Revamped!

[HEADS UP - you're getting two updates today!] [2020: HEADS UP - this is the second chapter I revamped today!]

The Scarlet Letter: Part Seven

Cinder lies splayed across the couch in the living room. Her back is on the middle cushion and her feet dangle over the edge of the armrest. This is mostly because she was still wearing her sneakers in the house after having come straight from work and having plopped straight on the couch. She didn't want to dirty the couch to piss off the cleaning lady or worse, Levana. She could've just kicked off her shoes but just didn't.

Cinder pulls out her phone from the chest pocket on the new overalls Winter bought her. Admittedly, she loves them and wants Winter to buy her more of the same kind to match the plethora of white sneakers she already owns. When she texted Iko about them, Cinder promised to text Iko a picture but never got around to because of school and her job. So, she figures that video calling her would suffice.

However, when she called, she saw Jacin on the other side. She does note that he still has his blue tips (and guesses that Iko had a ball with seeing those for the first time since it matched her current hair).

"You're not Iko," Cinder says.

Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Guess again.

Cinder would recognize that monotonous sarcastic tone anywhere, especially since it was always heightened when directed at her if it wasn't a yelled argument.

She gags at the sight of Jacin just to smite him. "Ew, gross. Where's Iko?"

Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: She's busy.

"Are you her secretary now? Would you like me to leave a message and my contact info?"

Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Unfortunately, no, she's not good enough for my services and she's too busy to take any messages. Kinney and I are on alternating shifts.

Before Cinder could ask what they were alternating, Jacin turns the camera around and Cinder sees a brawl happening in the courtyard of Andromeda Academy. Lucky for her, Jacin was standing in the front row of a physical fight happening between Iko and some other cadet she couldn't recognize. They seemed to be clawing at each other while poor Kinney was trying to pry Iko off of the other girl and some other cadet doing the same to the other fighter.

"Should I ask?" Cinder questions, curious on the origins of that fight.

Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Do you care?

"I'd say no and you'll call me a cyborg."

Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: When you play along with my robot jokes, they lose meaning.

"That implies that they had meaning."

Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Okay, you win that one.

Cinder cheers to herself. Then, she watches as Kinney runs up to Jacin and taps his arm while panting heavily. Jacin tries to push him off but Kinney holds on to him for dear life.

Please Help Kinney: Your turn!

Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: Aces, no! I'm on the phone. This isn't a tag-team!

Please Help Kinney: AND WE'RE NOT A CALL CENTRE!

Cinder watches as Kinney grabs the phone from Jacin and pushes him right into Iko's fight to try and end it before the generals come and disband it. Kinney holds the phone back up and is wary when she sees how burnt out Kinney is, struggling to catch my breath. At least she now knows what Jacin meant when he said that he and Kinney were Iko's alternating secretaries - or in this case, alternating fight-blocks.

Please Help Kinney: Hey, Cinder, nice outfit.

"Thanks," Cinder says, smirking. "Should I call again later?"

Please Help Kinney: I think the administration or maybe the authorities will be here soon, so I'll keep you on the line just to witness that.

"Spectacular!" Cinder exclaims sarcastically. "I'll love watching Iko send herself and a classmate to jail. Make sure Jacin goes as well. Winter'll bail him out."

-o-

Still wearing her school uniform, Scarlet sits at the kitchen table with her backpack in front of her. She had a plan to put her mind in distraction mode by doing some homework (or lots of it since she was behind) but she just ended up lying on her backpack and taking a nap. She didn't budge until she felt a hand rest on top of her curls, not knowing or caring how long it's been. Scarlet rises, ignoring the stiffness now in her neck from lying in that position for so long, and sees her Grandmère standing beside her.

"Scarlet, ça va ?" She asks.

Scarlet stretches a little to loosen her body. "Ça va, just thinking."

"You know, if you and your hunky boyfriend are sexually active, you could tell me. I don't remember giving you the talk. Did I?"

Scarlet immediately cringes. "Grandmère, s'il vous plaît !"

Grandmère snickers to herself, running a quick hand thought Scarlet's curls before turning her back to her and getting some hot water from the kettle. Scarlet opens her backpack and her heart stops when she sees the letter there. For a moment, she forgot the letter even existed and the blessed moment it was, but if there was someone who was the best to tell about it, she was right in front of her.

