Chapter Text
Gomez and Morticia Addams raised their children to be independent and confident. Their daughter, Wednesday, was brought up not to depend on anyone for anything. As she got older, Wednesday concluded that it wasn’t necessary to rely on a guy to be happy. At the age of ten, Wednesday was pretty mature for her age. Even though Morticia was delighted to spend the rest of her life with her husband, she knew her daughter wouldn’t be content following her footsteps. Morticia and Wednesday were very different from each other. Therefore, Gomez and Morticia Addams were reluctant to accept Vincent Thorpe’s proposal. The Addams and Thorpe were part of a crowd of elite outcast families. Thus, it was common for individuals to marry someone who was part of that exclusive group of families and pedigree. An Addams had never married a Thorpe before. Since Vincent’s son, Xavier, was the same age as the eldest daughter of Gomez Addams, Vincent suggested that Wednesday and Xavier get married after they both turned eighteen. This offer was written in a letter included in the invitation to a funeral service for Xavier’s godmother. His godmother and Wednesday’s grandmother knew each other, so the Addams’ presence was requested. Both women had spent their twenties together in Europe, swindling the rich and notorious.
******
As Lurch drove the Addams to the funeral, Morticia was awfully quiet instead of engaging in a passionate smooch-fest with her husband. She looked over to Wednesday and recalled the vision she had earlier that week.
It was of an older Wednesday living alone, claiming she was pleased with how her life turned out—saying she was living a happy and productive life. Although those words came out of her mouth, her eyes showed a different emotion. Morticia always believed that the eyes are undeniably the window to the soul. If it were anyone else looking at Wednesday, the person would not have caught the sadness in her eyes. However, this is Morticia, the woman who carried her daughter for nine months in her womb and raised her. She knew Wednesday better than anyone else. Her offspring was not as happy as she stated. While Wednesday enjoyed solitude, she had been raised in a caring family and now craved something similar to what her parents had, despite her never admitting to it. She hadn’t wanted a partner when she was younger. Now, she regretted not giving love a chance. The vehicle’s sudden halt brought Morticia back to the present. Morticia vowed to prevent her daughter from living this lonely future.
Today, Wednesday and Xavier will be in the same room for the first time. Both were ten years old. They had never met, and Morticia would observe their interaction to help her decide on the arranged marriage proposal. Vincent, Gomez, and Morticia had agreed not to disclose any information to their children until they were older and would understand why their parents chose to marry them off to each other. The Addams exited the car and walked towards the building where the service was about to start.
Xavier was sitting next to his father, wearing a suit that was too tight for his liking. Multiple people had come up to him and hugged him tightly while offering his father condolences for the passing of his godmother. Suddenly, the double doors opened, and a family he had never seen before walked in. The girl walking next to the man, her father, he assumed, captured his attention, and he could not look away. She was gorgeous in her black dress with a white collar. Her hair was styled in two perfect braids.
As they walked down the aisle to their chairs, the priest mentioned that the ceremony would begin and that everyone should take their seats. Their eyes met, and in an instant, Xavier felt a powerful sense of connection and belonging. Wednesday looked away when she felt her father’s hand on her back guiding her to her seat. Throughout the service, Xavier would sneak glances at the area Wednesday and her family was sitting in hopes of making eye contact with her again. He wondered what her name was. Vincent nudged Xavier to draw his son’s attention to the front of the room after he saw Xavier constantly turning to observe Gomez’s daughter.
Once the priest announced that the service was over, Vincent, who was taking care of all the costs, announced that there would be a light luncheon in the reception hall to thank those who attended. While the people exited the room, the Addams walked over to where Vincent and Xavier stood. Given that Gomez and his family couldn’t offer their condolences before the ceremony, they wanted to do it before heading to the reception hall.
Xavier saw the girl and her family stroll over to him and his father. Gomez shook Vincent’s hand as he said, “Vincent, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. We are sorry for your loss.” He then turned to Xavier and uttered, “You must be Xavier. We haven’t seen you since you were an infant, and your godmother brought you to our house for a playdate with our daughter Wednesday.”
“My name is Gomez Addams, and this is my lovely wife, Morticia. Next to her is our son, Pugsley. Last but not least is our daughter, Wednesday Addams.” Gomez gently pushed Wednesday forward, and she extended her hand toward Xavier. When Xavier held her hand, he felt a jolt of electricity coursing through his body—even if it was just for an instant. Wednesday and Xavier both let go of each other and returned to stand beside their parents.
“It’s nice to meet you all,” Xavier told the Addams.
Vincent, Gomez, and Morticia headed toward the reception room, whereas Xavier, Pugsley, and Wednesday stayed back.
As with any ten-year-old, the three children were bored until Wednesday suggested they play hide and seek.
