Back again, after a too-long break.
Ava didn't have to ask how Rip's meeting went as she walked up to the center and found Zari and Nate sulking on the steps.
"Oof, how bad was it?"
"Soundly rejected," Nate grumbled, "As Gideon put it,"
"Any new ideas for fundraising?"
"We could rob a museum?" Nate suggested.
Zari snorted, "Sure and we'll hit the bank right after,"
"Are the others inside?"
Nate shook his head, "No one else is here today, though, Ray should be here soon. He has tutoring,"
"Sara isn't here? But she's always here,"
Zari and Nate both shrugged.
"No clue where she could be," Zari said.
"We sent everyone the news about the failed loan negotiation on the group chat, she's the only who didn't respond,"
Ava said next to them on the steps.
"That's weird,"
"What if we put on a street fair?" Nate said, "Those make money right?"
"Yeah, when you have enough money to rent everything in the first place,"
"Girl Scout cookies makes money, we could do that,"
"Are you going to go door to door selling tin mints?"
"Z, are you to shoot down every idea I have,"
"Only the stupid ones,"
"I have to agree with Zari on that last one. Can you see anyone buying cookies from Mick?" Ava said.
"Okay… when you put it that way,"
"The thing that makes the most sense is for us to put on a show," Zari said, "but even if we do something here there only so much money we could pull in,"
"If only we weren't in the Glades," Nate grumbled.
"Hey, the whole point of this place is to help kids who can't afford to go to those places outside of the Glades," Ava said.
"You know, that's a good question. How did you end up here?" Zari asked, "You're not like the usual crowd,"
"You mean I'm not a trouble maker like you?"
"Exactly,"
"How do you know I'm not a trouble maker?"
"Are you?"
"Maybe I am,"
Zari snorted, "So that's a big no,"
"Hey,"
"It's not an insult Sharpe. Just the truth. Even if Sara has started to wear you down,"
"Sara has done nothing of the sort,"
Zari and Nate both arched eyebrows at her. She blushed.
"I find her company not repulsive, okay,"
"Not repulsive," Zari gave a low whistle, "Oh you're so screwed Ava,"
She dropped her head onto her lap groaning. Zari and Nate chuckled. Nate patted her back.
"Don't worry, you can do far worse than the captain,"
"Speaking of Sara, do either of you know if Sara would like the ballet?"
"She practices it all the time so, I'd say it's a good bet that she does,"
"I mean, does she like watching it? Like formal, big fancy productions. I mean, I know she quit it because she didn't find ballet as freeing. Maybe she doesn't like watching it,"
"I think she would love to watch a show," Zari said.
"Yeah. She still loves ballet,"
"Are you going to ask her?"
"Like a date?"
"No. My aunt just has a couple of extra tickets. That's all,"
"Sure, Sharpe. Whatever you say," Zari smirked.
A car pulled up to the curve just then, the driver's side opening and Tommy Merlyn stepping out.
"Hello Kiddos, are you ready for a Hail Mary,"
"I'm sorry, do we know you?" Zari asked.
"Holy shit, what the heck is Thomas Merlin doing here?" Nate said.
"You know him?"
"You don't,"
Sara's head popped up from the other side of the car, "Guys, is Rip here?"
"Sara?" Nate and Zari both shot to their feet.
"What are you doing in a car with Thomas Merlyn?"
"Name's Tommy, please," He said, offering a hand, "Sara and I friends,"
"You're friends with this frat boy wannabe?" Zari narrowed her eyes at Sara, ignoring Tommy's hand.
"Frat boy wannabe?" He looked insulted.
Someone else's laughter joined the conversation and Thea came into view next to Sara. "Thomas is an actual frat boy,"
"Speedy, please don't encourage the Thomas thing,"
"Why not Thomas?" Sara asked, coming around the car to stand next to him.
"I want it on the record that I hate you both," He grumbled, dropping his hands when it became clear Nate was too star struck and Zari to doubtful to shake it.
"Oh we know," Sara clapped him on the back, "You never said if Rip is here. We need to talk to him,"
"Sara, did you get the Merlyns to pay for the center?" Nate asked.
"Unfortunately they're not rich enough for that anymore,"
"Need you say it like that?"
"But they've come through with an idea so crazy it just might work,"
"Rip's inside," Zari said.
Sara started heading up the steps, the others following. Ava felling into the step with her.
"Sara?"
"Hey,"
"What's this Hail Mary plan?"
"Oliver and Tommy came with something of a crazy idea to put on a show,"
"A show if your big idea,"
"It's just not that," Sara promised, going into the buildings almost knocking Gideon over in her haste.
