surprise! [dares club reunion]

[d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel]

♕

We are walking the wrong way home. Or do I call this the new way home? Finally home. The Capitol far behind me,well until they come calling again. There is peace in seeing all the dull buildings, the darkening light, and grey clouds. Compared to the bright and bizarre of that hell I have been so called recovering in. Though I can say that both are fare superior compared to that rotten arena. No, I will never step into that museum ever. Nope, I do not care who summons a meeting there. I am going nowhere near it!

The smell. The poison. The memories. The torment. The list of reasons is exceptionally long.

”Have you seen Jodie and Dale and others? How are the girls? Have you spoken to George’s parents?” Mom and dad, they are among the familiar faces to greet me at the train station and now they escort me to the new place we will call home. We are not alone though, of course there is an entourage and a few cameras. But I do not see any of them. None of my friends, none of the Dares Club and my sisters, where are my sisters? ”They are all fine, don’t worry.” Dad says but his words are not reassuring at all. Only seeing them will batter away this angst.

”Where are they then?”

I have played near the gates of the victor’s village before, but I have never stepped in, well never been invited to anyway. It does not feel right just simply strutting through and being watched by the big empty houses waiting for their unlikely occupants. We will not have many neighbours here, just Teddy Ursa and whoever else he has hidden away in that house. Well, at least it is going to be one hell of a party venue for me and the Dares Club. That is if they have not turned their back on me and taken my sisters with them. I cannot blame them. I would not forgive me either for what I did to Tommy.

”This is ours.” Dad says, leading us up the path to the house opposite the Ursa’s. The lights are off, it looks so eerie and dark. Maybe they have not moved everything in there yet.

”Are you opening the door or am I?” Mom and dad just stand there, awkwardly. Mom is definitely forcing a smile, both of her hands together. Dad looks a little suspicious though, that noticeable twitch he has when he is hiding something bad from Mom is showing. Oh, ripred what has happened? ”I guess I am.” I push the big black door open, twisting the brass knob as I do. It really is dark in here, dark, and grand. An actual staircase. We have never had staircase before.

I walk into the entrance hall; my eyes skip across all the closed doors but there is one that is slightly ajar and there is something behind it…it must be where my sisters are! Another magnificent door to push open and….”Surprise!” There are balloons, banners and party poppers popping into my face.

”You are all here!” All of them in my new kitchen. My sisters. Jodie, Dale, Luca and Tarquin. We are back again but not all of us are here...

credit to Kiah

[k!ah]

d a l e .


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"Pop'! Pop's, I gotta go!" My voice is loud, my knees pressed into one of the barstools, my palms resting on the counter. "Pop's!" I couldn't believe it, he knew that I had that thing with at Flynn's new place. "DAD!" My bellow is loud enough to have him running from the kitchen, sweat beaded on his forehead, and in one hand he had a tea towel that he used to wipe away the sweat, the other is trusty spatula.

"What Dale? What's wrong? Is it your mum? Did you tell a customer that we sold burgers made from rat meat again? How many times do I have to tell you that's bad for business." Frustration laced his voice, hands finding his hips.

"Don't be ridiculous, Pop's. Of course I didn't." No, I didn't tell the customers, that rumours seed was planted in my own stomping grounds: school. "No, I have Flynn's thing, remember?" I slip from the counter, my butt finding the stool. "Ma said that you were offering your services and supplying the little welcome home with some of your Famous? Burgers." I twirl around, my legs shining out before me, my eyes twinkling with innocence as I look up at him with wide eyes.

"You know my burgers are damn good, Dale." He pouts slightly, disapproving the question behind the word famous. "Grab your cart, the burgers and fries are in the kitchen." I slip from the barstool before racing out the door, the sound of the bell tinkling behind me. I kept the cart round the back and made quick work of pulling inside and into the kitchen where Pop's stacked on a generous amounts of paper bags filled with delicious fat dripping meaty burgers, the fires kinda stale.

"Thanks old man, gotta go."

"Dale, what have I said about calling me an old man. I'm young, you know hip," he moves his hat backwards, slouching against the wall. I give him a wired look, "Pop, that doesn't make you look young, you look like you've thrown your back out. Hate to break it to ya, that makes you look old." Pop's gives me a rude gesture before fixing his hate and moving into the kitchen.

Shrugging I grab my cart and slip from the restaurant, moving towards the victors village. It seemed odd to walk this way, it was only a couple months ago that he lived down the street a few doors over. The streets we played on old, and a little on the rougher side. But the further I moved from the restaurant the cleaner the streets became, the nicer the homes appeared. Things would be different now. I just hoped that Flynn still knew how to take a joke.

Coming to a stop at his place I push open the door. Flynn wasn't here yet, and I'm not quite sure whose idea it was was to break into his new place to organise this party, but we all had agreed and I had been designated with bringing the food. Though I haven't told anyone that in one of the burgers was a cricket I picked up off the street. Shhh, I quietly hoped Flynn would be the one who picked it up, a lovely welcome home gift from his fun pal Dale.

Quickly we set up the place, streamers and banners and those poppers that were loud and made a huge mess. I grab a few of them, planning to make the biggest mess possible. Peeking out the window I see some movement put the front. Around me were gathered the Dare Club- well all except Tommy. Yeah... Tommy didn't make it. I wonder who would tell Flynn. Probs George, and he'd probably be a dick about it too. "Oi, shush, they're here!" I whisper loudly, waiting for the door to open and to explode rainbow confetti in Butt Boy Flynn's face.

”You are all here!”

His face was different, more mature in a way and the right side covered in an ugly scar where his ear should be. I try not to stare, running up to him and giving his shoulder a playful punch. "Flynn! Welcome home buddy!"