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It was a dark and stormy night, and Wednesday Addams was wasting it watching Ajax stumble through a rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey in the Nightshade’s library. Enid had insisted that she join the Nightshades with her last semester, and now that they were dating, she couldn’t easily get out of the all-too-frequent meetings. Most of the time, she didn’t mind it as much as she would have thought; since the incident with Crackstone last year, they had returned to the Nightshade’s original mission of protecting outcasts, although they still held all the unfortunate rituals of a trivial social club. Karaoke night was proving to be her least favorite.
He belted out the last line, his voice cracking the way it had every time he sang the insipid chorus, and she rolled her eyes as the room erupted in cheers and applause.
“Alright, thank you, Ajax!” Bianca said, taking the microphone back to announce the game’s next victim. “And up next, we have a surprise song from our newest members, Enid and Wednesday!”
She stared at Bianca as her classmates began cheering and clapping once again.
“Yay! C’mon, let’s go!” Enid vociferated, and she turned to glare at her girlfriend.
“You did this?”
“Yep! It’s our first karaoke night with the Nightshades and as a couple! We have to do a song together!”
“Absolutely not.” She stood up indignantly. “This is completely different from the kind of torture I had planned for tonight.”
“Oh, please, Wednesday,” Enid begged, dragging her toward the makeshift stage. “You’ll be fine! And you promised you’d come and have fun with me tonight!”
“I agreed to come watch you all make fools of yourselves, not perform for your entertainment. Did you really think that ambushing me like this would work?”
“It’s not an ambush! I just thought-”
“I didn’t even want to come tonight. I wanted to spend time with you. But if forcing me to sing terrible songs in front of a room full of people is your idea of quality time, then count me out.”
“It’s just our friends! And I wasn’t expecting you to sing! Will you just stand on the stage with me? Please?”
She didn’t respond, only leaning out of the way when Enid reached for her. Wednesday couldn’t understand why she was the one who looked so upset.
“You’re making a scene,” Enid hissed. “Can you just trust me on this? I promise you’re going to like-”
“You and I are different people, Enid.” Wednesday cut her off. “You may enjoy participating in this display of tone-deaf absurdity, but you should know by now that I won’t. How would you feel if I forced you to watch me dissect mutated animals?”
This time Enid didn’t respond. Wednesday averted her gaze, refusing to fall for Enid’s sad puppy dog eyes. “I’m leaving.”
“What? No, wait! Wednesday! You don’t have to stand on the stage, just please stay and listen to my song!”
“No, Enid,” she said forcefully. “I’m going back to our room. I’m sure you can con one of our friends into singing with you.” She turned around and headed for the stairs, ignoring everyone’s eyes on her. When she reached the bottom of the staircase she heard Enid whimper, and for a moment she hesitated. “I hope you have fun at your party.”
“Wednesday? Wednesday, get back here!”
But Enid’s cries were for naught. With a swish of her black skirt, Wednesday was gone. Enid stared at the ground, unsure of what to do now. She felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment and knew everyone was looking at her.
“Moving on,” Bianca said, shooting her a sympathetic glance. “Our next performer is Kent, with yet another Backstreet Boys song. Really, dude?”
The others’ squabbling faded into the background as she sank into a chair at the back of the room. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to process what had just happened. This was supposed to be such a wonderful night, she thought. How did it go so wrong?
“Hey, you okay?” Yoko asked, pulling up a chair next to her. “That was… intense.”
“I just don’t understand why she would walk off like that!” Enid exclaimed. “I indulge, like, all of her spooky interests! Is it really so hard for her to watch me do karaoke?”
“Maybe there’s something more going on. Like she had a bad day or something. Why don’t you go talk to her? She’s more likely to open up if it’s just you.”
“No, I think she made her point pretty clear. And I don’t want to see her right now anyway.” Yoko gave her a pointed look. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”
“Where are you planning on sleeping?”
“I don’t know. Here?”
“Enid, don’t be ridiculous. You can stay in my room.”
“Thanks,” she murmured. She wiped the tears from her eyes, but that seemed only to make more of them fall. Yoko pulled her into a hug as she cried quietly.
The others left her alone until she was able to compose herself, which she was thankful for, but they all offered her words of comfort as the night went on. No one said anything outright nasty about Wednesday, but they all agreed that her behavior was aggressive, even for her. As she lay in Yoko’s spare bed, she hoped that tomorrow they would sort things out and everything would go back to normal.
The next day was Saturday, which gave her more time to stall out the confrontation with her girlfriend. Yoko disapproved of this but was supportive anyway, and before heading to lunch, she finally gathered the courage to speak to Wednesday. At first, when the door creaked open and she peered in, she thought the room was empty. But as she took a few steps in, she saw her sitting on her bed, still in her pajamas and looking rather disheveled. She immediately stood up and fixed Enid with her penetrating gaze.
“You didn’t come back last night.”
