Work Text:
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Botany was one of Xavier’s best subjects at Nevermore because he had a decent memory. It was all facts and he had no problem digesting the sepia imagery that they came with. He was confident that he could draw some of the plants without a reference.
It was too bright of a day to be in the Conservatory and he was thankful that Enid had gotten him hooked on sunscreen. But the sun may as well be a nigh light compared to Addams’ heat vision of a stare.
Xavier had no clue as to why he was being subjected into this kind of torture. Even after being called on by Miss Thornhill, Addams did not relent and answered their teacher without even looking at the source material.
Two tables to his right, Rowan and Ajax were red-faced for different reasons. They were both in on this and found humor where Xavier can only foresee homicide.
Damn. If only he didn’t miss breakfast that morning.
At the first ring of the dismissal bell, he made a mad dash for the rest room with the snickers of his friends following him out the door.
He could not ignore them for the rest of the day, he and Rowan were roommates after all. And Addams would not attempt another murder in broad daylight around so many witnesses for the second time. Xavier braced himself as he walked over to their table at the Mess Hall.
They were gathered around Addams who was focused on Enid’s fluffy, purple clad phone. Eugene sat on Xavier’s usual seat beside Addams and appeared thoroughly amused with what he was seeing on the screen.
The likelihood that it was about Xavier made him want to snatch the phone and throw it across the hall. He’d buy Enid a new one.
But what in the world could make the two new members of their group be so interested on something about him. He crossed out his embarrassing baby pictures since Addams has seen him a chubby ten-year-old. Last year’s Nightshade skinny dipping debacle when Kent decided to reenact jaws forgetting that Xavier was a novice swimmer? Deleted. The unfortunate side effect of the potion he took to recover faster after he was beat up? No way. The only compelling part of that footage was that his butt was visible for a few frames.
He had no guess by the time Ajax spotted and waved him over.
Xavier steeled his nerves. “Hey—“
“You murderer,” Addams gasped and hugged the phone against her chest.
With his own guffaw of disbelief, Xavier crossed his arms. “Okay. First of all—“
“How could you?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Xavier knew in his heart of hearts that she would commemorate the day he committed his first murder. This was beyond out of character. And their friends were eating up every second of it.
He loomed over the imposter with his own accusations cocked and loaded. Then she almost smacked him with Enid’s phone. A startled yelp died in his throat when he realized what exactly he was looking at.
It was a picture of Xavier from before he got his hair cut in its current style. A picture with Ajax, no doubt, seeing as this was Enid’s phone and you could see the gorgon’s beanie peeking out at the side of the screen. It was zoomed in on Xavier, who wore his hair in a low ponytail, the ends resting over his shoulder and stopped mid chest.
“What gave you the right to take this boy away from us?” Addams glared at him.
The urge to reply bitch, what the fuck was strong but he held it in because he liked to surprise himself sometimes.
Their friends were in varying degrees of having lost it while Eugene maintained a more dignified front of nodding along to what Addams was yapping on about.
Fine . If they wanted a show, they were getting one.
Xavier can be dramatic. He was an artist, it was in his blood.
He sat across Addams and Eugene, channeling his inner socialite. “You don’t understand. I didn’t have a choice,” he said calmly.
Ajax snorted from somewhere on the trimmed grass.
“You didn’t have a gun pointed at the back of your head when you decided to end this man’s whole career.” Eugene puffed his chest but his lips had started to quiver.
“You’re right, I didn’t. But it was either my life or the split ends. It wasn’t even a question.”
Eugene cracked, joining Enid who was splayed over the table.
And then there were two.
Addams scrolled through the phone and showed him another picture. This time it was him with two fishtailed braids above his ears.
“Look at him! He was everything that was right in this world!” Her glare remained and her lips were flattened in their usual static line.
Xavier knew there was no fighting his blush but he persevered.
“That’s literally a copycat Figwit who couldn’t pass the L’Oréal auditions.”
Addams’ upper lip twitched and out came Rowan’s inhaler. Xavier was so close.
“He was a star!” Addams slammed her first against the table.
He had to change strategy, fast. Something to derail their rally.
Xavier sighed solemnly and reached over to cover the screen of Enid’s phone. “Let him go, Addams. He’s never coming back. The Olaplex, it was too much—“
Addams dropped her face onto her wrist. Her shoulders rattled in silent laughter.
It was Xavier’s victory.