The Revelers (Serial 1)

Act 3 - Chapter 44: Ari

"Ari!" Samza yells the moment we walk out the back door. "It's about time you woke your ass up."

Everyone else turns to me once Samza mentioned my entrance. I see The Hoon Squad hanging out together while standing outside their cars. The same with The Revelers near their Civic hatchbacks.

"Hey guys," I greet. "How goes things?"

Samza answers, "While my bro and Cithara were watching your dreams for seven whole-ass days, we were getting ready for the Samhain Fire Festival. They'll be festivities, games, food, a cosplaying contest, fire dancing, a concert, and — of course — a tall-ass burning wooden statue. It's gonna be dope."

"Awesome," I say.

Mathilde turns her head to me and asks, "Will the concert be like the one Cithara brought me to before?"

"I don't know," I say, shrugging.

Cithara says, shaking her head, "Most certainly not. The concert we went to was an orchestral composition by the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra. The upcoming concert is much louder with screaming fans and lots of noise."

Rowynn, standing around with The Hoon Squad with her Ala~de~Edan hyper-bike next to her, lets out a wide grin. "Mornin'. Nice day for racing, ain't it."

"It sure is a nice day," I say with a smile.

"Ha-ha! If it isn't my 'sister from another mother' — I think that's what my organic friends would say, yes? Ain't that right, lads?"

Charles laugh. "I think you're catching on, Rowynn."

Sounds like something Cleo would say to me, I think to myself. I want to cry, but I hold back my tears. Instead, I smile back at Rowynn. "Yeah, you're right."

"Hey, sugar," Ellie says while holding a cake. "I heard today's your birthday today, so I made you something." She places it on a metal table displaying the pastel green frosting and the message Happy 18th Birthday, Ari!

Is it really my birthday today? Now that I'm thinking about it, I recall Hikaru saying that my birthday landed on Samhain, so I guess it makes sense. Also, I suppose my birthday isn't much of a secret. If WarGames fans want to know it, they can always find it on my WarGamesPedia wiki page.

Ellie lights the candles and the crowd begins to sing Happy Birthday only to have a loud record scratch sound effect blaring from Samza's car speaker system interrupt the song.

"Yo, hold up," Samza interjects. "Ari's a hero. She needs a baller track for her birthday and I got the perfect one from an old school collection." A heavy beat plays from her car.

That beat sounds familiar. The instrumental version of that song plays at a lot of sporting events. Though this is the first time I've heard the lyrics, and I think it's obvious why the original version doesn't play in public settings much. The song is In da Club by 50 Cent, a rap song written over fifty years ago. Even Librascope knows I'm right. I'm not surprised Samza would pick a song like this.

Charles laughs. "Oh dang, Sam. This beat's older than old school, yo."

Samza chuckles back. "Yup, a timeless classic."

Ellie says to me, "Make a wish, sugar."

Ever since I joined the Neon City Valkyries, my one birthday wish has always been to find out the truth about my real parents. After knowing about Gunhild and her twisted ways, perhaps I shouldn't have wished for that. Still, at least I have closure about it, but I wonder about dad. Do I even have a father? Or rather, if the Valkyr race comprises of only women, then who or what sires the children? I don't want to think about this too hard. No more wishes turning crazy. So I suggest, "How about a toast instead? You know — with drinks all around."