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Wednesday couldn't take this anymore, it was too much torture even for someone like her, who was trained since she was a child to endure the worst, cruelest tortures in the world.

Her father and Uncle Fester worked relentlessly to make her achieve the perfect physique and mental power to survive in any situation, but nothing could have prepared her for the pain she was experiencing at that moment.

Enid was standing at the center of the room, with a bottle of shampoo as a makeshift microphone in her hand, looking at the tiny screen of her phone propped up against two books on her desk and copying the choreography of a girl in a sparkly bodysuit and tall boots. Wednesday had no idea who she was. Maybe some demon sent by her mother, she wouldn't put it past her.

"What if I told you I'm a mastermind and now you are mine? It was all by design 'cause I'm a mastermind." Enid pointed her arm to the screen in front of her while slowly turning on herself.

"If you don't stop singing right this second, I'm afraid I might have to kill you. I'm trying to enjoy this torturous headache in peace, Enid."

Wednesday was lying on her bed with her arms crossed over her shoulders.

Enid stopped abruptly and spun to glance at Wednesday, trying to adjust the itchy bodysuit she was wearing with her right hand.

"You have a headache? I thought you were playing dead for fun. I have aspirin,” she said.

The song was still going and Wednesday was ready to throw Enid's phone out of the window or better yet strangle her with a sheet until she couldn't use her voice anymore.

"I don't need aspirin, Enid. I need you to stop this awful music and give me some peace," she said, irritated.

Enid sighed, she adjusted the bodysuit again and went to stop the video.

Thing who was sitting on Enid's bed, looked offended too, somehow.

"You are the only person I know who doesn't like Taylor Swift. I'm pretty sure you would like her music if you'd listen, really listen to her songs," she argued, throwing her bottle of shampoo on her bed.

She saw Thing nod with two of his fingers; Wednesday rolled her eye. Ridiculous, both of them.
She decided to stop listening to Enid who was rumbling about the importance of songwriting at that point and shut down her eyes.

She had bigger things to think about, like how to convince Xavier she was the girl of his nightmares and that she would gladly devour his heart if he so agreed to. Wednesday was sure Xavier's heart would taste good, he was a tortured soul, and tortured souls always tasted delicious.

Now, if you'd asked Wednesday if she liked Xavier she would have lied until sweet death took her.

This crush thing was humiliating and embarrassing and Wednesday couldn't quite believe that she used to have Xavier wrapped up around her little finger and she wasted her chance by framing him for murder and putting him behind bars.

She should have known that her mind wanted him to be the monster so badly because she had an inconvenient crush on him and didn't know how to process that new information. Every little thrill she felt when they clashed with each other, that strange feeling of being left without words when she saw his painting. It made so much sense in retrospect, obsession had many forms.

Her new obsession had the form of a lanky, sleep-deprived boy with a mouth too big for his weak disposition.

And now she was stuck longing for him, painfully so.
He acted like a friend and she spent her time thinking how horrifying it would be to kiss him and bite his lips hard enough to draw blood.

It was time to take out her shovel, she needed to dig a grave

She fell asleep thinking about his eyes, she liked his eyes when they were full of anger and desperation, she replayed the moment she went to see Xavier in his cell a lot, even if it hurt her.

***
It started in the summer, when one day Xavier showed up at her house, with one black eye.
Wednesday saw him from the window of her room and came down to meet him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here. I don't know why I did that," he let out, lost and embarrassed, when he saw her.

"What happened to your eye?" she asked, standing in the doorway.

"I- I fought with my father. I just needed a distraction, you know?"

Wednesday didn't know, but she didn't pry for more information.

They spent their entire afternoon stuffing a ferret and Xavier didn't say much of anything, he just stood there and followed her directions without complaining. He would touch his black eye from time to time and hiss in pain, so much so that at one point Wednesday decided he needed ice and disappeared into the kitchen to bring him some.

Wednesday was enjoying his silent company more than she would have liked to admit and when they said goodbye to each other Xavier brushed her arm with his hand and thanked her.

"I'm sorry I barged in uninvited, I didn't know where to go, Ajax is on vacation with his family, Mrs. Kinbott is dead, I haven't heard from Bianca in weeks and I- I didn't want to be alone. I stole my dad's car and just drove. I thought, you know, the worst thing you could do was kick me out," he said, unsure.

He had no idea he had just set Wednesday's world on fire with his touch.

Her stomach dropped, "You were a great help this afternoon, I did not mind," she said and in that moment she knew her feelings for Xavier were much bigger than she had realized.

Xavier didn't show up at her house anymore during summer and Wednesday didn't know how to ask him if he was well enough. That moment, though, that afternoon sparked a flame in her soul.

Once she started thinking of keeping Xavier around and putting her hands on his gaunt cheeks, she couldn't stop.

It went all downhill from there.

***

Wednesday woke up the morning after with an even worse headache, so much so that she felt dear death was close and she was mentally ready to accept her fate. She pressed her fingers to her temples to release tension.

The words of that awful song Enid had listened to the day before were stuck in her brain.

"It was all my design, 'cause I'm a mastermind."

Wednesday suddenly sat up on her bed, an idea struck her like a chainsaw through the bones.

She was a mastermind, too.

The solution was right in front of her face, she had been just too blind to see it!

She just needed to hatch the perfect plan and move the strings of fate just the right amount and Xavier would be at her mercy, with no possibility of escape. He was hers already, the rest was just timing, she convinced herself.

