Revamped!

[I feel like dying due to everyone around me being sick and updating this story makes me happy so here you all go.] [2020: … that AN didn't age well.]

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Six

"I was thinking…" Throne starts, looking at the girls sitting across from him at the table.

Cinder, Scarlet, and Winter look at Thorne, already disliking whatever plan he might have in mind. Scarlet, having known Thorne the longest out of the girls, knows that it's some stupid plan that they'll end up taking the blame for once Thorne gets in trouble and runs away from it. She should've warned the Blackburn girls in advance when Thorne texted them.

"If I end up going to jail…" Scarlet mutters, gritting her teeth.

"No, no," Thorne says, using his hands to emphasize his point. "I wanted to take Cress to get her ears pierced but she says that it's a mother-daughter thing to do and I don't want to intrude on that. Since Cress's mother isn't around for whatever reason, I kinda want you three to take her."

Taken aback by this gentle and non-criminal demand, the girls look at each other. Their expressions are soft, sympathizing with Cress's feelings and Thorne's request.

"Dude, all our moms are gone as well," Scarlet bluntly admits. "All when we were young."

Thorne is speechless. He didn't put that characteristic about the girls not having their mothers for the majority of their lives. None of them have had that mother/daughter moment either despite Winter and Scarlet having pierced ears and not Cinder because of her preference. They even have their ears pierced. Cinder's wearing small gold studs, Scarlet's got two silver studs in each lobe, and Winter's wearing big gold hoops.

"Unless Levana counts," Winter responds.

"Levana never counts," Cinder responds quickly.

"Then just have a girls' day!" Thorne exclaims at them, proud for having come up with that idea himself and in such short time as well. "Yeah, a girls' day. Bond over your departed mothers and fill that void in your hearts with each other."

Almost immediately, Cinder, Scarlet, and Winter cringe together. It's not because of the idea of hanging out with Cress but because of what Thorne said about them being the other's absent mom. Thorne realizes that seconds later.

"Do you even think about what you say before you say it?" Cinder asks him.

"My philosophy is that I think about my actions and words after I do them and only if I get something good out of it," Thorne responds.

"So, never?" Winter guesses. Scarlet and Cinder hold back their laughter.

"A better word would be rarely."

-o-

The next day, Thorne's plan went into action. Cress was at the mall with Cinder, Scarlet, and Winter with the goal of the day being Cress getting her ears pierced. After about an hour of the girls obsessing over Cress's new haircut and Cress being modest about the compliments, they finally started heading over to the piercing shop.

"Are you and Thorne going to date?" Winter asks Cress, linking arms with her.

"Uh…" Cress hesitates, having trouble holding back her blushing. They went on a date but were they dating? To hide that, she starts following Winter's skipping pace and decides to use her out-of-shape excuse for her red face.

"Winter," Cinder scolds, "you can't just ask her that."

"Besides," Scarlet adds, "we know the answer already."

Winter lights up. "Oh, right…"

The three of them grin at one another, raising their eyebrows and using several subtle facial expressions to communicate without words. Cress stares at them oddly since she doesn't even know the answer. Thorne must've told them something and now she's curious.

"Why don't we talk about your relationships?" Cress says, turning the spotlight on the other girls. Another topic she's curious about.

"Jacin and I are going great!" Winter exclaims. "We write letters since Andromeda Academy is strict on Internet/cellular use, has a seven-hour time difference between Luna and The Earthen Union, and there's decent service there in that old building. Next."

Cress and Winter look at Cinder and Scarlet to have them start talking about their relationships. Cinder and Scarlet turn to one another in hopes that the other starts talking. Neither of them do.

"Wolf told me Kai spoke to him about you," Scarlet says. "He was trying to distract me with that and, to be fair, it worked."

"Of course he did," Cinder says with an eye roll. "Does that mean you and Wolf are friendly with one another despite the whole gang issue?"

"Don't turn this on my relationship, Cinder. Wolf and I may have tension but it's only until he makes a choice."

"I think he chose you a long time ago," Cress pipes in.

Scarlet pauses, smirking a little. Then, she shakes her head to forget about that vital point.

"Still," Scarlet says, "Cinder, what's up with you and Kai?"

"Nothing," Cinder flatly responds.

"Nothing yet," Winter sings happily. "Jacin was the same."

"No, he wasn't!" Cinder argues. "Jacin doesn't even have emotions, unlike Kai!"

"Aha!" Winter exclaims, pointing right at Cinder. "You admitted that Kai has feelings for you!"

