Deleted Scenes: Glad You Came

Setting: Before Chapter 22

 She should have never come here.

Alchemy didn’t know what she had been thinking. Why did she ever think she’d be able to come here, in the last place she ever saw her best friend before he became a wanted fugitive and went into hiding. Or at least, she hoped he was hiding and not… worse….

Wizard and Aristotle had stayed home, with Aristotle wanting nothing to do with the party and Wizard wanting to support his boyfriend. Maybe they were the smart ones. Alchemy had been on the fence about going herself. Her father wanted to see Arthur, her mother wanted to meet and show support for Wachiwi, the girl who had given birth to Alchemy’s new baby cousin, and Trixie, of course, was still an innocent little girl who was over the top excited to attend the party just as she had every year since Alchemy had known her. Sorcery volunteered to be Trixie’s babysitter, keeping a close eye on the young girl so that Charlemagne and Jingle could have a child-free night. Alchemy knew that Sorcery was responsible, probably the most responsible out of the three Richie kids despite being the youngest, but she had offered to help them, since Trixie could sometimes be a handful, especially at a place so busy as a party.

As soon as she had arrived though, Alchemy regretted her decision. Seeing the crowd of people brought on a wave of anxiety she hadn’t quite expected. Memories of last year’s events were suffocating, and everywhere she turned, she continued to be reminded of that night. Little did she know that night would be the last time she would spend time with Numitor before he would stand up on that stage and yell out those traitorous words that had caused such a domino effect. The gunshots that followed still haunted her dreams, causing fear for her family and Numi’s, as well as Numi himself.

Sorcery, as perceptive as ever, had noticed her anxiety right away. Her little sibling turned away from the bouncing Trixie long enough to place their hand on Alchemy’s shoulder and whisper in her ear that it was okay for her to get away from the epicenter of the excitement and go off to the outskirts. They could handle Trixie on their own.

Alchemy didn’t need to be told twice. Sitting on a bench a short distance from the stage, far enough from the chaos and the busy dance floor, but close enough to hear the music, calmed Alchemy down slightly. She did her best to focus on the words of each singer and forget everything else, but she was still on edge.

Still in the same place. Doing okay, Alchemy sent as a mandated check-in to the group text she had with her parents and Sorcery. Before agreeing to let them go off on their own, Jingle and Charlemagne had made Alchemy and Sorcery promise to check in every 30 minutes. In the past, Alchemy would have rolled her eyes at her parents’ overprotectiveness. After last year though… she completely understood.

Trixie’s getting space buns :) was Sorcery’s reply, followed by a picture of a grinning Trixie sitting in a chair, getting her hair done by Jillianne Jansing herself. Well, at least someone was having fun….

“Okay, Thor said we have to be back when they announce him on stage,” Remi said, looking around the city. It was such a huge place… It made her feel so…. Small. And there were just so many people, it had such a huge potential to be a complete disaster, like last year…

“Right,” Rowe said, walking with his sister. “But until then, we can explore and have fun and do whatever we want! I love this place!” He loved the music, the lights, the people, everything about this was everything he was hoping it would be and more. “Why didn’t Thor bring us here sooner?!”

“We should be glad he didn’t,” Remi said quietly, hugging herself a little bit. “You know that.”

Rowe deflated a little at that. “Right,” he said quietly. “But now we get to be here this year and watch Ambrose become part of the family officially and-”

“Shhhh!” Remi slapped a hand over his mouth. “Don’t say that so loud, we can’t be the ones that ruin the surprise!”

“Oh, right,” Rowe giggled a little bit, but he soon looked concerned at how Remi was still holding herself. “Do you… Want to find somewhere a little bit calmer?”

Remi gave him an appreciative smile at that. “I definitely want to see everything while we’re here.” She didn’t want to impede on his experience here because she was nervous. “But a moment of calm would be nice.”

“Well, we’re going to go see something new then.” He took her hand and the twins stayed together as they went towards the quieter area out away from the chaos of the crowd and the loud blaring amplification of One Man Circus’s set.

“Oh, it’s so nice here,” Remi commented, feeling much better already as she slowed their pace slightly.

