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It was a day like any other at Nevermore academy. This semester had started calmly, no more murderous monster out killing the innocents or a psycho teacher trying to bring an old dead guy back to life. No, everything was back to normal, or at least as normal as one would expect a school full of monsters.
"Wednesday!!!" Enid's squeal broke the dark girl out of her bubble real quick, making her look away mid sentence.
"Enid, I'm writing. Also, weren't you supposed to be with Ajax right now?" She questioned, fully turning towards her over excited roommate.
"I was but he was called to be the tour guide to some new guy. I heard he used to be a normie but got into some freaky encounter with a vampire!" Enid was energetically pacing from the window to the door as she talked excitedly.
"Hm."
"That's it? Aren't you even a little bit curious?"
"No. I really don't care about some random person." She turned back around and went back to typing away.
"Aw come on Wednesday! Come meet him with me! Please?" She pleaded, approaching the other girl's desk.
"Fine, if it gets you to shut up." She stood up and led the way out of their dorm room. "Where will we even find him?"
"Ajax told me he was gonna show him the main courtyard first, so we should go there."
"Fine." She made her way there, Enid in tow. When they arrived there they easily spotted the new guy. He was the only one not in uniform, he was wearing a blue checkered button up over a gray t-shirt and had glasses. A bag was propped onto his shoulder and his brown hair was partially covered by a beanie.
He turned towards her and for a second the world seemed to stop. "Wednesday?"
"Joel?" Her back straightened and her mask slipped for a second with surprise. She took an hesitant step forward and so did he. "You remember me."
"I promised."
"Hmm… you guys know each other?" Ajax tried to ease the heavy atmosphere created between the two but was completely ignored.
"What are you doing here?" Asked the boy as he got closer once again.
"No, I should be asking you this Joel. Are you following me?"
"What? No, of course not! I didn't even know you went here." Joel defended himself.
"I… can't…" she turned around and left without another word. Joel just watched her leave with a look of nostalgia in his eyes.
"What was that?" Asked Enid confused as she looked at her boyfriend.
"Yeah man, you know her?"
"Yes… we… knew each other, one summer when we were twelve. The best summer of my life." A small smile formed on his face as he looked over to where Wednesday disappeared.
***
Wednesday was laying in bed, looking at the ceiling, memories of summer 2018 folding her mind. She was twelve at the time, her parents had sent her to summer camp. It was all a part of her new nannies plan to seduce her uncle fester. Ah yes, she remembered it clearly. Camp Chippewa was one of the worst and best summers of her life. On one hand, she had to live with the insufferable children at the camp while also not being able to do anything to help her uncle get rid of that horrible woman he called a fiance but on the other, she had also made a friend, no, she had fallen in love. Yes, even though she would never ever admit to it, she had loved Joel once upon a time. He was sweet, brave and he always believed in her and supported her. She remembered being sad when they parted ways, thinking she never would see him again. But here she was, hiding away in her dorm room because he was back. Back in her life and back in her heart. "Ugh!" She rolled on the side, hoping it would get rid of all of the nauseating thoughts clogging up her brain.
"You're in love~" signed Thing in a teasing manner.
"You're not helping, Thing!" She accused him, rolling on her other side. "I don't know what to do right now."
The severed hand jumped down onto the bed and made his way around to face the young woman. "You need to talk to him!" He signed.
"No way!"
"It's the only way! You're gonna have to see him eventually!"
"I would rather pluck my eyes out with a fork than to have to face him again. Everytime I see him it feels like I'm alive and I hate it!"
Thing was unimpressed but didn't add anything, turning away and leaving the room.
***
"So yeah, that's how we met basically." Finished Joel. He, Enid and Ajax were sitting on a bench in the garden. They had been bombarding him with questions ever since Wednesday left and he had finally finished explaining all of what had transpired a few years back.
"Wow, that's a lot." Ajax exclaimed, perturbed.
"Yeah, that must've been a wild summer." Added the werewolf.
"It really was. The best one of my life I would say." He answered, a faint smile on his face. It's at that moment that thing arrived, holding a piece of paper. "Thing!" Joel's smile widened at the sight of the limb.
Thing handed Enid the message before waving to the young man. The girl started reading the message, shooting a quick glance at Joel half way through. "Seriously?!" She exclaimed with a smile before standing up. "You and I have some serious things to discuss!" She said talking to the new guy. "Thank you, Thing, I'll handle it from here." She grabbed the human boy's wrist and pulled him up. "Let's go, operation 'Romance' is on!"
***
It was midnight when Wednesday finally left her room. She had received urgent messages from Eugene telling her to meet him at the pilgrim world entrance, but as she arrived there she couldn't see anybody. She waited around, sporadically checking her phone for any updates from her friend when suddenly she heard branches crack. "Eugene?" She called out.
"Not quit." Answered Joel as he stepped out of the shadows. "Sorry to disappoint."
"Where is Eugene? What are you doing here?"
"Hum… your friend, the werewolf girl, she set this up." He explained. "She wanted us to talk. And if I'm honest, I wanna talk too."
"And I don't."
"Why? What did I do?" He asked sadly. He had a hand on his neck uncomfortably. He had changed in four years, much more than she had. He had grown a few inches, now reaching 5ft10, his hair was slightly longer and messier, his glasses were different and his style had improved but also stayed very similar. He was the same but also so, so very different. "I always hoped I would see you again some day, but now I'm beginning to think I was the only one wanting that."
"I did."
"What?"
"I also wanted to see you again. But I never thought it would really happen, especially not like this." She said looking away, her face as stoic as she could get it to be.
"Well, I'm here now, what about we start over?" He said with a soft smile. He extended his hand to her for a handshake. "Hi, I'm Joel Glicker. You?"