She smirked like Mangiafuoco moving his puppets.

***

Wednesday came up with a plan in three phases.

She went to class, ate her lunch in a hurry and when classes were over she ran to her room. She had no time to waste and the plan required a lot of planning and scheming.

She bumped into Xavier on the way to her dorm, he waved at her at the top of the stairs in the hall and she barely spared him a glance.

She didn't notice his face instantly falling.

When she got into her room she took a sheet of paper and started writing. Enid was with Thing in Yoko's room, so she had the time to plan everything without Enid asking weird questions.

The first phase of her plan included murder, her favorite pastime.

Lately, Xavier always had a stupid girl by his side, following him around like an eager puppy.

Betty James, a new student from New York.

When Xavier started hanging out with her Wednesday made sure to find out everything she could about her. She broke into her room one morning when Betty was in the bathroom getting ready for class. Wednesday found her driver's license in her wallet and some of her medical records in one of her drawers.

Betty Marie James, blue eyes, blonde hair, 17, 5.7 feet tall, Psychic, B+ blood type, deadly allergic to nuts.

Her room was very clean and tidy.

Her roommate was a vampire who liked to drink blood with a wooden straw and smoke weed.

Betty had a picture on her desk with her mom in Paris, they were both smiling and hugging each other in the picture. Wednesday didn't trust people who got along with their mothers.

She had several medals displayed on her wall won by participating in hundreds of equestrian competitions since she was seven years old.
An overachiever, just like Wednesday herself.

A sticky yellow note was pressed against her vanity mirror:
" Believe you can do it because you can!"

She could appreciate the sentiment behind it, even if she didn't like the messenger. Wednesday truly believed Xavier would belong to her, very soon.

Betty was always sitting next to him at lunch, laughing with him, joking with him and even Enid and Ajax liked her. Wednesday didn't have much faith in Enid, cause Enid liked almost everyone, but the fact that Ajax liked her made her unreasonably mad. Ajax never liked anyone, his only exceptions were Enid and Xavier.

One time they sat all together in the quad and Wednesday sat very ridgely between Enid and Bianca glaring at Betty who was sitting across from her with Xavier by her side. Their legs were touching under the table and Wednesday was refraining from stepping on Xavier's foot to put some distance between them.

"You are a legend in this school apparently," Betty said, trying to initiate a conversation. She had an annoying smile and eyes too lively.

"I'd rather be a villain," Wednesday shot back with a scowl, deciding to kick Xavier's ankle with her heel. Xavier hissed and moved his legs away from Betty, out of reflection.

Betty stood frozen, caught off guard.

After that, Enid tried to change the subject immediately and Xavier turned to look at her with weird eyes.

Wednesday had stalked Xavier and Betty enough to know that they had painting lessons together in Xavier's shed. She spied on them for hours at times, her stomach churning, and every time she wanted to barge in and scream that she had no right to be there!

Xavier walked Betty to her dorm almost every day and in the morning she drank his coffee too, with a knowing smile.

Wednesday stabbed her pillow with her pocket knife in a fit of rage and when Enid came back from Yoko's room and saw the poor pillow discarded on the floor, she justified it by telling her she needed to test a new knife she just bought.

Enid didn't seem to buy it, but she was distracted by a text and didn't ask any more questions.

This girl was taking something that belonged to her, she thought, looking at the feathers all over the bed and the floor.

Nobody took things from Wednesday and the ones that tried ended up being buried.

**

So as part of the first phase of her plan, Wednesday decided to scare her off; She couldn't exactly kill her right away, even if it was tempting.

She decided to take out a page from Bianca's book and poison her drink.
She knew she used to carry around a bottle of juice in her bag at all times.
Wednesday didn't know what Betty put in that juice because it smelled like a low-quality rotten corpse.

She forced Thing to steal it when she wasn't looking and poured just a little bit of poison in it, enough to make her feel sick.

Soon after word got around that Betty James was mysteriously poisoned and sent immediately to the hospital. Betty's roommate claimed she hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, mainly because when she wasn't drinking blood she was high as hell.

When she was in the hospital, unconscious, Wednesday broke in and left her a note next to her pillow.

"You will stay away from Xavier if you don't want to end up dead next time." the note, said simple and to the point.

She didn't stay long enough to see her reaction.

When she came back to her room, Enid was sending a vocal note to Yoko.

"I can't believe Betty was poisoned! She is so nice! Who could do such a thing? I thought she was settling in just fine here!" she screamed, lying down with one of her legs dangling off her bed.

Wednesday carefully avoided meeting her eyes.

"Wens, where have you been? Have you heard someone poisoned Betty? The principal is looking into it. Her parents are furious, they might sue the school!" Enid was busy having three different conversations on her phone.

Thing was tapping his fingers on the floor, disapprovingly.

"If you dare say something I will burn matches on your skin," Wednesday whispered when Enid was out of earshot.

"What you are doing is not right and you know it!" Thing scolded her.

"You are turning soft. Fair doesn't get me what I want!" she stated.

**

The next morning Xavier looked nervous. She saw him marching towards Bianca in the quad, he whispered something to her and she led him to a corner far away from other people, Wednesday followed them hiding behind a pillar.

"Do you have anything to do with this?" Xavier showed Bianca the note.

"Xavier, I have never seen this before. Why would I poison her and threaten her to stay away from you? No offense, but that ship has sailed a long time ago, baby," Bianca said, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe because she beat you at fencing the other day and humiliated you in front of the team! God knows you can't stand to lose!" Xavier countered, touching his hair.