“It’s pretty good,” Rowe said. Not really his thing, but it was her thing. They were different, but they were still twins and he would always have her back. But the quiet area was about to get much, much better for Rowe. He gasped a little bit and pulled Remi’s hand to stop her.

“What?!” Remi asked, suddenly alert as she was immediately put on the defensive.

“It’s a real-life fairy princess,” he whispered, excitement in his voice. “Look, babe at 1 o’clock!”

“You stopped me because of a pretty girl!?” Remi asked, and Rowe held up his finger over his mouth.

“Shhhhhh,” he told her. “Don’t embarrass me, she’s actually my age!”

Remi just sighed at her brother and shook her head. “Dude, you need to learn that not everywhere we go is a place for you to pick up girls.”

“I gotta at least talk to her,” Rowe said, straightening out his shirt collar. “How do I look?”

“Thor’s… Thing?!” Remi asked. “We can’t be late for that.”

“I won’t be!” Rowe said. “It’ll just be a cute chat. You can entertain yourself while I’m gone.” He looked around the area. “Keep walking, maybe you’ll run into DJ.”

Remi perked up a little at that. “Oh. Well, maybe. I guess I’ll look for a quiet place. But as soon as they announce Thor, we’re leaving.”

“Yeah yeah,” Rowe said, swatting his hand in the air. “Okay, go go go!” He gave her a gentle push to get her moving before running a hand through his hair and shaking out his nerves. She probably already had a boyfriend. But that wasn’t going to stop him from trying. Rowe cleared his throat a couple times to make sure he sounded his best, and snapped his suspenders before he strolled over there, trying to act casual. “Excuse me, ma’am, do you happen to know CPR?”

Alchemy looked up at the voice, startled that someone was talking so close to her. She glanced around for another person who would be addressed as “ma’am”, but saw no one… No one except… oh God. No one except a very charming, very attractive boy about her age looking directly at her.

“Um… no… no I don’t….” Alchemy said slowly, her heart rate picking up at the sight of this strange boy who didn’t look like he quite belonged in the Capitol, but still well-dressed and handsome. “My dad does though… Why? Does someone need CPR?! Are they okay?!” Her blue eyes grew wide at the thought of someone’s life being in danger due to cardiac arrest.

Rowe looked at her for a moment, quickly putting up his hands to keep her from calling her father because she obviously looked like she wanted to and he was not about to try and explain why he was called over there when nobody was in danger. If that happened, Rowe would actually have a problem and probably require CPR from pure embarrassment. “Oh, that’s okay, I just needed CPR because you took my breath away!”

… What? Alchemy’s cheeks instantly grew warm at that unexpected comment. “Oh… um…” She glanced down at her lap as the blush on her cheeks grew even more, her words failing her. No way was this guy legit flirting with her. She had to be mistaken.

He grinned at the slight blush on her cheeks. Oh, he was so gonna hit her with that double whammy. “So, besides taking my breath away, what else have you been up to tonight?”

Alchemy swallowed hard and forced herself to look up at him again like a normal person. Not a shy girl who didn’t know how to handle flirting from boys. “Oh, uh… not much… I really shouldn’t have come…”

“Shouldn’t have come?” Oh… That was… Not what he was expecting. “Rowe. Nazario.” He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Can… I sit?” he gestured to the spot next to her.

Alchemy tilted her head. Why did this random guy want to sit with her? And Nazario….? She knew that name. Everyone knew that name unless they lived under a rock. “Um… if you want to, sure… Nazario? As in Thor Nazario?”

“Yup, that’s my bro.” He sat down next to her, keeping a small distance between them. “Don’t tell anyone, but we’re here to help him ask Ambrose a very special question.” Only after he said it did he think to look around to make sure they weren’t around.

Ah, so that explained like he didn’t look like a Capitolite. He was from the districts. “Oh! Well, that’s sweet!” Alchemy smiled at that, having always been a bit of a romantic. She loved seeing proposal videos online and cried at every single damn one like it was her own.

“Yeah, the whole family is here for this. My mom was not gonna let her oldest baby pop the question without her there. Especially not knowing that Brose doesn’t have much blood family and wants to be there to celebrate with them just as much…”

Alchemy giggled. “Sounds like the time my two uncles proposed to my other uncle. They got the whole family involved. My parents, me, my siblings, my other aunts and uncles, everyone. Even their little daughter, Lethia. She was the grand finale.”