"No, I didn't! I just acknowledged that Kai has emotions. Period."

"Oh, look!" Cress exclaims, pointing ahead. "The parlour!"

In all honesty, Cress didn't want to talk about whatever relationship she had with Thorne if the tables turned back to her. However, it was focused on Cinder and Kai and Cress figured that she needed saving. And judging from the fact that Cinder sprinted straight into the parlour, she was gracious for the rescue. The other girls run inside and thankfully for Cinder, the focus went back to Cress and her earrings.

"I'm nervous," Cress says, slightly shaking.

"They could do both ears at the same time," Winter says, lightly pinching Cress's earlobes. Cress jumps a little.

"You're making her more nervous," Cinder says, holding Cress's shoulders from behind.

"I'm just saying," Winter says. "She won't have to feel the same pain twice."

"Pain?!" Cress exclaims.

"Trust me, Cress," Scarlet says reassuringly. "It won't hurt all that much. Just think about that thrill back when you and Wolf were ripping through the streets. Think about how brave and badass you were back then."

Cress nods. "I was a badass back then."

"And you can be one now."

Cress smiles, having faith that she can do this. Ignoring all the babies getting their ears pierced and not even flinching when the earring is inserted is something she ignores for her bravery.

"I'll buy you some nice earrings," Winter prompts, already choosing a few pairs. Some, admittedly, are for herself.

"Me too," Cinder says, just picking the first pair she sees.

"Same!" Scarlet adds, picking a pair but at least putting more thought into it than Cinder.

"Thorne promised me a pair as well," Cress says bashfully.

"The more earrings the merrier!" Winter cheers.

-o-

Meanwhile, at the other side of the mall, Wolf walks out of a clothing store having bought nothing. He looks ahead and sees Thorne approaching him. At first, Wolf thinks that Thorne would go into the store to go shopping but to his surprise, Thorne stops right in front of him. First Kai and now Thorne? What's happening to him?

"What are you doing here?" Wolf asks him.

"I have nobody to hang out with, Thorne admits.

"Sucks for you."

Wolf walks away. He looks over his shoulder to see Thorne following him. If this happened a long time ago, Wolf would've scared Thorne away or chased him off but now, he doesn't fully hate Thorne anymore so he lets him stay. That and like Thorne, Wolf doesn't have anyone else to spend his time with so he might as well spend it with Thorne. What is happening to him?

"Hey," Thorne says, "now that you're supposedly 'done' being a gang dude, are you going to get a real job?"

Wolf narrows his eyes. "Hey, being in a gang was a full-time job!"

"Job or lifestyle?"

Forget what Wolf felt seconds ago. He wants to chase Thorne off a cliff. The only thing that stopped him was the appearance of Kai.

"Is this about Cinder again?" Wolf asks.

"Yup," Kai responds.

"Why?" Thorne questions.

"Kai likes Cinder," Wolf replies.

Thorne cringes. "Really? Cinder? Don't get me wrong, she's gorgeous and very cool but I always thought you'd go after Winter if she wasn't already taken."

"Same," Wolf agrees. Now he's agreeing with Thorne, the stars work strangely.

Kai rolls his eyes.

"I can help too," Thorne says. "I'm an expert in all-things women."

Wolf scoffs. "Kate would say different."

Kai nods in agreement. Thorne takes an annoyed breath as Kai and Wolf laugh at him and his reaction at the mention of his ex-girlfriend.

"I'm happy not to be dating Kate anymore, thank you very much," Thorne states. "Besides, what happened between us was her fault. That doesn't matter anymore. I think I like someone else."

"Think?" Wolf questions. "Dude, Cress is crazy about you."

Thorne, for once, says nothing. He just grins at the idea that Cress likes him and embraces the happiness currently flowing in his veins. His adventures with her were the most fun he's had in so long.

"Be careful with Cress," Wolf says to him. "She may be fragile but she isn't. Cress can be a badass when she least expects it."

"Let's be real for a second; Cress is also that person you'd wrap in bubble wrap and put a 'handle with care' sticker on her forehead," Kai says.

"Relax, Wolf, Kai," Thorne nags, "I know Cress can be a badass. I like Cress because her eyes are so full of hope and wonder when she sees and experiences something new. Nobody has that look anymore. And she likes me more than I like myself which is saying a lot."

Wolf and Kai roll their eyes. For a moment, they thought that Thorne would say something that didn't relate to himself but that was only wishful thinking.

[I agree with Winter about having lots of earrings. I have over 200 pairs.] [2020: And I keep buying them because I want more hoops.]