(No, I didn't almost forget about this update).

Scarlet Fever: Part Four

Wolf was heading over to the corn fields to look for Scarlet. He lost her a while ago after she went to play beer pong and he was chatting about constellations with Winter. It was mostly Winter babbling about the stars and Wolf straining his neck while looking at the sky without moving his head. A few sentences later and the stars were swirling together with Winter's words.

He wasn't even that drunk. Winter's spiel sobered him up.

So he went to find Scarlet in the corn fields but stops when he sees Cress sitting cross-legged on a hay bale at the edge of the field. Her phone glows on her face and he can see her portable charger's cord go into her pocket.

He can't help but grin. Cress gets tired of parties since she isn't fond of them, but she loves being the designated driver and hanging out with them. Usually, she would party for a bit and drink a soda, but then find somewhere she could sit once she found a good internet connection.

She must be looking at something good since she doesn't notice Wolf standing next to her. He peers over her shoulder and sees Cress looking at the University of Artemisia's website.

Then, Cress turns up and sees him.

"You going there?" Wolf asks.

Cress lowers her phone and shrugs. "Just browsing, I guess. I didn't even have the idea until earlier tonight. My mom was alum there and mentioned it on the phone earlier. What are you thinking of doing after Lunar Academy?"

Wolf laughs, wishing he had a drink. He'd be lying if he said his mother never brought it up. "I have no clue what I'm interested in, to be frank with you. I know I'm staying here because I don't have a reason to go out, you know? I don't see myself leaving anyways. I zone out during those school talks about how to fill our forms and look through university sites. I don't want to think about it but I feel like not knowing means I'm letting people down. My mom came here so I can have a better life and I feel like being the only surviving child of a single immigrant mother implies that I have to go to college and be some fancy degree. I'd consider enlisting but I don't think that's my route, you know?"

Wolf looks back at Cress and she's staring at him. He didn't think he had that in him but it was repressed under the sentiments of pushing off all future worries for, well, the future.

"Don't mind me, I'm drunk," Wolf mutters. He wishes he had another drink; enough to forget he said any of that but he knows Cress will remember it.

"Drunk words are sober thoughts," Cress responds. "That's the most I've heard you say in one go, and I was there when you confessed your feelings to Scarlet."

"Shut your spades."

Cress smiles. "Do you think we'll remember this moment in two years when we're off in the middle of doing whatever we choose to do in, like, a few months?"

"Aces, Cress, I won't remember this tomorrow. What did Thorne say about Artemisia?"

"I didn't bring it up. What about Scarlet and whatever you're concerned about?"

"Didn't bring it up."

They both stare at each other until Wolf walks backwards into the corn field and Cress goes back on her phone.

-o-

All the corn stalks look the same, even like the ones on Scarlet's farm. As if he pictured corn to look differently. As much as he only thinks about the tomatoes on her farm, her Grandmère grows and sells a lot of vegetables like beets, onions, carrots, and a lot more. At one point, she even had chickens. Sometimes, when Scarlet isn't working at The Rampion and none of Grandmère's farmhands are around, Scarlet would harvest the crops and deliver them, even saving some tomatoes for Wolf.

She could eat them like apples cause they were so sweet. Wolf started that habit as well.

It's beautiful.

He has no clue where he's going in this corn field that might as well be a corn maze. Admittedly, he needed to clear his head after talking with Cress. Wolf turns around rapidly, trying to find his way out, jumping a little when he suddenly sees Scarlet behind him. He holds his chest and she starts laughing.

"Babe!" Scarlet exclaims once he's settled. "Where have you been?"

"Just chatting with Cress over there," Wolf says. He starts to point somewhere but has no clue which way Cress is so he lowers his arm. "You know, I've been to your farm many times at night but I've never noticed how peaceful it is around here."

Scarlet nods. "I don't want to leave the farm, Wolf. This was the first place I called home and, if it was up to me, I would live here forever. Study agriculture here, take over the farm and expand Grandmère's small produce business, and take care of Grandmère. She's still spunky but you'll never know."

Wolf nods, knowing where Scarlet's going but not wanting to say. Her smile fades and Wolf wraps his arms around her tightly. He kisses the top of her head.

"I'm drunk," Scarlet mutters.

"Drunk words are sober thoughts," Wolf tells her.

Scarlet looks up at him, not believing he'd say something that wise. "Shut your spades."

"Cress told me that."

Scarlet raises a brow. "Why? What were you thinking about?"

"Being a disappointment to my mother."

"You're not."

"I also love the farm."

Scarlet's lips purse into a small smile. "I appreciate that a lot. I'm really glad you said that."