The expression on Bianca's face completely transformed, she seemed downright mad.

"That doesn't even make sense! Can't you hear yourself? You sound insane! What does the fact that she beat me at fencing have to do with you?" Bianca got right into his face, seething.

"I don't know! I don't know shit! Maybe you are just trying to give her a good scare so she will always look over her shoulder and stop jeopardizing your Queen Bee status! She knows we used to be together!" Xavier screamed, frantic, taking a step back.

"Stop antagonizing me! I'm not the villain here, Xavier. When are you gonna let the past go?"

"It's not the past if you keep doing it!" Xavier spat back, staring at her.

"I didn't do shit, grow up! So I get the villain treatment for one dumb mistake I made when we were together and the one who accused you of murder, put you in jail, and doesn't even give you the time of the day gets a pass and a friendship card! You are such a hypocrite! I didn't do anything to your dear Betty, leave me the fuck alone!"

Bianca walked out, leaving him there.

Xavier looked conflicted.

Wednesday thought a lot about their conversation and replayed word for word.

What Bianca said sparked hope in her.

She was right.

Xavier had forgiven Wednesday easily and he did seem to still hold a grudge against Bianca for their past. That must have meant something in the great scheme of things.

However, the fact that Xavier went to confront Bianca because he was worried about Betty was not something she had anticipated, and the affection he held for this girl had a stronger weight on the situation than Wednesday would have liked.

**
Wednesday went to visit Betty every day she was in the hospital and every time she went Xavier was there. He usually had a notebook with him to doodle while he told her about his day and brought her homework. He smiled at Betty like Wednesday wanted him to smile at her.

Wednesday had brought them closer instead of drawing a wedge between them. She couldn't stand it. She got so blindsided by her plan that she failed to consider the repercussions. She even felt guilty about it, in the end, just a little bit.

It was not Betty's fault she screwed up her chances to be with Xavier. Rationally, she knew that. Her hands still wanted to waterboard her.

She considered openly confronting Betty and putting an end to this charade, cornering her when she was alone and threatening her to stay away. Upon reflection, she couldn't risk Xavier finding out she was behind the poisoning.
Not after seeing how upset he had been about this.
Confronting Betty would have meant revealing her cards, making herself vulnerable, and open to dangers. The best defense was always attack.

Wednesday couldn't believe she was already failing and she was only at the beginning of her plan. Failure did not suit her, she looked best when she had her enemies at her feet begging for mercy.

If she couldn't put an end to their relationship, she needed to take another route.

***
"The poisoning was a mistake. I underestimated her. She seemed innocuous. She is cunning enough to have used it in her favor. It doesn't matter now. I don't need to murder her, after all," said Wednesday as a matter of fact, while she was braiding her hair.

"Wait, what? Wednesday, are you the one who tried to poison Betty? What the hell!" screamed Enid. She had a night mask on her that made her look ridiculous.

"I don't have time for this, I have to go."

"Wednesday wait-"

Wednesday was already out of the door.

Enid tried to ask Wednesday about the poisoning several times but Wednesday kept deflection every time and sooner than later Enid stopped trying, categorizing the accident as Wednesday being Wednesday.

***
The new phase A of her plan was all about making Xavier realize that Wednesday was the one he wanted.

He knew it before.

He just needed to remember it.

***

"I can teach you how to improve your archery skills," Wednesday said one day.

Xavier frowned. They were walking side by side, for once. Betty recovered just fine, but her parents decided to send her to Vienna for a little vacation. This was according to the new post on Enid's blog.

The entire thing made her eyes burn and not in a pleasant way.
"Betty James was recently poisoned by an unknown culprit. We all feel sorry and frightened for her and we hope her little vacation to Vienna will heal her sweet soul.

Thank God she has the company of our favorite tortured artist by her side. Who doesn't like a knight in shining armor, after all?
Xavier has been supporting her through this terrible time and words on the street say they may be together and honestly it's about time!!

They look ADORKABLE together and I can't wait till they make it official! They just might be the new power couple we have been waiting for! All my paws are crossed!

Until next time, devoted readers!💅😘"

She wanted to delete her blog entirely when she read that.

Xavier was drinking coffee and she wanted to steal his cup and drink from it, just to prove a point. Wednesday could drink Xavier's coffee, too, if she so pleased. He would let her! The idea of touching something his lips had touched was making her skin crawl.

"Jeez, thanks. You always know how to make me feel better about myself."

That wasn't the response Wednesday was hoping to get. Xavier seemed…offended. She was providing him a service, didn't he know how rare that was?

"You have potential. You just waste it cause you don't know what you are doing wrong and you keep making the same mistakes, " she explained.

This time, Xavier smiled, a glint in his eye.

"Well. I don't know why you suddenly care but, okay. I'll go with it. Teach me, then. " Xavier stopped in front of her.

Checkmate. Wednesday smirked inside, the strings of fate were moving in her favor this time, she was making sure of it.

She couldn't lose.

She let her thoughts win and took Xavier's cup from his hand and drank it. Too much sugar.
Xavier looked at her like she had grown three heads.

"I had an itch in my mouth. This is disgusting, by the way," she said, glancing at him.

Xavier watched her leave with his coffee, astonished.

When Wednesday was far enough that Xavier couldn't see her she threw the cup in the garbage but kept the lid.

Xavier's lips had been there.

