Revamped!

[It's almost 5 AM. I'm on the road and drinking coffee. Life is amazing!] [2020: I remember this. I was moving cities for college. Two hours away. Good times.]

The Scarlet Letter: Part Five

Early one morning, Winter walks into Cinder's room with a box in her arms. She's still in her pajamas, not ready for school yet and although this could've waited until a reasonable hour, Winter was way too excited and wanted to do this now.

Winter tries to close the door behind her with her foot but accidentally drops the box to the floor. Winter's body tenses, feeling as if she were standing on eggshells since Cinder is still asleep in her bed, but as she goes to pick up the box and seeing that her cousin was still asleep, she knew that she would be fine.

Winter keeps her eyes on the sleeping Cinder as she circles her way around to the side of the bed. She can't believe how beautiful Cinder is despite already knowing that her cousin is gorgeous. She sleeps so peacefully and can do so through anything, like an angel in a tornado. Cinder was someone who came out of the womb charming everyone around her. Winter knows that Levana didn't traditionally propose to her father because it was more of a persuasion into him marrying her, but sometimes Winter considers Cinder - or Selene Blackburn at the time - as the engagement ring that brought them together.

Winter sits on an empty space in Cinder's bed since Cinder sleeps in the middle, flat on her stomach. Winter brushes some of Cinder's hair out of her face and starts poking Cinder in the cheek. Cinder must have felt that because she turns over and pulls the quilt over her head, making Winter bite down on her lip to avoid bursting out laughing.

"I bought you something," Winter says.

Almost immediately, Cinder rises from her slumber and swats away the hair in her face to look at her cousin. Maybe the gift would distract her from the fact that it's way too early in Cinder terms to be awake.

"What is it?" Cinder asks, looking at the box.

"An outfit," Winter responds.

Cinder groans as she falls back into the pillow. She doesn't like it when Winter or Levana buy her clothes since they don't fully understand her style. She likes baggy, comfortable, practical, and minimalistic clothes and not the tight, fancy, coloured clothes Winter and Levana prefer. And as Winter unwraps the box, the crinkle of the tissue paper gives Cinder unwanted flashbacks of being in a shopping mall (her least favourite place on Earth).

"Wait till you see this," Winter says as she takes the gift out and throws the box on the floor.

Cinder turns over just to take a peek at what Winter bought and she rises back up again in pure shock at what she has. They're full length, dark denim overalls with a square neckline and adjustable buckle straps. Right below the neckline is a zippered pocket and at the snug waist were two more pockets that were deep and not just decorations.

"Holy spades…" Cinder mutters. She takes them into her hands and smells them, never having appreciated the smell of new clothes until now. "These are beautiful."

"Real queens fix each other's crowns," Winter beams, beyond happy that Cinder likes something she bought for her for once.

Cinder glances at the tag. "But have you seen the price of this?"

Winter tears it off and throws it over her shoulder. "Have you seen our Blackburn bank accounts? Besides, your life is a perpetual style emergency. So much money, so little chic."

Cinder rolls her eyes although she loves the overalls. "I can so wear these to work after school."

"No!" Winter exclaims, taking them back. "You'll get them stained."

Cinder takes her overalls back. "It's a mechanic aesthetic."

"Does it match your messy bed?"

Ever since they were little, Cinder never believed in making her bed. Her philosophy was that if she'll mess it up later, then might as well leave it a mess. Most of the time, the cleaning lady would make it when she would come by.

"Yes. How would it look?"

"Intimidatingly aesthetic."

Cinder smirks. "Perfect. It'll match the white sneakers I live in."

With that in mind, Winter pictures Cinder's mechanic aesthetic - the slightly messy overalls with the solid white sneakers she lives in, and her abstract ponytail - and Winter finds herself liking it better than any trend that was ever in style.

"In that case, I'm surprised a decent idea came out of your mouth," Winter compliments.

