All the days in quarantine have blurred. I set up reminders for when to post these.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf: Part Five

Straight from home, Cinder drives and sprints to the mall once she parked her car. She knows that Winter's here and just needs to explode despite Levana already dropping a major bomb on her. She needs to talk to someone and, to her luck, Winter's with their friends. Cinder's glad to have more support and it'll save her having to repeat herself later. She's relieved that they immediately notice the panic on her face as she slides into the seat between Kai and Scarlet. She chugs someone's coffee in one go before catching her breath, although she realizes that she should've done the latter first.

"I'm having an existential crisis," Cinder says.

Nobody says anything. The entire table goes quiet as they look at her. Cinder waits for them to say something but realizes that they're waiting for her to elaborate.

"Levana found my biological father," Cinder states.

Jaws drop. Cinder nods, confirming that information although nobody doubted it. They believe her because this is too far-fetched to be made up. If they were left to guess, this wouldn't even be their last option.

"Oh, Levana told me last night," Winter says. Cinder looks at her alarmed with a face that screams why didn't you tell me last night but Winter holds her hands up in defence and with an explanation to follow. "I thought she was pulling my spades or that I was hallucinating it, but she was serious. Once I believed her, Levana told me not to tell you and I didn't feel like the right person to share the news."

Cinder can't argue that. She winces, sliding into her seat. Cinder runs her hands through her messy ponytail and Kai wraps his arm around her.

Scarlet turns towards Wolf and leans into him. "She's having an identity crisis like you."

Wolf pauses, looking at Cinder and thinking it over. Sure, they're both experiencing some form of existentialism, but he doesn't see any resemblance. Hers has to do with her biological father and Wolf's involves the definition of being a Lunar. The only connection Wolf can make is that his crisis and her father are Lunar, and that's coming from pulling at stars.

"It's scary to tell people things and reveal as much as I did," Cinder mutters. "Especially under the circumstances when it all unfolded. Selene was never really a secret but more of an unspoken agreement. I could go years without sparing a thought on her."

"So why did you keep it a secret?" Cress asks.

"Safety and spades like that." Cinder shrugs. "Living a dual life makes me enigmatic. I like it. And it wasn't important despite it being who I really am. I mostly see it as a name. But now, there's this man who is partially responsible for Selene, for me. I never thought about him because I didn't care. But now, it's like there's this emptiness that's now filled with a shadow."

"See," Scarlet whispers to Wolf, "identity crisis."

"Sure, babe, sure," Wolf responds.

"Who's your dad?" Thorne asks Cinder.

"I got too distracted by his face to read his name since I got all my mother's looks," Cinder responds, "but it's an easy search online. He's one of the founders of the Lunar hybrid car company, Artemis, which makes sense since I love cars. When my mother was in office, he was her energy and environment secretary."

"Spades…" Kai mutters, rubbing her shoulder with his thumb.

"Someone change the topic," Cinder begs.

Scarlet scoffs. "I wish I never knew who my dad was."

"Comforting, Scarlet."

Scarlet grins. "I try."

-o-

Cress walks into her father's office, closing the door behind her before entering the reception area. She takes a seat in one of the chairs but before she gets comfy, she spots Winter sitting across and heads over.

"If I knew you would drop by, we could've carpooled," Winter says, closing the provided magazine she was reading.

"I didn't know I was coming," Cress admits. "I was on my way home and couldn't get Cinder's news out of my head."

Winter nods. "It's unnerving."

"I started thinking about my mom. Maybe she left because she saw me as a burden."

Winter puts the magazine back on the table and puts a hand on Cress's shoulder. "That's her loss. I can't imagine a person who wouldn't want you in their life."

"A part of me still feels tethered to her."

"Because you have half of her genetics. She biologically made you but not personally or culturally." Winter smiles lightly. "You're not attached to her umbilical cord anymore."

Cress can't deny that. She wasn't bounded to her mom with a physical object like a rope but by DNA. If not for the conversation earlier today about Cinder's biological father, she wouldn't have even thought about her mother. All she has as a biological family is her father.