Enid wasn’t sure if it was a statement or a question, something she had found was quite common with Wednesday. But the conversation had to start somewhere, so she answered her anyway.
“I stayed in Yoko’s room.”
“Oh.” She glanced quickly at the floor before resuming eye contact. “Why?”
“Because I was mad at you!”
Wednesday seemed to stop for a moment. “For not doing karaoke with you.”
“No, because you threw a fit and walked out on me! It was humiliating!”
“Humiliating? You were the one trying to drag me onto that stage to make me sing some sickening pop song.”
“Yeah, well you could’ve just said no!” Tears began stinging her eyes once more, and she fought to keep them from falling. Sometimes Wednesday’s stoicism made her feel silly for crying so easily, especially when they argued. “I told you I didn’t expect you to sing. All I asked was that you stay and watch me, and you couldn’t even do that.”
“I will not apologize for leaving a party I never wanted to attend in the first place. I told you from the start that I do not enjoy karaoke.”
“You don’t feel even a little bit bad, do you?” Enid could feel her rage bubbling inside her as she stalked toward Wednesday. “Do you even care that I’m feeling hurt right now? Or is getting your way all that matters to you?” She spun around, pulled her duffel bag from under her bed, and began throwing her things inside, not noticing the look on Wednesday’s face. “You know what? If you asked me to watch you dissect mutated animals, I would! I’d probably throw up or pass out, but I would do it for you because you’re my girlfriend and I care about you. But I guess we’re different people, aren’t we, Wednesday?” she spat, her voice dripping with venom. “I’m the kind of girlfriend who would do anything to make you happy, and you’re the kind who leaves me behind at parties because you can’t be bothered to support me if what I’m doing doesn’t interest you.” Wednesday just stared at her, and Enid huffed. “I was hoping we could work this out, but if you can’t admit that you messed up, I’m not going to waste my breath. You can find me in Yoko’s room once you’ve figured out your priorities.”
Wednesday watched her pack her things in shock. Shame burned in her chest, and she didn’t give a second thought to the tears now pricking the corners of her eyes. It wasn’t until Enid started toward the door that she finally snapped back to herself. When she spoke, there was a slight quiver in her voice that she didn’t try to hide.
“Enid, I didn’t mean to-”
“But you did, Wednesday,” she snarled. “I already gave you a chance to apologize.”
The tone of her voice told her that there was no point in protesting. Her decision was final. She stared, helpless, as the door slammed shut and Enid was gone.
For a moment she stood there, motionless, until Thing ran out from his hiding place under her bed and caught her attention. He began signing at her furiously.
“Do you honestly think I don’t know that?” she snapped. Then she sighed and marched slowly to her closet, wiping a tear from her cheek. “I’m not in the mood for one of your lectures. Now go away, I’m going to get dressed.”
When she stepped out of the closet a minute later, she had set her face and acted as though nothing had happened.
Enid managed to avoid Wednesday for the rest of the weekend, and they didn’t so much as look at each other in class on Monday. She wanted nothing more than for them to make up and put this behind them, but she refused to cave this time. Wednesday would come to her when she was ready, and she knew that approaching her before then would be asking to get pissed off.
By Tuesday, Yoko was practically begging her to talk to Wednesday, since she was apparently on her tongue as much as she was on her mind.
“I get that you two need space from time to time,” she said, in an exasperated but still supportive voice. “I know lesbians are known for moving in together too fast, but you two moved in before you were even dating.”
“We didn’t have a choice,” Enid growled, unamused at her attempt to break the tension.
Yoko sighed. “I know. That’s why we did this dance last time. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be. But you love it most of the time, so why aren’t you fighting for it?”
“I did! This time, she needs to come to me.”
“Alright, well, at the very least, why are you the one that left? She’s the one who messed up, why don’t you kick her out?”
Enid snorted. “Are you kidding me? It’s Wednesday. I mean, I know she’d never hurt me, but that doesn’t make her any less terrifying and stubborn.” She paused for a moment, then added, “Besides, she can’t stand anyone else.”
“So? Make that her problem.”
“And unleash her wrath on some other unsuspecting student? I could never do that to someone. If she was forced to room with anyone else, it’d drive her insane.”
Yoko raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sure she’ll come around soon,” Enid sighed. “Then I’ll get out of your hair.”
“It’s not that I don’t like having you here, it’s just… you can be a little much sometimes.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Yoko smiled. “Now, let’s go. We don’t want to be late for fencing practice.”
Enid nodded, shaking the thoughts of Wednesday out of her head.
Wednesday didn’t show up to fencing practice.
The next day, things took a turn for the worst. She could feel Wednesday’s eyes boring into the back of her skull all throughout botanical sciences, but when she tried to talk to her after class ended, she had disappeared. She swallowed the flicker of guilt that burned in her belly, reminding herself that she wasn’t the one at fault. If Wednesday was afraid to talk to her, then let her be afraid. Maybe next time she won’t abandon her at a party.