***
Wednesday met Xavier twice a week to give him archery lessons; Xavier seemed confused by her insistence to meet up twice a week but agreed nonetheless. He took every lesson very seriously and he was indeed improving ( She was a bit impressed), but Wednesday was left feeling unsatisfied every time because nothing was changing. Sure, they spent a lot more time together and every time Xavier would take the arrow from her hands she felt like dying a little bit inside. She didn't know love could feel so dooming, she was a fan. They bickered pretty much all the time, still and she couldn't quite get enough of it. Xavier knew exactly what to say to rile her up, he pushed the right buttons every single time, and even though that scared her she couldn't back down. She wanted Xavier to push all of her buttons.

She made a point to creepily stare at him as much as she humanly could, which was a lot because Wednesday barely needed to blink.
She was openly flirting with him at this point and wondered how people did this and not lose their minds.

Her dignity was somewhere ten feet underground, she wanted to hang herself for being so desperate and weak.

Now, she knew she wasn't exactly like her parents (and Thank Satan for that cause they were gross and shameless!), but she made a point of being as upfront as possible with her affection.

Her mother would have feasted day and night for an entire year if she only knew. She had been avoiding her calls as much as possible lately. She had the feeling that her feelings for Xavier were perpetually on her face for everyone to see and mock.

Wednesday knew Xavier felt her eyes on his back, he was always tensing a little each time, but he kept ignoring the whole deal every single time.

He didn't even try to stare back!

"Look at me!" she wanted to scream, "why won't you look at me anymore!"

Was he really that interested in that other girl?

**

One afternoon, Wednesday decided she had enough.

"You have improved, I must admit. You still wouldn't be able to defend yourself in a life-or-death situation, but you are on the right track," she said looking at Xavier while he was shooting an arrow.

Xavier clenched his jaw, his eyes, still on the bullseye, hardened.

Xavier seemed hurt, in a way Wednesday didn't understand.

She was deliberately hinting at their history. She had taken an arrow for him and she had a scar to show for it, clearly that was a sign of devotion. Only back then she didn't know it yet.

"I'm sorry," Xavier said and turned around to look at her.

"For what?" she asked, surprised.

"It's my fault you took that arrow. I wanted to help you and instead, I made things worse cause I'm a freaking idiot. You could have seriously injured yourself. You could have died. I'm sorry."

Wednesday had not expected this reaction at all. She wondered when she would stop feeling like she was always walking on the edge of a cliff, trying to navigate all these new emotions she was having.

"Xavier. You couldn't have known. You acted on impulse to save my life and you did it even though I had previously accused you of murder, framed you for it, and put you in jail. You don't need to apologize, I'm the one who should be sorry. But don't expect an apology."

Xavier flashed her the first real smile in months.

"Well, thank God you are giving me archery lessons now, so you don't need to take any more arrows for me."

Wednesday felt like her plan was slipping away from her.

***

"My master plan is not working, Enid. I changed plans once already, I'm not even over phase A. As much as it pains me to say it, right now I'm a wounded gazelle and I require your assistance."

Thing was helping Enid with her curling iron, holding it for her when she needed it. It was late and Ophelia Hall was quiet.

"Okay, first of all, OMG, this is one of the best days of my life, I'm like- shaking all over." Enid dropped the curling iron on the floor and turned around excitedly, fanning herself with her hands.

"Second of all, I think I need a little bit of context here, cause I have no idea what you are referring to. What's this master plan about?" she asked.

"If you tell a soul, I'll have to murder you in cold blood and feed your skin to the fishes," Wednesday threatened her.

Enid made the motion of closing her mouth with a key and throwing it away behind her.

"I'm planning to court Xavier. However, he doesn't seem interested like he used to be, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and hatch a plan to convince him I'm the one he wants."

Enid screeched, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Wednesday, what the hell! How did I not know about this?" she screamed in her face, "Since when do you like Xavier? Omg, you like Xavier," she started pacing around the room, "I'm gonna die, this is too good!" she screamed again and then a realization hit her, and she stopped.

Her mouth dropped.

"Wait. So that's why you poisoned Betty! Wednesday, oh my god!"

"Enid, focus before I do something you'll regret," Wednesday said, annoyed.

"I'm like FREAKING OUT. I can't even be mad you poisoned Betty. Well, I still don't agree with that but oh my god. This is GOLD!" Enid clapped her hands and jumped.

"It's all your fault, anyway. You and that awful singer. I should have known never to trust pop music. It's a tragedy in itself, the worst kind," she said, watching Enid freaking out like a lunatic.

Enid abruptly stopped and looked at her like she was crazy, her eyes feral.

"Wait. Do you mean Taylor Swift? You were inspired by Taylor Swift to do this?" she asked incredulously, almost breathless.

"Yes, whatever her name is. She kept singing about trapping someone in her spiderweb cause she is, and I quote a mastermind. Now, you see, Enid, I'm easily a mastermind, too. Which Is why I don't understand what I'm doing wrong," she said, frustrated.

Enid and Thing remained perfectly still, the silence was deafening.
It went like this for several moments and Wednesday scowled at them.

"Can I post this on SwiftTok? People would love this. I could become famous and win tickets for the Eras Tour."

"Could you speak human? And the answer is no to whatever insane idea you have in mind."

Another moment passed by. Enid still stood very still. Wednesday could bet she was thinking very hard about her alternatives.

