So- I'm posting a little late. But, I have a slightly longer chapter than normal, so hopefully that makes up for it.
Enjoy, and the author's note at the end has some semi important information. Do please read that.
She was annoyed that Luc had woken her up. Her alarm had been scheduled for just two minutes after she had woken up.
She pushed herself off of the cot, feeling sore from the lack of a real bed. Her room was small and cramped, despite Scarlet only bringing a singular suitcase of things.
In one corner of the room her father's desk sat, cluttered with all the random junk he never used. There were jars of receipts and old mail that had never been opened. It was simultaneously organized and chaotic. It didn't bother her that much though, Scarlet had never been one for perfectionism.
There was also a small closet, but the door was closed and Scarlet hadn't yet bothered to look in it, preferring to live out of her suitcase.
Waiting until she was sure that her father had left the apartment, Scarlet ventured out to find a meager breakfast that she guessed would last her until lunch. And if it didn't, Scarlet could handle hunger. As long as she didn't get too terribly irritated.
Deeming herself ready, she threw on her hoodie and grabbed her bag. She grabbed the spare key from its perch on the kitchen counter and left the apartment, taking care to lock the door behind her. It was a silly precaution, after all, who would break into a two bedroom apartment that had obviously seen better days.
It was chilly while Scarlet walked to school. She tugged the zipper on her hoodie as high as it would go and shoved her hands deeper into her hoodie's pockets. She hoped that summer weather would come sooner rather than later.
The school's warmth was welcoming even if everything else about the school made Scarlet want to go back home, not to Luc's apartment, but to France.
She got through the day much like she had before. This time her anger wasn't quite as potent, but it was still very much present.
Today though, she paid more attention to the people in her class. In her first class the guy from yesterday with the pale blond hair and the pale blue eyes. The next class she didn't recognize anyone. After that, she thought she saw Ze'ev and Isaac, but didn't bother to look too closely.
At lunch she chose to sit alone again, and once again nobody bothered to sit with her. She did something that was rare for Scarlet. She thought about her actions from yesterday. Most of the time when she did something, she figured it was over what had been done had been done, why keep thinking about it?
Her conversation with Ze'ev was making her question some of her choices though. It had been a little rash to throw a basketball at Anthony. She was still adamant that what he had done was wrong.
An old memory came back to her. When she had been young, someone had done something that had made Scarlet mad. She had done something, she couldn't exactly remember what, but it had made Grandmere mad.
She had told Scarlet, "Don't react".
She wondered if that was still applicable to her today. And what if it was something that warranted reacting? What did she do then? Listen to her gut? Her gut wasn't exactly the most rational thing. Scarlet tended to be very impulsive.
Cress POV
She didn't know why she had let Thorne talk her into eating in the cafeteria. It was a terrible idea she told herself. Yet she couldn't find any actual excuses and was letting Thorne lead her there.
Everybody was already there, and turned expectantly their way. It appeared as if they had been waiting for them. A small feeling of warmth spread through Cress, knowing some people noticed her and waited for her.
Winter, it seemed, had saved a spot for Cress, and she sat down. Thorne squeezed in beside her, forcing Iko to scoot over.
Nobody talked for a bit, and Cress felt unbelievably awkward. She was never sure when she should talk, but knew they were probably expecting some news about Aunt Amanda. She also didn't know what Thorne had said before and didn't want to repeat things.
Finally, Winter spoke, "How are you doing, Cress?"
The question had caught her off guard. She expected them to want news about Aunt Amanda. But, she realized, they didn't know her. As callous as it sounded, they didn't really care about her. They cared about Cress. Which in turn, meant they were worried about her aunt, but really only for Cress's mental health.
"Not too hot," she admitted.
Winter gave her one of those side hugs. She had been getting a lot of them lately.
Cinder spoke next, " You want a cookie?"
"Really, Cinder? And I thought I was bad at comforting people." Thorne's voice was the loudest of the naysayers.
"What? You know I'm not good at stuff like this. I had a cookie, most people like cookies. What else was I supposed to do? I'm not close enough to hug her like Winter." Cinder defended herself.
"Thanks but no thanks. I don't want a cookie right now," Cress said, interrupting the argument.