To Xavier and Pugsley: “Let’s play hide-and-seek. You two hide while I count to 20, and I will try to find you. Whomever I find first will need to count next,” Wednesday said.
Both boys hurried off, searching for a good hiding spot. Wednesday was counting in the background: “One, two, three….”
Xavier wanted to impress Wednesday by locating a spot where she wouldn’t find him first. Hence, Xavier was inspired to hide in his godmother’s casket. Suddenly, he felt the casket moving and realized it was headed to the crematorium.
Wednesday reached twenty and went in search of her brother and Xavier. Unexpectedly, she heard muffled screams. She ran to the room where the sound came from and realized it came from inside the casket. Wednesday hit the big red stop button and opened the top.
Xavier saw someone opening the lid and jumped out of the casket with a red and blotchy face. He was trembling and, without thinking twice, hugged Wednesday as the adults entered the room after hearing screams, too. Wednesday stood still like a statue. She didn’t know what to do.
Vincent Thorpe called out his son’s name. Xavier let go of Wednesday and ran to his father. Xavier’s dad inspected his son to confirm that Xavier wasn’t hurt. Xavier glanced over his shoulder and murmured, “Thank you,” to Wednesday.
It was getting late, and it was time for the Addams to leave since they had a long drive home.
After Gomez and Morticia had bid farewell to Vincent and promised to keep in touch to discuss the offer further, they turned to Xavier and told him to take care of himself.
Looking at Wednesday with a lovestruck gaze, Xavier waved goodbye to them as the Addams headed to their vehicle. Just as Wednesday was about to enter the car, she turned around to stare at those piercing green eyes one more time. She was memorized by the look in his eyes as he was of her eyes.
From inside the automobile, Gomez and Morticia eyed each other with a glance of understanding after witnessing the special moment between Wednesday and Xavier.
Unknown to both kids, this would not be the last time they saw each other. However, many years would pass before they met again.
******
(Several years later)
Wednesday was sitting across from her parents while Pugsley sat in front, next to Lurch, as he drove them to Nevermore Academy. She had been expelled after dumping piranhas in the school’s pool as the boys at her school who had bullied her little brother, Pugsley, were practicing. One of the boys lost a testicle, and she was almost charged with attempted murder. Wednesday refused to talk to her parents because not only had they enrolled her in Nevermore Academy, she held the belief that her mother wanted her to follow in her footsteps; but they had also revealed that she was to be married once she turned eighteen and that her future husband also attended Nevermore Academy.
Wednesday was furious that her parents wanted to control her future. Yet, she was interested in knowing whom they had married her off to and more about the marriage proposal. Therefore, she put aside all her anger and frustration and decided to have this conversation with the people sitting across from her before they reached the school, but she did not have the opportunity to do so.
“Considering you are selling me off like grandma sells her love potions to the single feeble-minded, I think I deserve to know whom I am obliged to spend the rest of my life with,” Wednesday interrogated her parents.
Before Gomez could reply to Wednesday, Morticia held up her hand to her husband to indicate she would respond to Wednesday’s questions. “Darling, rest assured that, as your parents, we don’t want you to live an unhappy life. We would have never agreed to the arranged marriage if we didn't believe this match wouldn't work out. I think you and your fiancé will get along better than you imagine. You might even end up loving him as intensely as your father and I love each other.”
Wednesday answered her mother, “I highly doubt that. I’m not you, Mother. I will never fall in love, be a housewife, or have a family. And most importantly, I don’t want to go to this stupid boarding school.”
“Don’t say that, my little viper. Nevermore is like no other boarding school. It’s a magical place,” Gomez expresses to Wednesday.
Morticia jumped into the conversation, “Finally, you will be among peers who understand you. Maybe you’ll even make some friends.”
Wednesday looked out the window as the car drove through the Nevermore Academy gates. She couldn’t believe this would be her home for the foreseeable future.
******
Following the meeting with Principal Weems, Wednesday and her parents were guided to Wednesday’s assigned room to meet her roommate, who would give her a tour of the school.
Enid Sinclair, the most colorful individual they had ever seen, met the Addams as they entered the room. Just as Enid stepped forward to hug Wednesday, the girl, dressed in black and white, moved backward.
Morticia spoke up, “Please excuse Wednesday. She’s allergic to color.”
Principal Weems requested that Enid take Wednesday to pick up her special-ordered uniform and schedule.
Throughout the school tour, Wednesday tried to tune out Enid. She couldn’t imagine why the administration had assigned her to a room with a girl who clearly didn’t know when to shut up.
Wednesday needed Enid to stop talking. “You can save the sanitized sales pitch. I don’t plan on staying here for long.”