Yoko suggested they go into town that afternoon, also inviting Bianca and Divina for a girls' day out. She reveled in the feeling of having a best friend who knew exactly what she needed. Getting off campus felt better with every step toward Jericho, with the sun finally shining for the first time in days. And it was good to not be alone; her biggest regret was that Thing had stayed with Wednesday, and she was sorely missing their chats.
They perused the many shops, spending the most time in Hawte Kewture. She admired the many colorful, expensive sweaters on the racks, trying to decide which one of the must-have items she needed the most. She finally decided on a white sweater with a rainbow on it. The fabric of the rainbow was fuzzier than the rest of it, and the inside was the softest of what they had in stock. And after a little convincing from her friends, she also bought a golden necklace with a sparkling white crescent moon pendant.
“I told you retail therapy works,” Bianca smiled as she grinned at her new purchases. “You wanna hit the Weathervane?”
“Oh, for sure!” Enid exclaimed. “Thank you, guys, for doing this, it’s been so much fun!”
“Of course! We got your back, girl,” Divina said.
“And who are we to say no to a shopping spree?” Bianca added.
Half an hour later she was sitting in a booth with her iced caramel latte, deep in a discussion about the pop quiz they’d had in math class. As she took a sip of her overly-sweet drink, she heard someone call her name.
“Eugene, hey!” she exclaimed when she saw him approach.
“I’m glad I ran into you. Do you know what’s going on with Wednesday? Is she okay?”
“Why wouldn’t she be okay?” Enid demanded, her senses now on high alert.
“She wasn’t at our Hummers meeting, and she hasn’t answered any of my texts. She usually tells me if she’s gonna be busy, so I was hoping you would know if something was wrong.”
“Oh. Well, we’re kind of in a fight right now. I haven’t talked to her in a few days.”
“Oh no. Is it a bad fight?” he asked in a hushed voice.
“No! No, I just needed some space, that’s all.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll just try texting her again, or maybe I can catch her at lunch tomorrow. And I’m sure you’ll work it out. You’re Nevermore’s greatest power couple!”
“Um, thanks?”
Eugene grinned at her and waved goodbye, then went to get coffee of his own. Her friends looked at her cautiously, like she was a bomb that might go off at any moment.
“She didn’t go to Hummers?” Enid whispered to herself. She stared at her latte, the thought of its sweet taste now turning her stomach.
“You good, Enid?” Yoko asked, but she ignored her.
All the anger, hurt, and apathy she had been feeling toward Wednesday was replaced with worry, and all she wanted to do was run to her and hold her in her arms.
“We can head back if you want,” Bianca offered, gently putting her hand on her shoulder.
Enid’s head shot up as if she were coming out of a trance. “No, I’m okay,” she smiled. “If Wednesday skipped Hummers, then that’s her problem, not mine. If I let things go back to normal without her apologizing, then she’ll just keep treating me like this.”
“Hell yeah, girl! Respect yourself first!” Divina cheered. They continued their conversation happily, and Enid pushed away the doubt she felt growing in the back of her mind.
On Thursday she was able to keep her thoughts from drifting to her girlfriend, but Friday was a different story. It was Friday the 13th, and the only time Wednesday didn’t celebrate this “holiday” was when it fell on her birthday. And as her thoughts of Wednesday returned, so did her longing for her. It had been a week now since their initial fight, and she was starting to wonder if the silent treatment was the best way to coax an apology out of her.
She could feel Wednesday’s eyes on her again in class and turned to her, expecting her to act as if she hadn’t been staring. Instead, she held her gaze for a moment before looking away in what Enid could only describe as embarrassment. And when class ended, Wednesday lingered, watching her as she gathered her things. She hoped that she was finally ready to talk, but when she called her name she rushed out of the classroom like a spooked animal. Enid sighed in defeat and trudged back to Yoko’s room.
She changed into her new sweater and put on one of her many Taylor Swift playlists, hoping that a dance party would make her feel better. And of course, it did, it’s Taylor Swift. But nothing could get rid of the ache of fighting with Wednesday. After an hour, she gave up on the dance party and resigned to watching TikToks until dinner.
Later that night, when they were eating in the quad, Enid found it impossible to focus on Yoko and Divina’s conversation. She kept glancing around, hoping to see a black shape ducking through the crowd.
“Girl, just go talk to her,” Divina said. “You’re clearly dying to. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”
“I don’t know,” Enid mumbled. “This whole situation is just so uncomfortable. She can be so oblivious.”
“Well, whatever you do, can you figure it out soon, please?” Yoko said impatiently. “I love you, but I signed up for a single room for a reason.”
“Right,” Enid nodded, her attention already slipping away again. She thought she saw a shadowy figure out of the corner of her eye, but it was just Kent wearing a black hoodie. She cursed under her breath and felt her claws itching to spring out. Yoko and Divina rolled their eyes and she turned sheepishly back to her food. She suffered in silence for the rest of the meal, the way Wednesday would have.
