Revamped!

Kai-nd of a Legacy: Part Three

The next morning, Cinder sits at the kitchen island. She's fresh out of bed: still in her pajamas, hair messier than usual, and half-asleep. Her bowl of cereal is at risk of becoming soggy and the spoon is in her hand, but she isn't making any attempt to eat it. Her mind isn't in the present, it's thinking about the kiss she had with Kai last night. It threw her off. The fact that she was asked about her parents right before left a sour taste in her mouth. However, the kiss itself almost didn't feel right from his end. Kai is hiding something from her, but she isn't a hypocrite when it comes to secrets. Besides, she doesn't know him that well yet and the same goes for him about her - or a lot of people to her, for that matter.

Snapping back to reality, Cinder looks down and sees her bowl of cereal gone. She sees Jacin sitting across from her eating it and can't help but glare at him.

"It was getting soggy," Jacin tells her. "I was preventing a waste of food."

Jacin expected Cinder to roll her eyes and get her cereal back, but she does nothing. That surprises Jacin, notifying him that something is definitely wrong. The thing is, he isn't sure how to approach emotions, especially when they come from Cinder who he sometimes believes is a cyborg. The fact that Cinder is feeling things throws him off to the extreme.

"Is it Kai?" Jacin asks.

Cinder nods. Jacin is proud of himself for his smart question.

"Care to share?" Jacin prompts.

Cinder sighs. "I have a small feeling that we might not last."

"Because his dad is sick?"

"Because I come with a lot of baggage." Cinder leans forwards on the island so Jacin could get her point. "You know what I'm talking about when it comes to baggage. He asked about where my parents were and I just couldn't answer it because I sometimes can't bring myself to admit it. Levana told your parents when she married Winter's dad, and I told Iko and Kinney when we were children which got Levana mad. I'm digressing but look, Kai and I had our first kiss last night and it wasn't -"

Cinder couldn't think of a word to use so she uses hand motions. Jacin is puzzled by her actions, unsure if she's guiding planes to land on the runway or playing the cymbals in a marching band. He nods, pretending to have understood what Cinder means.

"First kisses are always weird," Jacin says reassuringly although he had no clue what Cinder was trying to get at with her interpretive dance.

"Ours wasn't," Winter says, walking into the kitchen to join them. She grabs an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle of the island to munch on. "What are we talking about?"

Jacin clears his throat. "Cinder thinks Kai would break up with her because their kiss lacked the -"

Jacin starts doing the same hand motions that Cinder did earlier but in more of a mocking way. Winter's jaw drops in pure confusion and Cinder's eyes shoot daggers at him as she starts mimicking him mimicking her. Winter is unsure of where to look. She turns around and sees Levana standing at the entrance of the kitchen with an utter look of disgust on her face.

"You children are pure embarrassments," Levana says to them. "And, Cinder, I didn't intend to eavesdrop on your conversation but you talk so loud when fired. Take this to heart but I would be surprised if you and Kai broke up."

Cinder is taken aback by Levana's niceness. "You would?"

Levana nods. "More surprised than when you two started dating."

And of course, her kind words have a poisonous bite.

-o-

To get to the bottom of Kai's odd behaviour, Winter called Scarlet to see if Wolf knew anything. Winter's thought process when coming up with this plan was that boys call girls the gossips when they really keep the chatting to their gender. Winter knew that Wolf knows a lot about people so he should definitely know what's up with Kai.

"Nope," Wolf states to a pleading Scarlet.

Scarlet grips his forearm and stands on her tiptoes. Her face is a few centimetres from his.

"Please?" Scarlet asks again.

"I'm not talking," he says firmly.

Wolf starts walking away from Scarlet. Scarlet stands on the spot, crossing her arms as she tries to think of a new tactic to get Wolf to spill. She initiates the first plan that comes to her mind.

Scarlet starts sprinting in Wolf's direction. Once close enough, Scarlet pounces into his back. Wolf yells, stumbling for a bit before he regains his balance and repositions Scarlet into a piggyback. Scarlet laughs to herself as Wolf grunts. Although if anyone were to ask him, he was loving this.

"Spades, Scarlet…" Wolf curses.

"I know you don't care about much but you care much about your friends, your new pack, and that's all that matters, right?"

Scarlet leans forwards so that her head is beside his. She tries pouting her lip at him. Wolf looks at her through his peripheral vision and gives her a disapproving look. He has to give it to her, though, calling their social circle as his new pack put a scratch on the ice.

"Really, Scarlet?" Wolf questions. "I'm not that weak."

Wolf keeps her on his back.

-o-

And just like Scarlet, Winter called Cress to do the same thing except to Thorne. One of the many differences between Wolf and Thorne was that Thorne was more weak-willed when it came to girls, especially if that girl's name was Crescent Moon Darnel. Unknowingly, Cress and Scarlet had similar tactics:

Cress pouts after asking Thorne nicely. She flutters her eyes as she looks right into his. Thorne takes a breath as he stares back at Cress, needing to make his hands into fists to keep himself together. He should look away from Cress to avoid seeing her pleading face, but his eyes can't help themselves but stare at that effortlessly beautiful sight. Thorne is shaking, almost at the point of cracking and spilling everything he knows, but after a deep breath and knowing that Wolf will kill him, he bucks up.

"No," Thorne states, his voice slightly shaky. "I'm careful when it comes to secrets. Careful is my middle name, right after Suave and Darling."

"Ex-Cadet Captain Carswell Suave Darling Thorne, you're not careful," Cress replies honestly.

"Of course I am!" Thorne argues. "I'm also charming and irresponsible - spades, I mean irresistible."

Cress rolls her eyes with a small laugh. She has to admit that he's right. If anything, that statement alone was the embodiment of who Thorne is.

Thorne clears his throat. "Number one rule of best friends: there are certain things you never, ever say."

Cress nods. "Technically, if you think about it, there is really no such thing as a secret; everybody likes to tell and everybody does tell. Even your thing with Kai isn't a secret since he told you and Wolf."

Thorne opens his mouth to rebuttal but realizes how Cress has a point. To avoid more debate that could lead to the spillage of secrets, Thorne runs off. Cress yells at him and grunts when he gets away from her.

-o-

Cinder sits in her room, slumped in her desk chair. Her computer is open and is awaiting a video call. When Iko's face appears, not even that could bring the slightest smile to Cinder's face.

Homegirl Iko: I know, I know everything. Jacin told me the story, hand motions and all.

Cinder rolls her eyes at that last part. "I hate him - Jacin, not Kai. I really, really like Kai."

Homegirl Iko: Wow, Cyborg Cinder has feelings.

Cinder rolls her eyes again and Iko laughs to herself.

Homegirl Iko: I know, but Kai's going through a lot now in terms of family and maybe he put your relationship on the back burner.

"I get that, Iko, but after that kiss, I couldn't help but think that maybe we won't last forever."

Cinder sees Iko raising her eyebrows and twiddling her fingers in a menacing way. Cinder is a bit bothered by it, especially now of all times. She came here for a soundboard and she got whatever the stars this is instead.

Homegirl Iko: Oh, Cinder … you really have the hots for this boy, even if your first kiss with him didn't have all the -

Cinder watches as Iko does those same damn arm motions. They do look ridiculous. Cinder laughs a little at that as Iko bursts out laughing, needing to hold her sides. When the two of them settle, Cinder thinks for a bit and realizes that she really does have the hots for Kai Rikan.

[I should write more Cinder and Jacin sarcasm. I loved it so much.] [2020: That does happen].