Revamped!

[You have no idea how much I love you. Because of all the love I get from you, I'll tell you this: no, I'm not giving up on this story and I never will. So far, I planned that every character will get two arcs named after them and that's 160 chapters so I still have a long and fun way to go. In terms of planning, however, I'm stuck on chapter 62.

Still, each arc comes with a new adventure that I can't wait to write.] [2020: Wow. Didn't see that AN coming. But I still have a long and fun way to go. Everyone's getting three arcs named after then and there will be a final bonus arc. For planning, I'm stuck on chapter 152].

Beyond the Crescent Moon: Part Seven

Cress walks as if her feet are made of clouds. The joy and euphoria surging through her veins is enough to keep her uplifted. At first, getting her ears pierced hurt the moment the hole was made in her first ear, but seeing the result in the mirror made her realize that one earring was the best type of pain ever. That's what motivated her for the second ear so she didn't feel it at all. The effect still hasn't worn off and she never wants it to.

She hasn't felt this alive since Thorne first showed up at her house.

"Found them," Cinder says.

Cinder points over to the food court where she sees Thorne, Wolf, and Kai sitting there. None of them knew they'd be together, not even them. Cress immediately runs over and nudges Thorne, almost pushing him off his feet. The other girls arrive in pursuit, watching them with smiles. Thorne looks at Cress in amazement as she bounces on her toes.

"Thank you!" Cress exclaims at him. She turns around to the girls. "Thank you three as well!"

Thorne stands up and cups Cress's face in his hands to take a look at her piercings, brushing back her short locks with his thumbs. He smirks as he gently pinches the edges of her earlobes.

"Crescent Moon got crescent moon earrings," Thorne states. "That's genius."

"I can't stop smiling, Thorne!" Cress exclaims. "I love earrings and short hair so much! Thank you. Again."

"Seeing you glow is a 'thanks' enough."

Scarlet watches this little interaction between Cress and Thorne and smiles. She wishes that her relationship had this thrill and youthful euphoria to it instead of the tension it was currently going through. Despite her and Wolf always being by each other's sides, the unspoken was inevitably still there.

"Never in my life did I think you would be smiling involuntarily towards Thorne," Wolf whispers to Scarlet, pulling her closer to him.

Scarlet turns to him, his face mere centimetres from hers. "I could say the same for you."

"There's a first time for everything."

The two of them smile at one another. This was basically their relationship now: look like everything is okay when it's not. Everyone knew it but that didn't change anything.

"Aren't you both cute?" They hear Winter say. "Just the cutest things I've ever seen!"

For a moment, Scarlet and Wolf think that Winter is talking about them or even about Cress and Thorne. When they look over at Winter to thank her, they bite their tongues. Winter is crouched over a baby stroller, admiring and speaking about the twin babies in there.

"Cinder," Kai states. "I'll be straightforward when asking this since Wolf and Thorne's advice was spades."

"Hey!" Wolf and Thorne exclaim, offended.

"Showing up uninvited was wonderful advice," Wolf argues.

"Yeah!" Thorne adds. "It just failed for you."

Cinder, Cress, Winter, and Scarlet wonder how those boys have made it this far in life with that logic.

Kai rolls his eyes. "Anyways, Cinder, will you go out with me?"

Cinder is silent for a second as all eyes turn to her, waiting in anticipation for an answer. Her face suddenly breaks into the happiest smile like Cress's post-piercing. Everyone is weirded out by this reaction since they have never seen Cinder smile that big. They didn't think it was possible, even Winter. She whispers to the others if she's going crazy but they think they all are.

"Yes!" Cinder exclaims a little too loud.

-o-

Cinder paces back and forth in her room, feeling way more fidgety than usual. Her heart was racing and her hands are jittery. Her current behaviour is strange but not to the point where Levana would ask her what's wrong (although for that to happen, it would have to be a global catastrophe). It all had to do with the fact that Kai asked her out on a date.

Kai Rikan. Mayor's son. He asked her on a date. A date.

Homegirl Iko: Cinder!

Cinder screams as she looks at her laptop, unaware that she started a video chat with Iko. She must have accepted the call while touching everything and not thinking about what it is she was touching.

"Iko, hi," Cinder says, taking a seat in front of her computer. "How are you?"

Iko blinks.

Homegirl Iko: How am I? Me? Cinder, I should be asking you that.

"Oh…" Cinder mutters. "I'm fine…"

Homegirl Iko: Your voice cracked.

"It did?" Cinder asks. It did the first time and it did again. Both of which Cinder noticed.

Iko rolls her eyes, knowing that Cinder won't cave into confessing.

Homegirl Iko: Whatever. Winter and I are picking your outfit for your date with that hot son of Commonwealth's mayor since you have the fashion sense of a garbage bag.

Cinder blinks. Iko wasn't even going to soften that with a no offence. "How do you even know about the date? I didn't tell you yet."

Homegirl Iko: Winter.

Cinder rolls her eyes. "Winter!"

Homegirl Iko: So, it's true! Jacin and Kinney owe me 20 univs each. Where are you going? What are the plans? Give me the deets!

"Settle down, Iko."

Homegirl Iko: Settle down?! Hell no, girl, I already told everyone here.

Cinder sighs with a small laugh. That, she saw coming.

-o-

Cress lies in her bed. She turns over to look at the time and the florescent numbers on her alarm clock say that it's barely past midnight. Cress sits up in her bed, still feeling the adrenaline from the day she just had. No caffeine could ever pump her up like this. She gets out of bed and puts a sweatshirt over her pajamas as she pulls out her phone.

Cress: Up for an adventure?

She waits for a few minutes. Cress hopes that he isn't asleep. Would it be weird for her to show up at his house uninvited? He did so for her and it was fine, so why shouldn't she do the same? (Also, Wolf showed up at Scarlet's house uninvited and look how happy they are together if the tension is ignored. They'll figure it out). Besides, why couldn't that dating advice work for her? Is it a double-standard that only men can whisk away women to a fun night?

Her phone beeps moments later.

Captain Thorne: Always.

Cress: Come by.

Captain Thorne: You got a bicycle?

Cress: Yeah.

Cress: Why?

Captain Thorne: Biking is fun.

Captain Thorne: Especially in a forest.

Cress: Let's do it.

Captain Thorne: I'll be there in 10.

Cress quickly changes into jeans and a different sweatshirt. On time, Thorne shows up on his bicycle and Cress goes out to meet him. She pulls out her bicycle from the garage and hops on it. She follows Thorne and every swerve he makes on the empty road to feel the thrill of no cars driving around at this hour. Still, she's staying alert for them. If this was how their adventure would start, then it would be one ace of a journey of pure amusement.

"Any ideas for the forest?" Cress asks him.

"Not really," Thorne replies.

"Perfect."

[Kaider's becoming a thing! Cress and Thorne are going on an adventure!]

Stay Tuned - Cress and Thorne will go on an adventure that they will never forget.