After dinner, she was up in Yoko’s room, pacing restlessly. She had turned down their offer to go out, and now the loneliness was eating her alive. She wanted to march to their room and rip an apology out of Wednesday by force, but she knew that wouldn’t work. So instead, she decided once again to distract herself with TikToks.
A couple of hours later, as she was falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of a new sketch series, the door swung open. She looked up, startled, but there was nobody there. Then, she heard the scratching of fingernails on floorboards and sat up to see Thing scurrying toward her.
“Thing!” she called happily. “I’ve missed you! Wait, what’s wrong?”
He was signing to her frantically, but all she could make out was follow me.
“Oh no,” she gasped, her heart sinking. “Is it Wednesday? Is something wrong with Wednesday?”
He just kept repeating follow me, but the fear had already taken over her mind. She scooped Thing onto her shoulder and sprinted across Ophelia Hall.
“Wednesday?!” she cried as she burst into their room. Her eyes darted around, searching for her girlfriend. Then she spotted her out on the balcony with her cello, completely fine, and all her rage came flooding back into her head. Thing pointed to the window, and she glared at him. “You made me think she was in danger,” she growled. “Was this your idea, or hers?”
Thing pointed to Wednesday again, and Enid took a deep breath. “Then I guess it’s time I figure out what she’s playing at.”
Thing crawled down to the floor as she walked toward the balcony, not wanting to interrupt. She stepped through the window and Wednesday set her bow down, but didn’t look at her.
“Wednesday,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Enid,” Wednesday replied, looking her up and down with an unreadable expression on her face. “Is that a new sweater?”
This caught Enid off guard. For Wednesday, noticing her new sweater was as good as complimenting it, and all her plans of confronting her melted away.
“Um… yeah. I got it a couple days ago.”
Wednesday nodded her approval. “I was hoping I could talk to you.”
“So you sent Thing to get me,” Enid remarked. “Good to know I’m not important enough for you to come to me yourself.”
“I figured you were more likely to follow him than me,” Wednesday said, unphased. “And he really wanted to see you. He’s been missing you terribly, and it’s made him quite obnoxious.”
“Glad to hear someone missed me,” Enid muttered under her breath. “So what is it you wanted to talk about, Wednesday?”
“I wanted to apologize for my behavior last Friday,” she said, dipping her head. “I was wrong to leave you behind like that. And I was wrong to turn you down when you wanted to do karaoke with me. I didn’t realize it was so important to you, but I should have done it simply because you asked. Hurting you is the last thing I would ever want to do, and I swear to you, I will be better from now on. I never want to make you feel like I don’t care about you. Believe me, nothing could be farther from the truth. And in the spirit of my mistake, I would like to perform a song for you to make it up to you.”
“Wait, really?” Enid was already overjoyed at her heartfelt apology, and this was too much to hope for. But Wednesday picked up her bow and got ready to play, so Enid leaned against the railing to get a better view. Wednesday glanced up at her, catching her eye before she began her song. Enid beamed.
It started with a slow, somber tune, which Enid had expected. But after a few bars, her jaw dropped. She let out an audible gasp, because Wednesday- the Wednesday Addams, her Wednesday- began to sing.
(You can listen to the song here. Just imagine it's being played on cello.)
“Hand in mine
Into your icy blues
And then I'd say to you
We could take to the highway
With this trunk of ammunition too
I’d end my days with you
In a hail of bullets
I’m trying
I’m trying
To let you know just how much you mean to me
And after
All the things
We put each other through and
I would drive on to the end with you
A liquor store or two
Keeps the gas tank full and
I feel like there’s nothing left to do
But prove myself to you
And we’ll keep it running
But this time
I mean it
I’ll let you know just how much you mean to me
As snow falls
On desert sky
Until the end of everything
I’m trying
I’m trying
To let you know
How much you mean
As days fade
And nights grow
And we go cold
Until the end
Until this pool of blood
Until this
I mean this
I mean this
Until the end of
I’m trying
I’m trying
To let you know
How much you mean
As days fade
And nights grow
And we go cold
But this time
We’ll show them
We’ll show them all
How much we mean
As snow falls
On desert sky
Until the end of every”
As the song lulled into an instrumental interlude, Enid was in awe. Not only was Wednesday singing for her, but she was screaming the lyrics, and she’d never heard a more beautiful sound. Wednesday glanced up at her before she began again, a soft, rose-colored glow on her cheeks.
“All we are
All we are
Is bullets
I mean this
All we are
All we are
Is bullets
I mean this
All we are
All we are
Is bullets
I mean this
All we are
All we are
Is bullets
I mean this”
Her fingers flew across the neck of her cello gracefully as she played the intense solo, and Enid hung on every harsh stroke of her bow. She always loved watching Wednesday play cello; the sharp concentration on her face was breathtaking, and that had never been more true than it was now.
