Chapter Text
Enid hopped out of the truck and walked to the convenience store next to the gas station. She went straight to the register without picking up anything. Reaching into her pocket, she looked at the middle-aged man behind the counter.
“Twenty dollars on pump…uh…” Enid turned to the large window to spot where her truck was parked, then turned back to the man. “Whichever one that is.”
She pointed to the pump, and the man looked at her, puzzled. “Aren’t you too young to be driving?”
“I’m just pumping gas for my dad,” Enid replied quickly. “He’s using the bathroom; might be a while.”
The man smiled and chuckled. “Been there.”
Enid reached into her ripped jeans pocket again and pulled out the bill she knew she had. She handed it to the man, and the register dinged. She returned to her truck and started pumping gas while humming a melody to herself.
After a few seconds, she fell silent, feeling someone watching her. She turned around to find a man at another pump staring at her.
“I’m on pump number four,” she said with a smile. “You?”
“Two,” the man replied, not taking his eyes off the bubbly teenager.
“Nice,” Enid said, returning her attention to the gas pump.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Wednesday was lying in bed, holding a copy of ‘Frankenstein,’ which she was reading for what felt like the gazillionth time. The room was silent until the phone started ringing. She sat up and picked it up, not recognizing the caller ID.
“Hello?” she asked hesitantly.
“Hey Willa, it’s Enid,” came Enid’s voice, easing Wednesday’s tension. “I stole my dad’s truck. I’m running away. Wanna come?”
“You’re running away?” Wednesday asked, feigning concern. “Sounds dangerous.”
“Oh… uhmm…” Enid’s confidence wavered. “Well, my dad taught me how to drive, and—”
“I’m messing with you, Sinclair,” Wednesday interrupted, her voice slightly amused. “Come and get me.”
With that, Wednesday hung up and walked over to her closet, grabbing a gym bag and quickly shoving in any clothing items she could find. She was so absorbed in packing that she didn't notice her mother standing in the doorway.
“May I know where you're heading, darling?” Morticia asked. Wednesday turned and met her mother’s eyes. “You seem in quite a hurry.”
“Enid just ran away,” Wednesday said nonchalantly, packing the last of her clothes into the bag. “She’s coming to pick me up.”
“Oh! A runaway date! How lovely,” Morticia exclaimed, her excitement palpable. “I must admit, it’s a wonderful idea for a date, Wednesday. Your father and I used to have multiple escapades where we—”
“It’s not a date,” Wednesday interjected dryly, zipping up the bag and slinging it over her shoulder. “And I don't want to hear about your or Father's dates.”
Morticia smiled, well aware of her daughter's secret crush on her blonde friend. She chose not to mention it, to avoid bothering Wednesday. Instead, she simply followed behind her daughter.
“Please send my regards to lovely Enid,” she said, finding a chair to sit on. “I will inform your father of your absence. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Wednesday replied, grabbing a few items from her bathroom. “I hope we’ll—I’ll be back by next week. If not, I’ll be sure to contact you.”
Wednesday headed downstairs, her mother still following. She was about to sit down when she heard a car pulling up outside. She turned to Morticia, giving her a nod before walking to the door.
“Be sure to have fun, dear!” Morticia called as Wednesday approached the door. She paused for a few seconds before adding, “Oh, and Wednesday?”
The raven-haired girl turned around to see her phone in her mother’s hand. “Be sure to keep your phone charged, please.”
Wednesday frowned, walked back, grabbed her phone, and shoved it into her jacket pocket. She walked back to the door, opened it, and closed it with a slam.
Wednesday closed the door to find Enid waiting outside, leaning casually against her father’s truck. The blonde grinned widely, her face lighting up at the sight of Wednesday.
“Took you long enough,” Enid teased, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“I had to pack,” Wednesday replied dryly, though there was a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She slung her bag into the backseat and climbed into the truck.
“Why did it take you so long to make this happen?” she asked, a rare smile tugging at her lips.
“Oh, my feet were too short to reach the pedals,” Enid replied with a wink and a grin.
Wednesday turned away as she felt her cheeks begin to burn. She looked up again when she felt the truck start to move forward.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
They arrived at a diner by the highway and decided to stop for a meal and plan their next steps. As they waited for their food to arrive, Wednesday decided to break the ice.
“So, why did you run away?” she asked cautiously, mindful of Enid's reaction.
“I was fed up with my mother’s comments,” Enid said, avoiding Wednesday’s gaze. “So, I decided to run away.”
“She’s a nefarious woman who doesn’t deserve to be called a mother,” Wednesday said, trying to comfort Enid. “Was it something specific?”
“Wednesday, for the last time,” Enid chuckled, turning to look at her. “You’re not killing my mother.”
“Worth a try,” Wednesday said, leaning back in her chair. “But I’m serious, was there something specific she said?”
“My brother had his birthday party today,” Enid continued after the server had left their drinks. She had ordered a strawberry milkshake. “And a few of the local packs were invited.”
Wednesday hummed, taking a sip from her water bottle while keeping her attention on Enid. “It was just the usual, you know? Bringing me down as a disappointment.”