Speaking of, the check-up room opens and Sage walks out to see Cress with Winter.

"Crescent," he says a bit surprised to see her. "Everything alright?"

"Do you have a minute?" Cress asks.

Sage hesitates, looking at Winter who's his next appointment. Winter waves a hand and reaches for the magazine again. She mouths an it's fine and Sage opens the door for his daughter. He closes it when she walks inside and she hides her fists in the bunched-up fabric of her sleeves.

Growing up with her dad in this profession, Cress has taught herself not to act in ways that would get him to analyze her. Most times, she would keep to herself but now is different. Now is rattling her bones and making her uneasy.

"Dad, I've been thinking about Mom," Cress says. "Not for a long time but recently, as in earlier today."

Sage pauses, stepping closer to Cress. She knows that he's waiting for her to explain her thoughts because he has nothing to bounce on and converse about.

"Dad, how did you feel about all this?" Cress asks. She commends herself for not tearing up, maybe because her worries are taking up all her energy. "Without being too sad or shutting down?"

"Ah, Crescent…" He gestures for her to come over and holds her with his strong fatherly arms. "The world is filled with families who don't have daughters like you. Remember what I used to tell you?"

"That I'm not named after the moon but the moon was named after me," Cress says, smiling a little after the words leave her mouth.

He chuckles. "Exactly. But you were named after the moon since you hold the world in place."

Cress softly scoffs. "That's a little extreme."

-o-

After telling her friends and seeing their reactions, Cinder came home because she came up with a plan. She walks up the stairs of her house and down the hallway. It was only hours ago that she took this same walk only to learn about Levana's discovery. Now, she's at the entrance of her office to see if she can make one of her own.

"I want to go to Luna," Cinder states.

Not looking up from her work, Levana nods. Pursing her lips, she turns in her chair and opens one of her desk drawers. She didn't even have to explain why the sudden choice for a vacation. As Cinder walks into Levana's office, she watches her aunt pull out her passport and a chequebook. Levana closes the chequebook and clicks a pen before beginning to write on a fresh cheque.

Cinder hesitates. That was a quick approval. "Are you using your own money?"

Levana laughs a little. "There is a certain amount of value locked within every word you speak. You'll find that most people will never be able to afford a word with you."

Cinder isn't sure how to respond. "That doesn't answer my question. At least, I don't think it does."

"I never cared about spending some cash to buy your clothes, food, a house, and a car. I'm wealthy all on my own, even after inheriting the entire Blackburn dynasty, and you and Winter are my girls. I only use Evret and Channary's money for what really matters. It's for university and a small portion of Channary's will be used for your trip."

Cinder's mouth goes dry. Growing up, she never wondered where the money came from since it was always there for her. She never thought about whether Levana used her own money or her inheritance. Since she and Winter weren't her biological children, a part of her assumed that Levana didn't spend a dime of her money on them. But now she learned that most of the fortune is still in the bank. She can't help but wonder how much of it has been used and for what.

Combined with Levana finding her biological father, Cinder still doesn't understand the enigma her aunt is. It must be a family tradition.

Cinder turns around when she hears Winter run in excitedly. Levana looks up and they both watch Winter bounce on her toes with a bright smile, looking as if she's about to explode.

"This is perfect timing. We have a long weekend coming up!" Winter exclaims.

Cinder can only respond with a huh at that coincidence. First Levana's immediate approval and now a time slot to travel? The stars above must really want her to go.

"Would you come with me?" Cinder asks Winter.

Winter's smile fades. "Dr. Darnel says that returning to Luna isn't good for me right now."

Cinder nods, not pestering further. Winter might have been the one grazed on the face, but they all had scars. Cinder's aren't as bad. Moving teaches people who they will be but sometimes it's good to go back and find out who they were.

Levana clears her throat to get all eyes on her. "Cinder, how much should I make this cheque for?"

Cinder hesitates. "Hold on to that cheque."