“As lead rains
Will pass on through
Our phantoms
Forever
Forever
Like scarecrows
That fuel this flame
We’re burning
Forever
And ever
Know how much
I want to show you
You’re the only one
Like a bed of roses
There’s a dozen reasons
In this gun
And as we’re falling down
And in this pool of blood
And as we’re touching hands
And as we’re falling down
And in this pool of blood
And as we’re falling down
I’ll see your eyes
And in this pool of blood
I’ll meet your eyes
I mean this forever”
Wednesday let out a sigh of relief when she finished the song. She’d been so nervous about her performance, and now it was finally behind her. She took a moment to collect herself and set down her bow before finally meeting Enid’s eyes. But her proud expression slipped from her face as she took in the horrifying sight before her.
“You’re crying,” she stated, shocked. “This was supposed to make you happy, not more upset. I really do suck at this.”
“No! No, these are happy tears!” Enid exclaimed.
“Happy tears?”
“Yes! Oh my god, Wednesday, that was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard!” Enid rushed to her side, and Wednesday quickly set her cello in its stand and stood to meet her. “I never knew you could sing like that!”
“My singing was not impressive,” she said, looking anywhere but at Enid. Being without her for a week had nearly torn her apart, but now that she was here, it was overwhelming.
“Don’t be so modest. Your voice is beautiful to me.” Enid put her hands on Wednesday’s shoulders, and her touch felt like lightning striking life back into her cold, dead heart. “Omg, I can’t even right now! I mean, you sang me a love song! That was the most romantic thing ever!”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she managed to say.
“And that song! What’s it called?”
“It’s “Demolition Lovers” by My Chemical Romance. It’s the closing track of one of my favorite albums, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love.”
“Wait, My Chemical Romance? That means it’s played on guitar, there’s no cello part. Did you… did you arrange it yourself? For me?”
“Of course.”
“Wednesday, that’s… I can’t believe you would do that for me.” She looked dumbfounded, like she didn’t know what to do with herself. Wednesday spared a moment to be grateful that she had inherited her father’s romantic charm. “Is that why you missed fencing and Hummers this week?”
“I had to make sure it was perfect. You deserve nothing less.”
The most beautiful smile dawned on Enid’s face. “You’re amazing,” she breathed. “Just… wow.” She touched Wednesday’s braids gingerly. “That is definitely our song now!”
“Our song?”
“Every couple has to have a song! One song that always makes them think of each other and that they sing and dance to together whenever they can!”
“And you want this to be ours?”
“Of course! I mean, a year ago I would’ve been pretty disturbed by some of those lyrics. But now, they just feel like you. And once you look past the mentions of violence and death, it really is a super romantic song.”
“The mentions of violence and death make it all the more romantic. I would die for you and kill for you in a heartbeat, and I don’t want to leave this world unless you’re going out with me. The violent passion I feel for you can only be described through mentions of death, for it is the only thing as powerful as my feelings for you.”
Enid grabbed Wednesday’s face and kissed her, and she felt her heart explode like a hand grenade. The taste of Enid’s lips flooded her senses until all she knew was the sensation of their bodies pressed together in a loving embrace. She never wanted to leave this moment.
Suddenly, there was a shift, as Enid had elected to pick her up. Wednesday was caught off guard but didn’t protest, wrapping her legs around Enid’s waist instinctively. But just as she had accepted this new aspect of their dynamic, Enid pulled away.
“Is this okay?” she asked, breathing heavily.
“Enid. I have been yearning for you for entirely too long. Don’t you dare stop now.”
Enid barely had time to smile before Wednesday was kissing her again. She traced Enid’s scars tenderly with her fingers before grabbing a fistful of her hair. She felt her fangs pop out, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.
But soon her hunger died down and their kisses became soft and gentle. Wednesday hugged her tight and buried her face in her shoulder, breathing in her sweet scent. She couldn’t believe there had been a time when she didn’t want Enid to hold her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice muffled by Enid’s sweater. Then, so softly she wasn’t sure Enid would hear, she added, “Please don’t leave me again.”
Enid kissed her temple and she closed her eyes. “I missed you too, baby,” she cooed. Normally, Wednesday didn’t let her call her that, but right now she didn’t care. She’d let Enid call her anything as long as she could stay by her side.
Then, Wednesday felt a cold drop of rain on the back of her neck and looked up to see dark storm clouds roiling in the sky above them.
“How fitting,” she mused, “that the weather should turn beautiful again now that my world is no longer fractured.”
Enid smiled and kissed the freckles on her nose. “C’mon, we should get your cello inside.”
Wednesday nodded curtly and hopped down. Enid giggled.
“What?”
“You’re just so adorable.”
“I am not adorable. I am dark and dangerous, a force to be reckoned with.”
“Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.”