Wolf kisses the side of Scarlet's head and holds her close to him, staying in the middle of all the corn stalks.

-o-

"Crescent Moon, where are you?" Thorne singsongs based on a cartoon theme as he approaches her hay bale from behind her in the corn field. "Where have you been?"

"Just here," she responds, putting her phone in her pocket. She didn't think she would catch Thorne for the rest of the night.

"What are you up to?"

"Thorne," Cress whispers, "we need to talk."

Thorne wishes he could instantly sober up to her tone. He clears his throat and shakes his arms out. "What's up?"

"Can we go somewhere private?"

He grins, pulling her closer to him. She smells the alcohol and cologne, sweat and earth on him. Did he fall in the field? Probably. It's an odd combination that she doesn't hate.

"You want that kind of conversation?" He teases.

Cress shakes her head. "Thorne…"

Thorne's grin vanishes. "Oh, spades, sorry. That was wildly inappropriate or me. I shouldn't have said anything. Okay, okay, Crescent Moon, we'll go somewhere quiet. Just give me a second."

Thorne wipes the tears forming in her eyes with his thumbs and kisses her forehead before walking away to sober up first.

-o-

Thorne heads in the main house where some people congregated for the party. Bodies and faces blue together. He needs to sit down (or throw up … maybe both). Cress' face about to break down at his stupidity burns in his mind more than the drinks going down his throat. How does he fix that?

He spots Cinder and Kai sitting on a couch and talking. He's glad they're not kissing anymore and still have their clothes on cause he didn't want to walk in on that … again.

"Thorne."

The party halts in Thorne's head and he turns around to see Winter. Her brows are etched as she pulls him to the side where they sit on some cushioned stools in the kitchen's breakfast nook. Winter's face always calmed him down cause she was so ethereal.

"You look sick," Winter tells him. Was she drunk? He can't ever tell with her.

"Cress wants to talk," Thorne says.

"Talk or talk?" Winter grins a little.

"Talk. I made that mistake and feel really dumb."

Winter's smile disappears. "Then go talk so you could talk after."

"Winter, I think it's serious."

Winter nods, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Sorry for the jokes. What do you mean?"

"She's sober so it's not some drunk sob. What if she breaks up with me?"

"She won't, Thorne, she loves you."

"So? People break up all the time and they still love each other. Did I do anything wrong?"

Winter rubs his arm and Thorne rests his head on her shoulder. He lost his drink somewhere and if he wasn't sobering up, he would get a new one. Or he'd take the rest of Winter's but she doesn't have a cup or a bottle in sight.

"I don't think you did but you should go talk to her," Winter advises.

-o-

Cress leans against the house's exterior and waits. She keeps her hair down in her face so nobody looks at her. As if anyone would. The music and nearby passing conversations are distorted as she pays half attention. She wonders if this is what being in a drunk state of mind is like.

Thorne walks out of the house and stands next to her.

"Are you going to break up with me here or somewhere private?" Thorne asks.

"Thorne," Cress states. "Don't say break up. I don't like how it sounds. It sounds like this is all ending when neither of us want that. Nothing ending."

"You shouldn't have shown me how much you love me and had me reciprocate because I love you more. I'm not giving up on us that easily."

Cress' heart jumps at his words. He loves her so much. "I'm not either. You're the best thing to happen to me, Thorne, and I don't mean that as only you. Your love, our relationship — without that, I wouldn't have all our friends and these adventures and memories. Why would you think that I wanted to break up? I've wanted a relationship with you for as long as I've known about you."

Thorne pauses, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, and maybe you've had enough."

Cress scoffs. "Carswell."

He cringes at the sound of his first name. "Excuse me?"

"I might go to Artemisia for university. That's what I wanted to say."

Thorne nods. "Cool. Wait, what does that mean?"

"In case you stay here or go somewhere else …?"

Thorne blinks. "Oh. Oh, spades. Oh, there are the breakup undertones. Why are you telling me this now? I can't even see straight. The barn is spinning."

Cress sighs. "I'm sorry, Thorne."

Thorne shakes his head. "No, no, Crescent Moon, you're protecting yourself by practising this. Making the best decision for you isn't something you ever have to apologize for. Look, we'll figure it out. I don't even know what I'm doing in ten minutes let alone a few months."

Cress smiles. "Me too."

Raindrops hit them on their heads, starting as a few droplets before growing into a downpour. People scream and laugh, running wolf through the farmlands. Thorne quickly takes off his jacket and throws it over Cress' head.

"Perfect timing," Thorne says, pulling her close. "We're getting out of here. Call our friends."