The next day after work, she found Kai standing outside the supermarket entrance, despite the summer's noon heat. He was leaning against the wall, checking his watch, when he looked up and saw her.

Cinder walked to him, fiddling with her left glove. "Hi."

"Hi," he said. He stood straight, his eyes briefly sweeping over the passerbys. "I was waiting for you.

Cinder hoped she wasn't blushing. "I thought so. Why?"

Kai stuffed his hand in his pocket and shrugged. "Well, uh, I didn't really have anyone to talk to before; not the way I wanted to."

Cinder tucked loose hair behind her ears. "What do you mean?"

"It seems like everyone is… trying too hard, do you know what I mean? Like they're trying to be someone their not, to be well thought of… it's hard to explain. I just wanted someone I could relate to. To just talk to."

"No, I get it," she said, because she did. Adri wasn't a kind person at heart, not by a long shot. When she had company though, she was all smiles and joy. Fake like the actress she was. She was happy to have Iko, and she loved Peony as well.

Kai breathed a sigh of relief. "I was hoping you'd say that. I get enough weird looks from Torin as it is."

Cinder cocked her head. "Torin?"

"My father's adviser, Konn Torin. He helps my father with work and watches me sometimes. I try not to think of him as a baby-sitter."

Cinder laughed. "Oh."

"Ah," Kai said, as if he suddenly realized something. "Were you planning on doing anything today? I'm sorry, am I in the way of something?"

Cinder felt a tingle run down her spine. "No," she said, perhaps a little too quickly. "I'm free this afternoon. Did you want to do something?"

Kai started walking towards the parking lot, his car parked near the back. "Maybe we could… I dunno, where's a place friends talk? I guess I didn't think this though," he winced, but Cinder warmed. Friends, he had said. So they were officially friends.

Cinder thought. "The park?"

Kai nodded. "The park sounds good."

She sent a quick comm to Adri, telling her she'd be busy this afternoon, working a little overtime. She didn't really want to lie, but the less Adri knew about things, the happier she tended to be.

They drove to the park with the radio on and the windows rolled down, both humming and tapping their hands and feet to the songs they knew. It was… happy. Calm. Pleasant. No worry about Adri or Pearl or work or being judged. She glanced at her hand, but decided she didn't care right now.

The park's small parking lot had a few cars in it already. Children and their parents sprinkled were littered around the play-sets. Joyful squeals of laughter and chirping birds turned faded into the background. Kai and Cinder walked towards the nearest unoccupied bench and sat down. Cinder thought about her new clothes, and wondered if she'd ever get the chance to wear them.

"How was your day," Kai began.

"It was alright," she replied, tearing at a leaf lodge between the wood. "My friend Iko really wants to meet you."

"Iko?"

"Yeah, she's been my best friend since I was eleven, after I was adopted and moved here. I uh, told her about you, and she was really excited that we started talking."

Kai smiled. "Well I'll be looking forward to meeting her." Cinder smiled back.

The two were shaded under the canopy of a nearby tree, and welcoming breezes blew gently at their hair. The day couldn't get any better, she thought. And she was right.

Cinder's portscreen pinged, and she halfheartedly glanced at it, almost dismissing the notification for later when she saw who it was from. Her heart jumped. Adri. She prayed it wasn't anything.

"Kai, do you mind if I check my portscreen?" She wet her lips. "It's Adri, but I'm sure it's nothing." He nodded okay, and patiently sat back against the bench. Cinder's finger nervously swiped at the screen, bringing up the comm.

WHERE ARE YOU? YOU'RE NOT AT WORK. COME BACK IMMEDIATELY. YOU'RE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE, CINDER.

Cinder groaned, running a hand down her cheek. Kai turned to look at her, concerned. "Cinder?"

Cinder's tongue felt over-sized, and she had trouble forming the words. "I have to get home now," she half-truthed. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Let me take you home, then," Kai said, standing up and holding out a hand for Cinder.

"No," she said. "I'll walk." She ignored his protests. "Really, it's fine, my apartment's not far from here. I don't want to inconvenience you. My step-mother just… I need to go." She quickly walked away, but Kai jogged to meet her pace.

"Cinder, something's wrong, tell me." She turned her face away, shutting her eyes. If she was in as much trouble as she thought she was, she wasn't going to be able to see him anytime soon. "Cinder, please. Talk to me."

But she shook her head and stopped, turning to face him. She took a breath to calm her nerves. "I told my step-mother that I was working over-time for a while, but somehow she knew I wasn't there. She's going to be mad, but I really need to get home right now." Cinder gave him a small, sad smile before walking away again. Thankfully Kai didn't follow her.

She tried to keep her breathing steady as she walked the thirty minutes trek to the Phoenix Tower Apartments. She scanned her card at the front door and entered the elevator in the lobby, tapping her fingers nervously at her sides. Adri would be furious with her. She got off on her floor and walked slowly to her room number, 1820. She turned the handle and stepped inside.