"Ms. Lance, what's the rush?"
"Gideon, great, you should hear this too," She pushed her to Rip's office.
Rip stood up when the small crowd walked into his office, "What's happening?"
"That's what I'd like to know as well,"
"Mr. Hunter I presume," Tommy extended a hand, shaking Rip's hand, "I'm Tommy Merlyn, you might know my father or more likely you know of Robert Queen,"
"I'm familiar with them both… very curious as to why I'm speaking with you right now,"
"Sara," He nodded toward her, "Came to us with your financial plight,"
Rip Gideon both shot Sara a quick look before locking their focus back on Tommy.
"If this were a few years ago either one of our families would have happily covered the costs without question," Tommy said, "Or I think Sara was hoping we would be able to do that now. Unfortunately, we don't have the same financial resources we used to have, but we're not completely devoid of our social ones," He looked at Thea and she took out her phone, pulling up some pictures and handing it over to Rip. He frowned slightly at the screen, gesturing to Gideon to step closer.
"Those are some pictures of the Acier Paragon Theatre,"
"I know of it," Rip said, "I've been there to see the odd Broadway production that comes to Star City,"
"A friend of the family, Walter Steele, owns the property," Thea said, "We spoke to him, initially to get a donation, but Tommy remembered the theatre and he had the idea,"
"The theatre houses 2000 seats. At fifty dollars a ticket, a price well below the usual price of productions held there, you could earn enough money to cover what you need, even without a full house,"
"A theatre like this surely has a rental fee in the thousands if not tens of thousands,"
"Yes," Tommy nodded, "And Walter is willing to cut it to the minimum cost needed to pay the staff and run the facilities. Walter, Oliver and I talked it over and we'll cover the rest of the cost so you can take 100% of the ticket sales,"
"I've seen some of Sara's performances over the years," Thea said, "And if the rest of your students here are on par with her, they're on par with the usual performances they have there,"
Rip and Gideon exchanged a look, "At the risk of Ms. Lance and her friends getting a big head, the students here at their level are few and far between. Most of our young performers are several years younger. Performing here and performing on a stage like this are very different things,"
"Rip, we can do it," Sara said, placing her hands on his desk, "Even if it's up to the Legends to carry most of the show by ourselves. But we can get Kara and Barry. We can convince Carter and Kendra to come back, get a large group or break ourselves into pairs and triples. Alex's band can perform. We know enough people,"
"Even so, we'll still have to fill a thousand seats, at the very least,"
"We can do it," Sara implored.
Tommy cleared his throat, "This would be where the last part of this arrangement will come in. Oliver and I will help promote it,"
"No offence," Zari cut in, "What good is going that going to do?"
Tommy looked chagrined, "It's no secret the Queen and Merlyn families aren't the most… benevolently known names in this city, but we were one of the most well knows. After things went south for our families Ollie, Thea and I made a conscious choice to stay out of the lime light as much as possible while we found our feet again. Maybe we're arrogant to think this, but our names out there could gather attention, enough to, hopefully fill 2000 theatre seats with curious Star city citizens wondering just what is about a little Art's centers in the Glades that could make the Merlyns and Queens emerge from their exile,"
"You've mentioned Oliver Queen numerous times in this conversation," Gideon said, "May I ask, if he's so behind this endeavour, why isn't he here hear to help sell this insane gamble to us?"
"My brother isn't here because he's with our other associate reaching out media contacts to secure some headline spots for when we do convince you to take this gamble,"
Tommy nodded, "Sara Lance believes in this place and so did Robert Queen once, and we believe in Sara Lance,"
"We'd also like to believe that not everything my father was for a scam. I want to help something he believed in," Thea added.
"Really, at this point it's a set deal with Ollie, Tommy, Thea and I," Sara said, "I'll convince the Legends and our friends. You know I can,"
Rip sighed, rubbing a hand down his face, "We don't have anything left to gamble on,"
"This is an insane gamble," Gideon said, "But at this point insane seems like the best path forward,"
"Does this mean we're doing it?"
"We'll have to speak with the others of course. The Steins and inform the other kids," Rip said, "And we're not going to force anyone to perform,"
Gideon nodded, "And we're going to confirm at least some of the performances before we can even begin marketing. Drumming up the kind of support we'll need isn't going to happen overnight. For our best chance for this work, it's going to be months down the road, meaning this will be our last chance,"
"Mr. Merlyn, Ms. Queen, thank you for the opportunity to even have this chance,"
Nardragon- until the next page.