That captured the colorful girl’s attention. “Why not?”
Wednesday replied that it was part of her parents’ nefarious plan so that she would turn into a version of themselves. She left out the part where her betrothed also attended this school, another reason her parents had enrolled her at Nevermore.
As they walked to the quad, Enid continued asking her roommate, maybe not for long, to clarify the rumors going around the school about her and why Wednesday had been expelled from her old school.
Wednesday liked knowing her classmates thought she was capable of killing someone. It meant they comprehended she wasn’t someone they should mess with. “Actually, it was two kids, but who’s counting?”
Once they reached the quad, or pentagon, according to Wednesday, Enid described Nevermore's social scene in detail.
The four main cliques of outcasts were Fangs, Furs, Stoners, and Scales. Wednesday paid little attention to Enid as she explained who the Fangs and Furs were. Wednesday was a pretty intelligent girl and caught up quickly. “I’m assuming Scales are sirens?”
The werewolf explained to the goth girl that Bianca Barclay was Nevermore’s “It girl,” and she had dated Nevermore’s resident tortured artist, Xavier Thorpe. It was unknown why the couple had broken up at the start of the semester.
Wednesday looked over at said tortured artist. Although she seemed indifferent to the gossip, she couldn’t look away. She couldn’t recall where she had seen those green eyes. However, they seemed familiar even if she didn’t recognize the boy. He was painting a raven. She wondered if the guy she was being forced to marry would have beautiful eyes, too.
Wednesday was in deep thought, trying to remember where she had seen this boy, until she heard another guy starting to talk to her roommate. “Yo, Enid! You’re not gonna believe the dirt I heard about your new roommate.”
Due to her petite size, the boy wearing a beanie hadn’t noticed her behind the werewolf.
The psychic tuned out the talking teenager until he suggested Enid watch her back, and Enid moved aside so that the guy could see Wednesday was present.
“Quite the contrary. I actually fillet the bodies of my victims, then feed them to my menagerie of pets.” Wednesday cherished the look of surprise and horror on the guy’s face.
Enid introduced her to the guy, who apparently was a gorgon named Ajax. The werewolf mentioned he was cute after he left. Wednesday didn’t comprehend why Enid would consider him appealing. Yet again, she didn’t show emotions since they kept her from having weaknesses. That is why she refused to wed someone.
They continued the tour, and not long after, Wednesday stood in front of her parents wearing her exclusive uniform and bidding farewell to her family.
She could already sense that her father was about to start weeping as he engulfed her in a hug.
After Gomez said goodbye to his little deathtrap, Pugsley went up to his sister and gave her a big hug.
Of course, Wednesday being emotionally unavailable, instead of returning the embrace, she tells her brother, “Pugsley, you’re soft and weak. You’ll never survive without me. I give you two months, tops.”
Any regular sibling would take offense to his sister’s words, but not the Addams siblings; they had unique ways of expressing their sentiments. “I’m gonna miss you, too, sis,” Pugsley replied.
Gomez and Pugsley entered the vehicle, leaving her alone with her mother.
Morticia warned her daughter, “Any plans you have of running away end right now. I’ve alerted all family members to contact me the minute you darken their doorstep. You have nowhere to go.”
The mother-daughter relationship between Wednesday and Morticia became more strained as Wednesday grew older. They didn’t get along because of their different personality traits. Wednesday felt misunderstood by her mother.
Wednesday thought to herself… Does she seriously believe that by giving me a necklace representing both our initials, I will forget that she is leaving me behind in this boarding school?
Wednesday reluctantly accepted the crystal ball her mother asked Lurch for.
Morticia informed Wednesday, “We can’t talk to you for the first week while you’re settling in, so we’ll call you next Sunday.” Before Morticia could get into the car, Wednesday called out to her mother, “Who’s going to be my husband? You said he goes here. Who is it?”
Morticia casually replied, “The boy you met at your grandmother’s friend’s funeral.” Wednesday was having a hard time recalling how the boy looked. Numerous years have passed since that day.
Morticia settled next to Gomez as Lurch closed the vehicle’s door. She didn’t give the name of the boy to her daughter. She knew Wednesday would figure it out. Her daughter loves a good mystery.
The look of hatred in Wednesday’s eyes as she saw her family’s vehicle depart gave away just how much she despised being left behind in a school she loathed and in an arranged marriage situation she didn’t want to be part of.
Wednesday thought to herself as she headed back inside the campus. I’ll use this time to devise a plan to get acquainted with my future husband and have him dislike me so that he can force his father to terminate the marital union agreement. Yes, that’s what I will do. He was a weak little boy. Only someone dumb would hide in something headed to the crematorium. It shouldn’t be too hard to scare him off.
(To be continued…)