-o-

When her alarm starts blaring, Scarlet's eyes burst open. She struggles to find her phone in the dark and when her hands slap against her nightstand to find it, she hears it fall on the floor. Scarlet groans as she stretches over the edge and picks up her phone. The bright light from the screen blinds her as she turns off her alarm and unplugs her phone from the charger.

Scarlet gets out of bed, throwing her sheets off of her. She makes her way towards her window and opening the curtains, being blinded again by a bright light.

She turns around to her bed and her eyes nearly bulge out of her head when she sees that her bed currently looks like a small murder scene. She looks down at herself and for the first time, she smiles. Never in her life has she been so happy about seeing her period arrive.

This was the confirmation she needed to make sure that she wasn't pregnant: the arrival of Aunt Flo.

Suddenly feeling giddy, Scarlet rips her stained bedsheets from her bed and throws them in the hamper, planning to deal with them after school. She throws her soiled pajamas in there as well before heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

She steps out and dries off, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated as she puts on her school uniform, tames her hair, brushes her teeth, and makes her face look presentable. Now, her life feels like it was falling back in place.

Scarlet grabs her backpack and shoves all her homework in it. Did she do it, no, but she took it out which was the most she's done in a week. For a moment, she almost forgot to get some breakfast but figures that she'll eat at school or Cress'll have a muffin she won't be hungry for.

She steps out of the house, yelling a goodbye for her Grandmère on her way out. Before she could lock the door, she sees the mailbox full from mail that was probably there for days. She leafs through them, stepping back inside to put them on the table by the doorway for her Grandmère to see and take a better look at (or better yet, trash them). Then, she sees a letter with her name on it and steps right outside again.

She notices all the stamps on the envelope: slightly frayed ones from areas of The European Federation and newer ones from The Earthen Union. Her eyes go towards the sender's address in the corner and her body tenses.

"As-tu reçu la lettre ?"

Scarlet takes a breath as she heads over to her car and slumps down in her seat. She still isn't sure who sent that text but that doesn't matter now because she got her letter. She got her Scarlet Letter written by her father from a prison in France.

Why would he write to her now? Why would he write to her? Back when she was a child after her mom left them, her dad was always writing or talking on the phone to people, or so she thought. It was more of a lie she told herself because he was communication with the visions in his drunk delusions.

Scarlet tries to put her key in the ignition but her shaking hands fail her and she drops her keys. She pauses, suddenly unable to breathe. She curses to herself, shoving the unopened letter in her bag and getting out of the car, walking up to the sidewalk. She takes out her phone from the belt of her skirt and dials a number.

"Can you pick me up?" Scarlet asks.

Alpha Wolf: I sense something wrong. What is it?

Scarlet looks down at her black combat boots which weren't a part of the dress code, like her red sweatshirt. She'd leave both of those in her locker only when a teacher would yell at her. She points one of her toes as a distraction from crying but her tears start falling. Her red curls cup her face to hide it from passing cars. She didn't want to show that she was crying, but she knows that Wolf can hear it over the phone.

Alpha Wolf: You know what, I don't need an explanation. I'm on my way. We could even skip today if you want and just hang at my place.

"I'm freaking out," Scarlet says, "I got my period and The Scarlet Letter and not only do I need you but I need the others."

Alpha Wolf: … alright, I'll handle it. Just wait for me.

Scarlet nods although he wouldn't know that. She hears the call end and then her phone dings with a message in the group chat with their squad.

Group Chat - Ex-Cadet Captain Carswell's Crew
Members: Alpha Scarlet, Alpha Wolf, Carswell, Cinder Blackburn, Winter Blackburn, Cress Darnel, Kai Rikan

Alpha Wolf: All of you better get your aces to school as early as you can.

Carswell: I just woke up. I'm not dealing with those spades.

Alpha Wolf: You'll deal with my fist if you're not the first one there.

Carswell: … DON'T WORRY ABT BREAKFAST CREW! I'LL BRING BAGELS!

[The funny thing is that just as I was writing this chapter, I got my period.] [2020: Yeah … it's not her yet but it will be soon.]

[*dabs at the double meaning of this arc's title*] [2020: I hate that AN but it's staying.]