As someone who had a dress code and then uniforms for seven years, I sometimes look back and miss it solely because I didn't have to think about what to wear.

A Crown of Thornes: Part Four

Kai was skeptical of his plan the next morning when he walked into school and saw students getting reprimanded for wearing the wrong pants or shoes, or being ordered to leave their jackets in their lockers. After he and Winter were given skepticism from the principal but he was interested and even allowed for them to announce it at the upcoming school-wide assembly this coming first period.

Which was in five minutes.

Kai and Winter sit beside each other on chairs set up on the auditorium's stage. They watch students pile in, chatting amongst each other oddballs in non-regulated articles of clothing ordered outside until they were dressed properly. They're mostly stoked that they're missing homeroom for this but Kai's leg is shaking nervously until Winter puts a hand on his knee to stop his nerves. They didn't disappear completely but paused because Winter's face is so calming.

"This is a great idea," Winter reassures, "unanimous agreement from the rest of the council."

"We got it approved by the principal on a beta-testing level," Kai responds. "He wants us to fail."

"More reason for us to succeed. They'll love it as much as they love us. Now go."

Kai realizes that the teachers have quieted the students and he walks up to the microphone set for him. He's glad he tested it way before they came to save himself the embarrassment of speaking test words to check the audio. It didn't settle him that so many eyes in matching polo shirts with the school's emblem were staring, even the people on their phones were half-paying attention (more so to the circulating staff to make sure they don't get caught).

Stars, this is his first time in front of everyone as their School President. The write-in candidate. The last-minute unexpected leader.

"Good morning staff and students, if I could take a minute of your time, I wanted to talk about everyone's favourite topic, the uniform," Kai starts.

He grins at the murmurs of disinterest that he expected when he wrote this speech five minutes ago. Winter said it would, ironically, be a good attention-grabbing point and she wasn't wrong.

"Next Friday, we will have Lunar Academy's first civvies day," Kai announces which sparks interested murmurs throughout the crowd, riling excitement. Kai glances back at Winter who's giving him a thumbs-up. "A day where you could forget the uniform and wear whatever you want to school. We'll be having them monthly and those dates will be announced at a later time."

The murmurs turn into cheers and Winter now stands beside Kai. The teachers have to calm the students. Kai isn't sure if this is a win but it feels like one. Despite just starting, he already feels like he's doing something right. This new energy coursing through his veins must be what his dad felt or what Torin presently experiences after a good speech, a new municipal law passes. It's an unexplainable thrill that only makes sense when experienced first-hand.

"I love you!" Cinder screams, standing on her seat.

Kai waves at her as Winter blows a kiss. Before Cinder could be ordered to sit back down, to everyone's surprise, the cheers are overpowered by the fire alarm going off. Still, by the growing cheers and smiles, everyone was happier.

-o-

Scarlet didn't think a civvies day announcement could get any better but then the fire alarm went off and all spades broke loose as teachers were trying to get students out of the building in an orderly fashion. Scarlet wasn't looking to get to the exit. If a teacher was yelling at her, she didn't hear it. She jumped onto her seat and scanned the crowd of students in matching uniforms. Once she spotted Wolf, she jumped through the seats and shoved her way through the students until she grabbed his hand.

Scarlet and Wolf dive through the crowd. Once they broke out of the chaos and were in an empty hallway, they scurried over to Scarlet's locker, holding hands until she needed to dial through her combination lock.

"You know," Wolf whispers just loud enough for Scarlet to hear over the blaring fire alarm, "protocol says we're supposed to be outside. The school could be on fire as we speak."

"Well, then I had to come back for this," Scarlet says as she puts on her signature red sweatshirt. "It was a gift from my Grandmère."

Wolf grins, leaning against the lockers as Scarlet takes her hair out of her hoodie. They know Scarlet wants to capitalize on the fire drill as a chance to tell off the uniform. If the school was really burning, then the administration had bigger problems than her sweater.

"Besides, it's cold outside," Scarlet states.

Wolf nods, going along with her excuses. When Scarlet closes and locks her locker, he pulls her close. Through the loud alarms, he wraps her hands around her waist from behind. He puts his hands in her pocket on her torso, holding her against him. He can feel a small laugh ripple through her body as he kisses her neck through her curls.

"You know, the school could be on fire," she says.

"I'm aware," Wolf jokes as they run outside before any teachers could catch them.

-o-

"Why does this happen when I'm in charge?" Kai asks rhetorically.

Kai and Winter stand at the far end of the student parking lot with their classmates as they wait for the fire alarm to settle. They assume it was an accident or a small (and hopefully contained) fire since there's no visible black smoke coming from the school, but nobody can be too sure since they still have to wait for the fire department to come. Then wait even longer for an examination and the all-clear signal to return inside.

"When I decide to make a big change, the school decides to be on fire," Kai continues dramatically. "Nothing happened before this."

"Because you can handle it," Winter says optimistically. "You're Student Body President Kai Rikan, you've been through worse."

Kai smiles at her. "And so have you, Student Body Vice President Winter Hayle-Blackburn." He takes a breath. "My stars, that's a mouthful."

Winter grins. Not the first time she's been told her name is long (especially once she adds Jacin's name after she married him because she will). "And everyone will be happy since we'll be stuck out here for another twenty minutes. Homeroom would be over and we'll miss a good chunk of second period."

Kai didn't piece that part together. "Aces, Winter, you're the best VP."

Before Winter could comment, Cinder runs up to them and nearly jumps on Kai. He stumbles as Winter reaches out to catch him but Cinder keeps them standing. She holds him tightly and kisses him all over his face and lips many times. She pauses, looking at him as she catches her breath and Winter fixes Cinder's ponytail since there are so many loose tendrils draped against her face that her hair may as well be down.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I loved you in there," Cinder tells him. She glances at Winter for a moment. "Love you too, by the way." She winks as her cousin finishes fixing her ponytail before looking back at Kai. "Even a day in the school year a month where I don't have to wear this stupid skirt and stupid collared shirt? Kai Rikan, I love you to spades. Now we have to abolish the uniform code as a whole."

Kai laughs nervously as everyone around them cheers, yelling at Cinder to preach her truth as a fire truck pulls up to the school.

"Aces, babe, you're starting a revolution," Kai exhales.

Cinder shrugs. "Okay, maybe that was too far but for the first time in forever, I have to plan an outfit."

"Aces, Kai, we've barely been in office and already making miracles," Winter says happily. She isn't sure when she last saw Cinder care about what she wore let alone put effort into planning an outfit.

Kai sighs, face dropping for a moment. "I still feel like I'll ruin everything."

Cinder scoffs. "You won't. You have me, the rest of our dumb friends, your family, Winter as your VP, and the rest of the student council. You'll be a school president that everyone will admire."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"I'm serious. Look at all the stars you've cast and you just got here."

Kai smiles at her, wrapping his arm around her. "You know, you have a point. I'm afraid I'm letting the twins down since I'm not sure what to do about the elephants in the African Union."

Cinder laughs as she turns his head by his jaw to face her so she could kiss him again.

Civvies days were more stressful than they should've been but I still loved them.