"Okay, okay. I can be mature about this." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Breathe, Enid. Breathe. This is not the end of the world. Let's focus. Tell me this master plan of yours."

***
Wednesday spent half an hour illustrating her plan to Enid. She had several sheets by now.

"I think I've realized my first mistake. I need to use my board for this, a sheet just isn't enough."

Wednesday went to set her board at the center of the room.

Enid was staring at her sheet, evidently perplexed.

WEDNESDAY ADDAMS' PLAN TO TRAP XAVIER THORPE.
By Wednesday Friday Addams.

Name of the target: Xavier Thorpe.
Age: 17 years old
Height: 6.2 feet
Eyes: Green.

Name of the enemy: Betty Marie James. (See the back of the page for more data on her.)

PHASE A.
Eliminate the enemy re: Betty Marie James…

Make the target realize Wednesday Addams is the girl of his nightmares.

Ex 1: Helping the target improve his skills. This will show the target the superiority of her skills compared to the enemy's.
Ex 2: Flirting (Stare at the target for a prolonged amount of time.)This will pressure the target to reevaluate his feelings.

PHASE B.
Seduce the target.

Unclear how to proceed on seduction, might need help.

Possible ideas may include: scaring him to death, giving him blood, gifting him a scorpion…

PHASE C. (The ultimate one)
Devour the target's heart.

After making sure the target is well trapped in her web, Wednesday Addams must confess her intentions of courting the target.

Target will accept courting rituals as planned and the plan will be complete.

Enid blinked several times. Wednesday was already setting her board on her wall, she needed pictures of Xavier for this.

"Wens, I love you, you are my ride or die, but what the hell is this? This looks like you plan to murder him in cold blood. This is not how you convince someone to be with you!" she said looking at Wednesday like she was insane.

"It seems pretty logical to me,” Wednesday said.

"You sent Betty to the hospital!" Enid screamed.

"She is still alive and well. She played the victim far too well. Besides, you don't even know her."

"I talked to her a few times at lunch!"

"She could be a serial killer for all you know."

"Wednesday, you love serial killers, '' Enid argued, exasperated.

"But you don't. The very idea of a serial killer makes you have a panic attack."

Enid sighed, defeated.

"I think it's good Xavier was getting over you. It's healthy."

Wednesday stabbed her with her eyes.

"So, that's why you wrote that ridiculous piece on your blog about how they look cute together. What side are you on, Enid?" Wednesday spat, venomously.

"That was before I even knew you were in love with Xavier. You can rest assured I will do everything I can to help you now, okay? Don't worry, I got you."

Wednesday felt her heart clench.

"I'm not in love. Being in love is for the weak."

"You listened to Taylor Swift and came up with this sheet. You are even setting up your board. You are in love, Wens. It's okay, you will learn to accept it with time. Now, we need to get to work. We have one Xavier Thorpe to trap. "

**

Enid's ideas were terrible and she crushed all of Wednesday's. She approved the archery lessons, telling her it was the only normal idea she had.

Giving him a vile of her blood was a hard no, for Enid.

"Buy him a set of colors or something. A book. Anything. What is he ever gonna do with your blood, anyway? Ew."

"It's an Addams' family tradition. I don't expect you to understand. I will buy a syringe and draw my blood with it. I will put it in a coffin-shaped container with an anticoagulant and preservative. I could put it on a chain and give it to him as a necklace. Our family blood is very powerful, it will act as a shield and protect him against witchcraft."

Her parents exchanged blood during their wedding, but she was not gonna mention that to Enid.

"That screams psychopath material, not girlfriend material. And how will that conversation even go? Here's my blood, Xavier. I packed it up for you in a cute little necklace. Be my boyfriend, please. Wait. This could be a good idea, though,"she said, frowning.

"After your little made-up scenario, I changed my mind. I'd rather walk on nails than subject myself to that kind of conversation."

She was indecisive on the scorpion part.

"I mean, I get the sentiment behind the idea, but Xavier doesn't even know about Nero, does he? And can he take care of a Scorpion in a dorm? What if he doesn't like scorpions?"

"He does. I've seen him draw them," she said knowing full well she has spent a lot of time memorizing all of Xavier's drawings.

"Oh, Wednesday. You are down bad!"

**

Wednesday had to find other ways to seduce Xavier and she hated compromises.

***
She thought about buying a new set of painting brushes, but she had never paid much attention to what type of brushes he preferred.

She didn't know much about art.

One time when she was 10, her uncle Fester took her with him to watch an art exhibition where they used human blood as paint. Then he got arrested for eating their supplies of blood and Wednesday was banned from it forever. She never cared enough about art after that.

Her next move was to sneak into his shed when he wasn't there and take a look at his art supplies.

Wednesday ended up stealing one of his painting brushes for reference and then she put it away in her safe, to keep. Xavier wouldn't miss it.

The next day Wednesday stole the new principal's car to drive downtown. The new principal was an old Gorgon who kept to himself and took long naps.

She was gonna bring the car back without him noticing.

She had never driven before but that wasn't a problem she was gonna worry about.

The two stores she went to didn't have what Wednesday was looking for, so Enid told her to buy them online.

Wednesday had never bought something from the internet and she would have gladly avoided it, but she had no other choice.

It was late at night that day when Thing was helping her google the best painting brushes on the internet.

It was a lot and there was an overload of images and options she wondered how people bought things from that device all the time and they were happy about it.

"I think this set might be the best option," signed Thing, after they looked up hundreds of sets.