“Lethia…” he trailed off a little bit, his eyebrows creasing. This girl was way too pretty - and her hair was way too colorful - to be from District Ten. “I’m sorry, what is your name?”

“Alchemy Richie. My uncles are Arthur Warwick and his husbands. Valenty is my mom’s brother,” she explained quickly, realizing not for the first time how complicated her twisting family tree with its many branches was. She loved her family, but it did take some explaining with all the marriages and adoptions and interdistrict relationships involved.

“I see. Well, it’s nice to meet you Alchemy. That’s a pretty name. Alchemy is a magicy thing, isn’t it? I think you’re out here looking pretty magical.” He gave a smile and a small shrug.

“Thanks… nothing too magical about me other than my name, though,” she said, glancing at her lap again.

“Aw, that’s not true,” Rowe said. “Your beauty is definitely magical,” he added with a laugh. “So… What’s gotcha down? If you wanna talk about it…”

Alchemy was feeling very hot very quickly, and it wasn’t due to the temperature at all. She just wasn’t used to… this. No one had ever called her beautiful before. Surely he just wanted something out of her… he couldn’t possibly mean it. “You know Numitor Demitrou-Lawerance?” She immediately winced, for multiple reasons. First, who didn’t know Numitor? He was as famous - or infamous - as Rowe’s brother. And… maybe it wasn’t the best to bring him up in conversation, although everyone knew of her family’s connection to Numi’s, since her parents had given shelter to Aristotle and Trixie. Still… you could never be too careful with who you trusted, not in this world, even if Alchemy knew nothing about Numi’s whereabouts or even if he was safe….

Rowe put up a hand to stop her. “Yeah. You… Don’t have to say anymore. I understand.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Phil came over to visit a few times and I considered him something of an extra brother, so… I understand.”  

Shit. Of course he did. She didn’t even think of that. Well, who cares if Rowe hated Numi and hated her. Sure, he was cute, but what were the chances of anything more than flirting happening between them. So what did it matter if he got up and left, leaving her alone again? Her voice was quiet when she spoke again. “Actually, it’s not quite the same I don’t think… Numi’s my best friend. I… I’m not saying that I agree with… what he did, and I’m sorry Phil died because of it, truly. I just… he’s still my best friend, and last year’s party was the last place I ever saw him. Now I don’t know where he is or even if he’s okay. And now being here… it’s just reminding me of everything that happened... “

“I see.” His voice was quiet. He wanted to try and lift the mood because right now… This was just depressing… “This got… Really deep. Amazing the power that your last name has to just make this vulnerable kind of conversation happen with someone you just met…”

Alchemy nodded. “Yeah… no kidding. I’m used to my last name being recognized since my dad used to escort for Ten and had been since before I was born, but… usually conversations aren’t this deep.” She tried to crack a smile, not wanting to keep holding down the mood.

“I’m still getting used to it,” he said with a small laugh as he nervously buttoned and unbuttoned his shirt sleeve. “One minute we’re sending Thor off to college and the next his little for-fun band blew up big. We were all stunned.”

Alchemy laughed a bit. “Yeah, that would be weird…” There was an awkward pause. She wasn’t really sure what to say next. But, she found herself not wanting Rowe to go away. She didn’t know why, but she was finding it easy to open up to him, despite being wary and unsure whether or not he was genuine. “How do you like the Capitol?”

“Oh, it’s great,” he said, looking up at the sky and at the lights on all the buildings, illuminating the streets. He could hear the music from here but not overly so. He supposed it was nice to come have a break from the hustle and bustle every once in a while. “My sister Remi is a little more of a nervous type, but I love how busy it is and how much there is to do and all that stuff.”  

“Remi sounds like me,” Alchemy said, laughin-g a little. “I bet we’d get along. Not that I’m not getting along with you, but…” Alchemy cut herself off, not wanting to go on a nervous ramble. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, wishing she could be more smooth like her brother. Wizard was fourteen, and he was more smooth with Aristotle than she could ever hope to be with any boys.