Cinder shrugged, and the silence fell over their table once more.
Jacin was the first to speak this time. "Has anything else happened?"
"She hasn't woken up since yesterday. She's starting to get spots all over her arms that look like bruises and blisters mashed together. I'm not really sure…" It was hard for her to complete sentences when she had no idea what she was talking about. She tried to repeat what her father told her, but it was hard.
Jacin looked worried. "Do you know what stage she's in?"
"Sorry?" Cress had no idea what that meant. It looked like nobody else did either.
"Of letumosis. There are four. It sounds like the second right now. Do you think you could find out which one?"
"I'll ask my dad. What are the stages?" Perhaps Jacin's medical explanations would be easier to understand.
"The first stage there are no signs. It's when the disease is settling into the body. You can still identify the disease in the blood though, if you run tests. Second stage there are red boil-like patches rimmed with blue. Third stage, the patches can lighten or darken, and the patient is very weak. Sometimes there are bloody coughs. The fourth and final stage is the fastest. It only lasts a day or two. The skin that is not covered by the splotches is yellow and pasty. Fingertips are blue from lack of oxygen, due to blood loss to the extremities."
Cress started to freak out. It felt a lot more real now that she knew more about it. So she closed her eyes and just sat there. Nobody bothered her.
She wondered how she was supposed to get through this.
At the end of lunch she and Thorne made their way to the gym.
"Are you worried?" Thorne guessed at her emotions.
Yes, she thought. Even though it was obvious she asked, "About what?"
"Life. Your aunt. Anthony."
"Yes."
"Would you like some words of encouragement?" It was a weird thing to ask, but Cress didn't think it would hurt. So she shrugged.
"Be brave. Remember, that it's going to be okay. But you have to be brave to get there. And as for Anthony, face the opposition head on."
"Like a hero?"
"If that's what it sounds like to you. Be your own hero. Yes, you have friends to help you. But sooner or later you'll have to be your own hero." He paused as they walked through the doorway. "Just remember, be brave, be heroic, and it will be okay."
She thought that Thorne didn't give himself enough credit for his comforting skills.
Scarlet POV
When she walked into the gym she saw Anthony. But no Cress or Thorne. Despite her new project of "Don't react" she decided to give him a warning.
"Hey," she started before he interrupted her.
"Oh it's you." His voice was filled with contempt. Which, to be fair, she had earned.
"Yeah, me. Yesterday I was a bit unfair. Today, I'm going to be slightly more fair. You know what happens when you do something to Cress. Yesterday will repeat, and it'll just get worse."
"I'm not scared of empty threats."
"Oh good!" She forced mock enthusiasm into her words before letting it fall back to the threatening tone. "Neither am I. So grow a spine, stop holding whatever grudge you have against the five foot girl who hasn't done anything to you."
"You're going to get it." He looked a bit too angry to think clearly. So naturally, Scarlet goaded him on.
"I'm so looking forward to it."
"Anthony! Scarlet!" Coach yelled from across the gym and made his way over when he got their attention. "Do you really need to pick a fight every time you see each other? Scarlet, you've been here two days. Come on. I don't want to see either of you talking to each other or there will be consequences."
She walked away without acknowledging the teacher's threat. She wasn't really worried. She didn't care about consequences, if anything it would be fun to show Luc and Grandmere that they couldn't force her into obedience.
Thorne POV
Walking into the gym he was a little in awe of himself. Man, he could actually say some good stuff. Maybe he was better than he gave himself credit for. His little congratulatory thoughts were interrupted when something else caught his attention.
He saw the coach speaking sternly to Anthony and Scarlet. He wondered what had happened. He hoped Scarlet had gotten in some punches. Or more likely, threats.
He watched Anthony closely the whole class, but he didn't bother coming near Thorne or Cress. Or Scarlet for that matter.
He kept most of his attention on Cress though. She seemed to be pondering what he said. By the end of class she was walking with her shoulders back and head held high. Most notably, she wasn't hiding behind her hair.
Scarlet POV
Unfortunately, she didn't get any detention or any punishments. Anthony didn't do anything, and thanks to her new "Don't react" policy, she didn't either.
