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Three days into the new semester and Enid had already found herself knee-deep in a new problem. The first thing Wednesday had done upon meeting her in their room was shove a phone in her face, a disturbing text on the screen. Enid had tentatively taken it from her and scrolled. Make that multiple disturbing texts. Hooray.
At least nothing had actually happened? And it was keeping Wednesday occupied. Enid really didn’t want to know what the other girl would get up to if she didn’t have something for her busy mind to focus on.
Right now though, that didn’t matter. They were going to something that could hopefully take Enid’s mind off of the creepy texts. She felt like skipping as she walked at Wednesday's side, only refraining from doing so because she was certain the other girl would turn around and go back to their room.
“You missed the beginning of the semester celebration last year, but it’s always so much fun!” She gave Wednesday a bright smile, getting a fierce glare in response. Awww, she was responding to people’s expressions instead of ignoring them now. Enid was so proud. “I guess it’ll be… kind of different, with a new principal. But the routine’s supposed to be the same. He’ll make the speech about how we’re ‘the future of outcasts’ and then everyone will cheer and then we’ll eat. That’s the best part.”
“That sounds absolutely thrilling,” Wednesday muttered, her arms crossed to her chest as she walked. The other students in the hallway stared at them as they passed by, Enid brushing some of her hair in front of her face. The scars from her fight with the Hyde still had yet to go away. She didn’t know if they ever would.
After another minute of walking they reached their destination, Enid’s hand going to Wednesday’s sleeve as they approached the crowd of teenagers trying to find seats. She held onto it so she didn’t lose track of her friend, Wednesday walking to the far end of the available seats and sitting down. Well, at least they were in the front, even if it was at an awkward angle.
Nobody else sat beside them. Or in front of them. Or behind them. And the assembly was about to start. Enid looked down at her feet, squeezing her hands together. Wednesday stared straight ahead from beside her, lost in her own mind. People had been giving them even more distance since they had returned to Nevermore. It made sense. Kind of. Enid had scars on her face now, and everyone knew that she had fought a Hyde. And Wednesday was more terrifying than ever. Even among Outcasts, there were people (or werewolves or gorgons) who were “normal.” Which was most of them. And then there was Wednesday. And Enid by association. Enid looked up as she suddenly felt someone sit next to her. Bianca. Her eyes widened.
Bianca didn’t say anything, just remained sitting there, Yoko sitting behind the three of them. Other students started filling in the empty space after that. A bright smile grew on Enid’s face. Wednesday didn’t react to any of them until Eugene appeared, the girl whispering something in his ear. He let out a quiet laugh in response.
Enid sat up straight and did her best not to fidget excitedly as the new principal started talking. Most of the other kids made fun of the motivational speeches they were often given, but Enid loved them. Even if the only time she heard an adult speak positively of her future was in the context of a crowd, it was better than nothing. She remained alert until he stopped talking, and the students were talking among themselves instead, the sound of hundreds of voices deafening.
“Sooooo, Wednesday -” She froze. Her friend wasn’t beside her. “Wednesday?” She made eye contact with Eugene, who shrugged in response. Wait. There. Enid saw a flash of black leaving the area and going back inside. Slowly she stood up and weaved her way through the other students, hoping that she didn’t catch a teacher’s eye. She slipped through the door with as much subtlety as she could muster. Not much, but enough to get her out unnoticed.
She didn’t have to walk far down the hallway to find Wednesday sitting on the floor next to a bench, her knees pulled to her chest and her face perhaps a little more pale than usual. Her hands were gripping the fabric of her dress.
“Hey,” Enid sat down beside her.
“Greetings,” Wednesday said flatly, turning her head in the blonde’s direction.
“Those things can get pretty loud, huh? I forgot about that part.”
“Yes,” Wednesday gave her a minute nod, her grip on her dress relaxing. Enid winced as the sound of people’s voices grew louder, her hands instinctively going to her skirt as well. She quickly moved them back to her lap once she realized specifically where they had gone. Her mother had always scolded her for gripping her clothing like a child. Among other things.
“Y’know what?” Enid stood up, motioning for Wednesday to follow, “let’s go to the library.”
“What?” Wednesday rose to her feet.
“The library. It’s better than sitting around out here. And it’s quiet. And I need to do research for that alchemy project.”
“Everyone is at the assembly, the library will be locked.”
“I know. I also know that you know a few… creative ways in. And how to pick locks.”
“You are correct in both matters,” Wednesday walked ahead of her, Enid letting out a whine and running to her side,
“Willa, wait upppppp! You always walk too fast or too slow.” Wednesday started walking a little bit faster. Oh, screw her. How Wednesday, perhaps the smallest girl she knew, could walk so much faster than her was beyond Enid.
