Sorry this is so late! A bunch of stuff has been happening and it's been screwing up my writing schedule!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Cinder's POV:

Sales and Video Games

Well, it's official: the universe has gone totally crazy.

Werewolves have been showing up at an almost constant basis, sometimes in great, howling packs tearing through crowded areas in a chaotic mass of fangs and fur, sometimes in the dead of night stealing people away when no-one is looking and tearing them into bloody shreds of flesh to be found in the morning by the police. Half the time they couldn't even figure out who the victim was. People have stopped going outside for fear that they'll be the next to die. But, for Iko, I guess a sale is worth the life of her and her best friend.

"Come on Iko, you have tons of clothes already!" I plead for perhaps the billionth time.

"I've been waiting for this store to have a sale for two weeks." Iko says determinedly, "No overgrown puppy is going to keep me away from getting the most gorgeous dress in existence!"

"You said the same thing about the last three dresses you bought!"

"I hadn't seen this dress yet."
"Do you have to bring me along though?"
"Yes. You know me Cinder, I never settle for buying just one new outfit when there's a sale. I need you to hold all my shopping bags."

"Hold your own shopping bags! A sale is not worth getting on the wrong side of a wolf's teeth!"

Iko scoffs. "Of course you'd say that. Your idea of fashion is a t-shirt that doesn't have a grease stain on it."

"Could you at least have hired a cab?" I moan.

"Nope, all the taxi drivers have been taking days off. I guess they thought a metal car is no match against teeth and claws."

I groan. "Great."

Iko threw me a grin. "Come on Cinder, you're overreacting. If we do come across a wolf, you can just use your gift to make them back off."
"That "gift" doesn't work as well on those things."

"Still, I'm sure we can take them. Just give them a nosebleed and they'll be howling for their mommies."
I scowl at the ground. "That would be a lot more reassuring if they didn't take out Wolf and Scarlet."

Iko stops in her tracks and stares at me, buttercup eyes wide. "You don't think that's why they're missing, do you?"
"What other cause could there be?" I retort.

Iko bites her lip, but says nothing.

If I'm being totally honest, the idea that the werewolves might have killed Wolf and Scarlet scares me most of all. Wolf is the size of a grizzly bear and built like one too. I'd think that a werewolf would avoid him just for fear of getting seriously hurt, and if they did attack him, they would get seriously hurt. I know that Wolf is pretty much a gentle giant and all, but if those scars are anything to go by, he's seen his fair share of fights. And Scarlet… do I even need to talk about why Scarlet being taken out by the wolves is terrifying? She is the singular toughest person I've ever met. Stars, she has a gun! A freaking gun! Which she can use to shoot werewolves! I know, I've seen her shoot them! And if they happened to find her at a time she didn't have her gun on hand, I'd think she'd kick all of their wicked fangs out of their mouths and send them running with two black eyes.

"I'll prove to you that you're overreacting about this whole wolf-thing."

I blink at Iko, momentarily confused. I'd forgotten that we were arguing about that.

She points smugly at a pair of teenagers walking on the other side of the road. "They aren't inside, are they? So why can't we go out?"

"Because we don't want to get torn apart?" I suggest, before squinting at the pair. I can't see them very well, but I can make out a head of brown hair, and I think the other one is wearing a grey hoodie… wait, a grey hoodie?

"What's Kai doing out here?" I exclaim, "He doesn't seem like the type to go wandering around when there's bloodthirsty monsters on the loose."

Iko raises her eyebrows. "Yeah, I'd think he was holed up in his family library or something. Oh well. Come on, let's go say hi!"

"Wait, what?" I yelp.

Iko links her arm through mine and shoots me a mischievous grin. "You didn't seriously think I'd let you get out of talking to your crush, did you?"

Fire seems to ignite beneath my skin at her words and I look down at my feet. "He's not my crush."

"You keep telling yourself that. Hey, Kai!"

Iko forcibly drags me across the road, ignoring my hissed protests. Kai raises his head and grins as we join him on his side of the road. "Hey guys. What're you doing out here?"
"One of my favourite stores has a sale." Iko says casually.

"And I'm her personal servant." I mutter.

The guy with brown hair walks around Kai and smirks at my misfortune. "Hey, better you than me."
I glare at Thorne. "What kind of a friend are you?"

"The kind who shoves shopping bag duty onto you."

"What about you guys?" Iko chirped cheerfully.

"You know Cress?" Thorne asked, "The short blonde with the really long hair?"

I nod. "Yeah, she's in my science class. Why?"

He grinned. "She told me she has a bunch of video games she plays in her spare time, so I'm heading over to her house to play a few games with her."

"That's even dumber than Iko's reason." I say dryly, wincing as her elbow digs into my ribs.

"Cress actually invited you over to her house?" she asked incredulously, "I thought she was too shy for that kind of thing."

Thorne shrugged. "Well, I'm the one who suggested it, since she has a bunch of games that I don't, and I didn't tell her I was coming today specifically… but she agreed to meet up for the occasional gaming session."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "And Kai's with you because…"

"Because he needs to get out of the house and have some fun every now and then." Thorne says firmly.

"Even though I've never played a video game before in my life." Kai mutters under his breath.

I fight against a smile as Thorne punches him in the shoulder.

Iko suddenly grips my arm, excitement gleaming in her eyes. I half expect her wings to unfurl from her back then and there. "Cinder, why don't we invite Cress on our shopping trip? I know a really good hairdresser we can take her to!"

"Not before Kai and I play a few games with her." Thorne interrupts.

I laugh at Iko's disappointed pout. "Come on, it's just a couple of video games. It won't take too long."

"Fiiiiiiine." She groans dramatically, "But I'm not missing that sale!"

A/N: Well the gang's all going for a nice, fun time playing video games at Cress's place. Nothing bad is going to happen at all. Nope. Absolutely nothing.

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