Wednesday learned Xavier had a Grumbacher Goldenedge set and Wednesday decided to buy him a Kolinsky sable set which according to people was the best set of brushes out there.

By the end of it, she wanted to crush Enid's computer.

***
Wednesday waited for the package to arrive like she was waiting to watch an execution, with anxious trepidation.

She had such an anxious energy on her that even Xavier noticed when they were having their usual archery lesson.

"Should I be worried?" he asked.

"About what?" Wednesday threw an apple in the air and shot it with her arrow.

"I don't know, you tell me. You are acting…weird. Well, weirder than usual. It's like you are anxious or something."

"How can you tell?" she asked.

"Well, I mean," he ducked his head and considered his words. "Okay, this is gonna sound creepy, but you are like….blinking a lot more. And you barely blink. And you are shifting your body all the time like you are trying to pace yourself."

Wednesday blinked. So Xavier was looking at her! She considered giving in to the instinct of smiling like the Cheshire Cat, but she couldn't give away her true feelings just yet. She straightened her back and stared at Xavier dead in the eye.

"I'm waiting for something," she said.

"Like what?" Xavier asked, arching one of his eyebrows.

"Well, that's none of your business!" Wednesday shot back, tensing a little bit.

"Ouch. You are hurting my feelings," he put a hand on his chest. "I thought by now we were besties who shared friendship bracelets!"

Wednesday frowned. She didn't do friendship bracelets and she had no intention of exchanging friendship bracelets with Xavier. If he wanted to exchange something with her so bad it might as well be blood!

"I only give out murder bracelets," she said.

Xavier burst out laughing.

Wednesday liked that she could make Xavier laugh like that.

The next day Xavier gave her a small velvet pouch while they bumped into each other.

"For you," he said and winked and walked away before she could open it in front of him.

Inside there was a friendship bracelet, with black beads and skull beads and the word MURDER.
Wednesday wore it and hid it under the sleeve of her blouse.

When Enid saw it, she screamed "Is that a friendship bracelet?"

"I've always dreamed of being delirious like you," she deflected.

"Who gave it to you? Don't lie to me, Wednesday. You said you'd rather suffocate on your blood than wear a friendship bracelet the last time I wanted to make you one."

Wednesday debated lying, but what was the point of lying after everything that had happened?

"Xavier. I told him I only give out murder bracelets."

Enid opened her mouth in shock.

"I'm so happy for you, I could cry. I'm gonna forgive you just this once."

Later that week, Wednesday was forced to wear another friendship bracelet made by Enid.

Hers was with black beads and hearts and spelled the word BESTIE.

**
The package arrived a few days later and Wednesday opened it with feverish hands.

The set of brushes was perfect, Wednesday just needed to wrap it up now.

She picked up a black velvet wrapping paper and a velvet bow and wrapped it up as nicely as she could. She stuck a note to it, too.

"A tortured artist deserves new painting brushes."

**
When Wednesday went to the shed looking for Xavier, the shed's lights were turned on and Xavier was inside.
Wednesday gripped her gift, the velvet of the wrapping paper soothing her somehow, and opened the door.

The scene in front of her made her stomach turn.

Betty James was there, painting, and Xavier was laughing. Xavier was laughing like he did when Wednesday told him about the murder bracelets. They both were.

Her wrist suddenly burned and felt heavy.

Of course, she had to be there. Xavier was giving her painting lessons, Wednesday knew that. How nice.

Wednesday could give her lessons, too. On how to throw herself into the ocean and drown.

Xavier stopped at the noise and turned around. He seemed surprised.

"Wednesday, hi. What are you doing here?"

Betty James was studying her. "Hi, Wednesday,"she said.

Wednesday outright ignored her and stared at Xavier.

Her knuckles were white. She hid the present behind her back.

She was trying to convince herself not to turn crazy like her late cousin Eleonora.

"Nothing. I wanted to check if I had left my pen here, I can't find it anywhere. I can come back another time. "

She turned around fast and walked out, almost running.

Xavier was right behind her.

"Wednesday, wait. Why are you really here?" he asked, following her.

Wednesday turned around to face him, she felt rooted in place. She didn't have much of a choice now.

"I wanted to give you this," she said, ashamed.

She handed him the gift.

Xavier blinked.

"For me?" he asked.

"Do you see anyone else out here, perhaps? A ghost?"

Xavier opened it, his eyes were full of surprise and wonder.

"Wednesday. These are very expensive brushes," he said looking at the box like he couldn't quite believe it was in front of him.

"You gave me a phone last semester. I wanted to return the gift. "

Xavier was staring at her with a weird look in his eyes.

"You don't even use it and it's been months, anyway. Why now?" he pried.

"Do you like it?" she asked, quickly.

Wednesday just needed to know this. She was already embarrassed enough to sustain the conversation.

"I don't like it. I love it. Wedn- " he went to touch her arm and she retrieved out of habit and self-preservation.

Xavier looked hurt.

"Then shut up and keep it. I'm leaving now, don't follow me or I will maim you."

Xavier didn't dare to follow her but watched her leave until she was out of sight.

***
"He was with her," she said to Enid.

They were both lying on her bed. Wednesday was staring at the ceiling trying to create a gory monster with her mind.

"But he loved the gift. This is very good, Wens. He will fall into your arms soon enough. Just follow your plan."

Enid had a bag of chips on her lap and had her mouth full.

