Under the Stars (a lunar chronicles Modern AU)

Chapter Fifteen: The Sims is Fun!

They realised they would need a new car for their next expedition across the country, and as a result hired a mini bus for the weekend.

After school ended that Friday the eight of them, including Wolf and Kinney, piled in, all sporting overnight bags. Scarlet had packed a cool box full of food, though Thorne still insisted they would be stopping off for dinner.

It didn't take cress a second to get out her portable wifi, and she was engaged in whatever she was doing before the vehicle even started, Thorne driving again to Cinder's displeasure. She and Kai were sat behind the driver's seat, and neither were prepared for the rough take off they were given as Thorne sped away.

The mini bus was just as bumpy as Thorne's car, and Cinder found herself gripping onto Kai's hand, though that might have just been for her own wanting. Iko was across the isle from them and kept leaning back over the seat to talk to Kinney who had stuck in headphones and was ignoring her. Cinder felt almost sorry for him.

Scarlet was with Wolf, and despite her conversation with him she kept looking over at Cress to see what she was working on. They'd exchange a few words before separating, and each time Scarlet seemed a little more confused.

"Are you ready?" Kai asked Cinder, gripping her hand tightly.

Cinder nodded, though it was a complete lie and she was sure Kai knew that.

The truth was that Cinder was terrified of going back there, if only because the thought of seeing Levana again made her feel sick. But for Winter...

For Winter she'd go to hell, for Winter she'd give up everything she was.

So she leaned back in her seat, Kai's fingers intertwined with hers, and tried to fall asleep against the bumping of the mini bus.

---

By the time they reached the motel they'd booked Cress had managed a total of seven mental breakdowns due to Carswell Thorne's driving. At some point half of the mini bus had fallen asleep and Cress had switched places with Iko, leaving her with a view both out the front and one of the side of Thorne's head.

They hadn't talked, but Thorne had offered Cress a series of warm smiles, and in return she had found herself blushing beyond her control.

Once again the boys and girls separated into different rooms, ones opposite each other. Cress watched as Wolf squeezed Scarlet's hand before following after the rest of the men, seeming unhappy about leaving her, and Scarlet looking equally disappointed, but Cress pulled on Scarlet's jacket and with a small smile the door shut behind them.

There was a bunk bed and two single beds in the room, along with a dresser and a door that Cress supposed lead to a bathroom.

It didn't take a second for Iko to throw herself up onto the top bunk and collapse against the neatly folded sheets. Cress ran with her laptop to the bottom bunk and squashed herself into the corner, opening her laptop once again and waiting as it loaded. In the mini bus she'd been playing the sims (though she didn't let anyone else know that) and she was desperate to get back onto it.

Scarlet shuffled back next to Cress, peering across at her screen and giving her a questioning look.

"It's fun," Cress said in reply, and Scarlet laughed, leaning further across to get a better view of the screen.

Across the room Cinder and Iko were sat on a bed, cross legged and shuffling through Iko's rucksack. Cinder pulled out a tube of lip gloss with a distasteful scowl and handed it to Iko who uncapped it and tried to smear some on Cinder's lips. Cinder fell back against the bed and kicked out at the other girl.