Played For A Fool

Reunion

Cinder's heart thudded in her chest like the wings of a hummingbird. All of the blood had left her face and she felt nauseated, as if about to be sick. She was frozen to the spot, unable to move or speak. She felt as if the world was spinning, as the girl's words echoed through her mind.

"Selene?"

Her mind rushed with memories of this girl. Playing with her on hot summer days at the swimming pool. Laughing and having tea parties in their overlarge play dresses they had stole from Winter's step-mother. Rolling down ginormous green hills and staining their knees green.

Digging her fingernails deep into her leg, Cinder realized that everyone's eyes had turned to her. Thorne looked horrified, mimicking the way Cinder felt on the inside. Both Scarlet and Kai looked confused, both not knowing Cinder's true identity. Chief Clay was just staring at her with his eyes puzzling. And then there was Winter.

Winter, her cousin.

The one who had thought Cinder was dead.

The one who had just revealed to everyone who Cinder was.

She was looking at Cinder with so much joy and love that it was nearly painful. Cinder had never known that someone loved her so much. That someone could actually miss her after over five years of being gone. It was shocking, touching as well, but Cinder could not let this situation continue.

"Selene! They told me that you were dead, that you died in that car-"

"I'm sorry," Cinder cut Winter off, her voice apologetic, "but I think you have me mistaken for someone else." Cinder's heart ripped in half as she watched Winter tilt her head to the side, doubt starting to come into her features before she lit up again.

"Oh Selene," Winter giggled, "you must have just forgotten. They probably just faked your death like they do in all of those movies, to keep you safe and everything." Winter smiled the brightest smile that Cinder had ever seen and it held all the joy in the world.

"It all makes perfect sense now, Selene! Though I wish you had told me that you were still alive, I feel so overjoyed that you are not dead." Winter beamed, making the bright bulb in the ceiling seem dim.

Cinder didn't want to do it. She didn't want to hurt this girl, her cousin, her family of sorts, but it had to be done. She could come back and talk to her after this whole ordeal was over, but right now, Cinder needed to lie.

"Selene," Winter said, a slight whine to her voice, "why do you not look happy? We can finally be together again! Oh, father will be so happy to know that you are alive. He was very upset when you died, but here you are!" Winter walked across the room, and flung herself at Cinder, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

Cinder flinched and stood up, hugging her arms around her midsection and pushing the beautiful girl away. She stepped around Winter, walking to the end of the room where Kai sat by the door. "I'm sorry," Cinder repeated, "but you have the wrong person. My name is Cinder Lihn, not Selene. I'm really sorry." Cinder tried to put as much sympathy into her words, trying not to feel the stab of guilt in her stomach.

Winter looked devastated, as though she had just watched someone beloved die, and maybe, in a way, she had. Cinder looked down at the floor, digging her fingernails into her arm so hard that she could feel the skin begin to break.

Mind spinning, Cinder didn't know what to do next. She was debating on whether or not she should leave, when the Chief finally spoke up.

"Winter," He said, his voice kind and fatherly, "how about we leave this for later?" Chief Clay looked at Winter with a patient smile. Winter, eyes bright, nodded and turned to leave the room, just as tears began to spill from her eyes. She looked at Cinder with so much sadness as she passed her that Cinder wanted to tell her that it was a lie. But she couldn't.