“Kindred spirits,” Rowe said. “Although I think I’m lookin’ to do a different kind of getting along with you than my sister would,” he added with a laugh.

Alchemy turned bright red. She knew she couldn’t ignore the flirting any longer. “I don’t want a casual hookup if that’s what you came over here for. I don’t think you came over for a deep chat, after all…” If all he wanted was sex, she was going to have to shoot that down right away. She had no experience with dating, let alone… that!

Rowe looked over at her, surprised at how direct she was. “Oh. Well, I’ll admit, I didn’t think that it would get that deep,” he said with a shrug and a laugh. “But I don’t mind. I was really just lookin’ for the opportunity to talk to a pretty girl. And give my sister an excuse to go flirt with the drummer kid.” He grinned at that.

Alchemy cringed at his surprised expression, realizing that maybe she had jumped to conclusions. Still, she couldn’t help but be uncertain of his intentions. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume… It’s just… I’m not used to guys flirting with me, and I guess… I’m just so shy that I don’t know what to do with this.” She let herself laugh a little. “It’s just a little hard to believe that a… um… a cute guy would want to just talk to me. I’m just an ordinary girl from the Capitol. Why does a guy from District 4 want to talk to me when he could talk to anyone?”

Rowe grinned at her calling him cute. “I mean, if you look at it from a strictly business standpoint, you’re the one that’s out of my league, being from here while I’m just a surfer dude. Which, by the way, surfing, amazing. You’re a cute girl, I’m a cute guy, really it’s only natural that we ended up here.”

Alchemy giggled. Maybe she could do this. Part of her wished she had Numi here as her wingman. She remembered him teasingly asking her if she had found any cute guys to talk to at the party last year. She hadn’t then, but now… here was an opportunity. Maybe she didn’t need a wingman, though. Rowe was interested in her, after all. “I’ve never been surfing or even seen the ocean. What’s it like?”

“Oh, nothing beats the ocean,” Rowe said quickly. “That’s my home. The beach is the place that I’m… Me. The water stretches out for miles and you always meet someone kind when you go out on the docks. There’s always someone that looks cooler than you on the waves. You can dig for crabs and let them go. Or you can go out on the dock and fish and crab and catch your own dinner. It’s a good place to be, in general. It’s just one big rush. Being here, as much as I love it… I can’t wait to get back there.”

“Maybe I’ll have to come visit one day…” If her parents would let her, that is. She added quickly, almost as an afterthought in an attempt to flirt back with him. “And you.”

Rowe grinned at her. “Oh, I would love to show you the ocean. And the beach. My family, the house we live in is huge and it’s waterfront because we love to host people as much as possible. That’s just kind of how we are. One big ohana.”

“Ohana?” Alchemy asked, unfamiliar with the term.

Rowe just laughed a little. “Oh, yeah, yeah. It’s kind of an outdated term back home, actually, you don’t hear it often at all. My family uses it like… Well, my siblings and parents are family, but the world is our ohana. So we treat them like family. With hospitality and kindness.”

Alchemy liked the sound of that. It sounded very similar to how she was raised. “That sounds so nice. My family’s the same way. That’s why Uncle Arthur was always my uncle even before he met Uncle Valenty. He was Dad’s first victor and ever since he’s been family. And same with Numitor’s family. Mom just kind of absorbed them when she met Cupid.” She frowned, worried about the man who was now in prison for the words of his adopted son. A domino effect indeed.

“So they’re part of your ohana,” Rowe said. “I see. I suppose that’s why my parents were so adamant about being here for this. They’re the type of people that always say the more, the better.”

“That’s so welcoming,” Alchemy said with a smile. “It’s nice having such an open and warm family.”

“Yeah... I think we’re the lucky ones,” he said with a quiet sigh. He knew his brother’s band members and… Not all of them had the same privilege. But it was always a happy thing when Wolf came to crash with the Nazarios for breaks during his time in school.

Alchemy nodded. She had often wondered what would have happened to her if she hadn’t been taken from her biological mother, a woman who had been addicted to drugs and unable to give them up, not even throughout her pregnancy. She couldn’t imagine what kind of life she would have had if she had stayed with her, or even what life would be like had she been adopted by anyone other than Charlemagne and Jingle. She was so fortunate. Charlemagne and Jingle were her parents, Sorcery and Wizard were her little siblings, and blood had no influence on who her family was. “For sure. Sometimes I wonder how life decides who gets to be lucky and who doesn’t.”

