Welcome to Luna High

Chapter Eight

CINDER GOT ONE CHANCE to see how Peony was doing before the social worker came to get her. Her poor sister had tubes in her throat and stomach. There were deep purple bruises under her eyes and a stitched up gash above her left eyebrow.

It made Cinder sick to even think of her laying alone in that hospital bed under a coma. So ill that she had to close her eyes to keep herself from getting sick in the social worker's car.

They stopped at Adri's apartment to get all the things from her room. There wasn't much in there that she would need except clothes. They ran down to the basement to get her tools, Kai's phone, and other various things she would need in order to keep making money. When the handful of boxes were tossed in the trunk, Miss Fateen drove to her foster parents' home.

The elegant brick house was by no means large, but she couldn't help but stare at it.  She could only ever remember living in two homes, both of which with adopted family, and both smaller than the house before her.

"Dr.Erland is an older man, so we'll need to bring all the boxes in ourselves." 

"Dr.Erland...as in my teacher, Dr.Erland?"

"Yes, and because he's fostering you, the school will have to change your schedule--favoritism and all that." Miss Fateen turned the car off and popped the trunk open. Cinder followed the woman to the back of the car and grabbed one of the four boxes. Fateen Grabbed another then walked to the door. She skillfully pushed the doorbell with her elbow, Cinder wondering how much experience she'd had doing that. They waited for at least a full minute before the door opened.

The Chemistry teacher gave a confused look only for a moment before realization dawned on his features. "Well, come in. What are you waiting around for Fateen?"

"Your old butt to get to the door," Fateen grumbled. "Go ahead, Cinder."

Cinder entered the house and took it in. 

Directly in front of her were dark wooded stairs, leading to the second floor. To her left was the living room dressed in Victorian era styled furniture and a floral rug. She noted that there was no television--it was only a sitting room. To the right was a small dining room. The six person table was also in a dark wood Victorian style, with another flowered rug beneath it. All windows in both the rooms had curtains drawn, making the rooms appears dim and dreary.

Dr. Erland gave her a short, fake smile. "You can take your things upstairs, the door on the left is your room. The middle is the restroom."

She nodded, "Thank you."

She walked up the stairs into a small hallway with three doors. Cinder opened the one on the left. The room was a small "I" shape, but still larger than her room at Adri's. 

A full sized bed with dark blue bedding was against the right wall so that it was facing the window on the opposite side. Below that window was a desk and lamp. To the right of the bed was a nightstand, and to the left was a door that she assumed lead to a closet.

Cinder put the box down on the bed, then went back downstairs to grab the other two from Miss Fateen's car.

Fateen was still talking to the doctor by the time Cinder had taken the other two boxes into her room. "Now, you better  not send this one back to me for at least a month. Do you hear me, Dmitri? Thirty days. The last four you've taken in have been here for three weeks at most--"

He interrupted, "They were all delinquents. I know for a fact the Miss Linh is very well behaved."

"Nonetheless, one month minimum, Dmitri."

Cinder walked down the stairs again. "I can take that, Miss Fateen." Cinder pointed to the box.

"Okay, Cinder," She handed her the box, "I have two more kids to take to different homes, so I'm afraid I must be going."

"She just doesn't like me." Dr. Erland whispered, not so quietly, to Cinder.

"You're right, you're a pain in my neck. Enjoy, Cinder." With that, Miss Fateen walked out to her car and drove away. 

Doctor Erland sighed, "She's more a pain in my neck than I am hers, she always sends me the delinquents--until you, that is. I know about the car crash, but I know it was a drunk driver that caused it, not a responsible teenage girl." Cinder's throat tightened at the mention of the crash. She wondered how Peony was doing. "Why don't you go unpack your things while I make us lunch?"

"I could help," Cinder offered. 

"No, you've been through enough the past twenty-four hours. I may be old, but I'm still capable of whipping up a couple of grilled cheese."

Again, she nodded, "Thank you."

SURE ENOUGH, CINDER'S SCHEDULE had changed the next day, but only by a little bit. Instead of having Chemistry with Doctor Erland, she now had it with Mr. Pearson in the room across the hall. When class ended Kai began walking with her.

"Why aren't you in Erland's class anymore? And... what happened to you?" Kai stared at the bruise on her forehead and glanced at the ones on her arms.

She didn't want to tell him that she'd been abandoned by Adri because she'd gotten into a car accident, and now her sister was in a coma. It was all too complicated. So rather then tell him the truth, she shrugged, "I, ah, got into a car accident. Drunk driver hit me."

"Are you okay? You don't have a concussion or anything, right?" The amount of concern he had for her melted her frozen heart a tiny bit.

"No. No, I'm fine." She tore her gaze away from him, telling herself she wasn't allowed to cry. "My sister isn't doing so well though."

"What do you mean?"

"She was in the car with me. She's in the ICU now, but..." Cinder's throat constricted and she could feel tears threatening to build up. "They're not sure if she'll make it."

Kai's draw dropped, "Oh my stars, Cinder, I'm so sorry." 

She could tell he wasn't sure what to do. He seemed like he was debating on hugging her, but holding back for fear of how she'd react. "The worst part is that it's my fault." She didn't care anymore, now matter how much she tried to hold them back, the tears began to fall. "If I had been paying more attention, if I had stopped, if I hadn't let her come with me to the junk yard in the first place, the wouldn't have happened." Cinder buried her face in her hands.

Apparently Kai made up his mind about what to do because seconds later she found his arms wrapped around her in a comforting hug.

It was amazing how they'd only known each other for a couple days and yet she was crying in his arms.

The warning bell rang, so she forced herself away from him. "I should get to class."

"Are you sure you're okay to be here?"

"I'm fine," She sniffled and wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

He sighed, "All right, let me walk you to tech."

She rolled her eyes, "I already know how to get there."

"I know, but I want to take you."

Cinder stared at him. She'd just cried on his shoulder. He seemed sincere, his copper eyes holding nothing but concern for her. "Okay, Mister Rikan, walk me to my next class then."

Kai put his hand on her back and lead her down the hallway.

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Hello Lunartics!

I'm two days later than I said I would be and I'm sorry. I was visiting relatives a few hours away and didn't bring my computer with me because I thought it would only be for one day (my mom lied to me, ugh). So Cinder is living with Erland now and there was a bit of Kaider (I'm submitting to that shipname over Cindai...) moment in there, just for you crazy Lunartics.

But I have to ask if...if you think someday you'll consider being an empress,
PrincessSelene04