In her next class she saw Isaac and Elijah. When she didn't see Ze'ev with them she assumed he had gone home.
Once again at the end of class they were given socializing time, she wondered if that was a regular thing with this teacher.
"Hey there," Isaac said when he noticed her next to them. "Have you gotten a suspension yet?"
"I'm still here aren't I? Do you guys know any places where I could find work?" She was blunt, as always.
"Uh… I think Maha's place might be hiring. One of their servers just quit, so now it's just Ze'ev and one other person. You could ask Ze'ev if his mom needs any help." He nodded to the front of the room where Ze'ev was after all.
She thanked them and sat back down thinking about the offer. They hadn't said what the business was, but if it paid decently did it matter? Or really paid at all. She needed money.
Next, she approached Ze'ev. Should probably ask sooner rather than later.
"Hey."
"Hey." He looked a little shocked that she had come over to speak to him again.
"The guys over there," she jerked her thumb in their direction, "told me that your mom might be hiring. I kind of need a job."
"Yeah. You could come to the restaurant after school today and talk to her."
"About that, I don't have a car."
"Find a ride."
"How far is it from the school?" maybe she could walk there.
"I don't know. It takes about 15 minutes to drive."
It'd be a bit of a walk, but she could make it.
"Can I have the address?"
He wrote it down on a scrap of paper giving it to her. She left with a small thankyou. Now she'd have something to do after school. But, combined with the walk, it might take up too much time. She might have to stay up later to complete her homework. That honestly wasn't much of a setback.
After school she walked to the pizza place. Though she would never admit it to anyone else, she had to use a map on her phone to find the address. She had never had to do that back in Rieux. She hoped that she would eventually learn her way around and wouldn't have to stoop to using a map again. She liked to be independent even in the smallest ways. Or, instead of learning her way around here, maybe she could just go back home. To Rieux.
When she did get to the restaurant, her first thought was that it looked kind of like a medieval tavern.
Inside, it was a lot nicer. Perhaps a cottage then. Walking past the waiting area she found herself in the main part of the restaurant. Only one family was there, two adults and three kids. Ze'ev was serving them.
She approached him, but he didn't notice her. Instead he walked away to some hidden corner.
She just stood there, unsure of where to go.
"Excuse me, can we get some refills?" The man at the table was trying to wave her down.
"I don't work here…"She stood there.
It didn't seem like he understood. He was staring at her like she was the idiot. "Can we get refills?" he insisted.
She hesitantly took a step backward, "Can't you just wait until he gets back? He actually works here."
The man grumbled, but turned back to his meal.
When Ze'ev returned he saw Scarlet. "My mom is back there. She's not busy right now so she should be able to talk to you." he then turned his attention to the drinks that needed to be refilled.
Scarlet didn't know where to go exactly, back there was very vague, so she just followed Ze'ev after he had all the glasses precariously balanced in his arms.
"Do you need any help with that?" she offered.
"I'm good." He jerked his head in the direction of a door marked, 'Employees only', "Mom's in there."
Swinging the door open, she walked into the room. "Mrs.-" She stopped when she realized she didn't know her last name. Or Ze'ev' s. Ze'ev's mom, whatever her name was, startled as Scarlet spoke. She turned around, and held her hand out. Scarlet accepted the handshake.
"Miss Kesley. You can call me Maha if you would like. You must be Scarlet?"
"Yes, that's me."
"You're looking for a job?" She seemed like a very straightforward person. Scarlet was fine with that.
"Yeah, I just moved here. I have a lot of extra time so I figured I would get a job."
"Well, I'll be glad to have the help. Come over tomorrow after school we'll show you the ropes."
Scarlet felt a little embarrassed to ask, but figured it was reasonable to ask about pay. "What about payment?"
"Oh yes, does minimum wage sound okay to you?"
"I suppose? Yeah, that's fine." Money was money after all, and Scarlet had very little.
"So I don't need to do an interview or anything?" That seemed very…unusual. "Don't you need to see if I'm a good fit to work here?"
"Well, if it doesn't work out, we can always fire you." Very blunt. Okay then…
"I'll guess I'll be off then. Thank you, Miss Kesley."