Rowe shrugged a little bit. “That seems to be especially true nowadays,” he said with a sigh. “I’m… Sorry. About your friend.”

Alchemy blicked back tears that were suddenly threatening to spill over. “I’m just so worried about him. I really wish he didn’t say what he did. I mean…” she glanced around, trying to gauge how much she should say. She trusted Rowe, but… she didn’t trust that there weren’t bugs on every corner and under every bench. She had to be careful. “I know he had his reasons. But if he hadn’t spoken up, maybe he wouldn’t be in hiding. And maybe your brother’s friend would still be alive.”

Rowe shrugged a little bit. “He’s seen shit,” he said quietly. “When my sister was almost reaped last year… Yeah, I understand why he did that. I knew that someone would volunteer for her, but in that moment I couldn’t help but think… What if they didn’t?”

“I never understood what that’s like until Numitor was in the games,” Alchemy said softly. “I didn’t even know he was born in Three. And then this year, my little brother Wizard was eligible. He was born in Ten. He wasn’t reaped, but he could have been. And his boyfriend, Numi’s brother Aristotle… he was reaped.. But you know what happened there…” She didn’t know Alvis, of course, but she couldn’t thank him enough for saving Aristotle. She knew Numi would never forgive himself, wherever he was, if Aristotle had to go in the games. He probably didn’t forgive himself even now, even though there had been a volunteer.

“Right,” he said quietly. “Well… Maybe you should try to forgive him for what he did. Even if it was wrong. That is what my family has been doing, even though we don’t know where he is. The rest of the band, too.”

“I think deep down I do. It’s just my fear for him that makes it hard. You know, when you care about someone, you want them to be safe.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly, looking around for his sister and feeling relieved when he found her in the crowd. “I get it.” He sighed a little bit, but he tried to lighten the mood a little bit. “How’s this to prove that I’m not just looking for a casual hookup? Satisfactory, or perhaps is there something more I can do to prove it. Maybe…. A ride on the Ferris Wheel will convince you?”

Alchemy smiled a bit. “I think you’ve convinced me. But a Ferris Wheel ride sounds nice, too. Better make me extra-convinced.”

Rowe laughed at that. “Oh, yes, absolutely. Otherwise, some other hotshot might come try to sweep you away after I go back home to District Four…”

“Low chance of that.” She laughed along with him. “I… don’t think I’ll be forgetting you any time soon.” It was true, too. She hadn’t been talking to Rowe long, but something about him… it just left a lasting impression on her, giving her feelings that were even different from when she developed her unrequited crush on Numi. Feelings that made her want to see him again, despite being miles away. If Thor and Ambrose had made it work, who’s to say there couldn’t be something between her and Rowe after all.

Rowe smiled at her. “Yeah? Me neither.” He quickly caught himself. “With you, I mean, not me. Obviously, I can’t forget me. I am me. And... I know you weren't so sure about this party. But... Well, I'm glad you came, anyways.”

That left her giggling again. Rowe was so happy with her that he completely missed his brother talking on the stage. He gasped when his brother’s voice finally registered. “Oh no. I’m supposed to be on the dance floor right now!” he said quickly. “I totally missed it, I was having too much fun. I… Uh… Where can I find you later?” It was making him even later but he couldn’t just run away all Cinderella like without at least trying to find her again. To him, she stood out in the crowd, but he didn’t want to risk it.

She grinned at him. “No worries. Meet me at the Ferris wheel when you’re done with the proposal of a lifetime.”

“I will!” Rowe called, and he could hear the nerves in his brother’s voice as he was about to dedicate the song. “AAAAH! FUCK! I gotta go! See ya later, pretty lady!! Byee!” He ran off in the other direction, Remi close behind him, towards the panicked District Four tributes.

Alchemy watched him go, her heart fluttering wildly. She didn’t know where things would go with Rowe next, but against her initial hesitation, her heart was screaming at her to take a risk. Surely it would be worth it. For the first time all night, Alchemy was glad she had come to the party after all.