I accidentally proofread the wrong chapter for today, so we're off to a great start.

Hungry Like the Wolf: Part Six

Quicker than intended, Cinder and the twins finish the chip bag despite Kai's yapping and unplanned additions to the swear jar. When Kai was facing the boiling stovetop, Cinder picks up her backpack from the floor. She sits between the twins and puts her bag on her lap. Cinder taps the twins with her elbows as she unzips her bag and pulls out another chip bag.

The twins look at each other excitedly but the crinkle of the chip bag perks Kai's ears. He turns around, narrowing his eyes at Cinder. She grins as she opens the bags and the twins laugh as they take some.

"Seriously?" Kai questions as she puts the chip bag on the kitchen island for them all to share.

"Chasers," she responds.

"Aces, Cinder!"

The twins point back to the swear jar while eating chips. Kai rolls his eyes.

"Bill me later," he says, smiling a little because the twins are so happy. He points at the pot on the stove. "You eating some?"

"Out of kindness," Cinder responds. She gestures to the chip bag. "You eating some?"

"Out of kindness." He pops one in his mouth.

-o-

Cress cheers when they receive their box of doughnut holes and she nearly melts in the booth when she opens it. The sweet smell of fried dough sprinkled in powdered sugar waters her mouth as she inhales. As much as she wants to eat it, she also wants to stare at it for the rest of the night.

"Close your eyes, I'll feed you one," Thorne says, scooting closer to her. "Maybe it'll fit in your mouth whole like a cheese bun."

Cress looks at him skeptically. The moment she closes her eyes, he kisses her and she laughs as she pulls away. She opens her eyes and Thorne's grinning as he eats a doughnut hole.

"I'm a snack," Thorne states proudly. "I also taste better."

"No outside food allowed!" Scarlet yells from across the diner.

"I wrote my name on the menu!"

"Vandalism!"

-o-

While on her break, Scarlet sits next to Wolf in his booth as they watch Thorne and Cress act all cute and in love while eating their desserts. Scarlet can't help but notice that Thorne's cup of ice now resembles an actual glass of water now. She makes a mental note to refill it with fresh cubes when she's back on the clock and he drinks it all.

Wolf nuzzles his head on her shoulder. "Close your eyes, I'll feed you."

Scarlet scoffs, knowing that Wolf is just mimicking Thorne's cheesy line that worked on Cress. Despite the smooth kiss after, anything Thorne could do would work on Crescent Moon Darnel.

"Feed me what?" Scarlet asks, opening her hands to Wolf's empty table. "You didn't order anything. I should kick you out of loitering, but you're lucky that I'm not on the clock as we speak."

Wolf laughs, the sounds vibrating against Scarlet's bones. "I'm a whole meal."

Scarlet cringes because even he knows that's a bad line. It's not wrong, but that doesn't excuse its corniness. Still, if Thorne said that, then Cress would swoon. Scarlet wouldn't be surprised if Wolf took that line from Thorne.

"My heart is saying yes but my brain is saying no," Scarlet says poetically.

"Heart over head," Wolf argues.

"That's not how that saying goes."

Scarlet kisses him, turning her body more towards him. Wolf holds her by the waist as she rests her hands on his leg.

At the sound of the bell at the door, Scarlet and Wolf part from their kiss and turn. They see Winter saunter inside. She walks light on her feet as if she's on a cloud, stopping close enough to the counter to read the menu. When one of Scarlet's co-workers calls Winter from the cash, she heads over and orders something.

Scarlet can usually guess an order based on the waiter's expression, but that jaw drop and a mouthed — are you sure? Are you really sure? — followed by Winter nodding and ready to pay with her card.

Winter smiles brightly as she skips over to Scarlet and Wolf's booth, sliding in and folding her hands on the table. Her mood could brighten even a gloomy storm.

"Is it head over heart or the other way around?" Wolf asks her.

"Other way around is how I remember," Winter states. "I don't trust my head anyways."

"What are you doing here?" Scarlet asks.

"I wanted a milkshake so I walked here and ordered all of them."

"Get the strawberry!" Cress yells from her table. That's Cress' go-to milkshake flavour. Wolf laughs to himself.

Winter leans her head back. "I did!"

Scarlet doesn't react because that explains why her co-worked looked so dumbstruck ringing in Winter's order. She can't imagine the total but knows that it probably amounts to Blackburn Couch Cushion Change with a hefty tip. Still, that'd be a lot for Winter to bring home, let alone consume.

Scarlet looks out the window at the parking lot, not seeing Winter's white car. "You have a car waiting outside for you?"

Winter shakes her head, glancing out as well. "Cinder took our car and I did say I walked here. I inhaled some cold night breeze and it felt nice, minus the bugs."

Scarlet puts a hand on Wolf's arm. There's no way she's letting Winter walk back home after hearing that. "Babe-"

"I know," Wolf says, taking out his keys. "Scarlet's break is over soon. I'll drive you back. Cress has a whole bag of bread and doughnut holes if you're interested."

"Actually, that would be useful. My mouth is a numbing fire as we speak," Winter leaves their booth before Scarlet or Wolf could ask what she meant by that.

"Hey," Thorne greets Winter as she enters their booth.

"Bread or doughnut?" Cress asks as if she was a waitress here and not Scarlet.

"Both, actually," Winter responds. "I ate a ghost pepper."

Cress gasps, passing Winter her milkshake as if Winter didn't order the whole menu of them. She shakes her head, sliding the glass back to her.

"Don't worry," Winter says, "I slobbered down some ice cream before I got here, got fresh air, and ordered a few milkshakes."

A few… Scarlet almost wants to laugh. They're a diner. They have milkshake upon milkshake. Any flavour possible existed. If it was an ice cream, a dessert, a fruit, or all of the above, then it had a milkshake. Scarlet's had her share of tasting them for as long as she worked there and she can't blame Winter for her order since it's hard to choose one. On a normal day, a normal person would order whatever they were in the mood for.

Winter takes a cheese bun and doughnut, biting into both alternatively and nodding as if they make a good combination. Scarlet thinks they would given sweet, savoury, and salty flavours on one palate. Maybe she could make the suggestion to the owner and make it an item on the menu.

"Cute date, by the way," Winter says, snagging an onion ring before heading back to the front counter to wait for her big order. "I should get a box of buns and doughnuts."

"When she said cute, did she mean me, you, or the date we're on?" Thorne asks.

Cress giggles. "All of the above."