After the Flames (part 2)

Chapter 5: A Lesson in History

The classroom was quiet except for the sound of crayons scratching against paper as Rye and his classmates finished their afternoon activity. Ms. Rowan, their teacher, stood at the front of the room, clapping her hands together.

"Alright, everyone, it's time to clean up! We're going to start our history lesson now."

A few kids groaned, but Rye didn't mind. He liked learning—especially about numbers and stories. History, though? He didn't really know much about it. His mommy and daddy didn't really talk about it at home.

Ms. Rowan walked over to the whiteboard and wrote three words in big letters:

THE HUNGER GAMES

Immediately, the room fell into a hushed murmur. Some kids looked at each other, whispering, while others glanced back at Rye. He blinked in confusion. Why was everyone looking at him?

He shifted in his seat and leaned toward Kylo. "Why's everyone looking at me?"

Kylo shrugged. "I dunno."

Ms. Rowan continued, "Now, who here has heard of the Hunger Games before?"

A few hands went up.

"Good! Now, don't worry, we're not going to go into scary details. But it's important to learn about history so we don't repeat past mistakes." She turned and started explaining. "A long time ago, Panem had these things called the Hunger Games. Every year, two kids from each district were sent to compete in a big, dangerous game where—"

She paused, choosing her words carefully.

"Well, they had to survive."

Rye scrunched up his nose. That didn't sound like a game at all. It sounded awful.

"It wasn't fair, and a lot of people didn't like it," Ms. Rowan continued. "So, after a long time, there was a war. And because of the bravery of many people, the Hunger Games were stopped forever."

Rye frowned, thinking hard. War? That was something else he didn't know much about. His parents never talked about it.

Ms. Rowan smiled. "Now, we're very lucky today because we have a special guest who's going to tell us a little more!"

She walked to the door and opened it, revealing a tall man with dark hair, sharp features, and a kind but serious expression. He stepped inside, offering a small smile.

"Class, please welcome Mr. Gale."

The kids clapped politely as Gale gave a small wave. "Hey there, everyone. You can just call me Mr. Gale."

Rye watched as the man stepped forward. He seemed... familiar. Like he'd seen him before, but he couldn't quite place where.

"Now," Gale started, "I know history can be kind of boring sometimes, but I promise I'll keep this interesting. I was around when the Hunger Games were still happening, and I was part of the war that helped stop them. But don't worry, I won't tell you anything scary. Just the important parts."

The kids sat up, listening intently.

Gale smiled. "Alright, who has questions?"

Immediately, hands shot up.

A girl named Lila asked, "Were you ever in the Hunger Games?"

Gale shook his head. "No, I wasn't chosen. But I had friends who were."

A boy named Finn piped up, "Did you fight in the war?"

"Yep," Gale nodded. "I helped in a lot of different ways. It was tough, but we had to make things right."

Then Jace, the same boy who had asked Rye about his parents earlier, pointed across the room.

"Do you know Rye's parents?"

Rye's stomach did a weird flip.

Gale's eyes flickered to him. "Rye, huh?"

Rye sat up straighter. "Yeah," he said, a little unsure.

Gale crouched slightly to be at eye level. "What's your last name, buddy?"

"Mellark," Rye answered.

Something changed in Gale's face—something like surprise. But he smiled. "Mellark, huh? And what are your mommy and daddy's names?"

Rye, still unsure why everyone was making a big deal about this, answered in his usual bright tone, "My daddy has a bakery! His name is Peeta. And my mommy sometimes helps him, but she likes to hunt more. I don't think you know them."

Kylo snickered beside him. "Everyone knows them, Rye."

Rye blinked.

Gale let out a quiet chuckle, but his eyes were soft. "Oh, I don't know... I might've heard of them before."

Rye kept going. "I also have a big sister in second grade! Her name's Willow!"

Gale straightened up. "Wow, buddy, I think I was in your sister's classroom this morning."

Rye's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yep," Gale nodded, then looked back at the class. "Alright, any other questions?"

The rest of the lesson went on, but Rye barely heard it. His mind was still spinning.

Why did everyone act so weird when it came to his parents?

And how did Mr. Gale know them?