"I'm disgusting, I'm turning into my mother. I want to bury myself and stay there for eternity, I can't stand to see the light of day anymore."

"There are worse things than being like your mother, " she argued, simply.

Wednesday turned to look at her, almost rolling her eyes.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like, I don't know. Being like my mother. "

***
Wednesday caught Xavier talking to Bianca during the week.
They were outside of fencing class and it was harder for her to eavesdrop, but she did her best.

"I'm sorry, I'm a complete jerk and if you don't want to talk to me anymore I get it," he told Bianca.

"Yes, you are. I should cut you out of my life, Xavier. I know our relationship has been through a lot, but I didn't deserve what you said to me," Bianca said.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm ashamed. I was upset and I- I guess it was easier for me to think it was you. What we had was good when it was good and you have been a great friend to me, even after everything. I'm fucked up. I have trust issues until I decide to throw them in the trash and let people jerk me around. I just wanted to say I'm sorry and that you didn't deserve it this time and you don't deserve someone who holds on to your mistakes. We all make them. I'll leave you alone."

Xavier made the motion to leave, but Bianca stopped him with her arm.

"I said I should cut you from my life, not that I am. Let's go to Weathervane later. I'll order four different desserts and a coffee. You'll grovel and pay," she said, crossing her arms on her chest.

"Deal."

Wednesday stalked them to the Weathervane, she saw them sitting at a table with coffees in their hands. She was hiding under the counter. She paid the waiter 50 dollars to make them sit at the table closer to the counter and let her stay there and ignore her presence.

"When you say you let people jerk you around you mean Wednesday," Bianca said, drinking from her cup.

"She's… she is one of the people I let do that, yes. I mean, I think our relationship is much better now, you know. She tries her best." he explained, fidgeting with his hands.

"You know, Xavier. I think the answer is right in front of you."

They stared at each other, words unspoken.

"You thought that, too? I- I thought I was insane even entertaining the idea but now. I'm not so sure anymore. I- you really think that?"

"Well, it fits, doesn't it?"

Wednesday had no idea what they were talking about, but she was glad to know she still had power over Xavier.

***

Wednesday felt nowhere close to trapping Xavier, though. Xavier had become like a little bird, always flying away when she was close to catching it.

They were still meeting for archery lessons and she had seen Xavier use the set she had given him.

He smiled at her a lot, all teeth and bright eyes. He watched her, now. He lingered closer.

One morning he brought her coffee in class.

"So you don't have to drink my disgusting coffee if you have an itch in your mouth," he said cheekily.

Wednesday looked at him suspiciously. Was her plan working after all? Had she become delirious?

Wednesday wasn't sure of anything anymore. Not even sure of herself.

Betty was still around Xavier, like an annoying mosquito to crush. The poisoning accident did nothing to deter her from hanging out with Xavier.

When Enid asked her, at launch one day she said, "I think it was just a prank. A cruel one, but just a prank. This school is one of a kind and I knew weird things had happened here before I decided to transfer. Plus, I got a trip to Vienna out of it. I'm not complaining."

Enid suggested Wednesday to flirt with Xavier.
Staring was not flirting, according to her.

"Tease him, a little bit. Like, I don't know. Pretend to pick up something from the floor and show him your butt. "

"I'm not a baboon, Enid."

"Nobody is proud enough not to be a baboon when they are in love."

***

"Good morning, Wednesday. The weather seems like your kind of weather today."

And it was. It was pouring and it was freezing and Wednesday was in the best mood.

"It is. It's perfect. "

They had botany that day and they were sitting next to each other.

Xavier was doodling a giant bee. And then he was moving his hand over the paper and the bee came alive.

"Eugene would like this," she had said.

She went to touch the bee with her hand and made Xavier's pencil fall on the floor.
She was quick to pick it up, but so was Xavier and their hands brushed.

Wednesday's heart clenched. Her eyes fell on Xavier's face, he was blushing.

Maybe Enid was onto something, but Wednesday still refused to be a baboon.

***
"Speak his language," Enid said.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Well, he is an artist, he loves to draw. Paint him something from your heart. It's so romantic!"

"The only thing I can draw is a stick figure hanging out from a rope."

Wednesday did end up painting something.

When they had botany class together she made sure to take out her notebook and draw in front of him.

Xavier arched his eyebrow. "What is that?"

Wednesday turned. "It's a Hyde eating a heart."

"Oh," he said and got very quiet.

"It's a metaphor. I'm Hyde in this equation."

Maybe she should have picked another monster. She had not thought this through.

She had meant to acknowledge their history. She had accused Xavier of being a Hyde, after all.
Turns out she was the Hyde in their relationship. Ravenous for his heart.

"And whose heart are you eating?" he asked.

Yours. She wanted to say but chickened out.

"A pig's heart. They are my favorite."

Xavier looked even more confused.

**

"Say something…sexy. Make him yearn for you.”

"Don't ever say yearn ever again, Enid. I might need to sit on an electric chair to forget this conversation ever happened and they don't have one at Nevermore."

"When I told you to paint him something I meant something completely different. How was he meant to figure out that drawing was for him and that you wanted to eat his heart?"

"If you don't close your mouth in the next five seconds you are next on the electric chair"

***
"You are so talented, you know? And charming. And kind. You are like a dark prince or something, " Betty said with a saccharine tone.

Wednesday was stabbing her food with a fork.

That girl truly had no shame. Flirting with Xavier at launch, in front of everyone. In front of her. Wednesday could still torture her, like she had planned, before.