"Of course, dear." Maha's eyes were no longer on Scarlet. Instead she was focusing on whatever was on the desk behind her.
Scarlet left. It was a very odd experience overall. Maybe, that was just how Maha was. Odd. Good, nowadays there are too many basic people. You have to be different to make a difference.
Cress POV
When her father picked her up from school, he took her straight to the hospital. Cress was still annoyed he wouldn't let her drive. She wasn't even in a cast now. He was just being controlling.
When they got there, he left her in the waiting room outside of where her aunt was. He fled to some hole. Cress was half convinced he was researching a cure. Which wouldn't be too far fetched. Her father always liked to be in charge, finding a cure would make him feel very sophisticated.
A nurse passed Cress, wearing a mask and gloves. She was probably going into the room with Aunt Amanda to check up on her.
Inside the sealed off room, she took Aunt Amanda's temperature. And drew some blood. Cress wondered what they were going to do with it.
She tried to remember everything that she knew about letumosis. Basically all of the medical stuff had come from Jacin. He was a lot better at dumbing it down than her father was. Her father seemed to expect her to have the same vocabulary as he did.
She remembered that there were different stages of letumosis. Jacin had guessed Aunt Amanda was in stage two. He had asked her to find out for sure. But how was she supposed to do that?
Her father rarely answered questions without her essentially prying it out of him. She wasn't really in the mood for an interrogation.
The nurse came out of the room. Maybe Cress could ask her. She hated talking to strangers though. She remembered the words Thorne had told her. Be brave. In a small way, for her, talking to strangers was being brave.
Be Brave.
"Excuse me?" Cress asked.
"Yes, dear? I'm Fateen," she introduced herself, even though Cress could see her nametag.
"Do you know what stage she's in? Of letumosis?" she clarified.
'That's a great question." She took a minute to scan her clipboard, which seemed all of the doctors and nurses present had. "Stage two. Probably going to enter stage three soon. Within a day or two. Anything else?" Her voice was much too cheerful to be talking about the disease that was killing Cress's aunt.
"No. I'm good, thanks."
"Let me know if you need anything. Have a good night." She turned to leave.
A good night. Of course, when her father was holed up somewhere and her aunt was dying.
Cress noticed that the nurse's hair was nearly as long as Cress's. Braided down her back, it looked a little like a writhing snake.
So…Jacin was right. She pulled herself back into her previous thoughts. Even though it was much more fun to imagine animals in hair.
Dr. Erland POV
He needed more time.
Amanda was going to enter stage three soon.
He didn't have enough time.
He pulled off his glasses and cleaned them as he often did. Then he put them back on, as if the newly cleaned glasses would somehow give him the answer.
He needed to save Amanda. Crescent would be heartbroken, was already probably heartbroken.
He would be heartbroken. Amanda had not only been Celend's sister, but her best friend. Celend would want her to be saved, at all costs. If Amanda was gone, Crescent would be the only tie back to Celend. He couldn't lose anyone else.
He needed more time. That was all he asked for. More time.
Well, first off, you may have noticed this story doesn't have a cover. I am planning on making one, but I'm not sure what I should do. I have a few ideas, 1. The statue of Levana from RM-9. It has more significance in the story later on. 2. A monarch butterfly, because it's pretty and also has more significance later one. Also, Cress's costume from sneaking into Artemisia palace. One of the fun parts of Fanfiction, espicially AU's you find random uses for the smallest things.
So, please review which cover you would like the best. And if you have any other ideas, please share them. I'd love to heard from you guys.
Second, you hear Cress's mom's name in this chapter. It sounds like I made it up. I kinda did. But let me explain stuff, so Levana and Channary and Selene all of meanings that have to do with the moon. Or other things, but at least one meaning relating to the moon.
So for Cress's mom's name, I used a D&D name generator for a moon elf. Fun stuff.
Also, I would really love if you went and read my one shot, Soap Rebellion and gave me input for it. It's a really fluffy (Kind of) fanfic, mostly about Thorne being stupid.
Thankyou for reading, and reading this massive A/N.
I hope you enjoyed, and please review! Give me constructive criticism, compliments, ideas, I appreciate all of it.