Chapter 290: So Happy World (1/2)
”3, 2, 1…. Surprise! Happy Birthday, Alice and Iris!”
Iris stared on dumbfounded, taking a few seconds to process what was going on. Standing in the hallway just outside Team Rhapsody's karaoke booth, she kept blinking speechless. This got Alton chuckling as he walked up, wrapping his arm around Iris rubbing her head. ”I think we surprised Iris so much she stopped working.”
”It's my birthday?”
”You mean you forgot? You were the one pressuring us to remember it. November 1st. Remember?”
Alice shook her head, smirking. ”Iris isn't used to this sort of celebration, so cut her some slack.”
”Well, she is part of Team Rhapsody, is she not?” Gale yelled, throwing a can of soda at them. Iris caught it coming to her senses. ”As a member, it's our duty to celebrate your birthday.”
”Not worded the greatest, but he's right,” Scarlett added, flicking Gale's head. Keeping her good nature going, Scarlett bowed slightly, smiling. ”Happy birthday, you two.”
”Thank you all so much.” Alice cried, shaking Iris. ”This means the world to us.”
After the commotion, everyone had settled in, getting ready to celebrate the party. Cutting Iris, a slice Alton sat next to her, holding it out. ”Velvet cake, your favourite.”
”O-oh. Thanks!”
”Is everything alright?” Alton questioned, giving Iris an odd look. ”You've been awfully quiet since coming here.”
Panicked slightly, Iris shook her head, feeling guilty for giving off the impression of being ungrateful. ”No, no! It's nothing. The party is great. Perfect in fact, I was just really caught off guard.”
”I'm surprised you were. I honestly thought Zinnia or Percy would have let the party slip.”
”Hey, for the record, I am very good at keeping secrets!” Zinnia pouted, making everyone blankly stare at her. ”I am…. I mean, sometimes I am!”
”I won't deny it. I am the worst when it comes to secrets. If you want something to spread around, tell me it's a secret, and the whole city will know by the end of the day.” Percy nervously laughed to himself, stuffing a mouthful of cake. ”I made sure to keep far away from you two for the past week for a reason.”
”I did think Percy was acting strange,” Alice added, chuckling to herself. ”I should have known.”
”It's been a little while since we've been here, isn't it?”
Alton stared at the old karaoke bar feeling a nostalgic wave hit him. ”It sure does. To think it's been nearly two years since we defeated the Garden. That was a bloody close call, I'll say. Any moment later, and I think they might have broken through.”
”If it wasn't for Iris, they might have just done so.” Zinnia exclaimed, holding her glass up. ”I don't think we've had a toast yet, right? Here's to Iris, the girl who saved the world.”
”To Iris!”
Iris looked away, embarrassed, muttering. ”Stop it; I don't like all the praise.”
”There she goes again, getting embarrassed for no good reason.” Alice sighs with a smile. ”Say what have you all been up to over the year? It's felt like forever since we last came together like this.”
”I think that was for Alton's birthday, wasn't it?”
Alton shook his head, still not happy by that. ”You just had to pry my parents over the date of birth, didn't you? Good grief…. Well, I've been making amends with my father. I'm happy to say we're back on good terms. He's even helping me fix up on the new place.”
”Oh yeah, I've heard about that. You brought a plot of land just outside Sunset Peak, right?” Emil questioned, glossing over it. ”I saw an update on Zinnia's V.I.R.A.L page about the build.”
Zinnia nodded, sitting down next to Alton, nudging up to him. ”Yup. He was adamant we get our own place. I mean, I can't disagree with him. Living at the orphanage at my age is getting rather sad. His parents and Sam are helping to build the home of our…. Well, my dreams.”
”Sometimes, it's just best to let her take charge. It's better that way.” Alton said, squeezing her shoulder. ”The house is looking to be something awesome, so I can't fault her too much.”
Scarlett poured the last tea, smiling. ”I'm about to take over the Dawn family. My father is happily stepping down and letting myself and Riley take charge. It's a lot of responsibility but something we are both chuffed about. We've already got plans to renovate the estate and start helping those in needs who are still suffering from the Garden's presence.”
”Hey, if you'd like, the Montague can be of assistance. Hollie and Butch and are always looking to help those in need. We'd be happy to lend a hand.” Emil offered.