Wednesday didn’t respond. They carried her cello and music book back into their room, so in sync that they fit it through the opening without exchanging a word. When they finally closed the window behind them, Thing scurried over and signed something to Wednesday.
“Yes, we made up. Don’t act like you weren’t watching.”
He climbed onto Enid’s shoulder excitedly, and she chuckled.
“You have your favorite person back. Are you happy now?”
Are you? he signed.
“Never.” She was looking at Enid now, who returned her gaze with a radiant smile. Thankfully, Thing got the hint and went out to enjoy the storm.
“So,” Enid said, just as Wednesday was leaning in for another kiss. “Since you sang for me, I think I should show you the song I was going to sing at karaoke night!”
“Alright,” Wednesday conceded.
“It won’t be as amazing as your song, but I’ve really been wanting you to hear me sing it!”
“Color me intrigued.”
“Eee! Okay, let me get ready!”
Wednesday turned her desk chair around and sat down. She watched with rapt attention as Enid searched for the song on her phone, grabbing a hairbrush to sing into in place of a microphone. She would’ve thought this gesture odd if she hadn’t seen her do it a hundred times before. Now she only saw it as endearing.
“Okay, are you ready?” she asked eagerly. Wednesday nodded. “This song is called “Howl” by Florence + the Machine.” She cleared her throat and pressed play, and music filled the room as she began to dance.
(You can listen to this song here.)
“If you could only see
The beast you’ve made of me
I held it in but now it seems
You’ve set it running free
Screaming in the dark
I howl when we’re apart
Drag my teeth across your chest
To taste your beating heart
My fingers claw your skin
Try to tear my way in
You are the moon that breaks the night
For which I have to howl
My fingers claw your skin
Try to tear my way in
You are the moon that breaks the night
For which I have to -”
Enid let out a blood-curdling howl, and Wednesday couldn’t help but smile.
“Now there’s no holding back
I’m making to attack
My blood is singing with your voice
I want to pour it out
The saints can’t help me now
The ropes have been unbound
I hunt for you with bloody feet
Across the hallowed ground
Like some child possessed
The beast howls in my veins
I want to find you tear out
All your tenderness and -”
Enid had been dragging her claws gently across Wednesday’s face, but when she tossed her head back to howl they scraped across her neck and caught on the collar of her shirt. Wednesday’s heart beat faster as she gazed up at her in astonishment, longing for her to draw blood.
“Be careful of the curse
That falls on young lovers
Starts so soft and sweet
And turns them to hunters
Hunters
Hunters
Hunters
Hunters
Hunters
Hunters
Hunters
Hunters
The fabric of your flesh
Pure as a wedding dress
Until I wrap myself inside your arms
I cannot rest
The saints can’t help me now
The ropes have been unbound
I hunt for you with bloody feet
Across the hallowed
Ground
And -”
Wednesday marveled at the bewitching lyrics sung by her even more bewitching girlfriend. Then Enid lifted her chin with her razor-sharp claws, her fangs glistening in the moonlight, and her breath caught in her throat. She could feel her face getting hotter, the haunting sound of her howls awakening something deep within her. She couldn’t get enough.
“Be careful of the curse
That falls on young lovers
Starts so soft and sweet
And turns them to hunters
A girl who’s pure of heart
And says her prayers by night
May still become a wolf
When the autumn moon is bright
If you could only see
The beast you’ve made of me
I held it in but now it seems
You set it running free
The saints can’t help me now
The ropes have been unbound
I hunt for you with bloody feet
Across the hallowed ground”
Enid breathed heavily as the music faded, a glimmer in her eye. “What did you think?”
“That was stunning. You are stunning.” Wednesday was grinning like a madman. She stood up and strode toward Enid, who looked as happy as could be. “Cara mia, that is our song.”
She grabbed Enid by her sweater and kissed her roughly, and she let the hairbrush drop to the floor. It was like a dance, the way they pushed and pulled each other to Enid’s bed. Wednesday was forceful, wanting to devour every piece of her, and she loved the way Enid didn’t give an inch.
“Cara mia, huh?” she gasped.
“It means “my darling” in Italian,” Wednesday explained.
“I know. That’s the first time you’ve ever called me that.”
“And if you keep talking, it’ll be the last.”
Enid growled, a guttural, primal sound, and Wednesday let a moan escape her lips.
Then a clap of thunder shook the room, and Enid yelped. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth and her eyes went wide. “Sorry,” she squeaked, embarrassed.
Wednesday leaned up and kissed her forehead comfortingly. “I never thought a thunderstorm would ruin the mood.”
“Sorry,” Enid repeated sheepishly.
“Don’t apologize,” Wednesday insisted. “So that was the song you were going to perform on karaoke night? It’s a bit intimate for that crowd of people, don’t you think?”
“I know you like acting aloof when we’re in public, but how I feel about you isn’t a secret to anyone,” Enid said fondly, poking her in the ribs. “Not showing your emotions comes naturally to you. I’m sure you would’ve survived.”
