Chapter Text
Wednesday clutched Enid’s arm and hastily threw them both into the tallgrass. They crouched down among the blades and grasped onto one another, staying absolutely still and silent.
She huddled against Enid, holding her head consolingly as she trembled silently beneath her. Not from fear, but from rage. Of course it was her brothers that ruined the escape. How didn’t she think of it before? It was ridiculously obvious. It only made sense for those bumbling, idiotic, impulsive, immature, rude, selfish—
Wednesday’s sharp pinch on her forearm brought her back to reality. She was digging her claws into the girl hovering on top of her. She looked up to her guiltily and opened her mouth to apologize, but a cold hand pressed to her lips, effectively silencing her. The freezing wind was blowing harshly, but Enid felt particularly toasty.
Multiple sets of crunching footsteps advanced towards the backyard, as did their voices.
“Come on, Dylan, it wasn’t that bad!” a nasally, grating voice laughed. Damian, Enid recognized, clenching her fists.
Enid had five older brothers and one younger one. From oldest to youngest: Scott, Boris, Damian, Dylan, Adonis, and Seth. Enid came between Adonis and Seth.
“Fuck you, asshole!” Dylan shouted, voice cracking squeakily. The girls heard the rustling of a shove, then howls of laughter.
“Ah, don’t be such a sore loser, Dylan,” a third one taunted lazily, this one belonging to a clearly oldest werewolf Enid knew as Scott. “At least you weren’t as bad as this one over here.”
One of them snarled. “Don’t touch me,” a dejected voice muttered.
Seth, Enid thought, heart panging. Seth was the only one of her brothers that actually regarded her equally. Maybe it was just because he was younger and felt obligated, but Enid knew he was weaker than the rest. It was something they had in common, feeling powerless. She had grown fond of the sensitive boy. She tried to be his support system, but most of the time he just clung to his brothers in a crave for validation. He would grow out of it like she had, Enid knew.
The group erupted in ‘ooh’s and exclamations.
“What are you gonna do about it? You gonna puppy-handle me like you did Damian?” Scott challenged.
Silence.
“That’s what I thought.” Another shove, this one resulting in a thud against the dirt. Enid’s breath hitched. “You don’t tell anyone what to do, got it? You don’t have that kind of power. Against me, or anyone else.”
“Okay, I got it!” Seth replied angrily.
“God, my clothes are so messed up,” a fussy voice complained, apparently paying little attention to the scene. Adonis. He was always in his own, selfish world.
“Yeah,” another grunted in half-hearted agreement. Boris. There was always an unconcernedness to his voice. He was particularly aloof and reserved, but was arguably the most physically powerful out of the siblings. “That shows you got rough and dirty, though, huh?”
“Let’s hurry it up, boys,” Scott ordered. They began wafting through the field of tallgrass.
“You guys think Enid actually wolfed-out?” Damian asked the group. Enid’s eyes widened, and Wednesday’s hand-soothing stopped. “Like, for real?”
“That's what she said,” Boris drawled indifferently.
“Yeah, but what do you think? Maybe she was lying!” Damian said.
“The runt’s got the scars to prove it, though, I guess,” Scott pointed out.
“That barely means anything, dude, she could’ve gotten those somewhere else!” Damian retorted.
“I wouldn’t put it past her, to be honest,” chimed Boris, whacking a tuft of grass out of his way. “Maybe the kid wants attention.”
“Oh, she’d love that.” Adonis barked out a laugh. Enid’s heart twisted painfully. She wanted to crumble to dust and melt into the earth below her. She wanted to melt into a puddle of nothingness. She wanted to run away as far as possible. She wanted to go anywhere but here.
“Doesn’t matter, Damian,” Scott scowled. “Why do you care?”
Enid wanted to, for a moment, believe he was defending her, but she knew it was wishful thinking. He genuinely just didn’t care. For anything.
“I don’t, really, but it’d be interesting if she’s telling the truth,” Damian answered. “You think she’d show up to the full moons?”
“That’d be cool,” Seth said quietly.
“What?” Adonis said. “No shot, she’d slow the rest of us down.”
“How do you know?” Seth asked. “Maybe her wolf is really strong.”
“Stronger than us?” Boris said. And the conversation was shut down.
They walked in silence, getting closer and closer towards the two girls. Wednesday’s grip on Enid tightened. The blonde nuzzled into her arms as closely as possible, her eyes shut tight.
