
Get an ugly girl to marry you…"
"Dumbest song ever," Katniss says to me in disgust. She lowers the volume on the radio and then goes back to playing with the tip of her braid.
"Please don't touch my radio," I tell her. "I don't go around touching any of your things."
It's one of those rare warm days in the San Francisco and the beach in front of us is packed. We both opt to stay inside of my car, a 1955 Chevy, instead of getting our feet dirty in the blazing hot sand.
Katniss sits with her back on the dashboard and her feet propped up next to the headrest. I sit at the driver's side and look over at the car next to us where a bunch of surfers are suiting up by their truck.
I turn my attention over back to Katniss, who is still playing with the tip of her braid, except now she is humming along with the song while tapping her foot.
"I thought you didn't like this song," I tease her and she glares at me. We have been best friends since we were five and she still has the same glare.
"The melody is catchy but the song itself is bad." She turns up the volume so I can listen to the lyrics. "This song is telling you to marry someone ugly because she'll cook for you and never leave. It's sexist if you ask me."
"No, it's not." I push my blond hair away from my face. "It's telling you to never marry anyone pretty because they'll just cause you misery."
Katniss gives me a flirty grin. "Well, I guess you can't marry me then."
I play along. "I thought you were never getting married."
"I'm not," she assures me.
Since I've known her, Katniss has had strict beliefs when it comes to marriage. Her father was killed in a car accident involving a drunk driver and her mother had fallen into a deep depression after his death. She had to be hospitalized for a month during our junior year. It had been hard on Katniss, who was juggling two jobs and going to school. Not to mention, she was taking care of Primrose, her younger sister.
Her mother has been getting treatment since her release and is back to work as a nurse at a retirement facility so Katniss can be a regular student.
We are both knee deep in our first semester. Katniss is pursuing her degree in Environmental Studies at SF State on a partial scholarship while I work on getting a Business degree.
"And yourself?" Katniss looks over at me with her deep grey eyes and I scoff.
"Yeah right," I reply. "Do you think I want to be like my Dad? I love him but I don't want to spend the rest of my life being nagged by someone like my mother. I also don't want to be married to some gold digger like Wheaton's first wife."
Wheaton is my oldest brother and has been unlucky in love for the longest time. He is currently on wife number three.
"Hmmm," Katniss muses and then meets my eyes again. "Maybe the song is right then. Maybe you will have to marry an ugly girl." She is trying not to laugh when she says it.
"Oh yeah?" I leap out of the car and run over to her side. Opening the door, I pick her up easily and throw her body over my shoulder.
Katniss is screaming while pounding her fists on my lower back. The surfers next to us are applauding and laughing as I carry her with me into the icy water.
________________________________________
Six Months Later
"Is this supposed to be choking me?" I ask my father in a tight voice. He walks up to me and looks at the knotting of my tie.
"Looks fine to me," he says with a fond smile.
"I don't think it's the tie that's choking you," Ryland or Rye, my other brother jokes as Wheaton smacks him in the gut. My mother remains motionless in the background.
San Francisco City Hall is an architectural gem and I've always loved coming here with my Dad since I was a kid. He had to renew all of our business licenses annually and always brought me along if I didn't have school.
I look out from the top of the grand staircase and my eyes gaze out at the rotunda and then up at the beautiful dome. Across is the Mayor's office and above the grand clock.
It's almost noon.
Maybe she's changed her mind.
I turn back to my family, who are looking at me like I'm insane. They have every right to think so.
"Wait!" I hear the high pitch yell of Prim who is rushing towards me in a bright pink dress. She tries to tackle me, throwing her arms around my waist when she reaches the top of the stairs. I grin down at her. "It's so cool to be here on a school day," she says.
"Well, you couldn't miss this," I tell her affectionately. "It wouldn't be the same without you, Prim."
"I'm so happy for you," she replies. "I know how much you've wanted this." My face heats up and she giggles at my expression. "She's on her way."
Prim goes to greet the rest of my family and I look at my watch.
It's noon.
The elevator dings and I turn to see Katniss. My heart literally stops.
"I'm here. Damn if I was going to walk up those stairs in these heels," she says with a groan.
Delly and Madge, who are two of our friends, follow her in wearing dark colored dresses. Madge is fussing over Katniss while Delly has her camera and is taking photos of everything.
At this point, I'm not sure if this is something I want to record.
"How do I look?" Katniss asks and she does a little spin for me.
She is wearing an ivory knee length dress. It is form fitting and lacy, with three-quarter sleeves and a square neckline which exposes a modest amount of cleavage. She is wearing a gold necklace with a bow and arrow charm. Her dark hair is curled and atop her head is a round fascinator with silky netting that grazes her eyes.
She looks beautiful. She looks like a bride.
She is a bride. Most importantly, she is my bride.
"Are you ready?" the officiant asks us.
I meet Katniss' eyes and I know she is thinking the same thing. How the hell did we get here?
Taking her hand, we walk over to the officiant who is waiting patiently for us. The woman gives us a kind smile and our friends and family surround us in a semi-circle. Prim is smiling at us with tears in her eyes. Rye is checking Madge out while Wheaton looks like he is itching to take his cell phone out. He has reminded me five times that he is missing an important meeting with our suppliers to come to this.
My parents stand on opposite sides of the semi-circle.
Delly snaps away with her Nikon.
I look over at Katniss, not quite believing that this beautiful woman is the same girl who has grown up with me. We've been through hell and back together these past few months.
Now it's come to this.
"What are you thinking?" Katniss whispers as the officiant starts her speech about the sanctity of marriage and such.
I look at her pretty face and she gives me a grateful smile.
"You know what I'm thinking?" Katniss quirks an eyebrow at me. "That song was complete bullshit."
________________________________________
I know it's short but well…it's a prologue.
The song "If You Wanna Be Happy for the Rest of Your Life" is sung by Jimmy Soul.
If you've never been to San Francisco, I would suggest doing an image search on City Hall because it's gorgeous. I guess I'm a little bias because I got married in City Hall.
I will continue to refer to other places in San Francisco. Thought I'd change it up a bit from other AU's. Maybe you should consider coming to San Francisco?
I am trying to keep people in character to an extent.
My other project is a one shot from the 'All I Know' universe. Since I'm on vacation I can work on both but the one shot will be longer.
Review if you'd like and personal messages are always welcome. Alerts too!
Next: Chapter One from Katniss's POV
-JLaLa