“You would force me to feign indifference while your desperate howls echo in my soul?” The corner of her mouth curled upward ever so slightly. “Oh, cara mia,” she breathed. “You know all the best ways to torment me.”
Enid cocked an eyebrow, and Wednesday knew she must be staring at her like a lovesick puppy. But who could blame her? Enid was the most sublime creature to ever walk the Earth, and somehow, against all odds, she was hers. She put her hands around her neck and kissed her fervently, practically falling into her lap. Enid steadied her by grabbing her hips, and she could feel the immense strength she was holding back. Enid could crush her if she wanted to, could kill her in a hundred different ways, and Wednesday loved it.
They continued for a few minutes, Wednesday drinking in the pure bliss of every second of it. Then, much to her dismay, Enid pushed her back.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Enid assured her. “It’s just, as much as I’m loving this, we should probably talk things through a little more before we get too carried away.”
“What is there to talk through? I messed up. I didn’t appreciate you the way I should have, but I apologized and vowed to do better. Now we’re perfect again.”
Enid smiled. “As sweet as it is that you think we’re perfect, we need to address the deeper issue here.”
“What deeper issue?” she demanded anxiously.
“Our anger. When we get angry, we can’t really see anything else. We don’t listen to reason, and it leads to fights that don’t need to happen.”
“You don’t deserve any blame for this. We both know I’m the problem.”
“You’re not a problem, Wednesday,” Enid said gently, gripping her arm. “We just need to work on our communication, that’s all.”
Wednesday thought for a moment. “I agree. And that means I need to let you know the reason I got so upset at karaoke night.”
“Do tell.”
Enid tried to catch her eyes, but Wednesday had turned away from her. This was no longer a comfortable conversation. But she forced herself to open up, for Enid’s sake. “The truth is… I haven’t been sleeping these past few weeks. I was far more put out by your proposal to go on stage with you than I normally would have been because I was exhausted.”
“And why haven’t you been sleeping?” There was a note of concern in Enid’s voice, and Wednesday didn’t know how she felt about it.
“I… I’ve been having nightmares. And not the fun kind. These ones are…”
“Scary,” Enid finished, taking her hand. “Actually scary, and you don’t like that.”
Wednesday didn’t say anything.
“What are they about?” Enid asked in a hushed voice.
Wednesday gulped. She would never admit it, but even saying his name was difficult. “Tyler.”
“Oh.” Enid rested her chin on her shoulder, and she closed her eyes. “How long has this been going on?”
“About a month or so.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Once again, she didn’t respond, and Enid sighed.
“I feel bad, I never heard you screaming or anything.”
“That’s part of what makes these nightmares so terrible. Waking up screaming is half the fun.”
“It’s okay to be scared, you know. You don’t have to be embarrassed. Not with me.”
“I don’t get scared, Enid,” Wednesday hissed, sounding harsher than she meant to. Enid sat back against her pillows.
“Everyone gets scared sometimes. Even you, Wednesday. But it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Especially after what he did to you…”
Enid’s voice faded into the background. What he had done to her? He had manipulated her, played her like she plays her cello. She’d mistaken her platonic feelings for romantic ones, and he’d taken advantage of it. She hardly ever treated anyone with kindness, yet she foolishly believed he was worthy of it, and he had abused it. He hurt Eugene and Enid, and he’d almost killed her. Usually, the thought of death was comforting, but when someone else was making the choice for her… when she didn’t want to die… if Enid had arrived just a second later, she would’ve been-
“Wednesday!” She heard Enid shout. “Look at me. I’m right here, you’re safe.”
Wednesday realized she was shaking, her breath coming out in short gasps, and there were tears in her eyes. She whipped her head around frantically when Enid put her hand on her shoulder, worry written on her face.
“Just breathe, okay? I’m right here. I’ve got you. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
She stood abruptly and walked toward the center of the room, her arms crossed tightly in front of her chest.
“Wednesday,” Enid said softly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Her voice sounded hoarse and uncertain, very unlike herself. She hated it.
“Please don’t hide from me.”
She turned to look at Enid, who was giving her the sad puppy eyes. She sighed. “Can we just… not talk about… him? Ever?” The request had to be dragged out of her, kicking and screaming.
“Of course.” Enid smiled at her reassuringly. “Why don’t you sleep with me in my bed tonight?”
Wednesday stared at her. Whatever she had expected Enid to say next, that was not it. The offer, like many things that Enid did, both intrigued and terrified her. “What?”
“Maybe me sleeping next to you will help make your nightmares go away,” she suggested. Wednesday continued her incredulous starting. “Come on, I saved you from him in real life, now let me save you from him in your dreams. Either it works and you get the rest you need, or it doesn’t and I’m right there to comfort you when you wake up.”
Wednesday thought about it. She had to admit, the thought of Enid’s body pressed against hers while they slept did sound quite nice. Oh, how she despised the way Enid made her enjoy nice things. But whether this was a good idea or not, and she was fairly certain it wasn’t, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep on her own. She nodded her head slowly.