They went up a floor higher than the library, Wednesday scanning their surroundings, then ducking into a closet. Enid followed, “this better not involve dropping down a floor.” Wednesday reached out and felt the wall in front of them. “It doesn’t, right Wednesday? Wednesday?” She was already gone, having found a door hidden behind the large shelf in the closet, dropping down. Enid swallowed and walked over, looking down. There was a drop, perhaps about 6 feet, to the top of one of the library’s large bookshelves. Wednesday had already jumped down and moved to the side of the bookshelf,
“Enid, come on.”
“Can’t you just pick the lock or something?” Enid groaned, pushing the door open further and looking down at the space below. The top of the bookshelf was wide enough to support a person. But if she slipped off of the top of it after landing, she would be subjected to a fall of around 10 feet. If she missed the bookshelf altogether, it would be a fall of 16 feet. Great.
Well, Wednesday had made it without slipping. But Wednesday was also significantly more graceful than Enid when it came to things like this. Enid let out a long sigh, squinting down at the top of the bookshelf. Then she jumped. Not for the first time, Enid saw her life flash before her eyes.
Her feet hit the top of the bookshelf and she froze, the air briefly getting knocked out of her. Wednesday reached out and steadied her.
“I can’t believe I do these things with you,” Enid said as Wednesday swung herself over the side of the bookshelf and started climbing down using the shelves. “You know what? You’re a bad influence, Wednesday Addams!” She swung herself over the side and started climbing down as well.
“Likewise,” Wednesday replied, and Enid thought she saw the other girl smirk. Her legs shook as she reached the bottom and she let out a gasp of relief at not being 16 feet in the air. They walked through the large library together until they found an appropriately secluded corner, Enid settling down on a beanbag after finding the books she needed for her research. Wednesday walked off with a quick, “I will be back.”
She would be. Enid trusted her. She flipped through the alchemy books while she waited, trying to will her excited mind to focus.
Wednesday, true to her word, walked back after ten minutes, carrying a book so large that she could barely hold it upright. Enid laughed behind her hand as Wednesday determinedly carried it to the table and dropped it down with a resounding bang that hopefully didn’t alert anyone to their presence. “Wednesday, what is that?” Wednesday pulled it up with some effort so that Enid could see the cover. “Psychology?”
“Yes, specifically old psychology.”
“Isn’t old psychology pretty messed up?”
“Yes,” Wednesday said, flipping open the book and settling down at the table. She sat on her feet in order to properly reach the table, the chairs too low for people who were… vertically challenged as she was.
A comforting silence other than the flipping of pages fell over them, and Enid couldn’t help but smile, looking up over her book at the other girl, who was deeply concentrated with her messed-up brain studying.
She looked cute when she was focused.
Oh, no, no, no, no. Enid immediately banished the thought from her head. Nope! Only normal thoughts in this direction. Wednesday looked over at her, her piercing dark eyes making Enid look away. And then her phone buzzed.
“Is it angry?” Wednesday asked quietly, Enid only just having convinced Wednesday to use some of the alerts on the phone, tired of her missing most of Enid’s texts.
“No, you just have a new next or something,” Enid said. She rose from the beanbag and made her way to Wednesday’s side, looking over the other girl’s shoulder as she turned her phone on and opened what was indeed a new text. The number it was from made Enid’s stomach drop with dread. “You can just ignore it, Willa, or block the number.”
Wednesday opened it and read it, her expression remaining blank. It was the usual threats. With a little bit more sprinkled in this time. Specifically pertaining to the fact that Wednesday was female. Great. Wednesday turned her phone off after squinting at the screen, setting it aside and going back to her book. Enid could tell she was frustrated by the quick way she turned the pages. She sat beside Wednesday and waited. After five minutes, the other girl looked over,
“I do not have the skill required to track someone down when the only signals I get are from an electronic device,” Wednesday said without taking a breath, “but I think I know who to contact. My brother is very proficient in handling electronic devices. Perhaps he would be able to track it.”
“Maybe,” Enid nodded, “these texts though… they’re really creepy. You know you have people on your side, right? Bianca and Xavier and Eugene and me?”
“Yes,” Wednesday said, her voice growing even quieter. She looked back down at her book. Enid made the mistake of looking over her shoulder again,
“Why the hell is that picture in a book about brains?! Where’s the rest of their body?! Where’s the head?!”
“It’s the psychology of killers, Enid.” Wednesday had a passionate look in her eyes that never ended well for Enid’s weak stomach. “That is a murder victim. Mid-thirties, male. Excellent technique. The attention to detail is clear with the severing of the -”
“Oh my god, stop, don’t finish that sentence,” Enid laughed, going and getting her own books and sitting beside Wednesday once more. Wednesday pushed her phone away from her across the table and Enid put her own in her bag on silent. The lights in the library flickered on and off and there were probably ghosts lurking in the shadows (it was Nevermore, after all). But Enid was too engrossed in her books to notice.
After a while, they sunk into a familiar rhythm, the stalker out of mind, and the other students far away.
The only sounds Enid could hear were the turning of pages and the racing of her own mind.