"Are you sure this isn't too short?" Cress tugged her skirt down.

"I'm positive it isn't too short and you're just being your conservative, paranoid self," Cinder replied, pulling the skirt back up to Cress' waist and wrapping a chunky belt around the top of it.

"Cress-friend, you look hotter than the sun-and the sun is very, very hot, you know." Winter held up a pair of silver earrings to Cress' blue shirt and nodded slightly. "Put these on, and Thorne will never be able to resist you."

Cress blushed furiously. "I-what-no! I don't like Th-Carswell, he's a jerk!"

"Who makes you turn into a suttering, flushed mess whenever he's even mentioned. You have it bad, sister." Cinder handed her a pair of flashy espadrilles and gestured for her to put them on. "We're going to be late if you take much longer, you know."

She paled at the thought. "We can't be late, we're the ones hosting the party! Wait-what if we are late? What if Wolf brings Scarlet to Luna's before we're done setting up? Do you think the boys have it handled? Maybe I should call Kai and check." She reached for her purse but Cinder snatched it up.

"Iko is there taking care of everything. I called ahead to check," Cinder reassured her. "Now put on these shoes so we can head over to help set up."

Once Cress had finished dressing, the three friends headed over to Luna's, their favorite undercover hangout. Not many people new about it, which was perfect for a group of teenage celebrities trying to get away from fans and the stalkerazzi. Kai, Jacin, and Thorne were there hanging a banner that said "Bon Voyage, Scarlet" in bright red block letters under Iko's direction.

"Jacin, I don't care if your arms are tired, put it a little higher on your side!"

This was followed by angry muttering and a swoosh of paper. "There. Are you happy, O Insane One?"

"I'm not insane, you're just lazy. Here I was thinking a superhero with big strong muscles would actually want to help send his friend off the right way." Iko didn't look up while checked off something on her tablet when Cinder, Cress, and Winter walked in. "You three can start setting up the food. Thorne, you help Cress bring out the cake. Kai and Jacin can finish hanging the banner."

Cress blushed and Thorne waved her into the kitchen with a grin. Winter blew a kiss to Jacin who shook his head with a smile and taped up the banner while Kai held the other end, failing to furtively glance at Cinder while she started pouring out bowls of pretzels and chips. Jacin smirked at him and made a kissy face. Kai flipped him off and taped up his side of the banner, jumping off the table when he was done and heading over to help Cinder.

"Jacin, can you help me with the drinks? They're a little heavy," Winter called.

Jacin jumped down from his perch on the table and helped heave gallon jugs of fruit punch and soda onto the drinks table. Winter smiled and thanked him with a kiss on his cheek.

Back in the kitchen, Thorne was trying to convince Cress to help him play a prank on Iko.

"I'm telling you, Cress, it'll be hysterical!"

"The only thing hysterical about the situation will be when Iko kicks you down a peg," Cress retorted uncharacteristically, making Thorne balk for minute, nearly dropping the cake. "Careful! Everyone will kill you if you drop that cake."

"Even you?" Thorne flashed her a smile and she nearly melted.

Stupid feelings.

Cress blushed and marched out of the kitchen with two platters of desserts, Thorne on her heels with the cake. Iko wordlessly directed them to a central table with space for the cake and the desserts. While Thorne put down the cake, Cress shamelessly watched the muscles in his arms move. Iko snickered behind her and she nearly dropped the platters.

"Iko! Why would you scare me like that!" Cress set the trays down and turned to her quirky friend.

"I didn't scare you, I was coming over to tell you that everyone's done and Wolf is bringing Scarlet over now." Iko laughed at the blush spreading across her friend's pale cheeks.

"Oh."

"I'm going to get a drink," Thorne announced and headed to the bar, oblivious to everything that had just happened—except for the part where Cress was checking him out. He totally flexed a little more for her.

Cress stared at his backside, practically drooling over the way he filled out his suit, and didn't notice Scarlet walking in the door with her boyfriend until she waved a hand in front of Cress' face.

"Hello? Earth to hair lady? Come in, hair lady," Scarlet joked, wrapping her tiny friend up in her arms. Getting untangled from Cress was a bit more difficult with the knee-length blond hair sprouting from her head and all of Scarlet's spiky accessories. "Are you done staring at your man or should I strip to get your attention?"

"Scarlet!" Cress scolded. "Don't talk like that!"

Her cheeks matched the color of Scarlet's hair.

"I'm just telling the truth, Rapunzel, you've got a thing for our dear Captain." Scarlet untangled herself from Iko, who frowned at her friend's ensemble. "Don't you agree Iko?"

"We've known that for ages. I do, however, agree that your outfit is ridiculous and you should open my present for you and change into something you like," Iko said, pushing her towards a table with several bags and wrapped boxes.

"Did you get me the gunslinger outfit I showed you last week?" A hint of a southern drawl slipped into Scarlet's voice, the only evidence of her life as a farm girl. "Because if that's what's in the bag, I'll take it."

"Plus a plush gun toy and a matching shoulder holster."

Scarlet eagerly picked up the bag with 'Love, Iko' scrawled across one glitzy side. "Thank you, Iko."

"Yeah, yeah, go change." Iko turned back to Cress. "You need to go get a drink."

"What? I'm not thirsty, Iko," Cress replied, confused.

"Quick, laugh," Iko instructed, glancing over her shoulder.

"Iko, you're being weirder than usual."

'Just do it!"

Cress giggled loudly like her character in Twisted Tales, Tallulah St. Clair, and looked worriedly at Iko. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" she whispered.

"Are you not feeling well, Iko?"

Cress jumped. "Is everyone trying to scare me?"

Cinder put her hands up. "I was not intentionally trying to scare you, you're just an easy scare, Cress."

"That's what I told her earlier, but no, she didn't believe me." Iko turned to the table behind her and picked up a cupcake, ripping off the bottom half and putting it on top of the frosting. "Then I told her to stop staring at Thorne's perfectly sculpted butt."

"You're back to staring at him again, Cress? I thought you said you wouldn't pay attention to him unless he spoke to you." Cinder swiped some frosting off Iko's cupcake.

"Get your own!" Iko snatched her cupcake back. "That's what I thought too! But there she was, staring at his butt—although, it is a really cute butt."

Scarlet reappeared in a pair of denim cutoffs and a graphic tee with a cartoon lasso across the front. "Who's but are we talking about?"

"Is this about Cress and Thorne?" Winter approached with a swish of her skirt. "Are we trying to convince her to make her move?"

"What is it with you people and my love life? Can't I just find a date my way?" Cress fiddled with her rings.

The unanimous reply was resounding "NO!"

I am currently working on some more quirky Kaider, as per the one reviewer who wanted some more—thanks for that hype by the way, it made my day :)

And I'm thinking about making a part 3 for my Fashion Forward series. Yes, No, Maybe?

Also, total shout-out to LeafiExplorer for always leaving a positive review on here every time I put a new chapter, you are so sweet, I love it!

-The Duchess

Review CUPCAKE if you want a third installment of Fashion Forward!