“Alright.”
“Great,” Enid said, trying and failing to hide her excitement.
“But we will sleep in my bed.”
“You got it.” Enid smiled at her. Oh, what she wouldn’t do for that smile. “I guess I should go get my things from Yoko’s room, then.”
“No,” Wednesday snapped. “You can get them tomorrow.”
It sounded like a command, but she could tell Enid knew it was a plea. “Alright, I’ll stay,” she soothed. “But we’re going to bed now. It’s almost midnight, and you need sleep.”
“Fine.”
They got ready for bed, and as she did, Wednesday noticed that her sheets had been changed. It must have been one of the many things Thing had busied himself with this week when he wasn’t scolding her. He really had been restless without Enid. Almost as restless as she had been.
Thank you, Thing, she thought fondly.
“Are you ready?” Enid asked. Wednesday turned around to find her rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, clearly as nervous as she was. Then there was that smile again, and a swirl of emotions clogged her throat. She nodded.
She laid down and crossed her arms over her heart as Enid turned off the lights before climbing in beside her. She felt her warmth as their shoulders brushed, and she knew if she looked at her she’d never get to sleep.
“Can I cuddle you?”
Wednesday hesitated. She usually enjoyed cuddling with Enid, but cuddling while they slept together was too intimate, too dangerous. “Yes,” she said. Unfortunately, she loved danger.
Enid wrapped her arm around her and rested her head on her chest, dragging her leg to lay across her own. It was perhaps the most comfortable she had ever been, and she fought to still her beating heart.
“Oh,” Enid said, propping herself up to look down at Wednesday. “If you have a nightmare, you have to wake me up, okay?”
Her tone was caring and comforting, but her eyes dared her to disobey. She drank in the beautiful sight, basking in the way it felt to be so fiercely protected. The fire in those eyes was all for her, and she couldn’t imagine how she’d ever lived a day without it.
“Wednesday?” She was looking for a response. An agreement to wake her if he dared to haunt her dreams again. But as she gazed up at her, the way her blonde locks shone in the moonlight, the way her lips pursed together in disapproval, the way her pink t-shirt hung loosely from her body- what she’d done to her to make her love even the pink of her t-shirt- she couldn’t muster up the words she needed. Instead, the ones she’d been holding back for weeks, maybe even months, finally slipped out.
“I love you.”
The room went silent. They stared at each other, both frozen in shock for what felt like an eternity, and Wednesday thought her little black heart would implode.
“What did you say?”
Enid’s voice brought her back to the present and she realized she had a choice to make. She could lie, pretend she’d said something else. The cowards' way out. Or she could say all the things she’d been wanting to say since that first hug.
“I love you, Enid. Since the day we met, I have broken all my rules for you, and now I finally understand why. I feel as though I hadn’t lived until you walked into my life. You are like the swirling sea of color on your side of the room that you’ve forced me to adore, beautifully strange and strangely beautiful. You are a million contradictions; a vicious beast and yet the sweetest, kindest person I’ve ever met, generous to a fault but a force to be reckoned with when crossed, eternally energized yet the one I seek whenever I need calm. There is so little overlap in our interests, yet we understand each other completely. You know exactly what to say to comfort me, and exactly what to say to provoke me. You make me feel things I never thought were possible, and every moment of it has been pure torture and pure bliss. I need you like the blood in my veins, and I’ve been too afraid to admit it until now. But after a week without you, I realized I’d rather face the endless horrors of love than miss you for even a second. I would do anything for you. I am your devoted slave and I will love you until the day I die.”
Enid gulped. “Yeah, that’s what I thought you said.”
Wednesday realized there were tears in her eyes again, and this time she understood that they were happy tears. Mostly because she had the same tears in her own eyes.
“I love you too, Wednesday,” Enid whispered, her words falling over her like an oath. “There’s no way I can follow that, but god, I love you so much.”
She leaned down and kissed her, the softest and most meaningful kiss they’d shared. Wednesday cupped her face in her hands and Enid did the same to her.
Then she nestled her head against her neck and held her tightly. “My brain is all fuzzy after everything you said,” she murmured, “but I swear I’ll write you a worthy speech about how much I love you in the morning, okay?”
“I can’t wait,” Wednesday smiled.
“We should get some sleep. And remember, you have to wake me if you have a bad dream, got it?”
“Of course, mi amor.”
She leaned up and kissed her one more time, soft and lingering. “Good night, Wednesday.”
“Good night, Enid.”
She closed her eyes and curled into Enid’s embrace, not worried about nightmares for the first time in weeks. She knew nothing could hurt her as long as Enid was there, not even her own mind. She drifted off within minutes to the sound of Enid’s heartbeat and dreamed of sharp fangs and brightly-colored claws splattered with her blood. She’d never slept so soundly in her life.