Enid made a face.

"Well, thank you. I don't think I'm that special, but it's nice to be appreciated," Xavier said blushing.

Wednesday gripped her knife. One little cut to the jugular would suffice. Wednesday could appreciate Xavier well enough. Xavier's all cut out from his body and laid on an operation table.

"Any girl would be lucky to be your girlfriend, Xavier. I mean it," Betty said putting her arm on his

Xavier blushed again and looked down at his plate.

Wednesday could not take it anymore. She went to get up, but Enid's hand was on hers immediately.

"Wednesday, if you kill her now they will arrest you. You can't leave me in here, alone," she whispered.

"I'm not killing anyone. I'm leaving. I'm tired, Enid. If Xavier likes her, it means I would never be good for him. I will never be that kind of girl. It's getting ridiculous. The plan is over."

The scraping of her chair made Xavier look up, but Wednesday was already too far away to notice.

***
"You can't give up now, Wens. What about Taylor Swift?"

"She's an awful singer and a pop one at that. She was wrong and as much as it pains me to say it, I was being delusional. I lost my chance with Xavier a long time ago, Enid. And maybe it's best this way, we would never be right for each other. I knew it back then."

"I disagree. Wednesday, I know that I said that it was great that Xavier was moving on from you, but that was because I didn't think he stood a chance. But he does. And he's crazy about you. Completely gone. That Betty? He doesn't even notice her, not really. When you left yesterday, he watched you leave."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Why don't you tell him how you feel? No plan, no anything. Just tell him, at least you'll know for sure."

Wednesday stayed up all night. For the first time in forever, she wished to be more like her mother.

***
"No painting lessons today?" she asked, trying to stall.

They were in his shed, again. Xavier was cleaning his brushes. Wednesday's brushes.

"Uhm. No, Betty won't be here today. She has improved a lot with her art and I didn't feel like it was fair to her to still hang out, I told her as much."

"Why?" she asked.

Xavier stared at her for a few seconds and sighed.

"Because she has a crush on me and I'm stupidly in love with you," he said like he was just saying that he went out to buy groceries.

Wednesday's brain circuited. She blinked and blinked and blinked and blinked. Her mouth felt dry.
She stared at Xavier like she was seeing him for the first time.

"Wednesday, I want to ask you something- "

"I have a confession to make," she blurted.

Her heart crushed in her chest, but she couldn't keep this to herself any longer.

Suddenly the very plan she had worked so hard on felt dishonest.

Wasn't this the same as when she had invited him to the Rave'N for ulterior motives? And wasn't this the same as when she had planted the necklace to frame him for murder?

Xavier studied her long enough and nodded.

"I've been planning to…conquer you for weeks now. I had a whole plan and a board too. To be completely candid, I did not think it was working very well and I gave up trying a few days ago. But I realize now that I tricked you nonetheless. Again. That I've been trying to manipulate you again, under the pretense of knowing better. I apologize. It seems I don't know how to act around you."

Xavier stared at her and one second later smirked.

"Wednesday. I know. I mean, at first, I was a little confused and it took me a bit to catch up, but I know. I've known all along. I realized something was up when you kept staring at me all the time, shamelessly. I was…hoping it meant what I thought it meant. You- you drank from my cup! You kept my friendship bracelet! I saw you stalking me a few times. And then you gave me those brushes and I knew for sure," he laughed, breathless.

"Enid said, staring creepily at someone who was not flirting."

"Yeah, for other people, maybe. But I know you. I've been learning to know you. You were the one to poison Betty, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"God, I- at first I thought I was going insane even entertaining the idea that you could do such a thing out of jealousy, for me!" he laughed again, almost delirious.

"You are not mad?" she said, suddenly afraid.

"I should be. God, I should be! But I'm so fucked up that I feel flattered by it."

"As you should be."

"Wednesday." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you. I didn't say anything because I was trying to give you space and time to deal with your feelings and I didn't want to scare you off. I was waiting for you to say something. I may also have been afraid of another rejection, I never know where I stand with you. When you left at lunch, I realized I messed up."

"You kept hanging out with Betty. Why?" she asked.

"Betty knew I was interested in someone else. She didn't know it was you, but I believe she has always suspected it. She told me she was okay with being just my friend, but what she said at launch made me realize that she wasn't, that she was still trying to I don't… convince me to be with her or something and it wasn't fair to her. I wasn't being fair to her. I guess at first I used her to feel better about myself and my hopeless feelings for you and then I was scared of making the wrong move and yeah- "

"They are not hopeless. Your feelings."

Xavier grinned.

"So, you knew."
Wednesday had to admit to being impressed.

"Yes."

"Now you are mine," she said.

"I've been yours since I was ten. I've been dreaming of pigtails and scary eyes since I met you. I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not yours."

"That's a bold thing to say to a girl like me, Xavier. I could easily hunt you for the rest of your life," she said, smirking.

"I'm kind of counting on it, actually, " Xavier said, getting closer to her.

"Good."

Wednesday urged forward to kiss him and he grabbed her face with both hands. They kissed and kissed and kissed until they were out of breath and they just stood there with their noses touching. Xavier laughed, incredulously.

"What?" she asked, still not moving.

"I can't believe I just kissed you."

Wednesday kissed him again, for good measure. To prove to both of them that this was real.

She couldn't believe Taylor Swift had been right, in the end. She might have been an awful singer but she was indeed a mastermind, she had to give it to her.