“You’re not a disappointment,” Wednesday said quickly, reaching across the table to take Enid’s hand gently. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and Wednesday could feel her heart pounding in her ears. “Enid, I—”
“Classic Hamburger and Chicken Tenders,” the waiter announced, placing the plates on the table and inevitably breaking the moment. Wednesday let go of Enid’s hand. “Enjoy.”
“What happened then?” Wednesday asked awkwardly. “She usually doesn’t kick you out. Did you stand up for yourself?”
Enid nodded nervously and took a chip from her tray. She stared at the hamburger, taking a deep breath before speaking again.
“I basically did. I told my mom to go fuck herself,” Enid said, eating another chip. “So yeah, I became homeless.”
“You aren’t homeless,” Wednesday said, looking at her while grabbing her fork to start eating. “My parents would be more than thrilled to have you, and you know it.”
“Thanks, Willa,” Enid said with a shy smile. “But I don’t want to burden anyone.”
You are not a burden, Wednesday thought as she took another sip from her water bottle.
There was an awkward silence for a few minutes until Enid decided to speak up again. “Can we not talk about it? This is literally the best day of my life.”
“First time running away?” Wednesday asked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
“Basically,” Enid chuckled. “I finally feel free, and it feels amazing!”
They ate calmly, Wednesday listening as Enid enthusiastically recounted her day and how she had planned her escape. Soon, they finished eating and spread out a map on the table, deliberating on their next destination.
“Oh! What about New York?” Enid suggested excitedly. “We could blend in there easily.”
“I like that plan,” Wednesday agreed, tracing a route with her finger to where the map marked ‘New York.’ “We’re heading northeast anyway.”
“Smart move,” Enid teased, resting her head on her arms. “You’re so clever.”
Wednesday looked away, folding the map once more. “If that’s settled, maybe we should get going. We shouldn’t waste any more time.”
“Wednesday,” Enid giggled, “We drove three hours before stopping here.”
“But we still have a long way to go,” the raven-haired girl replied, tucking the map back into her pocket.
“Well then, let me ask for the bill so we can hit the road.”
“Or…” Wednesday looked at Enid with a mischievous glint in her eye, “We could just leave.”
Enid grinned mischievously. “Just leave? Are you serious?”
Wednesday nodded, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Why not? It’s part of the adventure, isn’t it?”
Enid chuckled, clearly amused by Wednesday’s daring suggestion. “You know, Willa, you never fail to impress me, you’re crazy.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, mutt” Wednesday quipped, standing up from the table. “Come on, let’s make a break for it.”
They left a few 1 dollar bills on the table for the meal and hurried out of the diner. The warm evening air greeted them as they dashed towards the truck parked in the lot. Enid took the driver’s seat while Wednesday hopped into the passenger side.
As they drove away from the diner, the excitement of their impromptu escape filled the air between them. Wednesday couldn’t help but smile a little as she looked over at Enid, who was focused on the road ahead with determination.
“So, New York it is,” Enid said, breaking the silence as they merged onto the highway.
“New York,” Wednesday echoed.
– – – – – – – – – – –
Wednesday took the steering wheel again for what felt like the third time, while Enid air-microphoned, singing another k-pop song at full volume. They had been driving for over two hours when Enid took control once more, allowing Wednesday to relax into her seat. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from her bag, and Wednesday immediately turned her head, signaling urgently for Enid to turn off the radio.
Enid complied, and Wednesday practically leaped into the backseat, rummaging in her bag to uncover the intruder.
"...Thing?" she exclaimed, holding the hand up to her. "What are you doing here?"
"OMG!" Enid turned to look at Wednesday and Thing in the backseat. "You're here too!"
Thing waved at Enid and then urgently signaled for her to focus on the road as they were veering dangerously close to the edge.
"Whoa..." Enid exclaimed as she adjusted their position on the highway. "Sorry about that!"
"What are you doing here?" Wednesday asked, still holding onto the appendage and clearly displeased to see him. "You weren’t supposed to come."
"Come on, Willa, don’t be mean," Enid pleaded, knowing it was Wednesday's only weakness. "He was just worried and wanted to make sure you were okay."
Thing gave a thumbs up, and Wednesday sighed, reluctantly letting him go. He quickly scurried up to settle on Enid’s shoulder, and she turned to him with a smile.
‘I can drive for a bit if you want to rest,’ Thing signed to Enid. ‘I can see you both have barely slept.’
Wednesday glanced at Enid, their eyes meeting briefly. Both blushed slightly. Wednesday turned her gaze out the window, noticing how Enid slowed down and eventually pulled over to the side of the road.
“Fine, but just for an hour,” Enid said, unbuckling her seatbelt and joining Wednesday in the back seat. “Wake me up when it’s my turn.”
As soon as Enid closed her eyes, she was out like a light, her head resting against Wednesday’s bag. Wednesday looked over at Thing. “Not a word.”
After helping Thing start driving again, they resumed their journey toward New York. Wednesday couldn’t resist much longer and soon drifted off to sleep. Thing readjusted the rearview mirror and observed as Enid now rested on top of Wednesday, holding her tightly. Wednesday remained in her usual sleeping pose, arms crossed over her chest.