"Grandmère…" Scarlet starts as she turns around in her chair to face her. "Papa m'a envoyé une lettre."

Grandmère stops what she's doing, putting down the kettle. She turns to approach Scarlet who already stood up, holding the letter out. Grandmère takes it out of the envelope and unfolds it, reading each word carefully. Scarlet watches her tensely, playing the buttons on the collar of her uniform shirt.

"Well, then…" Grandmère mutters as she puts the letter down.

Her Grandmère's light tone proves she's surprised that her son got arrested but it has that tinge that says that she saw this coming. She sighs and her emotions shine on her face: wistful regret with veins of deep sadness. Scarlet looks away.

Words can be more lethal than blades. It was like her mind denied what was happening so it kept on defaulting to what she claimed as ordinary - her mom left, her dad became drunk, she ran to a different country.

-o-

Meanwhile, Wolf comes home from his shift at the gym. He closes his door and almost jumps a little when his mom comes running up to him, grabbing his arms excitedly. All Wolf wonders is what the stars she's been up to or what the stars happened all while he wasn't home.

"Ze'ev!" His mom almost screams. "Your girlfriend is here and my oh my stars, she's beautiful. That just proves my theory that mixed children are always gorgeous, no matter the combination, just like your mechanic friend."

Even with that explanation, Wolf still has no clue what's happening.

"Scarlet isn't mixed," is all Wolf says to her.

Instantly, Maha stops what she was saying. Still, she doesn't regret any of it. "...well, some beautiful mixed girl is here to see you."

Wolf walks further into the house with his mom following close behind him. He enters the living room and sees Winter looking up from her phone. She smiles brightly at him.

"Ma, that's Winter," Wolf tells her.

"Oh, that's Winter," she says, "the Lunar one with the mechanic cousin. Now, I remember you telling me about her. She's a pretty one too." She walks closer to Winter. "You can always come to me if you need some mothering. Just ask Ze'ev, I'm a natural."

Maha winks at the two of them. Winter gladly accepts the offer before Maha leaves them be. Wolf awkwardly stands there, wondering what would've happened if he didn't come here straight after work. Winter would've probably gotten some mothering. But even after experiencing the last few minutes, he still has no idea what happened.

"Your mom is so sweet," Winter comments.

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

Winter puts her phone in her back pocket. "Your mom is more welcoming than you. And cheerier. You're not like that at all."

"Agreed."

"I need your opinion on something."

"We couldn't have done that over the phone?"

Winter shakes her head. "I needed your opinion in person."

Wolf lets Winter continue whatever it was she had planned. She digs into her small purse and pulls out a few small cylindrical tubes. He has no idea what they are even when he reads the labels that say "mascara". All he knows about mascara is that it's a makeup thing that goes on your face, that's it.

"Have you worn makeup before?" Winter asks.

"No," he replies. Then he thinks about her wanting to do this opinion-asking in person. "And I'm not wearing it!"

Winter smirks a little. "Makeup is universal, in my opinion, because everyone has a face. But you're hot on your own so I can imagine you not needing it."

"Then, why do you wear it?"

"To emphasize certain aspects."

Winter points at the scars underneath her eyes with the mascara wand. Her new and updated makeup routine consisted of putting highlighter on her scars, mascara, and something not too showy on her lips (unless it was for a special occasion). There was occasionally concealer, but not much of it often.

"So," Winter says, "I just got these mascaras from online and they all had good reviews, but I'm just not sure which one to choose."

Wolf has so many questions to ask about that statement, but he picks this one first: "Why are you asking me for my opinion?"

"I'm getting a consensus."

Wolf lightly rolls his eyes. He glances at all the tubes and picks one randomly. Actually, it wasn't all that random because he picked by appearance. The gold tube looked prettier, whatever that means. Winter smiles as she nods.

"Do you want the other two?" Winter asks.

"No," Wolf responds, "why would I?"

"As a birthday gift for Scarlet."

Wolf considers that option.

[(I may have gone back in 2019 and changed that last past.)] [2020: Don't worry, your secret's safe with me.]