But the boys lumbered out of the grass and towards the front of the house. The front door creakily opened and roughly shut behind them, and then they were gone.
Wednesday shifted off of Enid and put her hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
But Enid was occupied in a staring contest with the dirt. Wednesday stood up slowly and picked Enid up along with her. “...Let’s get going.”
The walk to the car was fuzzy. Enid vaguely remembered pushing an overgrown branch out of her way and stumbling on the root of a tree, but she only acknowledged the forest itself when they actually walked out of it later on. The best way she could describe what she was feeling was empty. Utterly empty. She couldn’t bother to be angry anymore. She couldn’t bother to sob in jealousy. She couldn’t bother to react at all. Walking alongside Wednesday, she just ambled expressionlessly.
“Enid? Did you hear me?” a familiar voice called.
“Huh?” She looked up to the sound and saw Wednesday staring at her as they walked. “Oh. Sorry, what—what’d you say?”
Wednesday looked ahead. “You’re ten times stronger than them. It’s quite ridiculous how powerful you are, as a matter of fact. I’ve seen your capabilities. Don’t listen to them. They mean nothing to you, and they don’t know you. You mustn't let them affect you, Enid.”
Enid removed her hands from her pockets and faced Wednesday in amazement. Her heart swelled as she studied her silently. “You’ve gotten better at the whole ‘comforting’ thing.”
Wednesday scoffed and her strides became quicker.
“I’m serious!” Enid said, jogging lightly to catch up. “...Thanks. You didn’t have to say that.”
Wednesday was silent for a good five seconds. “Of course I did.”
They walked in comfortable quietness, listening to the sounds of the night around them. Enid closed her eyes pleasantly. “So, where’s Lurch? And the car?”
“They’re up ahead. I couldn’t bring the car too close to your house, your family would surely wake,” Wednesday answered. Knew it, Enid thought fondly. “As a matter of fact…”
They came across a clearing in the middle of forest that opened up into a path where they must’ve come through. Enid hardly knew these forests and had no idea this area even existed. There sat the sleek, black hearse. Enid could see a tall shadow in the driver's seat. She bounced up and down nervously. “I can’t believe this is actually happening!”
“Come along,” Wednesday said, advancing towards the backseat’s door.
Enid rushed ahead and opened the door before Wednesday could. She straightened her back and cleared her throat. “M’lady.”
Wednesday’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Never do that again.”
She sat in the car and closed the door herself. Enid grinned from ear to ear while prancing to the other side of the car and getting in quickly. She greeted lurch happily and he just groaned. She hoped that was a good thing.
The inside of the car was luxurious. The red, soft interior cupped her body comfortably and she sighed as she slumped in the seat. The back was considerably roomy, allowing her to stretch her legs completely. She basked in the comfort for a few seconds before glancing at Wednesday.
God, she was gorgeous. Enid’s heartbeat quickened and she felt a rush of adrenaline. She looked the same as she always did—composed, determined, ethereal. She was looking out the window as the trees passed and her eyebrows were furrowed like when she was deep in thought. Enid wondered what she was thinking. So, she asked.
“Wednesday?” She tore her eyes away from the window to acknowledge Enid. “Something wrong?”
“Not at all,” she answered, but she was looking away when she spoke. Enid found out during their time as roommates that it was her tell of avoidance. “Why do you ask?”
Enid eyed her suspiciously. “I don’t know. You looked like you were contemplating something.”
“I always am.”
Enid huffed and turned her body fully towards her, sitting criss-crossed on the seat. “Yeah, but not normal Wednesday-contemplating. Is it something to do with me coming to your house?”
“What does normal Wednesday-contemplating look like?”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
Wednesday sighed and peered out the window again. “I suppose it does, yes.”
Enid fiddled with her sweater sleeve. “Oh.” She stared at her thoughtfully. “Is it about your parents?”
“...Yes.”
“Huh. Do they like me?” She knew it was direct, but she couldn’t help herself. Besides, Wednesday liked getting to the point.
“Well,” she said, turning to Enid but not quite looking her in the eye. “They know you’re my roommate, a werewolf, and painstakingly colorful.”
“So? Do they?” Enid pressed, scooting closer to her.
“I’m not sure,” she said. “I’d like to think that they would, once you’ve truly met them.”
“Hmm.” Enid rested her head on Wednesday’s shoulder. She felt Wednesday’s back straighten—even more, if that was possible. “I’d like to think so too.”
They stayed like that for the entire car ride.